Filipinos back ICC probe of Duterte’s drug war, but will it sway midterm voters?

While his anti-narcotics campaign once had widespread support, a survey indicates 59 per cent now approve of the investigation into it

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Relatives of drug war victims hold photographs of their slain loved ones with placards calling for justice, during a protest to commemorate President Rodrigo Duterte’s final year in office, in Manila, Philippines on June 30, 2021. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00pm, 18 Nov 2024

Growing backing among Filipinos for the International Criminal Court’s investigation into the killings that took place as part of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs signals the waning of his populist appeal ahead of next year’s midterm elections, analysts say.

Duterte, who is running next year to be mayor of Davao City once again, made headlines when he challenged ICC investigators to speed up their probe on Wednesday, telling them to “hurry up before I die” while testifying before a House committee probe into his administration’s drug war killings.

He previously shocked lawmakers with testimony that he had a vigilante “death squad” that helped him carry out his drug war when he was previously mayor of Davao City.

The former president is currently facing probes in both the House and Senate as well as an investigation by the ICC for crimes related to his anti-narcotics campaign, which human rights organizations estimate led to over 12,000 fatalities.

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Former Philippine president Duterte’s ‘I had a death squad’ admission stuns senators

Duterte received widespread popular support for his drug war during his time in office, with one September 2017 survey finding that 88 per cent of Filipinos approved of it despite concerns over extrajudicial killings.