Duterte trial interest drops

Interest among Filipinos in the proceedings surrounding former President Rodrigo Duterte’s trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has declined, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

The Third Quarter 2026 Social Weather Survey found fewer people following court developments, from a high of 80 percent in November 2025 down to 55 percent last September.

The figure was also down from 75 percent in March 2026 and 72 percent in June 2026.

The latest respondents said they followed reports on a motion filed by Duterte’s lead defense counsel, Peter Haynes, asking the ICC prosecution to refile the Document Containing the Charges against the former president.

Filed on 31 August, the motion argued that the charges were framed too vaguely and imprecisely, violating Duterte’s right to be fully informed of the specific allegations against him before trial.

Despite the declining interest, the survey found that 41 percent of respondents had much confidence in the ICC’s ability to conduct a fair trial, while 26 percent expressed little confidence.

This translated to a net confidence rating of +16.

Net confidence was highest in Balance Luzon at +21, followed by Mindanao at +17, Metro Manila at +9, and the Visayas at +6.

The survey further showed that 15 percent had very much confidence in the ICC as a whole, while 26 percent had somewhat much confidence. On the other hand, 17 percent had somewhat little confidence and 9 percent had very little confidence. The remaining 33 percent were undecided.