Majority of Filipinos disagree with the arrest of former President and Davao City Mayor-elect Rodrigo Roa Duterte, according to Pulse Asia Research’s latest survey.
Held from May 6-9, 2025, a high 58% out of 1,200 respondents did not agree with Duterte’s apprehension.
25% say they ‘somewhat disagree’ while 33% ‘strongly disagree’.
On the other hand, 26% agree with the ex-leader’s arrest with 16% expressing they ‘somewhat agree’ and 10% ‘strongly’ agreeing.
Undecided stood at 16%.
Broken down by locations, 96% of those who disagreed came from Duterte’s known bailiwick in Mindanao followed by 60% in Visayas, 42% in Balance Luzon (BL) and 38% in the National Capital Region (NCR).
In terms of socio-economic classes, 74% belonging to Class E were in disagreement with 58% and 48% sharing the same sentiment in Classes D and ABC, respectively.
Pulse Asia’s survey comes after President Bongbong Marcos allowed his administration to assist the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol in serving a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Duterte.
He was nabbed in Philippine shores last March 11, 2025 and was eventually transported via a chartered plane provided by the Office of the President (OP) and handed over to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.
The Duterte patriarch is now under ICC’s custody to face alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the tribunal’s probe into his ‘war on drugs’ campaign during his term from 2011 to 2019.
Despite being detained, he ran for mayor in his hometown in Davao City and still won via landslide in the 2025 midterm elections.
From: Ronald Siongco/GDM
