The Philippine government has reaffirmed that Batanes is part of the country's sovereign territory, dismissing claims by some Chinese researchers that questioned Manila's ownership of the northernmost island province.
DFA Says Sovereignty Is Settled
In a statement issued Thursday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said there is no basis for claims that Batanes belongs to China through Taiwan, stressing that Philippine sovereignty over the province is final and cannot be challenged.
"The Philippines' sovereignty over Batanes is settled and not up for debate," the DFA said.
The agency also rejected what it described as revisionist claims over Philippine territory and urged the scholars behind the assertions to focus on "genuine, good-faith studies of the region."
To reinforce its position, the DFA pointed out that the Philippine-approved consular district of China's Consulate General in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, includes Batanes, recognizing it as part of the Philippines.
Chinese Researchers Question Ownership
The statement came after reports that several researchers from Chinese universities and institutes claimed that the Philippines' control over Batanes lacks historical and legal basis.
According to the reports, the scholars argued that Batanes is geographically an extension of Taiwan and therefore belongs to China, which considers Taiwan one of its provinces.
The Philippine government dismissed the argument, maintaining that the country's sovereignty over Batanes is firmly established.
Teodoro Calls Claims 'Baseless'
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. earlier criticized the claims, calling them "baseless and ludicrous."
He warned that such narratives could gain traction among Chinese citizens because of the country's tightly controlled information environment and urged academics worldwide to challenge what he described as a false theory.
"We should not allow this to go unresponded to. All academics in the world should douse cold water on this theory," Teodoro said, adding that the claims are "nonsense."
