THE UNIVERSITY of Mindanao-Institute of Popular Opinion (UM-IPO) conducted a survey from July 16, 2026, to July 26, 2026, gathering the opinions of 1,200 Dabawenyos across three districts of Davao City on their sentiments about the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with particular focus on their confidence in the senator-judges hearing the case.
Specifically, this survey aimed to determine the level of public awareness of the ongoing impeachment trial, assess how closely and through which channels residents are following the proceedings, measure the public perception of the fairness of the impeachment process, gauge individual public confidence in each sitting senator-judge, rate the Senate`s overall performance as an impeachment court, and identify issues Dabawenyos are most concerned about the ongoing impeachment.
Since the survey was conducted online via sponsored ads on Meta Platforms (Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram), including email, IPO relied heavily on online, pre-defined, targeted social media users who met the inclusion criteria and were contacted within the defined geographical radius. Respondents were defined as parents/guardians, students aged 18 or older, with valid/active email addresses, and residents of Davao City. The survey was done at a 95% confidence level and a +/- 2.83% margin of error.
When asked whether they were aware of the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, all respondents (n=1200, 100%) confirmed that they were. When asked how active they were in the impeachment trial, approximately 3 out of every 10 Dabawenyos (n=348, 29.0%) followed the trial every day, and 4 out of 10 (n=407, 33.9%) followed it a few times a week. In comparison, approximately 3 out of every 10 Dabawenyos (n=348, 29.0%) followed the trial casually. Meanwhile, approximately 1 out of 10 (n=97, 8.1%) never followed the trial at all.
Table 2. Engagement with the Trial
| Frequency | f | % |
| Everyday | 348 | 29.0 |
| A few times a week | 407 | 33.9 |
| Casually | 348 | 29.0 |
| Not at all | 97 | 8.1 |
When asked about their primary source of information for the impeachment trial, 8 out of every 10 Dabawenyos (n=889, 80.6%) were informed through social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, or X/Twitter. Others obtained information from online news websites, television news, and radio.
Table 3. Primary Source of Information (from those who were engaged with the trial)
| Primary Source | f | % |
| Social Media (Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, X/Twitter) | 889 | 80.6 |
| Online news websites | 107 | 9.7 |
| Television news | 89 | 8.1 |
| Radio | 18 | 1.6 |
| Word of mouth/ Family and friends | 0 | 0.0 |
When asked about their perception of the fairness of the impeachment process, a clear majority of respondents (n=793, 66.1%) do not believe it has been conducted fairly. Fewer than a quarter (n=271, 22.6%) believe it has been fair, and 11.3% (n=136) said they cannot tell.
Table 4. Belief in the Fair Conduct of the Impeachment Process
| Response | f | % |
| Yes | 271 | 22.6 |
| No | 793 | 66.1 |
| Cannot tell | 136 | 11.3 |
Regardless of your views on VP Duterte personally, do you believe the impeachment process conducted so far has been fair?
When asked about their confidence in the senator-judges, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (+62.9), Sen. Bong Go (+54.8), Sen. Pia Cayetano (+53.3), and Sen. Rodante Marcoleta (+53.2) command the strongest net public confidence. Sen. Bato Dela Rosa (+40.4), Sen. Robin Padilla (+33.9), Sen. Loren Legarda (+27.4), Sen. Imee Marcos (+25.8), and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (+14.5) register positive net confidence.
Meanwhile, other Senator-Judges who are Senate Majority Members obtained a negative net confidence rating, with Senators Panfilo Lacson (-66.1), Tito Sotto (-70.9), Risa Hontiveros (-75.8), Raffy Tulfo (-77.4), and Erwin Tulfo (-79.1) having the least net confidence ratings. Generally, the performance of the Senate sitting as an impeachment court was rated 4.27 out of 10 by Dabawenyos.
Table 5. Confidence in Individual Senator-Judges (in %)
| Senator-Judge | Net | Yes | No | Undecided | |
| Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano | +62.9 | 75.8 | 12.9 | 11.3 | |
| Sen. Bong Go | +54.8 | 67.7 | 12.9 | 19.4 | |
| Sen. Pia Cayetano | +53.3 | 71.0 | 17.7 | 11.3 | |
| Sen. Rodante Marcoleta (If allowed to vote) | +53.2 | 67.7 | 14.5 | 17.7 | |
| Sen. Bato Dela Rosa (If will appear and vote) | +40.4 | 58.1 | 17.7 | 24.2 | |
| Sen. Robin Padilla | +33.9 | 61.3 | 27.4 | 11.3 | |
| Sen. Loren Legarda | +27.4 | 48.4 | 21.0 | 30.6 | |
| Sen. Imee Marcos | +25.8 | 51.6 | 25.8 | 22.6 | |
| Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (If allowed to vote) | +14.5 | 46.8 | 32.3 | 21.0 | |
| Sen. Francis Escudero (Presiding Officer) | -3.2 | 37.1 | 40.3 | 22.6 | |
| Sen. Camille Villar | -3.3 | 29.0 | 32.3 | 38.7 | |
| Sen. Mark Villar | -6.5 | 29.0 | 35.5 | 35.5 | |
| Sen. Bam Aquino | -35.5 | 25.8 | 61.3 | 12.9 | |
| Sen. JV Ejercito | -43.5 | 11.3 | 54.8 | 33.9 | |
| Sen. Lito Lapid | -54.8 | 8.1 | 62.9 | 29.0 | |
| Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian (Senate President) | -56.5 | 12.9 | 69.4 | 17.7 | |
| Sen. Kiko Pangilinan | -56.5 | 14.5 | 71.0 | 14.5 | |
| Sen. Joel Villanueva | -58.1 | 4.8 | 62.9 | 32.3 | |
| Sen. Miguel Zubiri | -59.6 | 8.1 | 67.7 | 24.2 | |
| Sen. Panfilo Lacson | -66.1 | 8.1 | 74.2 | 17.7 | |
| Sen. Tito Sotto | -70.9 | 8.1 | 79.0 | 12.9 | |
| Sen. Risa Hontiveros | -75.8 | 8.1 | 83.9 | 8.1 | |
| Sen. Raffy Tulfo | -77.4 | 6.5 | 83.9 | 9.7 | |
| Sen. Erwin Tulfo | -79.1 | 3.2 | 82.3 | 14.5 | |
| Overall Performance Score of the Senate as an Impeachment Court: | 4.27 out of 10 | ||||
Overall, how would you rate the performance of the Senate as an Impeachment Court so far? (10 as excellent and 1 as very poor)
Lastly, when asked about other concerns regarding the ongoing impeachment trial, Dabawenyos considered it a waste of public resources and time. In the interest of the ongoing trial, Dabawenyos called for fairness, impartiality, due process, and the rule of law. On the other hand, Dabawenyos stressed that the government should prioritize more urgent national issues or consider opening the call for accountability beyond the Vice President.
Table 8. Top Concerns of the Dabawenyos with the Ongoing Impeachment Trial
| Rank | |
| Impeachment is a waste of public resources and time | 1 |
| Call for fairness, impartiality, due process, and the rule of law | 2 |
| Impeachment is politically motivated/ political propaganda | 3 |
| The government should prioritize more urgent national issues | 4 |
| Calls for accountability beyond the Vice President | 5 |
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Note: The University of Mindanao funded this survey through the Institute of Popular Opinion.
