Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 5) — Six out of 10 Filipinos believe the Armed Forces of the Philippines can defend the West Philippine Sea and other territories against foreign threat, according to results of a Social Weather Stations survey.

The nationwide poll, commissioned by the AFP, showed that 62 percent of the 1,200 respondents have "much confidence" in the AFP in terms of guarding the areas Manila claims and occupies in the disputed South China Sea.

Twelve percent of the respondents said they have "little confidence," while 26 percent were undecided.

The item on the AFP was included in the fourth quarter survey conducted by SWS on December 13 to 16, 2019. The results were published on the private pollster's website on Thursday.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, AFP Spokesperson BGen. Edgardo Arevalo said those who doubt the military's capability to defend the country's territories may have felt so because of the lack of "toe-to-toe" with other countries.

"There are various other ways on how we are defending our country," Arevalo said, stressing that government forces continue to guard the country's borders.

Since the start of the year, more than 130 Chinese fishing vessels have been monitored near Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. recently told a special congressional committee that these vessels are likely to stay "to occupy some space [and] to deny us some space probably."

Despite photos released by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, a US-based think tank, showing two Chinese government vessels near Pag-asa Island in 2018 and 2019, Esperon insists the ships could not be part of Beijing's government militia, since they all appear to be unarmed.

READ: Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island likely to stay, Esperon says

In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte asked Chinese ships to leave the West Philippine Sea, but he later agreed to set aside the country's arbitral win to make way for a joint oil and gas exploration with China. The ruling invalidates China's sweeping claim to almost the entire South China Sea, but Beijing rejects it.

Meanwhile, the SWS survey also showed that 79 percent of Filipino adults are satisfied with the performance of the Armed Forces. Only 5 percent said they were not satisfied, while 15 percent were undecided. This yields a net satisfaction rating of +74 which the SWS considers as "excellent."

Majority of the respondents also expressed confidence that the military can defeat armed communist rebels and terrorist groups.

A total of 79 percent said the AFP could beat the New People's Army, while 75 percent said they could defeat the Abu Sayyaf and other ISIS-linked groups.