The Philippines may file a case against China before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) over last Sunday’s incident in Ayungin Shoal wherein a Chinese coast guard ship made a “provocative” maneuver and hit a Filipino vessel carrying provisions for a military outpost on BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. National Security Council (NSC) assistant director Jonathan Malaya said filing a case before the ITLOS is among the many options on the table for the Philippine government, as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have listed infractions committed by the Chinese to hold them accountable. But it would be up to President Marcos and the Cabinet’s security, justice and peace cluster to decide if a case can be filed, based on results of ongoing investigations.

Servallos, N. J., Flores, H., & Ronda, R. A. (2023, October 25). Phl mulls filing case vs China over collision. The Philippine Star, pp. 1, 4.