87% of Filipinos believe PH gov’t should assert rights in WPS —SWS

MANILA, Philippines—Eighty-seven percent of Filipinos believe that the government should assert its right in the West Philippine Sea as stipulated in the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a Social Weather Station (SWS) survey showed Friday.

SWS released the survey on the third anniversary of Manila’s landmark victory over China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea.

READ: FULL TEXT: Final decision on West PH Sea dispute by UN tribunal

Of the 87% who agreed, 63% of them answered they “strongly agree” and 24% said they “somewhat agree.” Meanwhile, only 5% of Filipinos said they “disagreed” while the remaining 8% were “undecided.”

In the same survey, 71% of Filipinos believe the government is serious in protecting Filipino fishermen against foreign vessels with 35% saying the government is “very serious,” and 36% saying it is “somewhat serious.”

Meanwhile, 15% said the government is not serious. The remaining 15% (correctly rounded) were undecided.

These findings were presented at the forum titled “Three Years After Our Nation’s Arbitral Victory: An Environmental Crisis,” at the University of the Philippines Bonifacio Global City auditorium in Taguig City.

The survey was conducted from June 22-26, 2019, using face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults (18 years old and above) nationwide: 300 each in Metro Manila, Balance of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. /jpv