Most Filipinos find VP Sara’s alleged SALN omissions unacceptable

MANILA — A majority of Filipino adults consider it unacceptable that Vice President Sara Duterte allegedly did not declare certain assets and cash in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), according to the October 2026 National Momentum Survey of Momentum Research.

The non-commissioned survey, conducted from Oct. 16 to 19, asked respondents two questions on the alleged unexplained wealth.

The first question stated that, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the SALN, tax records, and bank records of Duterte do not match, and asked whether it is acceptable that she has undeclared properties and income in her SALN.

The second asked whether it is acceptable that Duterte did not declare any cash or money in her SALN despite her bank accounts containing funds.

Momentum Research said 55% of Filipino adults find the alleged non-declaration of assets unacceptable, while 25% find it acceptable.

On the alleged undeclared cash, 57% said it is unacceptable and 27% said it is acceptable.

Figure 1. Views on purported undeclared assets

Figure 2. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN

Table 1. National results (%)

On the assets question, the survey topline places net unacceptable responses at 54.7% and net acceptable responses at 25.3%.

Momentum Research noted that of the four initial charges against Duterte, only Article II remains in the ongoing impeachment trial.

Article II covers accumulated wealth allegedly disproportionate to her lawful income, her incomplete SALN disclosures, and the alleged businesses linked to her while serving as vice president.

The three other impeachment articles were withdrawn on Oct. 13, the firm said.

These covered the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Article I, alleged bribery involving DepEd officials under Article III, and alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under Article IV.

By region

Majorities in all regions except Mindanao find it unacceptable for Duterte to omit certain assets from her SALN.

Disapproval is strongest in Metro Manila at 66%, followed by the Rest of Luzon at 65% and the Visayas at 50%.

Figure 3. Views on purported undeclared assets (by region)

Table 2. Views on purported undeclared assets, by region (%)

Mindanao, described by the firm as the bailiwick of Duterte, is divided, with 37% saying it is acceptable for her not to fully declare her assets and 31% saying it is unacceptable.

Another 32% of Mindanao adults are unsure or refused to answer, the highest share among the regions.

Views on the alleged undeclared cash are more unified across regions.

Adults in Metro Manila (66%), the Rest of Luzon (64%), and the Visayas (54%) said the non-disclosure of her cash on hand and cash in bank is unacceptable.

Mindanao remains slightly split on the cash question, with 40% saying the missing declarations are unacceptable and 33% saying they are acceptable.

More than one in four adults in Mindanao are unsure or refused to answer the cash question, also the largest share among the regions.

Figure 4. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN (by region)

Table 3. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN, by region (%)

By faction

Nearly half, or 45%, of Pro-Duterte adults consider the alleged undeclared SALN assets unacceptable, while 38% find them acceptable.

Disapproval of the alleged non-disclosure of assets is strongest among Pro-Opposition adults at 82%, followed by Pro-Marcos adults at 60% and Independent adults at 56%.

Momentum Research defines Pro-Opposition adults as those who align with former Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Bam Aquino, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, and their allies.

Figure 5. Views on purported undeclared assets (by faction)

Table 4. Views on purported undeclared assets, by faction (%)

Views differ slightly on the alleged undeclared cash, with 45% of Pro-Duterte adults saying it is acceptable that she has undisclosed cash in her SALN.

Most Pro-Marcos adults (80%) and Pro-Opposition adults (71%) find the alleged cash discrepancy unacceptable.

A majority of Independent adults, at 64%, share the same view.

Figure 6. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN (by faction)

Table 5. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN, by faction (%)

By generation

Across most generations, Filipino adults consider the alleged SALN omissions unacceptable.

Disapproval of the alleged undeclared assets is most pronounced among Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation at 65%, followed by Gen Z at 59% and Gen X at 56%.

Among Millennials, 46% find the non-declaration of assets and income unacceptable, while 34% find it acceptable.

Figure 7. Views on purported undeclared assets (by generation)

Table 6. Views on purported undeclared assets, by generation (%)

Most generations show a similar level of disapproval of the alleged undeclared cash on hand and cash in bank.

The strongest disapproval comes from Baby Boomers and the Silent Generation at 69%, followed by Gen X at 61% and Gen Z at 60%.

Nearly half of Millennials, or 47%, find the alleged undeclared cash unacceptable, while 34% consider it acceptable.

Figure 8. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN (by generation)

Table 7. Views on alleged undeclared cash in SALN, by generation (%)

Methodology

The National Momentum Survey was carried out through face-to-face, computer-assisted personal interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,401 Filipino adults.

It has a national margin of error of ±2.6 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Subnational margins of error are ±7.0% for the National Capital Region, ±3.8% for the Rest of Luzon, ±6.1% for the Visayas, and ±5.8% for Mindanao, all at a 95% confidence level.

Momentum Research said the unsure and refused options were not explicitly mentioned to respondents by field researchers.

The firm added that figures may not total 100% due to rounding and that subgroup estimates carry larger margins of error.

The two questions formed part of the third wave of the survey, which also covered government performance, the impeachment trial, the International Criminal Court trial, 2028 voting intentions, and national issues.

Momentum Research describes itself as a nonpartisan public opinion research firm and the National Momentum Survey as its flagship, non-commissioned initiative.

Complete survey results are available on the public dashboard of the firm at momentumresearch.ph.