Most Filipinos want their government to assert the country’s rights in the disputed South China Sea after an arbitration tribunal invalidated China’s vast territorial claims and ruled the Philippines can fish and exploit resources in the contested waters, according to an opinion poll released on Friday.
The Dec. 6-11 survey by pollster Pulse Asia showed 84 percent of 1,200 adult Filipinos polled nationwide agreed the government should uphold its rights in the disputed waters.