A significant majority of Filipinos believe that the Duterte administration should assert Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) based on a 2016 international arbitration ruling, according to a Pulse Asia survey. In a poll conducted from June 15 to June 21, 2018, Pulse Asia found that 73 percent of 1,800 respondents agreed that the administration should assert the country’s rights over the disputed waters, where China, Taiwan, Malaysia and Vietnam have competing claims. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines on July 12, 2016, invalidating China’s claim on nearly the entire South China Sea based on its “nine-dash-line” map.

Antiporda, J., & Panti, L. T. (2018, July 13). Most Filipinos want sea claims asserted. The Manila Times, pp. A1, A2.