MANILA, Philippines — Only 13% of Filipinos are closely monitoring Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, with many saying the proceedings are “confusing and difficult to follow,” 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 awareness of the vice president’s impeachment trial is widespread, with 68% of Filipinos saying they know about the proceedings. However, awareness is not equivalent to paying close attention to the trial.
Only a fraction of respondents (13%) said they actively follow the trial, while a majority (55%) said they only hear about developments but do not regularly keep up with the proceedings. Meanwhile, 29% said they do not follow the impeachment trial at all, and 3% of respondents declined to answer.
When respondents were asked about their experience monitoring the impeachment hearings, nearly a third (32%) described them as “confusing,” while another 8% of respondents said they were “too technical and difficult to follow.”
By comparison, 15% of respondents said the proceedings were generally “clear” while acknowledging that some portions were “difficult to follow.” Only 7% found the Senate trial “clear and easy to follow.” More than a third (34%), however, admitted they did not follow the Senate trial during its opening week (See Figure 2).
According to Momentum Research Founder and CEO Cleve Arguelles, a political scientist, this may be attributed to how the impeachment trial’s first week was marked by legal jargon, objections, and technical arguments from senator-judges, prosecutors, and the defense in addressing 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.
The survey also found that Filipinos prefer to reserve judgment on Duterte’s impeachment trial, with a plurality of respondents (44%) saying it is still “too early to tell” whether she should be convicted or acquitted.
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.
The charge stems from Duterte’s public statements during a virtual press conference in November 2024 that 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.
Despite this, almost half of the respondents (48%) have already formed an opinion. More than 1 in 4 Filipinos (28%) said Duterte should be convicted, while 1 in 5 (20%) believe she should be acquitted. Only 6% of respondents said they had no answer or were unsure, while 2% refused to answer (See Figure 3).
“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 judgment, 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.
These are among the key findings of the inaugural issue of The National Momentum Survey, one of the first nationwide surveys to ask Filipinos what they think about the ongoing impeachment trial of the vice president.
Conducted from July 13 to 16, the non-commissioned survey was done through face-to-face interviews with a nationally representative sample of 1,438 Filipino adults. It has a ±2.6% national margin of error and a 95% confidence level.
Subnational margins of error are ±7% for the National Capital Region, ±4% for the Rest of Luzon (North, South, and Central Luzon), ±6% for Visayas, and ±5% for Mindanao — all at a 95% confidence level.
The National Momentum Survey is Momentum Research’s flagship initiative, capturing what Filipinos think, feel, and stand for on the country’s most pressing sociopolitical issues. The inaugural July 2026 issue also covers public opinion on government performance, the upcoming 5th State of the Nation Address, and the 2028 National Elections.
To explore the complete survey findings, visit Momentum Research’s website at www.momentumresearch.ph and access our live dashboard.
