Manila: Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre on Friday said it comes as no surprise that a large majority of Filipinos want Vice President Sara Duterte to personally appear at a Senate impeachment trial, saying the public clamor reflects the weight of the evidence already presented in the Articles of Impeachment and during the House clarificatory hearings.
According to Philippines News Agency, their reaction came after a Tangere survey released Wednesday found that 90 percent of respondents want Duterte to appear before the Senate, while 82 percent said she should personally attend the proceedings rather than rely solely on legal representation. Only 8 percent believed the appearance of her lawyers would suffice, while 7 percent said she should not face the Senate at all.
Tangere survey data shows cross-party support for Duterte's personal appearance. Among respondents aligned with the Marcos administration, 94 percent favored her attendance, followed by 92 percent of Liberal Party supporters, 90 percent of unaffiliated respondents, and 70 percent of Duterte's own supporters.
Adiong said the results merely reflect what the public has already seen in the House proceedings. 'Hindi nakakapagtaka na halos siyam sa bawat sampung Pilipino gustong humarap si VP Sara sa Senate trial. Sa bigat ng ebidensya, hindi abogado ang hinahanap ng tao. Ang hinahanap nila, si VP Sara mismo (It's no surprise that 9 of 10 Filipinos want VP Sara in a Senate trial. With the weight of the evidence, the people do not want to see lawyers. They want VP Sara herself),' Adiong said in a statement.
He added that once the public sees the charges in full, the demand for her personal appearance becomes understandable. 'Kung may tanong sa PHP612.5 million na confidential funds, sa PHP6.77 billion na money trail, sa cash envelopes sa DepEd, at sa mga bantang umabot hanggang assassination plot, natural lang na gusto ng publiko na humarap siya (If there are questions on the PHP612.5 million confidential funds, PHP6.77 billion in money trail, the cash envelopes at the Department of Education, and the threats that reached an assassination plot, it's just natural for the public to want her to face the allegations),' he said.
He noted that the public has already moved beyond procedural arguments and now wants direct accountability. 'No amount of flourishes in her press releases nor drama in her legal counsels' press conferences can replace that. Iyan ang pulso ng taumbayan (That's the pulse of the people): VP Duterte herself should appear and answer in the proper forum," Adiong said.
For his part, Acidre said the survey simply confirmed what emerged once the hearings exposed the full picture. 'Hindi nakakapagtaka ang survey. Matapos ang mga pagdinig, nakita ng tao na hindi ito isang isyu lang. Article I pa lang mabigat na, lalo na kapag pinagsama mo pa ang unexplained wealth, bribery, at grave threats (The results of the survey are no surprise. After the hearings, the people saw that it was not a simple issue. Article I alone was already serious, especially if you add up the unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats),' Acidre said in a separate statement.
The lawmaker said Article II, in particular, helps explain why even people outside Duterte's circle of critics now want her to personally address the allegations. 'Kung sa Article II pa lang may tanong na sa SALN at bilyon-bilyong galaw ng pera, bakit abogado lang ang magpapaliwanag? Siyempre gusto ng publiko, siya mismo ang sumagot (If there are already questions on her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and billions in money flows, why is it that only the lawyers are doing the explaining? Of course, the public wants her to personally respond),' he said.
There are four Articles of Impeachment contained in the House Justice Committee report. Article I alleges the systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of PHP612.5 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. It cites the disbursement of PHP125 million in late 2022, the use of unauthorized intermediaries, Commission on Audit disallowances, National Bureau of Investigation handwriting findings on acknowledgment receipts, and Philippine Statistics Authority verification issues involving names listed in those receipts.
Article II centers on alleged unexplained wealth, including the increase in Duterte's declared net worth from PHP7.25 million in 2007 to PHP88.51 million in 2024, against an estimated lawful income of around PHP30 million, as well as the PHP6.77 billion in covered and suspicious transactions reflected in Anti-Money Laundering Council records involving Duterte and her spouse.
Article III accuses Duterte of bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust over alleged cash payments to Department of Education officials, including envelopes allegedly received by Gloria Jumamil-Mercado, Resty Osias, and Runna Catalan.
Article IV accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, high crimes, and betrayal of public trust over the alleged assassination plot, grave threats, and inciting to sedition tied to her public statements and related acts.
Meanwhile, the Tangere survey also reflected broader calls for accountability, with around 60 percent saying Duterte's husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, should also face Senate scrutiny over questions involving conjugal assets and shared legal interests. Tangere said the survey was conducted from May 5 to 6 using a mobile-based application and stratified random sampling, involving 1,200 respondents nationwide with a margin of error of ±2.77 percent at a 95-percent confidence level. Respondents included 45 percent Duterte supporters, 20 percent unaffiliated respondents, 20 percent Liberal Party supporters, and 15 percent aligned with the Marcos administration. Participants came from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
