NO SURRENDER | Members of Sentro Youth and Akbayan Youth, including this activist with a headband conveying a defiant line from the lyrics of the Philippine national anthem, stage a protest rally outside the Chinese consulate in Makati City on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, to mark the 6th anniversary of the country鈥檚 2016 arbitral victory against Beijing鈥檚 sweeping claims to the South China Sea. (Photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Most Filipinos believe that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his administration should assert the six-year-old arbitral ruling on the maritime dispute with China and strengthen the Navy and Coast Guard to defend its waters, according to a recent survey.
The survey sponsored by think tank Stratbase ADR Institute was conducted from June 24 to June 27, just days before the country鈥檚 17th President assumed office.
In a forum on Tuesday to mark the sixth anniversary of the arbitral award in favor of the Philippines, Stratbase president Dindo Manhit said that 89 percent of Filipinos agreed that the incoming administration 鈥渕ust assert our rights over the West Philippine Sea鈥� as stipulated in the July 12, 2016, ruling that rejected China鈥檚 sweeping claims to the South China Sea.
Form alliances
Of the 89 percent, 63 percent agreed 鈥渟trongly鈥� and 26 percent 鈥渟omewhat鈥� agreed to assert the country鈥檚 rights over its waters.
Manhit said 90 percent of the respondents also agreed (56 percent strongly, 34 percent somewhat) that the new administration should 鈥渋nvest in the capability of the Philippine Coast Guard to protect our territory and marine resources in our exclusive economic zone.鈥�
Also, 84 percent agreed that the new government should 鈥渇orm alliances with other countries鈥� to defend Philippine territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea.
鈥淲hen we speak of alliances, we speak of who we consider as friends. And you see Japan, United States, Australia, European Union, United Kingdom鈥攃ountries that share one thing with us, the belief that we live in a rule-based international order,鈥� Manhit said.
The survey polled 1,200 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
Manila鈥檚 Ambassador to Washington, Jose Manuel Romualdez, said in the same forum that the 2016 ruling remained 鈥渁 significant victory for the Philippines and the international community for the primary reason that the decision is underpinned by the rule of law.鈥�
He said the Philippines鈥� position in the South China Sea dispute was 鈥渢o solve issues peacefully and in keeping with international law.鈥� He believed that diplomacy was still the best option in settling the conflict but 鈥渨e are prepared to deter aggression.鈥�
The Philippines, he said, should 鈥渓everage existing strategic partnerships and build on alliances with like-minded states鈥� to defend its territorial integrity.
He acknowledged that China and the maritime dispute were the country鈥檚 鈥渂iggest foreign policy challenges 鈥� amid Beijing鈥檚 growing assertiveness鈥� in the vast waterway.