Filipinos who count themselves among Vice President Sara Duterte’s supporters are not standing apart from the public push for her impeachment case to be heard, according to the House of Representatives’ lead prosecutor, who argued that a Senate trial offers the one venue capable of settling the accusations against her once and for all.
Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, who heads the prosecution panel, pointed to fresh polling in framing the demand for a trial as something that cuts across political loyalties rather than dividing along them. “This is not just a concern of those against her, but also those supporting her,” she said, adding that even those who support the Vice President wanted the impeachment to clear her of all the allegations.
The data behind her remarks comes from OCTA Research, whose latest Tugon ng Masa survey found that roughly three-quarters of Filipinos believe the Vice President should answer the charges before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court. The 74 percent recorded in April marked a climb from the 69 percent logged a month earlier in March. The fieldwork ran from April 20 to 24 and drew on interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide, carrying a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Backing for the proceeding held steady regardless of income bracket. OCTA recorded 74 percent among Class ABC respondents, 75 percent within Class D, and 73 percent in Class E — a near-uniform spread the pollster read as evidence of consensus across economic lines.
Geography told a more divided story. Visayas registered the strongest endorsement at 82 percent, trailed closely by Metro Manila at 81 percent and the balance of Luzon at 77 percent, while Mindanao sat far behind at 58 percent. Researchers attributed the Mindanao gap to enduring patterns of regional political identity that have long distinguished the island from national sentiment on matters touching the Duterte family.
OCTA was careful to mark the limits of what the figures represent. The pollster said the question gauged support for impeachment as a constitutional mechanism for airing allegations and securing due process, and should not be taken as any verdict on the Vice President’s guilt, her possible conviction, or her removal from office.
The accusations themselves are substantial. Article I charges Duterte with culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust over the alleged misuse of PHP500 million in confidential funds tied to the Office of the Vice President and PHP112.5 million from the Department of Education. Luistro, who chairs the House Committee on Justice, was formally named lead public prosecutor when the House panel entered its appearance before the Senate Impeachment Court on May 18, after senators had taken their oath and convened as a tribunal.
