MANILA — A recent survey by OCTA Research found that a majority of adult Filipinos are either skeptical or withholding judgment on whether senators will conduct a fair and evidence-based impeachment trial for Vice President Sara Duterte.

The survey, conducted from April 20 to 24, 2026 with 1,200 respondents, showed that 81 percent of Filipinos expressed skepticism or uncertainty when asked if senators would decide the impeachment case based on evidence and law rather than political considerations.

Of the respondents, 19 percent answered “yes,” while 32 percent said “no” and 49 percent responded “don’t know.”

“These results suggest that, even before the trial commenced, many Filipinos were reserving judgment regarding how senators would ultimately discharge their constitutional responsibilities as members of an impeachment court,” the OCTA Research news release said.

OCTA said the findings should be treated as a “baseline measure of public perceptions” since the survey was conducted before the trial began and not as fixed opinions.

The survey also indicated regional variations in sentiment, with Mindanao recording the highest level of skepticism, while Metro Manila and Balance Luzon showed higher levels of uncertainty.

Across socioeconomic classes, respondents from Class E were more likely to believe senators would decide based on evidence and law, while Class ABC respondents showed the highest level of uncertainty.

“These findings suggest that perceptions of the impeachment process are not uniform across the country and that expectations regarding fairness, impartiality and credibility vary significantly across regions and socioeconomic groups,” OCTA said.

The survey has a ±3 percent margin of error at the 95 percent confidence level, with subnational estimates carrying a ±6 percent margin of error for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, the pollster added.