(UPDATE) A LARGE majority of Filipinos want Vice President Sara Duterte to face a Senate impeachment trial, with 88 percent saying she should answer allegations in a formal proceeding, a survey released on Thursday by research firm Tangere showed.
The poll, conducted from April 22 to 23, indicated that respondents view a Senate trial not primarily as punishment but as a venue for the vice president to publicly defend herself and address the accusations against her.
About 70 percent of those surveyed said Duterte should personally testify and respond to the allegations, while 51 percent want her to present evidence — such as bank records — to clarify financial issues raised against her.
The same proportion cited the need to uphold due process, describing the Senate trial as the proper constitutional mechanism for resolving impeachment complaints.
The survey also pointed to expectations that a trial could help restore confidence in government. Around 52 percent said facing the allegations directly could rebuild public trust in the Office of the Vice President, while an equal share said a public trial would ensure transparency.
Meanwhile, 44 percent believe a definitive legal process could end ongoing political attacks.
Support for a Senate trial was consistent across political affiliations, including Duterte supporters, opposition voters, administration allies and undecided respondents, the firm said.
Tangere Chief Executive Martin Peñaflor said the findings suggest broad agreement among Filipinos on the need for a formal legal process.
“Whether supportive or critical, there is a shared view that the vice president should address the allegations in the Senate and be given the opportunity to defend her integrity,” Peñaflor said.
The noncommissioned survey polled 1,200 respondents nationwide using a mobile-based application and stratified random sampling, with a margin of error of ±2.77 percent at a 95-percent confidence level.
Meanwhile, the petitioners who filed a case before the Supreme Court challenging aspects of the impeachment process against the vice president raised concerns over the House Committee on Justice hearing on April 22, saying the proceedings went beyond the original impeachment complaints.
In a statement, the petitioners, led by lawyer Israelito Torreon, said what transpired during the hearing “confirmed” their position before the Supreme Court that the committee had considered materials not originally attached to the impeachment complaints, including post-filing affidavits, statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC)-related documents, and corporate and tax records of entities not cited in the complaints.
They described this as a “continuing post-filing expansion” of the case, arguing that impeachment proceedings should remain limited to the allegations and supporting documents as originally filed.
The petitioners raised particular concern over the use of SALNs they said were not part of the impeachment complaints and covered periods when Duterte was not yet vice president.
They also questioned the presentation of AMLC-related materials covering transactions over several years, including periods outside her current term.
According to the group, impeachment should be confined to acts or omissions committed during the current term of an impeachable official and should not be used to examine earlier public positions or unrelated periods.
They further criticized the alleged failure to provide the AMLC-related report to the respondent prior to the hearing, saying this deprived her of the opportunity to properly examine and respond to the material.
The petitioners also took issue with the public discussion of AMLC-related findings during the hearing, saying that such reports are not proof of wrongdoing but only investigative leads that require proper validation and a clear financial trail.
