Majority of Filipinos favor US over China in West Philippine sea dispute — survey

MANILA, Philippines — A recent survey by a think tank found that many Filipinos prefer siding with the United States over China in the West Philippine Sea territorial dispute.

During a press briefing by Oculum Research and Analytics in Intramuros, Manila on Friday, it was revealed that 43% of Filipinos prefer the Philippines to align with the US in case of increased tensions in the highly-disputed waters, compared to only 3% suggesting alignment with China.

"There is a clear trend of weariness upon the public towards deepening ties with China," said Racidon Benarte, research head of Oculum Research. 

"The low level if trust in China and a relatively high level of distrust could be attributed to geopolitical tensions, economic competition, territorial disputes or concerns over political and human rights abuses," Joseph Mercado, Oculum's research and analytics chief statistician said in a separate statement. 

However, 40% of Filipinos preferred not to be aligned with any of the superpower but suggested an "autonomous approach" to the dispute, according to the think tank.

In the event of violence erupting in the South China Sea, survey results revealed that 32% of Filipinos recommend seeking military assistance from the US, while 31% suggest that the Philippines should defend its territory against China.

The poll also showed that only 17% of Filipinos find China to be trustworthy, while 38% consider China untrustworthy.

Among the 16 countries included in the survey, China garnered the highest level of distrust, followed by Russia with 19% distrust. 

With regard to the partnership with China, 12% of Filipinos support a partnership, while 58% do not.

China, through its Coast Guard (CCG) and maritime militia stationed in the West Philippine Sea often spark tensions in the highly-disputed areas.

Last month, tensions escalated when a CCG vessel fired a water cannon at a supply boat en route to the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal, injuring three Philippine Navy personnel conducting a routine resupply mission.

Last week, the Philippines and the US began the Balikatan Exercises, a joint military exercise involving the Armed Forces of the Philippines and partner countries.

The survey by the think tank was conducted in a national scale from February 21 to February 29, with 3,000 respondents selected through random sampling.