2 hours ago
2
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Jose Rodel Clapano - The Philippine Star
April 19, 2026 | 12:00am
In a Facebook post on Aug. 5, 2025, Vice President Sara Duterte shared photos of her administering the oath of office to newly elected officials of the Island Garden City of Samal, Davao del Norte.
Vice President Sara Duterte via Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — A majority of Filipinos support an impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, according to a recent OCTA Research survey, with House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms chairman Zia Alonto Adiong, saying the findings underscore the need to address the issues through the constitutional process.
Adiong, an assistant majority leader, said the survey result, showing that 69 percent of respondents favor a Senate trial or impeachment court proceedings, reflects public interest in having the allegations heard in the proper forum. The survey, released on April 15, also found that 28 percent disagreed and three percent were undecided.
“I hope the Vice President’s legal team will consider addressing all the allegations in the impeachment complaints within the proper forum. The latest survey reflects a clear public signal that Filipinos want these issues answered through the constitutional process now underway in the House committee on justice,” the Lanao del Sur lawmaker said in a statement.
The poll was conducted nationwide from March 19 to 25, through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adult respondents.
Adiong noted that the question presented to respondents focused on whether the Vice President should face trial, underscoring that the issue at this stage concerns the process rather than a determination of guilt.
The same survey showed that 87 percent of Filipinos are aware of the impeachment case, indicating broad public attention to the issue.
OCTA also reported higher support levels in the Visayas (83 percent) and the National Capital Region (81 percent), with Mindanao posting 61 percent.
Adiong said while survey results do not determine the outcome of the case, they point to sustained public interest in the proceedings.
Self-confessed “bagman” Ramil Madriaga’s waiver of his rights under bank secrecy laws, meanwhile, may turn him into one of the most important witnesses, if the impeachment case against Duterte reaches the Senate.
House Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V said Madriaga’s move changes the weight of his role in the case, because it transforms him from being a witness with allegations, to a witness inviting scrutiny of his own financial trail.
“A witness who is not hiding anything is credible. The fact that Mr. Madriaga can and is willing to tell all and open all, it means he can prove all the things he is saying. He volunteered to open his bank accounts and this is a really good test of his credibility,” Ortega, one of the endorsers of the 4th impeachment complaint, said in a statement.
He pointed out that if the case crosses from the House to a full-blown impeachment trial in the Senate, Madriaga’s waiver could make him a central figure or a “star witness” because it lowers one of the usual barriers to money trail.
