A Philippine official says a poll showing high support among Filipinos for the decision to legally challenge China's massive territorial claims in the South China Sea has bolstered Manila's resolve to pursue the case.
Independent pollster Social Weather Stations said today that 81 percent of 1,550 Filipinos it surveyed backed the government's decision to bring the long-raging territorial disputes before an arbitration body backed by the United Nations.
The poll was taken by face-to-face interviews nationwide December 11-16. Its sampling margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez says the government felt "empowered and encouraged" by the strong public support to its case.
China has ignored the Philippines' defiant move, insisting on one-on-one negotiation to resolve regional territorial conflicts.
