Majority of Filipinos approved the government's "response to the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea", a recent survey shows as the country commemorates the 10th year anniversary of the Philippine victory in the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling.

The survey conducted from April 20 to 24, shows that 66 percent "strongly agree and somewhat agree" on the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s response to the territorial and maritime issues in the West Philippine Sea.

However, thirteen percent strongly or somewhat disagree and 19 percent "cannot say either way."

The survey also noted that the "agreement holds at majority levels across every major region, though not uniformly. It is highest in the National Capital Region (70 percent), followed closely by Balance Luzon (68 percent), and remains solidly above the halfway mark in the Visayas (65 percent) and Mindanao (62 percent)."

On the other hand, the survey also shows that opposition is most pronounced in Mindanao (19 percent) where the approach of the administration's faces sharpest scrutiny, compared to 13 percent in the National Capital Region, 12 percent in Balance Luzon, and 11 percent in the Visayas.

Chinese ships entered Scarborough Shoal in 2012, forcing the Philippines to go to the an international court in The Hague in 2013. The court in its 2016 Arbitral Award, upheld the Philippine protest but China said they do not recognize the decision and prefer discussions with the Philippines.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. called for greater national convergence to uphold the 2016 Arbitral Award, emphasizing that preserving the country’s landmark legal victory requires every Filipino to understand its significance, embrace stewardship of the nation’s maritime domain, and contribute to building a credible deterrent posture.

Delivering the keynote address during the Stratbase Institute conference marking the tenth anniversary of the Arbitral Award, Teodoro underscored that the ruling remains the legal foundation of the Philippines’ sovereign rights and maritime entitlements under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with implications that extend beyond the country’s interests to the preservation of the rules-based international order.

Teodoro said public awareness is indispensable to building a credible deterrent posture, warning that complacency could undermine national efforts to protect the country’s sovereign rights.

“Without that commitment, then we cannot build a credible deterrent posture, which at the end of the day is necessary for us to assert our rights,” the defense chief said. Robina Asido/PHS