Senate court responds as SWS poll finds 32 percent of Filipinos still undecided on trust in final vote
IMPEACHMENT COURT SWS SURVEY – The Senate impeachment court said on Thursday, October 29, 2026, that it will decide the case against Vice President Sara Duterte based on law and admissible evidence, not public opinion, after a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed many Filipinos still unsure about the trial’s outcome.
The SWS poll, conducted from September 21 to 27, found that 28 percent of respondents had “much trust” in the Senate’s final vote, while 35 percent had “little trust.” Another 32 percent were undecided.
“Survey metrics measure public sentiment, whereas the Senator-judges are bound by oath to render judgment strictly on the basis of law and admissible evidence,” impeachment court spokesperson Atty. Regie Tongol said in a statement.
Tongol said the court sees the large undecided group as Filipinos who are “rightly withholding judgment until the defense presents its case and the trial is complete.” He added that the court views the numbers “with both quiet confidence in its even-handed procedure and a sober resolve to earn the trust of a cautious public.”
The same survey found that 50 percent of Filipinos believe the Senate “has the right consideration for both sides.” Seventeen percent said the court favors the prosecution, while 18 percent said it favors the defense. Tongol pointed to these nearly equal perceptions of bias as a sign that the court is being even-handed.
He also highlighted that 51 percent of respondents said they would accept the Senate’s final verdict, a net score of +25, which he described as a measure of the court’s institutional legitimacy.
Still, the spokesperson said the court will not become complacent. “The Impeachment Court views the remaining undecided and skeptical segments of the public as a continuing challenge to demonstrate transparent, rules-based impartiality,” Tongol said.
The trial is set to resume on November 9, when the Vice President’s defense is expected to begin presenting evidence on Article II of the complaint. The article covers allegations of unexplained wealth, inaccuracies in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), and prohibited business interests. It is now the only remaining charge after the House prosecution panel withdrew the three other articles.
Senate leaders earlier said the trial could stretch into December, while the Supreme Court has ordered the Senate and the House to comment on a petition questioning the court’s ruling on the number of votes needed to convict. Malacañang, for its part, has insisted that the President has no hand in the proceedings.
Tongol said that when hearings resume, the court “will continue to enforce the rules of evidence and accord full due process to both sides, ensuring that its final constitutional judgment commands the respect of the entire nation.”