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Barbers douses cold water on VP Duterte's popularity, says Pinoys want accountability
Philippines
National
Barbers douses cold water on VP Duterte's popularity, says Pinoys want accountability
Barbers douses cold water on VP Duterte's popularity, says Pinoys want accountability
Published Jul 24, 2026 12:20 pm
At A Glance
- Barbers highlights survey, saying 70 percent of Filipinos believe Vice President Sara Duterte must answer her impeachment charges despite her continued popularity.
- Public separates popularity and accountability, as survey results show Duterte remains the highest-rated official in trust and satisfaction, yet many still expect her to respond to allegations before the Senate impeachment court.
- Prosecution underscores constitutional process, with Barbers and Acidre stressing that the trial is about accountability and evidence, not popularity, and that the Senate court must decide based on facts.
Robert Ace Barbers (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)
House impeachment adviser and prosecution panel spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers pointed out that 70 percent of Filipinos believe Vice President Sara Duterte must answer her impeachment charges.
Barbers had this to say Friday, July 24, as he doused cold water on Duterte’s supposed continued popularity amid her own Senate impeachment trial.
“The survey sends a powerful message," Barbers said, referring to the results of an Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey .
"Filipinos may continue to support Vice President Sara Duterte, but they also want her to answer the impeachment charges against her. Public trust and accountability can go hand in hand,” Barbers, a former Surigao del Norte congressman and governor, said.
The former overall chairman of the House quad-committee (quad-comm) during the 19th Congress says the findings belie claims that Duterte’s strong public support has diminished interest in the impeachment proceedings.
“The Filipino people are making a clear distinction between popularity and accountability. They are saying that regardless of a public official’s ratings, serious allegations must still be answered,” he said.
Barbers noted that the survey comes on the heels of separate SWS poll wherein Duterte remained the highest-rated among the country’s top government officials in both public satisfaction and trust ratings.
The SWS survey conducted from June 20 to 29 gave Duterte a “good” net satisfaction rating of +31, with 58 percent of respondents satisfied with her performance.
Another SWS survey conducted during the same period also showed she posted the highest net trust rating among the country’s top government officials.
“That makes this latest survey even more significant. Despite her strong public ratings, an even larger majority of Filipinos still believe she should answer the impeachment charges. Popularity is not immunity from accountability,” Barbers said.
He said the prosecution panel remains focused on presenting evidence and allowing the Senate impeachment court to decide the case based on the facts.
“We have always maintained that this is not a popularity contest. It is a constitutional process. The Filipino people deserve to hear the evidence, and the Senate impeachment court deserves the opportunity to decide the case based on the truth,” Barbers said.
The second quarter 2026 SWS Survey found that 70 percent of adult Filipinos agreed that Duterte “must address the impeachment charges to be able to answer all allegations pertaining to the corruption charges filed against her.”
The same survey also found that 74 percent of respondents were already aware of the impeachment case before they were interviewed.
No opposition to impeachment trial
Meawhile, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre echoed Barbers' point regarding the survey numbers.
"The Vice President remains the country’s highest-rated public official in terms of trust and satisfaction, yet 70 percent of Filipinos believe she should answer the impeachment charges,” Acidre said.
"Taken together, these findings suggest that many of those who continue to support her also want to hear her respond to the allegations before the Senate impeachment court,” he noted.
Acidre said the survey results indicate that public support for Duterte does not necessarily mean opposition to the impeachment proceedings.
"The survey suggests that many Filipinos distinguish between supporting a public official and expecting that official to answer serious allegations before the Senate impeachment court. It appears many believe both can exist at the same time,” Acidre said.
Conducted from June 20 to 29, the nationwide survey covered 1,200 adult respondents and was completed a week before the Senate impeachment trial formally opened.