The Department of Foreign Affairs on Thursday night declared the Philippines’ sovereignty over Batanes settled and not up for debate after supposed Chinese scholars claimed the islands belong to China via Taiwan.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said in a text message to reporters that “flights of fancy should not be dignified with a response.” She added that the Philippines will not entertain revisionist claims and urged so-called scholars to pursue genuine studies instead.
Ratonel pointed out that the Philippine-approved consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag already includes Batanes. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. separately dismissed the claims as disinformation and outlandish narratives.
The assertions appeared in a Newsgd.com report on an academic symposium that concluded the Batan Islands form a natural extension of Taiwan. China’s central government has not endorsed the position.