Manila, July 17 -- Vice President Sara Duterte's improved satisfaction rating cannot halt or weaken her impeachment trial because constitutional accountability is decided on evidence, not popularity, the House prosecution panel said Friday.

At a press briefing, House prosecution legal spokesperson and private prosecutor Jay Tolosa Jr. stressed that public approval does not place any impeachable official beyond scrutiny for alleged violations of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

"This is not a popularity contest. It's a constitutional accountability mechanism," Tolosa emphasized.

The Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey discussed during the briefing was conducted from June 20 to 29, before Duterte's Senate trial began, ...