Survey: Few Filipinos closely follow Sara Duterte impeachment trial but…

Only 12.6 percent of Filipinos said they closely followed the first week of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, even as most said they were aware the proceedings were underway, according to the inaugural issue of The National Momentum Survey.

The non-commissioned survey, released by newly established public opinion research firm Momentum Research on July 23, found that 68% of Filipinos said they knew about the impeachment trial.

Awareness, however, did not translate into close attention.

While 12.6% said they actively followed the trial, a majority at 55.5% said they only heard about developments without regularly keeping up with the proceedings.

Another 29.1% said they did not follow the trial at all, and about 3% either were unsure or declined to answer.

Asked to describe their experience of how the trial was conducted, 32.2% said the proceedings were disorderly and confusing, while 7.8% said the trial was too technical and difficult to follow.

By comparison, 15.4% said the proceedings were mostly clear but had portions that were difficult to follow, and 7.2% said the trial was clear and easy to follow.

More than a third, or 33.7%, said they did not follow the trial at all. Another 2.7% said they did not know or were unsure, and 0.9% declined to answer.

Momentum Research Founder and Chief Executive Officer Cleve Arguelles, a political scientist, attributed the results to a first week dominated by legal jargon, objections, and technical arguments among senator-judges, prosecutors, and the defense as they addressed procedural debates.

“The first weeks of the impeachment trial were dominated by legal arguments between counsels that are second nature to lawyers but opaque to the average viewers,” Arguelles said in a statement.

“What the survey data tells us is that the public may be aware that the trial is happening, but the proceedings haven’t yet broken through in a way that feels meaningful or legible to the average Filipino. And awareness without comprehension may become a problem for any constitutional proceeding that depends on public legitimacy,” he added.

On the question of outcome, a plurality of respondents at 43.8% said it was still too early to say whether the vice president should be convicted or acquitted.

More than 1 in 4, or 27.6%, said Duterte should be convicted, while 20% said she should be acquitted.

Another 6.4% said they did not know or were unsure, and 2.1% declined to answer. Almost half of respondents, or 48%, have already formed an opinion.

The survey question cited the allegations against Duterte, which include the anomalous use of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery of Department of Education personnel, and an alleged plot to have the president and his family killed.

“Our survey shows that public opinion on the trial and the Vice President is still in motion. Half of the country has yet to decide. They’re forming their views in real time as the trial unfolds. And for those already comfortable to make a judgement, more Filipinos lean toward holding the VP accountable and removing her from office,” Arguelles explained.

“But the trial is only weeks old. Public opinion at this stage is more of a snapshot than a verdict, and it’s still likely to move as the evidence does,” he added.

Momentum Research conducted the survey a week after the Senate impeachment court formally opened the trial.

During the first three trial days, senator-judges heard the prosecution’s initial evidence, including testimony from its first witness on the article of impeachment alleging grave threats.

That charge stems from Duterte’s statements during a virtual press conference in November 2024, when she said she had instructed an individual to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez if an alleged plot against her were carried out.

The survey was conducted from July 13 to 16 through face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,438 Filipino adults.

It carries a national margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Subnational margins of error are plus or minus 7 percentage points for the National Capital Region, plus or minus 4 for the Rest of Luzon covering North, South, and Central Luzon, plus or minus 6 for the Visayas, and plus or minus 5 for Mindanao, all at a 95% confidence level.

The National Momentum Survey is the firm’s flagship initiative. Its July 2026 inaugural issue also covers public opinion on government performance, the fifth State of the Nation Address, and the 2028 National Elections.

Momentum Research describes itself as a nonpartisan public opinion research firm that provides leaders in the public and private sectors with data and insights on attitudes and trends shaping Philippine politics and society.