The Supreme Court (SC) has junked a petition that sought to compel President Rodrigo Duterte to sue China for its incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). Voting unanimously, 14-0, the SC en banc denied the petition for mandamus filed by lawyer Romeo Esmero for "utter lack of merit," as it acknowledged that "the decision of how best to address our disputes with China (be it militarily, diplomatically, legally) rests on the political branches of government."

Murcia, A., Blancaflor, M., Roson, J., & Ayeng, R. (2021, November 25). SC: WPS defense up to Duterte. Daily Tribune, pp. A1, A2.