MANILA, Philippines —An analyst on international affairs has downplayed the results of a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey which showed that 87 percent of Filipinos believe in government asserting its rights in the West Philippine Sea .
“[It’s] a survey of silly questions,” Philippine-Brazil, Russia, India, China South Africa (BRICS) Strategic Studies think tank head Herbert Tiu Laurel said in the weekly Forum at Annabel’s in Quezon City.
The findings of the SWS survey were released on Friday to coincide with the third anniversary of the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
READ: 87% of Filipinos believe PH gov’t should assert rights in WPS —SWS
“Ano ang mga inokupa ng Tsina na hawakan natin? They reclaimed it and they occupied other islands that were not occupied by the Philippines,” Laurel said.
“Did China ever touch any of the current islands na okupado ng Philippines? Never,” Laurel added. According to Laurel, it was Vietnam who took Pugad Island from the Philippines in 1975.
Meanwhile, for geopolitical analyst and retired Army Brigadier General Victor Corpus, the Philippines can both assert its claim on the West Philippine Sea and negotiate with China.
“Let us agree that we set aside the issue of sovereignty. Because if sovereignty ang magiging topic natin sa negotiation, we will never agree,” Corpus said. /muf