SWS: 78% to vote for bets who back PH rights vs. China in WPS

Seventy-eight percent of Filipinos will vote for candidates who believe the Philippines must assert its rights against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, a commissioned survey conducted by the SWS showed.

According to the SWS poll commissioned by Stratbase and conducted nationwide from Feb. 15 to 19, 77% believe that the Philippine government must further strengthen its alliance with other countries through joint patrols, joint sails, and joint military exercises to assert and defend the Philippines’ territorial and economic rights in the West Philippine Sea.

The poll used face-to-face interviews of 1,800 registered voters (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 in Metro Manila, 900 in Balance Luzon (or Luzon outside Metro Manila), 300 in the Visayas, and 300 in Mindanao. 

SWS said the sampling error margins were ±2.31% for national percentages, ±3.27% for Balance Luzon, and ±5.66% each for Metro Manila, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Twenty-two percent answered they would vote for a candidate who does not believe that the Philippines must assert its rights against China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.

Out of the 77% that agreed the Philippines must strengthen its alliance with other countries to asset its economic rights in the WPS, 59% strongly did so while 18% somewhat agreed.

The 9% who disagreed were divided into 4% who somewhat disagreed and 5% who strongly did so.

Fourteen percent were undecided.

"During election time, we run surveys month after month to gauge where the Filipino people stand on certain issues. Just a few days back, we spoke of at least eight out of ten Filipinos who would like to support candidates who will stand up for the sovereignty of the Filipino people," Stratbase president Dindo Manhit said in a forum on Thursday.

"We wanted to add that during the survey, also 77 percent of Filipinos support strengthening alliances and joint military efforts to defend the Philippines' territorial and economic rights in the West Philippine Sea. It tells us really where we stand as a nation," he added.

"We know who our friends are. We know that we might be not as strong as we could be, but our strength is with our friends and allies," Manhit said. –JP Soriano/NB, GMA Integrated News

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