Pulse Asia: 58% disagree with Duterte's arrest to face ICC

More than half of Filipino registered voters disagree with the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte to face charges before the International Criminal Court in connection with the killings under his administration’s war on drugs.

According to Pulse Asia’s latest survey conducted from May 6 to 9 among 1,200 respondents nationwide, 99% have heard, read, or watched anything about the former President’s arrest before the survey.

Fifty-eight percent said they disagreed with the arrest (25% somewhat disagree, 33% strongly disagree) while 26% agreed (10% strongly agree, 16% somewhat agree).

Sixteen percent could not say whether they agreed or disagreed.

Pulse Asia said the perception of the respondents could be due to the false information that proliferated during his arrest in March. 

“Ang pagpapalabas ng mga Duterte sa pag-aresto na ‘yun ay ilegal…at malawakan ‘yung ganung uri ng impormasyon o disimpormasyon na nakikita natin sa iba’t-ibang social media platforms,” said Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes in Maki Pulido’s report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday. 

(The Dutertes made the arrest look illegal…and such disinformation was rampant at that time in social media platforms.) 

But Holmes said the public’s perception could change depending on whether the trial in the Hague would continue. 

The survey had an overall error margin of ±2.8 percentage points. –NB, GMA Integrated News