Half of Filipino Voters Oppose VP Sara Duterte’s Impeachment: A Nation on the Edge Ahead of Senate Trial

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In a nation teetering on the brink of a political reckoning, the latest Pulse Asia Research survey has sent shockwaves through the corridors of power. Conducted from May 6 to 9, 2025, the poll reveals that 50% of registered Filipino voters reject the House of Representatives’ move to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, marking a sharp and emotional divide among the electorate as the country barrels toward an unprecedented Senate trial in July.

This impeachment case, the first ever against a sitting Philippine vice president, is not merely a legal proceeding—it is a defining moment that threatens to reshape the political landscape for years to come.

A Nation Torn: The Pulse of the People

The survey, encompassing 2,400 face-to-face interviews with a ±2% margin of error, asked a simple yet seismic question: Do Filipinos agree with the House’s decision to impeach Duterte?

The answers paint a portrait of a deeply fractured nation:

50% disagreed with the impeachment

23% agreed

20% remained undecided

7% admitted to knowing too little to form an opinion

The regional breakdown reveals even starker contrasts. In Mindanao, Duterte's stronghold, a staggering 88% rejected the impeachment. Visayas followed with 46% disapproval. Meanwhile, Metro Manila—a crucible of media and political activism—showed the highest support at 45%, with only 33% opposing. The rest of Luzon was more tepid, registering 34% in favor and 24% against.

Across economic classes, opposition ranged from 45% in Class ABC to 56% in Class E, signaling that resistance to Duterte’s ouster spans social divides, especially among the country’s most vulnerable.

The Charges That Shook the Vice Presidency

What began in December 2024 as whispers of wrongdoing has erupted into a full-blown impeachment saga. Four separate complaints, consolidated and affirmed by 215 lawmakers on February 5, 2025, accuse Vice President Duterte of:

Misusing ₱612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education

Bribing Department of Education officials

Alleged complicity or indifference to extrajudicial killings during her father’s bloody anti-drug campaign

Duterte has fiercely denied all allegations, branding the impeachment as "a political witch hunt" and filed a petition before the Supreme Court on February 18 to strike down the complaint.

The Impeachment Trial: A Nation Holds Its Breath

As the Senate, under the leadership of President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, prepares to transform into an impeachment court on July 30, 2025, the country braces for what could be its most polarizing political event in decades. The trial will commence shortly after the May midterm elections—elections that will determine whether Duterte’s allies or adversaries dominate the chamber.

To convict Duterte, the Senate must muster 16 guilty votes—a formidable threshold that could either vindicate the Vice President or end her political career.

Rising Tensions, Rising Stakes

Public skepticism about the process runs high. The same Pulse Asia survey found 35% of voters doubt the Senate's impartiality, with 66% of Mindanaoans expressing concern over the fairness of the impeachment court.

The stakes could not be higher. Sara Duterte currently leads early surveys for the 2028 presidential race with 39%, positioning her as the heir apparent to the nation’s highest office. A conviction would not only remove her from power but effectively derail her presidential ambitions—an outcome that her supporters view as a calculated political takedown.

A Trial That Could Redefine the Republic

This impeachment is more than a legal drama. It’s a national confrontation—a test of truth, power, and the Philippine democratic soul. With fault lines deepening across regions, social classes, and political factions, the July trial promises to be a historic moment of reckoning.

As the country watches and waits, one thing is certain: the Philippines is on the cusp of a political transformation, and the verdict on Sara Duterte could be the spark that ignites a new chapter—or the flame that consumes it all.

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