While President Rodrigo Duterte is making friends with China and Russia, the latest poll reveals his countrymen want otherwise
The latest poll reveals that a large majority of Filipino people do not trust China and Russia despite the efforts being made by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his aids to strengthen his nation’s ties with the two countries.
The result of the latest poll, carried out by survey firm Pulse Asia and released on January 12 (Thursday), shows that while President Duterte is making friends with China and Russia, his countrymen want otherwise.
The poll showed that 76 percent or a large majority of Filipinos still has trust in the United States, which has been an ally of the Philippines for the longest time.
President Duterte has been hostile towards the American nation since he assumed post as the 16th President of the Philippines because the US has been critical of his administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
The chief executive even announced military and economic ties break-up with the United States but said he would not sever ties with the world super power.
In the photo above, the Russian Navy servicemen stand in formation after the visit of President Duterte at Admiral Tributs, a Russian anti-submarine Navy vessel, which docked in Manila on January 6, for a joint naval exercise.
The docking of the Russian warship followed the strengthening of “friendship” between the Philippines and Russia after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s expressed his strong desire to have stronger ties with the country headed by his “idol”, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The latest poll also revealed that 61 percent of the Filipino people do not trust China while 58 percent also distrust Russia.
The poll was conducted nationwide from December 6 to 11 last year. It used face to face interviews among respondents composed of 1,200 adults. The survey was with a ± 3 margin of error.
A think tank based in New York reported recently that the rising political instability is likely to happen in the Philippines in 2017 because of the oppositions to the domestic and foreign policy agenda of the Duterte government.
According to a study by the Harvard University, political instability can be defined as the propensity for the collapse or failure of the government.
President Duterte has been insistent on its pivot turn from the US toward an independent foreign policy which seems to be at the expense of the Philippines’ seven decade long alliance with the United States.
