The Philippines calls on its citizens to support a lawsuit against China.

According to RFI, on January 23, Philippine media reported that the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had issued an official statement explaining its decision to bring the South China Sea sovereignty dispute with China to the United Nations (UN) court, while also calling on the Filipino people to show patriotism and support the government's decision.

After analyzing the decision to sue China in an international court, announced by Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario on January 22, GMA News quoted the Philippine Foreign Ministry's statement emphasizing the significance of protecting national sovereignty: "If someone arbitrarily breaks into our home and tries to illegally take what belongs to us, can we do nothing to counter the intruder? Our actions are aimed at protecting our national territory and maritime areas."

The statement immediately followed with a call to action: "All Filipinos should stand behind the President to protect what is ours. We should all unite before the world to demonstrate the President's comprehensive leadership on this issue."

According to GMA News, the Philippines' complaint against China is a comprehensive document summarizing all of Manila's protests against China's expansionist actions over the past 17 years.

Philippine Foreign Minister Del Rosario said Manila had informed the Chinese ambassador of its decision to take the matter to court under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Mr. Del Rosario also stated that the Philippines' submission asserts that Beijing's so-called "nine-dash line," which encompasses almost the entire South China Sea, including territorial waters and islands near neighboring countries, is illegal.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT