Public approval of ICC drug war probe growing

MANILA, Philippines —  More Filipinos are now supporting the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the previous administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, a survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed.

An SWS survey conducted from Dec. 8 to 11 found that 53 percent of the respondents support the statement: “The ICC should investigate drug-related killings during the Duterte administration.”

It was composed of 25 percent who “strongly approve” and 28 percent who “somewhat approve” of the ICC investigation.

Support for the ICC probe increased from the 45 percent (20 percent “strongly approve” and 25 percent “somewhat approve”) obtained in a similar survey conducted by SWS in March 2023.

Meanwhile, those who disapprove of the ICC investigation decreased from 24 percent to 21 percent. Those who were undecided decreased from 31 percent to 26 percent.

The survey results were presented by SWS vice president Gerardo Sandoval during the 2024 SWS Survey Review held at the Asian Institute of Management on Thursday.

The latest survey also found that 57 percent of the respondents agree that the government should allow the ICC investigation regarding the drug-related killings during the Duterte administration.

It was up nine points from just 48 percent in the March survey.

Nineteen percent said the government should not allow the ICC investigation, down from 20 percent, while 25 percent were undecided, down from 31 percent. 

Asked about their knowledge regarding the ICC investigation, 14 percent said it was “extensive,” while 30 percent said it was “partial but sufficient.”

It was up from 10 percent and 24 percent who said they had “extensive” and “partial but sufficient” knowledge, respectively, of the ICC investigation.

Those who had little or almost nothing to no knowledge about the ICC investigation dropped from 67 percent to 57 percent.

Some 29 percent of the respondents said they had “much trust” that the ICC will be able to conduct an impartial investigation into the drug-related killings during the Duterte administration.

It was up from 22 percent obtained in the March 2023 survey.

Based on the survey, a majority or 55 percent were still unsure whether the ICC would be able to conduct an impartial investigation (almost similar to 56 percent in the previous survey), while those who had little trust decreased from 22 percent to 16 percent.

The SWS fourth quarter survey had 1,200 adult respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.8 percent.