South China Sea: most Filipinos want Beijing to follow rules-based order, survey shows
- The findings come as the Philippine military says it will adopt new measures against China’s aggression in the maritime dispute

Philippine Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr said in a press briefing late Thursday that these measures would include “fighting back” during self-defence sea operations, protecting potential targets from Chinese missile and drone attacks, as well as countering Chinese fake news about the dispute.
He recalled that, during the June 17 incident in which Chinese coastguard personnel boarded two Philippine resupply vessels while brandishing knives and other sharp objects, Filipino soldiers were under strict orders to fight back without using any weapons.
He said that under the new rules of engagement, “if they use the knife, we will also use a knife ... We will not use excessive force but apply the concept of proportionality.”

In a survey by Pulse Asia released on Friday involving 1,200 adult Filipinos from May 5 to 9, the private pollster asked, given a list of five measures, which ones should China do to ease tensions?