'Filipinos are watching,' says solons as poll shows 41% support for VP Sara impeachment
MANILA, Philippines — With 41% of Filipinos backing impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, some House lawmakers said the survey results send a clear message: “Filipinos are watching.”
Rep. Francisco Paolo Ortega V (La Union, 1st District) said on Thursday, January 9, that the results of the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey reflects the Filipinos’ belief that “leadership should be built on trust, not entitlement.”
“The Filipino people deserve answers, and their support for impeachment shows they are demanding transparency and justice,” he added.
Rep. Jefferson “Jay” Khonghun (Zambales, 1st District) said the “numbers don’t lie.”
He added that the irregularities in the handling of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education’s (DepEd) combined P612.5 million in confidential funds reflect Filipinos’ “growing frustration.”
The House good government panel found typographical errors and fictitious names in the confidential fund acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP and DepEd under Duterte’s leadership.
Upon the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) verification, most of the recipients who signed the receipts had no birth records, raising public suspicion about the legitimacy of the alleged recipients.
RELATED: No record of 60% of 677 alleged DepEd confidential fund recipients — PSA
The committee also found that OVP security officers, rather than the designated special disbursing officers, handled the confidential funds. The special disbursing officers are responsible and will be held accountable for any misuse.
“The public expects us to ensure that no one is above the law, no matter how powerful they may be,” Khonghun said.
An endorser of the second impeachment complaint, Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers Party-list) said in a statement that the survey results indicate public clamor for accountability, urging the House leadership to “immediately act” on the complaints.
“This is not about political maneuvering; this is about justice and accountability,” she said.
Sharing a similar view, first impeachment complaint endorser Rep. Perci Cedaña (Akbayan Party-list) said the survey "not only validates the growing distrust towards the vice president but also highlights the Filipino people’s resolve to hold the powerful accountable."
Still three impeachment complaints. So far, the House of Representatives has received three impeachment complaints filed by civil society groups from various sectors.
The lower chamber is also expecting a fourth complaint, which House Secretary General Reginald Velasco earlier said is why he has not referred the complaints to the Office of the Speaker.
He only has six session days left to refer the complaints and have them included in the Order of Business for committee referral. One session day can take up more than a day.
RELATED: Solons seek 'more time' to endorse impeachment complaint vs VP Sara
What the survey says. The SWS found that a little over 41% of Filipinos agree with the impeachment complaints lodged against Duterte, while 35% disagreed. The remaining 19% are still on the fence regarding the issue.
Across the regions, half of those who expressed support for Duterte’s impeachment are from Luzon, while 56% of those who were against it are from Mindanao.
The results also revealed 46% of Filipinos believe the best grounds for impeaching the vice president have to do with her offices’ “unexplained spending of confidential and intelligence funds.”
The survey was conducted from Dec. 12 to Dec. 18, 2024.
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