ManilaTimes-Jan 5
At least 84 percent of Filipinos believe that the Marcos government must beef up security cooperation with the United States to defend Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a Pulse Asia survey showed. Pulse Asia President Dr. Ronald Holmes released the survey results on Thursday during a forum organized by Stratbase ADR Institute and the US embassy in Manila. Commissioned by Stratbase, the survey was conducted from November 27 to December 1 last year, and polled 1,200 respondents. Filipinos also believe that the Marcos administration should work with Japan (52 percent), Australia (25 percent), the United Kingdom (24 percent) and South Korea (23 percent). The survey found that 20 percent of respondents want the Marcos administration to work with China to strengthen security cooperation to defend the country’s sovereignty in the WPS. In his speech during the forum, Stratbase President Prof. Dindo Manhit said a June 2022 commissioned survey also showed that the top three countries the respondents want the Philippine government to work closely with are the US, Australia and Japan. Manhit said this showed that the Philippines “must continue to work with its existing allies and forge relationships with new ones” to efficiently address issues in the WPS. The survey also showed that about 80 percent believe that to effectively address issues in the WPS, the government should prioritize the strengthening of the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard, and conduct joint maritime patrols and military exercises with allied countries. Read more at: https://www.manilatimes.net/2023/01/05/news/most-filipinos-back-closer-security-ties-with-us-poll/1872919
