Filipinos stand with those who stand with us
We thought we have had it with Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). But no. Just before the year 2025 ended, there was another coercive encounter with Chinese forces on Escoda Shoal. As a result of this incident, where the Chinese used dangerous maneuvers and water cannons, three Filipino fisherfolk were injured and assets were damaged.
In its 2025 third quarter report, the National Maritime Council said China engaged in 78 “illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive” acts. This includes 13 radio challenges, one ramming incident, seven dangerous maneuvers, two incidents of firing water cannon, laying of nets and blocking our fishermen and law enforcement, 37 shadowing, and the recent declaration of Scarborough Shoal as a nature reserve and the threat of live fire exercises around Bajo de Masinloc.
Certainly, this is no longer just a case of isolated incidents but a discernible sustained pattern of repeated intrusions, set to undermine Philippine sovereignty and intimidate Filipinos. These deliberate actions by our giant neighbor, done with increasing intensity and regularity, are a true cause for alarm. They are an affront, not only to our fisherfolk and our soldiers, not only to the rest of our population, but to the rule of law and to the established conduct of nations in a region supposedly characterized by peace and stability.
As we begin a new year, what new thing can we do in order to realistically expect any changes in the way the Chinese have been conducting themselves right in our own territory?
Stratbase recently commissioned a survey by Pulse Asia that sought to find out what Filipinos think of the situation in the WPS and what could be done about it. Conducted between Dec. 12 and 15, 2025, the survey asked respondents to pick five countries and organizations they believe the Marcos administration should work with in asserting our rights and protecting our national interest in the Philippine seas.
Nationwide, 82 percent of respondents picked the following countries: the United States (82 percent), Japan (64 percent), Canada (58 percent), Australia (51 percent), and South Korea (37 percent).
The survey results show that Filipinos do know which countries respect international law, support a rules-based order, and recognize the Philippines’ sovereign rights. It is only right that we continue working with these like-minded partners that uphold the rule of law. The results are an affirmation of and a vote of confidence in our current approach of working with partners that uphold the rule of law.
With these countries, we strengthen defense cooperation through expanded defense agreements, regular and increasingly complex joint exercises, and closer coordination on maritime security and domain awareness.
Conversely, Filipinos also know which actor continues to violate those rights through coercion and force. These are the countries we should be wary of. We do not want accommodation at the expense of sovereignty, nor silence in the face of aggression. We want a government that stands firm, defends national interests, and works closely with partners who share a commitment to peace, stability, and a rules-based international order.
How Filipinos regard what is happening in the WPS and what it means to our sovereignty and our country’s future sends a clear message to the international community: the people are united in asserting their rights in the WPS, and they know which partners stand with them in that cause.
We build trust not because we are told to do so. We observe their acts over a period of time, and draw conclusions from patterns that emerge from this behavior. China’s repeated coercive actions have no place in a rules-based international order. They must be firmly rejected and never normalized.
The Philippines cannot—and should not—stand alone in confronting these violations, as China’s actions undermine international law, threaten regional stability, and affect the interests of the entire international community. We take heart in the fact that these like-minded countries are there for the Philippines, standing alongside us as we reject aggressive behavior and assert the superiority of stability, peace, and the rule of law.
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Dindo Manhit is the CEO and managing director of Stratbase Group.
