Mc Richard Paglicawan
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has firmly rejected claims made by several Chinese scholars that the Philippine province of Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan, stressing that the country’s sovereignty over the island province is not open to debate.
The controversy stemmed from a symposium held on June 30 at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, where researchers from various Chinese universities and research institutions reportedly argued that Batanes is a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan and claimed that the Philippines has no sufficient historical or legal basis for administering the province.
According to maritime transparency initiative SeaLight, participants also questioned the validity of maritime delimitation negotiations between Japan and the Philippines involving Batanes, claiming these supposedly have no legal effect.
SeaLight described the symposium as a possible example of “lawfare,” a strategy that uses legal arguments and academic discourse to reinforce territorial narratives without an official declaration from a government.
However, SeaLight also noted that neither the symposium report nor any public statement from the Chinese government indicates that Beijing has formally claimed sovereignty over Batanes.
Responding to the issue, the DFA dismissed the assertions outright.
“Flights of fancy should not be dignified with a response. Nevertheless, the Philippines’ sovereignty over Batanes is settled and not up for debate,” the department said in a statement.
The DFA likewise rejected what it described as revisionist narratives regarding Philippine territory.
“The Philippines will not entertain revisionist claims over its territory and calls on so-called scholars to focus their energies on genuine, good-faith studies of the region.”
The department also pointed out that the Philippine-approved consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag includes Batanes, underscoring China’s own diplomatic recognition of the province as part of the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. strongly criticized the scholars’ assertions, saying they have no factual or legal basis.
“It also validates yung sinasabi natin na they have plan to control the whole Pacific Ocean. What is this for? And we know, walang basehan ito. Kalokohan ito. It’s ludicrous.”
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela likewise urged the public to challenge what he described as misinformation.
“They always come up with different lies, misinformation, to justify their areas in the South China Sea. We should really debunk and counter all these lies, otherwise uulit-ulitin lang nila and they are going to rewrite history.”
Located at the northernmost tip of the Philippines, Batanes occupies a strategically important position along the Bashi Channel, a key waterway between Luzon and Taiwan that connects the South China Sea to the western Pacific. Because of its location, the province has become increasingly significant amid growing geopolitical tensions in the region.
As of now, there has been no formal declaration from the Chinese government asserting sovereignty over Batanes, and the Philippine government continues to maintain that the province is unquestionably part of Philippine territory.
