Most Filipinos want the Marcos administration to intensify military action in addressing the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea, a result of the survey conducted by OCTA Research released Tuesday showed.

In its Fourth Quarter Tugon ng Masa Survey from 10 to 14 December, 72 percent of respondents said the government should focus on expanded naval patrols and troop presence in the disputed waters.

OCTA Research reported a 7-percentage-point increase in the proportion of adult Filipinos favoring the assertion of the Philippines' territorial rights through military action. This change was observed in comparison to the third quarter 2023 TNM Survey conducted in October 2023.

“The percentage of adult Filipinos who prefer asserting the Philippines’ territorial rights through military action defined as expanded naval patrols and troop presence in the West Philippine Sea increased by seven percentage points since the third quarter 2023 TNM Survey conducted last October 2023,” OCTA Research said in its accompanying statement.

“It must be noted that this is the first time ‘asserting the Philippines’ territorial rights through military action’ as a priority measure overtakes the top-ranked measure in previous TNM surveys, which is ‘asserting the Philippines’ territorial rights through diplomacy and other peaceful methods,’” it added.

Meanwhile, 70 percent favored using diplomacy and other peaceful methods as their second choice, while 60 percent expressed support for the modernization of the country's military capability as their third preference.

Other measures that respondents proposed include conducting joint patrols with allied countries, expanding diplomatic efforts both within and outside the region, setting aside disputes, and advocating for the establishment of a joint economic area.

The survey involved 1,200 respondents and carried a margin of error of ±3 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.

The Philippines has consistently slammed China for its repeated acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea, which include incidents such as ramming and firing water cannons at Philippine vessels.

Tensions between China and the Philippines have escalated in recent months, with both sides exchanging accusations related to various incidents in the WPS.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China had no legal basis to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas marked by the 'nine-dash line.' Despite this ruling, China has maintained its stance of not recognizing the decision.