MANILA – A growing number of Filipinos are opposing efforts to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, according to a recent nationwide survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS), prompting Malacañang to distance itself from the political storm and reiterate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s refusal to be drawn into the fray.
Presidential Communications Office’s Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Palace respects public sentiment and emphasized that the executive branch is not meddling in the impeachment proceedings.
“Kung anuman po ang sentimiyento ng taumbayan, igagalang naman po natin iyan. At muli, ayaw po ng Pangulo na maipahid sa atin, sa administrasyon iyong impeachment trial dahil ito po ay nasa kamay na po ng mga senador. So, kung ano po ang kanilang move sa impeachment trial, nasa kamay na po nila iyan,” Castro said.
Based on the SWS second-quarter 2025 survey conducted from June 25 to 29, 42% of 1,200 adult respondents nationwide disagreed with the filing of the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte-Carpio. Only 32% agreed, while 18% were undecided and 7% admitted knowing too little about the issue. The results yielded a net agreement score of -10.
The strongest opposition was in Mindanao, Duterte-Carpio’s political base, with a net score of -52, followed by the Visayas at -18. Meanwhile, Metro Manila registered the highest net agreement at +12, followed by Balance Luzon (Luzon outside Metro Manila) with +7.
The non-commissioned survey involved face-to-face interviews and had a ±3% national margin of error, with ±6% for each major area.
The survey presented respondents with a summary of events surrounding the impeachment process, including the filing of the complaint in December 2024 and its transmittal to the Senate in February 2025. It also outlined the major allegations, including the use of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, alleged links to extrajudicial killings in Davao City, and a controversial remark allegedly referencing the “assassination” of President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Vice President Duterte-Carpio has repeatedly denied all accusations./PN
