Seven out of ten Filipinos want the government to resort to military action and diplomatic measures in resolving issues in the West Philippine Sea, a survey conducted by OCTA Research showed.

In the Tugon ng Masa survey held from March 11-14, 2024, 73 percent said that they want the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to expand naval patrols and troop presence in the West Philippine Sea.

Meanwhile, 72 percent of the respondents said that they wanted the disputes to be settled through diplomatic means, while 68 percent said that the military must be modernized to protect the country's territories.

These options were followed by joint military patrols with ally countries at 43 percent, expansion of diplomatic efforts from within and outside the region at 32 percent, and joint development efforts at 12 percent.

Respondents in the National Capital Region topped those who wanted military action at 85 percent, while respondents in the Visayas region preferred modernizing the military's capability to protect the country from external threats at 77 percent.

Class ABC, meanwhile, wanted the Philippines to engage in diplomatic means to diffuse tensions at 78 percent, while Class D and E were statistically tied on military action and diplomacy.

The survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of plus or minus three percent.