Majority of Filipinos say Marcos admin should work with US to defend West PH Sea —Pulse Asia survey

A Pulse Asia survey shows that 84% of Filipinos believe that the Marcos administration should work with the United States to strengthen security cooperation to defend our national sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.

The results of the survey — conducted last November 27 to December 1, 2022 and commissioned by Stratbase ADR Institute — was presented by Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes during a forum on Thursday.

The survey results also show that 52% of Filipinos believe that the Marcos administration should also work with Japan, 25% with Australia, 24% with the United Kingdom, 23% with South Korea, 20% with China and the European Union, 17% with Russia, 12% with France and 2% with India.

"This indicates that the Philippines must continue to work with its existing allies and forge relationships with new ones in order to competitively and efficiently address issues and incidents in the West Philippine Sea," said Stratbase President Prof. Dindo Manhit in a speech during the forum.

"Working with like-minded states, such as the United States, Australia, and Japan, and elevating these ties to strategic partnerships reaffirm the country’s 2016 Arbitral win and contribute to the security and stability in the region," he said.

"Working with friends, allies, and partners as a strategy allows the Philippines to practice an independent foreign policy based on the public’s interests."

The Philippines' exclusive sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea was upheld by the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in July 2016 in a decision to a case filed by Manila three years prior.

The decision also junked China's nine-dash line theory claiming the entirety of the South China Sea.

China, however, has refused to acknowledge the ruling.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., currently in China for a three-day state visit, on Wednesday said he and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have agreed to find a compromise and measures that will be beneficial to Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.

“I was very clear in trying to talk about the plight of our fishermen," Marcos said of his discussion with Xi.

"The President promised that we would find a compromise and find a solution that will be beneficial so that our fishermen might be able to fish again in their natural fishing grounds,” he added.

Military capability

Meanwhile, the December 2022 Pulse Asia survey also shows that about 80% of Filipinos believe that to effectively address issues in the West Philippine Sea, the Marcos administration should prioritize strengthening the military capability of the Philippines, especially the Navy and the Coast Guard, and conduct joint maritime patrols and military exercises with allied countries.

The same survey also shows that 53% of Filipinos believe that the protection of marine resources and environment in Philippine territory is the most important reason to strengthen our ability to defend and protect our seas, while 22% think the most important reason is the protection of rights of peoples and communities in the coastal areas.

Meanwhile, 14% of Filipinos believe that stopping China's incursions in Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). —KBK, GMA Integrated News