MANILA – A recent nationwide survey conducted by the Center for Student Initiatives (CSI) has found that 84.4 percent of student respondents believe Vice President Sara Duterte should be removed from office.
The survey, conducted between February 28 and March 16, gathered responses from 2,000 students across the country. Of the participants, 40 percent were from the National Capital Region (NCR), 35 percent from other parts of Luzon, 5 percent from the Visayas, and 10 percent from Mindanao. According to CSI’s findings, 12.2 percent of students opposed Duterte’s removal, while 3.1 percent remained undecided.
Strong Push for Impeachment Trial
The survey also gauged student sentiment regarding the timing of a potential impeachment trial. A significant 73 percent of respondents supported convening the Senate as an impeachment court immediately, rather than waiting until after the 2025 elections. Meanwhile, 19.8 percent opposed the idea, and 6.4 percent were undecided.
CSI clarified that the survey was conducted online and utilized a non-probability sampling method.
Legal Hurdles in Impeachment Proceedings
Duterte currently faces an impeachment complaint, with 215 lawmakers in the House of Representatives signing the measure on February 5. However, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has stated that an impeachment trial cannot legally proceed at this time, as the complaint has not been formally referred to the plenary.
Escudero explained that for the Senate to be convened as an impeachment court, an official session must be held to swear in impeachment judges. He proposed that the trial commence on July 30.
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