51% of Filipinos say Duterte accountable for drug war deaths – SWS survey

Mr Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s initial appearance took place on Friday, 14 March 2025, at 14:00 hours (The Hague local time), before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”). ©ICC-CPI

MANILA, Philippines — Fifty-one percent Filipinos believe that former President Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable for all the illegal drug-related killings waged during his administration, according to a survey by  the Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey, released on Wednesday, was sponsored by Stratbase Consultancy. The survey asked respondents how much they agree or disagree that Duterte should be liable for the killings related to the war on drugs

Fifty-one percent respondents answered that they agree with the statement (32% strongly agree; 19% somewhat agree) while 25% disagreed.

READ: Duterte’s ICC arrest: Separating fact from lies

Fourteen percent of the respondents were undecided while 10% said that they were not knowledgeable enough to express their opinion. 

The SWS conducted face-to-face interviews among 1,800 registered Filipino voters, aged 18 and above. Nine hundred respondents came from Balance Luzon, and 300 each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao. 

The survey has sampling error margins of  ±2.31% for national percentages,  ±3.27% for Balance Luzon, and 5.66% each in Metro Manila, Visayas, and Mindanao.  

Duterte is the subject of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity related to extrajudicial killings during the bloody drug war under his administration and his time as mayor of Davao City. 

READ: EXPLAINER: Brutal attacks on civilians hauled Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague

Based on government data, the war on drugs claimed around 6,000 lives. However, data from human rights watch said that the real numbers reached more than 20,000. 

Duterte, who has been under the custody of ICC in The Hague, the Netherlands, appeared before the ICC Pre-Chamber Trial I last Friday (Manila time) for the first time where the judges verified his identity, informed him of the charges filed against him, and enumerated his rights. 

His hearing on confirmation of charges is set on September 23, 2025.