Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 5) — A big majority of Filipinos said the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. must seek closer security ties with the US government to beef up its defense in the West Philippine Sea, a Pulse Asia survey showed.
In a statement, Pulse Asia said 84% of Filipinos believed the Philippine government should work with the US to “defend” its national sovereignty in the disputed waters.
More than half of Filipinos, or 52%, also want the Marcos administration to cooperate with Japan, 25% with Australia, 24% with the United Kingdom, and 23% with South Korea.
The survey, which was conducted from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1, also showed that 20% of the respondents hope the government can build security cooperation with China.
It was presented during a forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute and the United States Embassy.
Securing partnerships with the “like-minded” states could help the Philippines reaffirm its arbitral win, according to Stratbase President Prof. Dindo Manhit.
“This indicates that the Philippines must continue to work with its existing allies and forge relationships with new ones in order to competitively and efficiently address issues and incidents in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
“Working with friends, allies, and partners as a strategy allows the Philippines to practice an independent foreign policy based on the public’s interests,” he added.
The survey also found that 80% of Filipinos want Marcos to focus on boosting the military capability, especially the Navy and the Coast Guard.
Fifty-three percent of the respondents also considered the marine resources and environment should be the top driver to intensify the country’s defense capacity.
Marcos arrived in China on Tuesday for a state visit where he sought to attract more investments for the Philippines and forge closer ties.
READ: Marcos promises more investments, seeks resolution of issues with China in state visit
