Philippines allies should help assert West Philippine Sea rights – survey

MANILA, Philippines — Most Filipinos want the Marcos administration to work with the United States and other like-minded international partners to assert national interests in the West Philippine Sea, a Pulse Asia survey found.

The Dec. 12 to 15 survey, commissioned by the Stratbase Group, asked respondents which countries or organizations they trust and think the Philippine government “should work with in asserting our rights and protecting our national interest in the Philippine seas.”

The respondents were allowed to select up to five countries. The United States topped the list with 82 percent.

It was followed by Japan with 64 percent, Canada with 58 percent and Australia with 51 percent.

South Korea was selected by 37 percent of the respondents, followed by the United Kingdom with 33 percent and European Union with 27 percent.

At the bottom of the list were Taiwan (12 percent), China (11 percent) and India (four percent).

“The sentiment is very clear,” Stratbase president Dindo Manhit said. “Filipinos know who is violating our rights, and they know who our friends are. What is happening in the West Philippine Sea affects our fishermen, our food supply and our national dignity.”

He said the Philippine government must stand firm and work closely with countries that share a commitment to peace and a rules-based order.

“China’s actions reflect a clear pattern of behavior that puts their expansionist interests above our rights and regional stability. We must not normalize or tolerate these repeated violations,” he added.

Pulse Asia’s fourth quarter survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus/minus 2.8 percent.