MANILA, Philippines - Despite President Duterte’s continuing tirades against the United States, a nationwide survey conducted by Pulse Asia showed that the superpower and long-time Philippine ally is still the country most trusted by Filipinos.
The same survey showed that China and Russia, which Duterte has been cozying up to, were the least trusted among the countries and foreign organizations on the list.
Based on the results of the survey released yesterday, 76 percent of Filipinos said they trust the US, while 23 percent said they distrust the superpower.
In second spot was Japan, obtaining a 70 percent trust and 29 percent distrust rating.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in the country yesterday for a two-day visit.
Rounding up the list were the United Kingdom (39 percent trust, 55 percent distrust), China (38 percent trust, 61 percent distrust) and Russia (38 percent trust, 58 percent distrust).
For foreign organizations, the United Nations obtained a 74 percent trust and 25 percent distrust rating, while the European Union obtained a 50 percent trust and 47 percent distrust rating.
The survey was conducted from Dec. 6 to 11 with 1,200 adult respondents. It has a margin of error of +/- three percent.
Pulse Asia said among the issues at the time of the survey were the election of Donald Trump as the next US president and Duterte’s order to arrest Chinese gaming tycoon Jack Lam following a raid on his casino operations in Pampanga.
Lam, who supposedly tried to bribe immigration officials, has since fled the Philippines.
The survey period also coincided with the celebration of International Human Rights Day, when various activities and protests were held to denounce the alleged human rights violations committed in connection with the government’s war against illegal drugs.
The US, the UN and the EU were among those that actively criticized the Duterte administration for supposed human rights violations in the conduct of his war on drugs.
In one of his speeches, Duterte voiced his intention to create a “triumvirate against the world” in alliance with China and Russia.