MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos trust the United States, Japan, and Australia the most, while China ranks 4th in a list of 9 countries selected by an independent think tank, said survey firm Pulse Asia.

Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes presented these findings at a forum on the South China Sea organized by the Stratbase Albert del Rosario Institute (Stratbase ADR) on Thursday, July 12. It was Stratbase ADR that commissioned the survey.

It was also Stratbase ADR that chose the 9 countries and 3 organizations to be “trust-rated,” said Pulse Asia research director Ana Maria Tabunda in an email to Rappler on Friday evening, July 13.

Pulse Asia reported the following overall trust ratings for the selected countries:

United States of America – 74%
Japan – 45%
Australia – 32%
China – 17%
South Korea – 14%
Russia – 10%
United Kingdom – 9%
Vietnam – 5%
India – 2%

Among international organizations, these organizations got the following trust ratings:

Association of Southeast Asian Nations – 33%
United Nations – 32%
European Union – 7%

Those who said they don’t know or refused to answer were 4% of the respondents.

The survey was conducted from June 15 to 21. The survey was conducted among 1,800 respondents and had an error margin of ±2.3%, Tabunda said.

Respondents were asked to answer the question, “Which of the following countries or organizations do you trust the most?” They were allowed to choose “0 up to 3 countries,” Tabunda said.

The survey results come as President Rodrigo Duterte veers away from the US, and closer to China and Russia, as he detests Washington’s supposed interference in his anti-drug campaign. 

China, however, continues to claim the West Philippine Sea despite an international ruling affirming the Philippines’ rights over these waters.

Duterte has also blasted the UN and the EU for criticizing drug-related killings in the Philippines. – Rappler.com