SEVEN in 10 Filipinos believe senators must decide the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte on the basis of the law and the evidence presented during the trial rather than political considerations, the latest survey by OCTA Research showed.
The survey, the results of which were released on Friday, found that 71 percent of respondents said senators should be guided by the law and evidence, while 21 percent said political considerations should matter most. Seven percent were undecided, while 1 percent declined to answer.
OCTA said the survey was intended to measure public expectations on how senators should decide the impeachment case, not whether Duterte should be convicted or acquitted. It said the findings reflect how Filipinos view the integrity and fairness of the impeachment process.
Support for an evidence-based decision was recorded across all major geographic areas and socioeconomic classes.
It found that 77 percent of respondents in the National Capital Region and 76 percent in Balance Luzon said the Senate should rely on law and evidence. The figure stood at 63 percent in the Visayas and 62 percent in Mindanao.
By socioeconomic class, 73 percent of respondents from Class ABC, 72 percent from Class D and 65 percent from Class E favored decisions based on law and evidence.
The preference was consistent across age groups, gender, educational attainment and urban-rural areas.
OCTA said the findings provide a baseline for measuring public opinion as the impeachment trial progresses, noting that the survey was conducted during the opening phase of the proceedings before evidence had been fully presented.
It added that the results suggest that Filipinos place importance not only on the verdict but also on whether the proceedings are conducted fairly and in accordance with due process.
The survey was conducted from July 4 to 11 through face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide. It has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points at the 95-percent confidence level.
On Friday, the House prosecution panel said the burden of rebutting the impeachment article accusing the vice president of making grave threats has shifted to the defense.
The prosecution on Wednesday concluded presenting its evidence. Its spokesman, Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr., said the panel had established its case by presenting authenticated recordings of Duterte’s Nov. 23, 2024 statements, the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) forensic examination and testimony on the bureau’s investigation into the alleged threats.
Former congressman Robert Ace Barbers, adviser and another spokesman for the prosecution, said the burden of evidence has now shifted to the defense.
Tolosa said the defense can no longer rely on simple denials and must instead answer the authenticated recordings, forensic findings, official investigation and national security assessment already on record.
The prosecution rested its case after presenting NBI Director Melvin Matibag as its third and final witness, following the testimonies of NBI Senior Agent John Mark Calilung and NBI Regional Director Jeremy Lotoc.
