Malacanang expressed optimism on Monday that Filipinos will soon have a “change of hearts and minds” towards China when they begin to feel the impact of the Philippines’ ties with the foreign nation.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo was reacting to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that bared that 44 percent of the Filipinos do not agree that China has good intentions for the country.
“We are seeing that there would be a change of hearts and minds from those undecided and even those who disagree — whom we believe are used to the United States as our long-standing ally – once our enhanced ties with China start to yield positive economic results,” Panelo said in a statement.
He said the the public needs to be informed that the Philippines needs to expand it relations outside its traditional allies — United States and Japan — “So they would have a deeper understanding and better appreciation of why President Duterte has charted a path of broader diplomatic relations with the international community.”
“With such mindset, they will realize that all these policies of the administration are intended not for any foreign race or nationality but for the sole benefit of the Filipino people,” Panelo added.
The Palace official said the survey was just “another political propaganda” of the President’s critics and detractors “in employing its anti-China card.”
“After two unsuccessful attempts in creating fear and hatred against the policies of the administration with regard to our foreign relations through first, the China debt trap scare tactics, which have been competently fended off by our economic managers in the case of the Chico River Pump Irrigation Project Loan Agreement, and second, the International Criminal Court challenge against China waged by former Secretary Albert del Rosario and former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, now comes another political propaganda purportedly saying that 44% — which is not actually a figure representing a majority — disagree that the Chinese government has good intentions for the Filipino people,” Panelo said.
He noted that the survey said that 27% of adult Filipino respondents believe that most of what the Chinese government wants to happen in the Philippines are good for the Filipinos.
“We also understand that there is a higher percentage, 29%, who remain undecided about the matter,” he added.