House Special Committee on Bases Conversion Chairman Jay Khonghun underscored the overwhelming disapproval of Vice President Sara Duterte among Filipino college students, following a survey conducted by the Centre for Student Initiatives (CSI). The poll revealed that 84.8% of respondents believe Duterte should be removed from office.
Khonghun, who also serves as a House Assistant Majority Leader, noted that the sentiment is particularly significant as many of the surveyed students experienced Duterte’s leadership as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) from 2022 to 2024.
The CSI survey, conducted online from February 28 to March 16 using non-probability sampling, polled 2,000 college students. A total of 1,696 respondents (84.8%) answered “yes” to the question: “Do you believe Sara Duterte should be removed from office?” Additionally, 73.9% (1,477 out of 2,000) expressed support for convening an impeachment court before the May elections.
“This survey shows that even students who witnessed her tenure at DepEd believe she should step down. Why? Likely because of her poor leadership in the department,” Khonghun stated.
“If she already failed at DepEd, how much worse is it now, given the serious corruption allegations?” he added.
The impeachment complaint against Duterte includes accusations of bribery and corruption during her time as DepEd secretary.
“It’s no surprise that students feel she should be removed. She did not adequately address the declining quality of education, lack of resources, and other pressing issues in DepEd during her term,” Khonghun said.
He further emphasized the need to listen to the concerns of young Filipinos, who directly experienced the effects of Duterte’s leadership.
“We must listen to our youth. They are the ones most affected by the failures of a leader who neglected her duties. She should face the allegations against her. If she has nothing to hide, why is she avoiding accountability?” Khonghun concluded.