The House prosecution panel believes the impeachment trial has significantly affected Vice President Sara Duterte’s popularity, citing a 10-percentage-point decline in her survey rating.
House prosecutor Terry Ridon said an OCTA Research survey of potential presidential candidates for the 2028 elections showed Duterte’s rating dropping from 49% to 50% in previous surveys to 40%.
Ridon argued that Duterte’s popularity could have reached 55% to 60% if the impeachment proceedings had not affected her standing.
He also pointed out that potential presidential rivals gained percentage points in the survey, while the number of undecided voters increased.
According to Ridon, another significant finding was that Duterte’s support appeared to have reached a peak of 49% to 50%.
The prosecutor added that the survey periods were relatively close to one another, including the major second-quarter and third-quarter surveys.
Ridon emphasized the changes in the figures as part of the prosecution’s position that the impeachment proceedings had affected the vice president’s political standing.
However, the figures cited by Ridon reflect the prosecution’s interpretation of the survey results and do not, by themselves, establish that the impeachment trial caused the decline.
