Vice President Sara Duterte’s high public approval ratings could face a severe blow once her impeachment trial commences, especially if she fails to answer the corruption allegations against her, a political analyst warned.
During a television interview on Monday, Stratbase Group President and CEO Dindo Manhit observed that Duterte’s popularity had previously plummeted when the accusations first made headlines.
However, her numbers rebounded after her camp managed to reshape the public narrative following the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, last year.
Manhit warned that public opinion could shift drastically once formal impeachment proceedings begin and the Senate starts evaluating the evidence.
“For me, the weakest spot for the Vice President on the four cases against her in the impeachment is the misuse of public funds and also the idea of where did the wealth come from,” Manhit said.
The warning comes despite a recent Pulse Asia Research Inc. survey, commissioned by Stratbase, which showed Duterte maintaining a 50 percent national trust rating. The poll also indicated that 51 percent of respondents would vote for her for president if the 2028 elections were held today.
However, Manhit emphasized that the sheer volume of money involved in the impeachment complaints could alienate voters once the public fully grasps the details of the allegations.
He stressed that confronting the accusations directly is vital if the Vice President wants to preserve her political backing.
“Especially the amount of money that’s really staggering. Lalo, pag naintindihan ng taong bayan, gaano kalaki yung pumasok sa bangko niya when [she] was just a public official. So she needs to address that. If not, that will be challenging for her moving forward,” he said.