VP Duterte trial: 4 of 5 Filipinos doubt senators will stick to evidence

MANILA, Philippines — A new survey by Octa Research shows that the vast majority of Filipinos — about 80 percent, or 4 out of 5 — either doubt that senators will judge Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial fairly based on evidence and the law, or have no idea what the outcome will be.

An Octa poll from April 20 to 24 shows that a staggering 81 percent of respondents are either skeptical or uncertain about the trial’s fairness — with 32 percent stating senators will likely side with politics over evidence, and 49 percent remaining undecided.

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Only 19 percent said they believed the senators would decide based on the evidence and the law alone.

“Taken together, these findings indicate that more than four out of five Filipinos (81 percent) either doubt that senators would decide primarily on the basis of evidence and the law or have yet to form a definitive judgment on the matter,” Octa Research noted on its findings.

Skepticism, uncertainty on Sara Duterte trial

Meanwhile, survey findings showed that Mindanao recorded the highest level of skepticism, while Metro Manila and Balance Luzon showed higher levels of uncertainty.

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“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.

However, Octa noted that the majority of respondents saying they were undecided suggests that many Filipinos continue to reserve their judgment until the Senate actually starts conducting the proceedings.

Octa noted that since the survey was conducted before the trial even commenced, the findings should be viewed as a “baseline measure of public perceptions” and not “fixed opinions.”

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The survey was conducted using face-to-face interviews, with a total of 1,200 respondents aged 18 and above.

It had a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95% percent confidence level, with a ±6 percent margin of error each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. /jpv

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