MANILA, Philippines — A slim majority of Filipino adults, or 51%, believe that Vice President Sara Duterte should personally take the witness stand before the Senate impeachment court.
According to the latest Pulse Asia survey conducted from September 17 to 24, support for her personal appearance is strongest in Metro Manila at 66% and across the rest of Luzon at 61%.
Regionally, 56% of respondents from socioeconomic Class ABC and 53% from Class D share the same sentiment.
Conversely, 34% of the respondents oppose her physical appearance at the trial, while 14% remain undecided and 1% declined to give an opinion. Opposition is most pronounced in Mindanao, where 61% prefer that she skip testifying, alongside 48% of respondents belonging to the lowest-income Class E households.
Knowledge and Awareness of the Case
The poll also highlighted a general lack of deep familiarity with the proceedings, with 53% of Filipino adults admitting they know little about the impeachment case against the Vice President. This sentiment spans across Metro Manila (48%), the rest of Luzon (55%), the Visayas (51%), and Mindanao (52%).
While a slight majority (52%) in Class ABC claim sufficient knowledge, majorities in Class D (54%) and Class E (60%) reported knowing very little. Nevertheless, 55% of Filipinos expressed strong interest in following the developments of the trial, with the internet (64%) and television (59%) emerging as the primary channels for updates.
Shifting Views on Unexplained Wealth
Awareness of the allegations regarding Duterte’s supposed unexplained wealth remains high at 71%, though 39% of those aware could not ascertain whether the accusations were true or false.
Pulse Asia noted notable shifts between July and September 2026, pointing out a 10-percentage-point drop in overall nationwide awareness of the allegations. The face-to-face nationwide poll surveyed 2,400 adult respondents and maintained a margin of error of ±2% at a 95% confidence level.