Duterte ICC arrest drama reveals Filipinos’ drug war ambivalence

The drama of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity was celebrated by human rights activists and the families of drug war victims while other Filipinos saw it as a Marcos clan vendetta. His arrest also revealed Filipinos’ often-overlooked ambivalence towards his notorious drug war which had earned super-majority public support but was mixed with fear of the brutal campaign. Efforts to achieve a more humane future must compete with nostalgia for a Duterte-style tough-on-crime approach.