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Seventy-three percent of Filipinos believe the Duterte administration should assert its right and protect the Philippines' territorial sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea as stipulated in the 2016 decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

In a Pulse Asia survey released Thursday, seven percent disagreed with the t 17 percent may agree or disagree with the question. The survey was done June 15-21 and had 1,800 respondents nationwide.

However, the response was lower than a December 2017 Pulse Asia survey which said 84 percent of respondents believe the Philippines should pursue its claims in the West Philippine Sea.

"Seventy three ( percent) is still a significant majority, though lower than December 2017," said Pulse Asia president Ronnie Holmes in a text message to Daily Manila Shimbun,

"I don't think the public still understands the repercussions of China's aggression that is abetted by the government's friendly approach," added Holmes.

The survey added that a plurality of Filipinos believe the Philippines should protest the reported militarization of Chinese in the former's territories in the West Philippine Sea.

The US, Japan, Australia, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations are trusted by a third of respondents, the survey added. DMS