Most Filipinos believe former President Rodrigo Duterte should be held accountable for the killings linked to his administration’s war on drugs, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Commissioned by the Stratbase Group, the nationwide poll was conducted from September 24 to 30, 2025, among 1,500 adult respondents, with a ±3% margin of error.
Results of the SWS Third Quarter 2025 survey showed that 50% of Filipinos agree Duterte should face accountability for drug war-related deaths, while 32% disagreed, 15% were undecided, and 4% said they did not know enough to respond.
Support for Duterte’s accountability was highest in the Visayas (54%), Metro Manila (53%), and Balance Luzon (52%), while it was lowest in Mindanao (39%), the former president’s political stronghold.
By age group, Filipinos aged 55 and above were the most supportive of holding Duterte accountable (62%), followed by those aged 45 to 54 (52%), 35 to 44 (45%), and 18 to 24 (43%).
The survey comes as the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently denied Duterte’s request for interim release.
In a 23-page ruling issued last week, the ICC chamber said Duterte’s continued detention “remains necessary” to ensure his appearance at trial, prevent interference in the proceedings, and stop possible commission of further crimes.
Duterte’s lawyer, Nicholas Kaufman, earlier sought an indefinite adjournment of pretrial proceedings, claiming the former president was unfit to stand trial due to “cognitive impairment in multiple domains.”
The ICC postponed Duterte’s hearing, originally set for September 23, following the defense’s request.
Duterte first appeared before the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on March 14, three days after his arrest in Manila, where judges confirmed his identity and informed him of the charges.
Official government data estimates around 6,000 people were killed in the anti-drug campaign, though human rights groups claim the real number exceeds 20,000.
