7 out of 10 Filipinos want decision based on law, evidence in the impeachment trial of VP Duterte

Seven out of ten or 71 percent of Filipinos prefer that senator-judges should base their decision on the law and evidence and not political considerations, according to the July 2026 Tugon ng Masa Survey.

The non-commissioned survey, OCTA Research said, was conducted before the start of the impeachment trial while there is much public discussion on the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and whether she should be convicted or acquitted.

"Against this backdrop, the July 2026 Tugon ng Masa (TNM) survey asked adult Filipinos what they believe should matter most when senators vote on the impeachment case: the law and evidence presented during the trial, or political considerations. Importantly, this question does not measure support for conviction or acquittal. Rather, it measures public expectations regarding the integrity, fairness, and legitimacy of the impeachment process itself," the group said.

The survey fieldwork was conducted from July 4 to 11, 2026, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 probability respondents aged 18 and above, both male and female.

The survey has a ±3% margin of error at a 95% confidence level. Subnational estimates for the geographic areas covered in the survey have margins of error of ±6% for NCR, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, also at a 95% confidence level.

The survey was conducted during the opening stage of the Senate impeachment proceedings.

"This timing," the group explained, "makes the findings particularly important because they capture public expectations at the outset of the trial, before the presentation of evidence and before senators render any judgment. As such, the survey provides a valuable baseline against which future changes in public opinion can be measured as the impeachment process unfolds."

A majority of Filipinos or 71% believe that the Senate’s decision should be guided primarily by the law and evidence presented during the impeachment trial, while only 21% who say political considerations should matter most.

"This suggests that Filipinos place a high value on due process and expect senators to perform their constitutional role impartially," it added.

The survey also showed the people's preference for law and evidence cuts across the country.

"Support for an evidence-based decision is found across all four major geographic areas, every socioeconomic class, and all major demographic groups. Although levels of support vary across regions, the dominant national expectation is remarkably consistent."

Third, Filipinos distinguish the impeachment process from its political context.

The survey suggests that many Filipinos recognize impeachment as a political process but nevertheless expect senators to decide the case primarily according to constitutional and legal standards rather than partisan considerations.

"The findings establish an important baseline for evaluating the impeachment trial. Because the survey was conducted during the opening phase of the Senate proceedings, it captures public expectations before the full presentation of evidence," the group said, adding that future surveys can therefore assess whether public confidence in the impeachment process strengthens or weakens as the trial progresses.

The public expectations extend beyond the outcome of this case as the findings suggest that Filipinos are expressing broader expectations about democratic governance. The results indicate that the public values institutional fairness, due process, and evidence-based decision-making, regardless of the eventual verdict. — BAP, GMA News