Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – Most Filipinos want to assert the Philippines’ rights to the West Philippine Sea despite the President’s altering pronouncements.
Eight out of 10 Filipinos, or 84 percent, believes the country should hold on to the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), according to private pollster Pulse Asia.
The survey was conducted on December 6 to 11 through face-to-face interviews of 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above, nationwide.
The arbitral court released its decision on the West Philippine Sea dispute on July 12, 2016, saying China violated the Philippines’ sovereign rights and that the large-scale land reclamation conducted by the former harms the environment, among other key points of the verdict.
The award was constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The PCA is an intergovernmental organization in Netherlands that facilitates arbitration and other conflict resolutions among states, state entities, intergovernmental organizations and private parties. Philippines and China are only two of its 121 member states.
However, China told the PCA in December 2014 in a position paper that “it will neither accept nor participate in the arbitration unilaterally initiated by the Philippines.” The proceedings started in January 2013.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, however, has wavered in his position in the issue.
In December 2016, he said he will “set aside” the PCA decision “in the play of politics.”
“In the play of politics now, I will set aside the arbitral ruling. I will not impose anything on China. Why? Because the politics here in Southeast Asia is changing,” Duterte said in a press conference in Davao.
But as he was campaigning, he said it was important for the Philippines to win the arbitration case, and that he will bring the Philippine flag to the Spratlys to emphasize the claim in the area.
CNN Philippines’ correspondent Joyce Ilas contributed to this report.
