Despite months of delay, most Filipinos believe the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte should finally move forward. This was revealed in a new survey by OCTA Research, which found that 78 percent of adult Filipinos want the Senate to proceed with the trial to give Duterte the chance to address the charges against her.
“Support for the Vice President facing trial is consistently high across all major regions,” OCTA reported, with the Visayas showing the strongest backing and Balance Luzon the lowest. The same strong support holds true across all social classes, with agreement ranging from 78 to 81 percent.
Conducted from April 20 to 24 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 respondents, the survey also showed that 91 percent of Filipinos are aware of the impeachment case—indicating widespread public attention on the issue.
Calls for action are growing louder after a four-month stalemate in the Senate. Senate President Chiz Escudero earlier cited the chamber’s recess for the 2025 campaign season as a key reason for the delay. He has proposed resuming the trial in July.
Last May, Escudero also moved the presentation of the articles of impeachment from June 11 to June 2, allowing Congress to prioritize legislative matters before its adjournment on June 30.
However, concerns have been raised that if the trial does not begin before the 19th Congress ends, it could be dismissed entirely—drawing criticism from various groups who stress the Senate’s duty to act without delay, as mandated by the Constitution.
The Vice President was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with 215 lawmakers voting in favor. She faces allegations of misusing confidential funds and issuing grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez, among other accusations tied to constitutional breaches.
