The Philippine Supreme Court has rejected for lack of merit a lawsuit seeking to compel President Rodrigo Duterte to sue China over its island-building activities in the South China Sea. In a nine-page resolution, the tribunal unanimously dismissed the suit filed by a lawyer, as it ruled the matter is best decided by the political branches of the government. As President, Mr. Duterte is “accountable only to his country in his political character and to his own conscience,” the court said in a ruling promulgated on June 29 but released only on Nov. 22.

Atienza, K. A. T. (2021, November 25). Duterte can't be forced to sue China, court says. BusinessWorld, p. S1/12.