MANILA, Philippines — A recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) revealed that more adult Filipinos are content with the defense strategy in Vice President Sara Duterte’s ongoing impeachment trial compared to the performance of the prosecution.
The nationwide poll, conducted via face-to-face interviews with 1,500 respondents from September 21 to 27 and released on Wednesday, October 28, showed that 47% of Filipinos are satisfied with Duterte’s legal defense. In contrast, only 30% expressed satisfaction with the prosecution.
Meanwhile, 24% reported being dissatisfied with the defense, while 35% were dissatisfied with the prosecution. This resulted in a net satisfaction rating of +23 for Duterte’s defense, contrasted with a negative net rating of -5 for the prosecution.
Undecided respondents stood at 29% for the defense and 36% for the prosecution.
Geographically, public approval for the defense was highest in Mindanao with a net rating of +48, followed by the Visayas at +27, Balance Luzon at +14, and Metro Manila at +6. On the other hand, net satisfaction for the prosecution peaked in Balance Luzon at +4, but dipped into negative figures elsewhere, recording -8 in Mindanao and -15 in both the Visayas and Metro Manila.
When broken down by educational background, net satisfaction with the defense was highest among college graduates at +31. Conversely, the prosecution’s highest net satisfaction was found among respondents who completed non-elementary education at +6, while other educational brackets registered flat or negative net scores.
The survey findings were gathered prior to a major shift in the trial, when the House prosecution panel dropped three out of the original four impeachment articles.
On October 13, the Senate impeachment court approved the motion to abandon Articles I, III, and IV, leaving only Article II, which centers on allegations of unexplained wealth against the Vice President.
The impeachment proceedings are set to resume on November 9, at which point the defense team is slated to present its evidence.