MANILA, Philippines — The Senate impeachment court on Thursday vowed to decide Vice President Sara Duterte’s fate based on "law and admissible evidence," not public opinion, as a new survey found that 32 percent of Filipinos remain undecided on the outcome of her impeachment trial.
Impeachment court spokesman Regie Tongol said the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey reflected strong public interest in the proceedings but stressed that senator-judges must remain impartial as the trial resumes on Nov. 9.
“Survey metrics measure public sentiment, whereas the Senator-judges are bound by oath to render judgment strictly on the basis of law and admissible evidence,” Tongol said in a statement.
He said the court viewed the survey results with “quiet confidence in its even-handed procedure and a sober resolve to earn the trust of a cautious public.”
The SWS survey, conducted from Sept. 21 to 27, found that 28 percent of respondents had “much trust” in the Senate’s final vote, while 35 percent expressed “little trust.” Another 32 percent remained undecided.
The survey also found that 50 percent of respondents believed the Senate “has the right consideration for both sides.” Meanwhile, 17 percent perceived the court as favoring the prosecution, while 18 percent believed it favored the defense.
Tongol said the court took the undecided respondents seriously, recognizing that many Filipinos were withholding judgment until the defense had presented its case and the trial was completed.
He said the figures, alongside the nearly equal perceptions of bias, reinforced the court’s commitment to impartial proceedings.
The results were also consistent with the August 2026 National Momentum Survey, which recorded a 36.1 percent to 34.2 percent split in perceptions of the court’s fairness, he said.
The latest SWS survey further found that 51 percent of Filipinos said they would accept the Senate’s final verdict, which Tongol described as a measure of the court’s institutional legitimacy.
“The Court is fortified by SWS’s finding that 51 percent of Filipinos (+25 net) commit to accepting the Senate’s final verdict,” Tongol said.
He also cited the earlier National Momentum Survey, which found that 53.5 percent of respondents trusted the impeachment court, 65.8 percent approved of Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero, and 38.6 percent preferred a verdict based on hard evidence over public opinion, at 30.8 percent.
Despite these findings, Tongol said the court would not treat the numbers as grounds for complacency.
“Rather than treating these numbers with complacency, the Impeachment Court views the remaining undecided and skeptical segments of the public as a continuing challenge to demonstrate transparent, rules-based impartiality,” he said.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Nov. 9, when Duterte’s defense is expected to begin presenting evidence on Article II of the impeachment complaint.
The remaining article concerns allegations involving unexplained wealth, inaccuracies in statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, and prohibited business interests. The prosecution earlier withdrew three other articles of impeachment, leaving Article II as the sole remaining charge.
Tongol said the court would continue to enforce the rules of evidence and accord both sides full due process.
“As the proceedings resume on November 9, 2026, for the presentation of the Respondent’s evidence on Article II, the Senate Impeachment Court will continue to enforce the rules of evidence and accord full due process to both sides,” he said.
He added that the court aimed to ensure that its final constitutional judgment would “command the respect of the entire nation.”
