What the SWS survey has shown

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

The latest survey conducted by the Social Weather Station has disclosed that a big majority of Filipinos strongly support their government in its act to defend the Philippine claim over the West Philippine Sea at the international arbitration tribunal.

The SWS survey results showed a heartening 93 percent of our countrymen believing that we should defend our territory and natural resources through lawful means. It also showed that 83 percent agree strongly with the decision to file a case against China at the United Nations.

The survey was said to have been commissioned in order to find out what the people feel and believe in this very controversial case, and indeed, the results show how closely our people have been monitoring it, and how strongly they feel about this encroachment on the territories that we have always known to belong to us.

And, as proof that we, as a people, are not combative and would rather settle conflicts in the most civil and peaceful way, the survey also revealed that most Filipinos want to call on the help of other peace-loving countries to stand with us against this attempt to bully us because ours is a smaller and poorer nation.

The whole world must be aware that China has one of the biggest territories and a burgeoning economy that could take care of its people. Why it should look with covetous eyes at our own little pieces of land under the sun is difficult to understand, unless it also has plans to eventually gobble up, both our land and our people.

The results of the SWS survey should therefore hearten our leaders who must now be aware that, when they are doing things that are undoubtedly for the good of our country and people, we will always be behind them.*