Last Tuesday, Social Weather Stations released the following findings of its new survey of Filipino public opinion about China (SWS July 3-6, 2020 National Mobile Phone Survey—Report No. 3: “Stratbase ADR Institute sponsors items on Filipino public opinion on China,” www.sws.org.ph, 7/14/20): 61 percent believe that China did not immediately share their information on COVID-19 to the world; Among those who believe the above, 77 percent agree that China should be held accountable for it;70 percent agree that the Philippine government should assert its territorial rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS); and82 percent agree that the Philippines should form alliances with other democratic countries that are ready to help defend its territorial rights in the WPS. The SWS survey was done for presentation to the high-level international conference, “A New Regional Order: Effective Alignment through Strategic Partnerships,” organized by the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute. It was timed, of course, for the fourth anniversary of the Philippines’ great victory over China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54KEVBPl35k&feature=youtu.be for the conference proceedings.)

Mangahas, M. (2020, July 18). What China fears is democracy. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A7.