Filipinos confident AFP can defend country — survey

MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos in general are confident they can rely on the military to defend the country – especially its interests in the West Philippine Sea – from external threats, based on the result of a survey by Social Weather Stations (SWS).

The survey, conducted in December last year, showed 62 percent of the 1,200 survey respondents were “very confident” of the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to defend the country’s territory.

The same survey showed 26 percent of Filipinos were undecided and 12 percent less confident.

“The AFP’s 62 percent public trust rating that it can defend the country’s territories is still high and not the other away around,” said Vladymir Joseph Licudine, SWS deputy director for survey design, analysis and training.

Overall survey results also showed public satisfaction approval rating of “excellent” 79 percent, with only 15 percent of the respondents undecided and five percent dissatisfied with the AFP or a total net approval rating of +74.

The SWS survey showed the AFP got the highest public satisfaction ratings in the National Capital Region (NCR) with 81 percent satisfied, 12 percent undecided and five percent dissatisfied.

In the rest of Luzon, 76 percent of respondents claimed they were satisfied with the AFP, 18 percent undecided and five percent dissatisfied. In the Visayas, 81 percent of respondents were satisfied, 13 percent undecided, four percent dissatisfied.       

In Mindanao, 81 percent of the respondents said they were satisfied, 12 percent undecided and six percent dissatisfied.

Joint exercises 

Meanwhile, Filipino and US military officials are set to meet next week to discuss next year’s joint military activities.

A senior military official said joint exercise is allowed under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) even without the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that President Duterte ordered revoked in February.

“The standing committee meeting will be held on March 11 to 13 to discuss this year’s and next joint exercises,” the security official, who requested anonymity, said.

“In the scheduled meeting next week, both Filipino and US planners will be discussing the 2021 activities for them to be able come up with a recommendation; what and where these joint non-military and military activities will be held,” the military official said.