About 87 percent of Filipinos said it is important for the Philippines to regain control of the islands being occupied by China in the West Philippine Sea, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.

Of the 1,200 respondents, 69 percent answered it is very important that the control of the islands will be given back to the Philippines, and 18 percent said somewhat important, one percent said not important at all while 11 percent were undecided about the matter.

Also, 69 percent of Filipinos said China is afraid to face any court, the SWS survey said Saturday.

On 2013, the Aquino administration filed a case before the United Nations Arbitral Tribunal, questioning China's historic and sovereign right in the area through the nine-dash line.

In July 2016, shortly after President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office, the arbitration court declared China's nine-dash line as illegal. Beijing, despite being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, did not participate in the arbitration case and decided to ignore the arbitration court's ruling.

SWS added that 65 percent of the respondents were aware that the Chinese coast guard has forced Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea to turn over their catch while 35 percent learned about the issue for the first time.

Meanwhile, 43 percent said the Duterte administration’s refusal to protest Beijing’s actions is not a form of treachery, while 29 percent thought otherwise. Twenty-eight percent were undecided.

Malacanang, for its part, said the Duterte administration is one with Filipinos in seeking to assert our sovereign rights and territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.

“Having seen how the confrontational approach of the previous administration only spurred greater militarization, we have shifted to a conciliatory tack and friendly dialogue with China by employing a bilateral consultation mechanism to resolve issues while we build up our capability to monitor and defend our maritime interests,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a statement on Sunday. Ella Dionisio/DMS