Ridon: Duterte impeachment trial should proceed even if VP resigns

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the House prosecution panel, said the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte should continue even if the country's second-highest official resigns from office.

"The view of some of our colleagues in the prosecution panel is that even if the Vice President resigns, we believe the trial should still continue," Ridon said during the Saturday News Forum.

He stressed that Duterte's possible resignation remains speculative, noting that it is up to the Vice President to decide whether to resign or fight the impeachment case until the end.

"We believe the trial should still continue because the issue here is not only removal from office. What is also at stake is the perpetual disqualification from holding public office," Ridon said.

"So, we will leave it, of course, to the Senate Impeachment Court, in that event, to decide whether the trial should continue or not," he added.

Proceedings should continue despite high ratings

Ridon also urged the public to reject the narrative that the impeachment trial should no longer proceed simply because the Vice President continues to post high satisfaction and approval ratings.

"That propaganda being circulated should be destroyed. Just because the satisfaction and approval ratings [of the Vice President] are high, we should no longer proceed with the impeachment trial," he said.

Duterte recently received a 58-percent satisfaction rating in a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey of 1,200 respondents nationwide. She also posted a 56-percent approval rating in the June 2026 Pulse Asia Research Inc. survey, which polled 2,400 respondents.

Meanwhile, the inaugural National Momentum Survey, released on 23 June, found that only 13 percent of Filipinos actively watched the impeachment trial, while 55 percent said they had heard about developments in the Senate proceedings.

Ridon, however, said surveys specifically concerning the impeachment process indicate that, across the political spectrum, many Filipinos still consider the proceedings against the Vice President important.