Team DailyPedia
Half of adult Filipinos believe former President Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable for the deaths linked to his administration’s war on drugs, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey commissioned by Stratbase Group.
The nationwide poll, conducted from September 24 to 30, 2025, among 1,500 respondents with a ±3% margin of error, found that 50% agree Duterte should face responsibility for the killings, while 32% disagreed, 15% were undecided, and 4% said they lacked enough information to respond.
Regional data showed the strongest support for accountability in Visayas (54%), Metro Manila (53%), and Balance Luzon (52%), while Mindanao, considered Duterte’s political stronghold, recorded the lowest at 39%.
By age group, the highest support came from Filipinos aged 55 and above (62%), followed by those 45 to 54 (52%), 35 to 44 (45%), and 18 to 24 (43%).
The survey results were released as the International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected Duterte’s appeal for temporary release.
In a 23-page decision, the ICC said Duterte’s detention “remains necessary” for three reasons: to ensure his appearance at trial, to prevent obstruction of the investigation or proceedings, and to stop the potential commission of further crimes.
Duterte’s lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, had earlier requested an indefinite postponement of pretrial hearings, claiming the 80-year-old former president was unfit to stand trial due to alleged cognitive impairment. The ICC, however, deferred the hearing originally set for September 23, pending a medical assessment.
Duterte first appeared before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I last March 14, three days after his arrest in Manila, where he was formally identified and informed of the charges against him, which include crimes against humanity connected to thousands of deaths under the government’s anti-drug campaign.
Official government data placed the death toll at around 6,000, while human rights groups estimate the figure could reach 20,000 or more, citing victims of police operations and vigilante-style killings during Duterte’s term.
