MANILA -- Sen. Imee Marcos on Friday criticized China's "standard map" showing a "10-dash line" for being unacceptable, as it extended claims in the disputed South China Sea.

• China's 10-dash line? Marcos Jr says Philippines will 'respond'

Marcos said the map is also disagreeable for other countries.

"Siyempre hindi natin tinatanggap iyon. Talagang kakaiba iyong ginawa nilang mapa at hindi natin tanggap. Hindi rin tanggap ng Vietnam, hindi rin tanggap ng India. Marami nang nag-protesta roon," she told reporters at the sidelines of the graduation ceremony of the National College of Science and Technology, where she was guest speaker.

Still, the lawmaker and sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. believes the Philippines should stick to diplomatic protests as its "first line of defense".

"Unfortunately, kahit mainit na ulo natin, pikon na pikon na tayo sa pang-aapi sa ating mangingisda, sa ating Coast Guard, talaga ang tanging first line of defense talaga ay diplomasya. Tiis-tiis pa rin, wala tayong magawa. Anumang pangungusap at pangungulit at pagdi-dialogue eh mas mainam pa rin kesa sa giyera," Marcos said.

"I think pinahiwatig na natin sa ating mga colleagues na Chinese representatives at ipaalam natin sa kanila na talagang hindi tayo sang-ayon dito," she added.

Meanwhile, Sen. JV Ejercito wants "right-thinking nations" to unite against China.

Ejercito also criticized China anew for its "intimidation" and for being "very aggressive".

"Hindi nga tayo pumapabor sa 9-dash line, 10-dash line pa... Even India, pumalag na rin po sa 10-dash line. Sana magsama-sama na iyong right-thinking nations, those with disputes also with China. There's strength in numbers. Admittedly, hindi natin kaya ang Tsina. We will always be bullied they are a super power. Talagang maliit na bansa tayo," he said in Zoom interview.

"Siguro malaki ang tsansa natin if we will forge an alliance with other countries. Lalo na sa mga merong may dispute ang China... at allies natin. United States, Japan, Australia, and even South Korea. Tapos iyong mga may dispute: Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and now india. Dapat siguro magbuklod-buklod ang mga bansang ito para mapanatili iyong freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific area," he added.

Ejercito is in favor of sending more diplomatic protests to China, but the government must prioritize AFP's modernization.

"Kailangan natin magkaroon ng respectable force na hindi naman iyong binu-bully lang... We have to put up what the AFP calls the minimum credible defense posture, iyong kahit paano respetable. And I think we're on the way there. Kaya nga po last year, when the AFP budget was cut in half, we restored it in the Senate. In fact, dinagdagan pa natin. Because of the situation, we have to prioritize this na makahabol tayo doon sa horizon 3... Doon sa external defense system na ito, missile system, submarines," he explained.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 invalidated China's nine-dash line.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea -- through which trillions of dollars in trade pass annually -- despite an international court ruling that Beijing's entitlement has no legal basis.

Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei also have overlapping claims in parts of the sea, while the United States sends naval vessels through it to assert freedom of navigation in international waters.