70% of Pinoys want Philippines to assert West Philippine Sea rights

MANILA, Philippines — Seven in 10 Filipinos believe the government should assert its rights over islands in the West Philippine Sea, results of the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed yesterday.

To the statement, “The Philippine government should assert its rights over the islands in the West Philippine Sea as stipulated in the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration,” 70 percent agreed and 13 percent disagreed, for a net agreement score of +57, classified by the SWS as “extremely strong.”

Fifteen percent were undecided on the matter, the pollster said.

The nationwide net agreement score, however, fell from +82 in June 2019 to +57 in July 2020. It also fell in all areas, down by 31 points in Mindanao, 30 points in balance Luzon, 20 points in Metro Manila and 18 points in the Visayas.

Net agreement was highest in Metro Manila (+65), followed by the Visayas (+59), balance Luzon at (+57) and Mindanao (+52).

Meanwhile, four out of five Filipinos believe the Philippines should form alliances with countries that are ready to help defend the country’s territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea.

To the statement, “The Philippines should form alliances with other democratic countries that are ready to help us in defending our territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea,” 82 percent agreed and nine percent disagreed, resulting in a net agreement score of “extremely strong” +73.

Those who agreed with the view comprised 56 percent who “strongly agree” and 25 percent who “somewhat agree.”

Those who disagreed with the statement consisted of five percent who “somewhat disagree” and five percent who “strongly disagree.”

Eight percent were undecided on the matter, the SWS said.

By area, net agreement was highest in balance Luzon (+75), followed by Metro Manila (+72), the Visayas (+74) and Mindanao (+67).

SWS said a similar test statement was fielded in June 2019 and found 84 percent saying it is right for the Philippine government to form alliances with other countries that are ready to help in defending its security in the West Philippine Sea.

This opinion, it said, was widespread in all areas: 88 percent in the Visayas, 87 percent in balance Luzon, 84 percent in Metro Manila and 76 percent in Mindanao.

The poll on the Filipino public’s opinion about China was sponsored by the Stratbase Albert Del Rosario (ADR) Institute and was presented by the SWS at a virtual conference organized by the institute yesterday.

The SWS survey was based on a probability-based conducted using telephone interview of 1,555 adult Filipinos, 18 years old and above, nationwide.

The survey was released two days after the Philippines marked the fourth anniversary of its arbitral case victory over China.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said despite China’s intransigence, the Philippines will not renounce its friendly relations with Beijing. He said the country won’t allow itself to be hostaged by the rivalry between the US and China.

“The great powers as they escalate their rivalry will woo us into their side, we will be sure that we will advance our national interest and meanwhile we want all parties involved to abide with the rule of law, particularly with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” Roque said at a virtual press briefing.

But Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called on China to comply with the 2016 arbitral ruling.

“We strongly agree with the position of the international community that there should be a rules-based order in the South China Sea,” he said.

“It is in the best interest of regional stability that China heed the call of the community of nations to follow international law and honor existing international agreements,” he said.

“Moving forward, we continue to push for the finalization of a substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to settle disputes and prevent the escalation of tensions in the region,” he added.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also said the Philippines should strongly assert its position.

“We should never give up the fight for what is legally ours. We should never cower in fear from the harassment and political intimidation that foreign governments impose on us,” Sotto said in a statement.

“What is unlawful can never be made lawful by the whims and caprices of a foreign power which treats the entire South China Sea as its territory,” Sotto said.

“We shall never and should not shut up into giving up our offshore treasures. Let us continue to hold hands in our fight for our sovereign rights,” he said. Christina Mendez, Paolo Romero, Michael Punongbayan