Survey says Filipinos trust US, not China

It appears the majority of Filipinos have opposite sentiments as President Rodrigo Duterte tilts away from the Philippines’ traditional ally the United States and leans toward China.

The latest Pulse Asia poll found that 76 percent of 1,200 adult respondents had trust in the United States, while 23 percent expressed distrust and 1 percent were undecided.

Sixty-one percent distrusted China, while 38 percent expressed trust and 1 percent undecided.

Seventy percent trusted Japan while a majority distrusted Great Britain (55 percent) and Russia (58 percent).

UN, EU also trusted

Conducted from Dec. 6 to 11, the noncommissioned Ulat ng Bayan survey had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points.

Pulse Asia also found that 74 percent trusted the United Nations, while 25 percent and 1 percent expressed distrust and indecision, respectively.

Fifty percent trusted the European Union, while 47 percent did not and 3 percent were undecided.

Manila is one of Washington’s most loyal allies in Asia, but Mr. Duterte has threatened to end the decades-long alliance after the United States criticized his bloody war on drugs that has left more than 6,000 people dead since he took office in June.

Overtures to China

His fiery rhetoric against the United States has been followed by overtures to China as he has sought to assuage Beijing’s concerns over Manila’s competing claims to the South China Sea.

After his “fruitful” visit to Japan in October, Mr. Duterte  said the Philippines and Japan had agreed to work closely to advance a rules-based regime to maintain stability and security in the region.

When the Russian Navy sent two vessels to Manila on a goodwill visit last week, Mr. Duterte  expressed hope Russia would become the Philippines’ ally and protector. —INQUIRER RESEARCH