A new survey showed that more Filipinos are in favor of convicting Vice President Sara Duterte rather than acquitting her, as the Senate impeachment trial zeroes in on allegations of Duterte having more than P817 million in unexplained wealth and undeclared assets.
According to the October 2026 National Momentum Survey by Momentum Research, 38.8 percent of adult Filipinos want Duterte convicted, five percentage points higher than the 33.8 percent who want her acquitted. Another 22.6 percent remained undecided, while 4.7 percent declined to answer.
Conducted from October 16 to 19 among 1,401 adult Filipinos, the Momentum survey has a margin of error of ±2.6 percentage points at the 95 percent confidence level.
The survey came after weeks of explosive testimony before the Senate impeachment court, during which government officials, banking representatives and financial experts presented records raising questions about the wealth accumulated by Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio.
The said survey is only the latest of recent survey results by polling and research outfits regarding the looming outcome of the impeachment trial. These include a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that 51 percent of Filipinos are ready to accept the Senate’s verdict on the impeachment trial, and a PUBLICUS Asia survey showing that 44 percent of voters expect the trial to result in the vice president’s conviction.
Compelling evidence against VP
For House lead prosecutor Representative Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, the prosecution’s case rests on documentary evidence pointing to approximately ₱817.87 million in allegedly unexplained wealth, a staggering amount that she believes warrants Duterte’s conviction and removal from office.
“We believe that evidence is substantial and compelling, and warrants the respondent’s removal from office for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust,” Luistro earlier told the Senate impeachment court.
Luistro has maintained that the heart of the case is not simply the enormous amount involved, but the constitutional obligation of public officials to fully and truthfully disclose their wealth.
“Regardless of the amount, ‘pag hindi mo yan nadeclare sa SALN, that constitutes violation already… The issue here is not the amount. The issue here is the violation committed,” Luistro said in an earlier radio interview.
The latest surveys provide another measure of public sentiment as senator-judges approach a crucial stage of the trial. While public opinion cannot determine the verdict, the findings highlight the importance Filipinos place on resolving allegations involving the country’s second-highest official and the expectation that Duterte personally address the serious questions surrounding her wealth.
The prosecution has repeatedly stressed that the evidence, not political considerations, should determine whether Duterte is guilty of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.
“We are all in on Article II on unexplained wealth. If we fail to obtain a conviction on this, that is the end of it,” Luistro said in a recent interview, underscoring the prosecution’s decision to pursue the financial allegations as its sole remaining impeachment charge.
At the center of the prosecution’s case is the forensic financial examination conducted by lawyer and accounting expert Alexander Cabrera, who identified ₱817,874,867 in allegedly unexplained wealth involving Duterte and Carpio from 2022 to 2025.
Cabrera testified that this amount represents a conservative estimate based on his examination of financial records. He further explained that a broader accounting analysis could place the questioned wealth at approximately ₱1.5 billion.
His findings were supported by financial documents, tax records, corporate filings and evidence presented by witnesses from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Securities and Exchange Commission, and various banking institutions.
The prosecution maintains that these records reveal substantial discrepancies between the couple’s declared assets, reported income and financial transactions, raising serious questions about compliance with constitutional and statutory disclosure requirements.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in May 2026 on four articles involving alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and grave threats. Her trial formally began before the Senate impeachment court in July.
