Advertisement
Most Filipinos say they support neutrality over Taiwan, want Manila to focus on home front
- About 86 per cent of Filipinos surveyed nationwide wanted their country to remain neutral in the event of a cross-strait conflict
- The South China Sea also ranked low as a concern – though 68 per cent of respondents approved of the Philippine military’s actions in the dispute
Reading Time:2 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
16
An overwhelming majority of Filipinos support neutrality in any future conflict over Taiwan, a new survey found, underscoring a preference for the Philippines to prioritise domestic issues over international disputes.
About 86 per cent of the 1,765 Filipinos surveyed by private polling firm WR Numero Research from March 12 to 24 wanted their country to remain neutral in a cross-strait conflict, according to the survey released on Monday.
On the dispute over the West Philippine Sea – the portion of the South China Sea that the Philippines claims as its maritime territory and is within its exclusive economic zone – 65 per cent of respondents described tensions in the area as “worsening”.
Advertisement
Amid a series of maritime clashes between Manila and Beijing, 68 per cent of respondents said they approved of the Philippine military’s actions in the West Philippine Sea and that its personnel were managing tensions “very well”, WR Numero Research President and CEO Cleve Arguelles said.
Another 22.5 per cent said they were “unsure” whether they approved of the military’s actions, while 8 per cent highly disapproved.
Opinions on President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s handling of the South China Sea dispute were mixed. Only 33 per cent of respondents described his response as good, while 5 per cent deemed it excellent. Another 34.2 per cent said they were “unsure”, 21.1 per cent viewed his handling as not good and 6 per cent considered it very bad.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x