File photo
MANILA, Philippines — More Filipinos prefer that the government modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ahead of strengthening military partnerships and forging new defense agreements to defend the country’s maritime territorial rights, according to the results of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.
Commissioned by the Stratbase Institute and conducted from June 20 to June 29, the SWS survey found that 45 percent of respondents picked the modernization of the AFP and PCG as their first choice among the measures the Philippines should continue to implement in defending its sovereignty over its waters.
By comparison, 33 percent chose reinforcing alliances through maritime cooperative activities and military exercises with allies, friends and partners, while 22 percent favored establishing defense and security agreements with like-minded countries.
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The poll was conducted after Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said he was pushing to increase defense spending to as much as 4 percent of the country’s gross domestic product to strengthen its defense capabilities and better protect its rights in the West Philippine Sea.
Highest in Luzon
Support for AFP and PCG modernization as the top choice was highest in Luzon, where 47 percent of respondents selected the option. It was followed by the National Capital Region (NCR) at 46 percent, the Visayas at 44 percent and Mindanao at 39 percent.
When asked to identify their second choice, respondents most frequently selected reinforcing alliances, with 39 percent choosing the option nationwide. Establishing defense and security agreements followed at 31 percent, while 30 percent selected AFP and PCG modernization.
Support for alliances as a second choice was highest in the NCR and the Visayas, where 41 percent of respondents selected the option. Mindanao recorded the highest share of respondents who ranked AFP and PCG modernization as their second choice, at 34 percent.
Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres Manhit said the results showed that Filipinos view stronger defense capabilities and closer cooperation with allies as complementary measures in protecting the country’s maritime rights.
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“The Filipino people understand that defending our maritime rights requires more than legal victories. It requires credible capabilities, resilient institutions and sustained investment in the Armed Forces and the Philippine Coast Guard,” Manhit said in a statement.
The survey interviewed 1,200 adults nationwide through face-to-face interviews. It had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for national estimates and plus or minus 6 percentage points each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, at the 95 percent confidence level. /cb
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