A majority of Filipinos are against the arrest and surrender of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the latest Pulse Asia survey results released on Thursday.
The nationwide survey, conducted from May 6 to 9, revealed that 58% of respondents disagreed with Duterte’s arrest over charges of crimes against humanity linked to his controversial war on drugs. Only 26% supported his potential handover to the ICC, while 16% remained undecided.
Opposition to the arrest was strongest in Mindanao—Duterte’s home turf—where a staggering 96% rejected the move. Disapproval also reached 60% in the Visayas, 42% in the rest of Luzon, and 38% in Metro Manila.
Support for the arrest was most pronounced in Metro Manila, where 43% expressed agreement. This was followed by 35% in the rest of Luzon, 24% in the Visayas, and just 1% in Mindanao.
The survey also highlighted strong public trust in Duterte, with 63% of respondents saying they still trust him. In contrast, only 32% expressed trust in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., while 42% said they distrust the current president.
Vice President Sara Duterte, daughter of the former president, also maintained a high trust rating at 50%, with 25% expressing distrust and another 25% undecided.
Interestingly, these results contrast with those of a separate WR-Numero survey conducted earlier from March 31 to April 7. That poll indicated that 62% of respondents believed Duterte should face trial at The Hague. It also showed that over half (52%) agreed he should be held accountable for the killings during the drug war, and 61% supported bringing alleged co-perpetrators to justice.
Pulse Asia’s survey had 1,200 respondents with a ±3% margin of error, while WR-Numero polled 1,894 people with a ±2% margin.
