Comments on: U.S. Military and the Philippines: What do Philippine Citizens Really Think?

By: Steven Rood

Steven Rood — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:55:59 +0000

Actually, We do try to present all sides. In 2004 I wrote:

“As an example of this, we can look in history at debate over the United States military bases. By the time the bases debate was going on in the late eighties/ early nineties in the Philippines, the Social Weather Stations was already doing regular polling, and we had very good data regarding what the citizenry believed.

“At the time, the plurality was more or less consistent — the single largest group was for the continuation of the bases, and the next largest group was for the continuation of the bases, depending on the deal. However, as you know, in 1991 the Philippine Senate voted not to renew the bases agreement. When they voted not to renew the bases agreement, the average Filipino was worried about the consequences in terms of jobs, aid, and so on. But, within a year, asked if they should respect the Senate’s decision to reject the bases, something on the order of 80 percent of Filipinos agreed. Filipinos, in brief, are well disposed to the United States but, on the other hand, are willing to take leadership from the Philippine executive branch in areas such as foreign policy.”

PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF U.S.-PHILIPPINE RELATIONS

asiafoundation.org/pdf/Philippines_APS.pdf

By: Charles Jannuzi

Charles Jannuzi — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 12:14:34 +0000

It’s always interesting how the results of ‘what the people really think’ always matters if it fits with US goals. Otherwise, they couldn’t give a toss.

By: Herbert Docena

Herbert Docena — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 23:43:31 +0000

I wonder how the results will look like if the US govt actually told the Filipino people the truth about what it’s doing in the Philippines. We wouldn’t have learned of the JSOTFP for example if not for investigative journalist and researchers who refused to just recycle US embassy PR statements…I wonder how the results would like if not rich NGOs like the Asia Foundation didn’t have all this money to spend trying to spread US propaganda in the Philippines.

By: Steven Rood

Steven Rood — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:35:44 +0000

Good point — I hadn’t picked up on that. That’s why a fresh pair of eyes is always useful.

By: Dom Nardi

Dom Nardi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 06:05:20 +0000

Dr. Rood, good to see you’re in D.C.

“(I must admit to puzzlement about the dip in trust in late 2009/early 2010 – was it caused by Filipino worries over the global economic crisis? Your suggestions are welcomed.)”

It’s interesting that the dip in U.S. approval also comes at the time China’s peaked. I don’t recall any reason major events that would explain the turn, but I’d be surprised if those two developments weren’t related in some way.