Marilyn Cahatol

Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Zen Hernandez

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177365234705020240515-atin-ito-wps-MT-22.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Fisherfolk on small bancas join volunteers from the Atin Ito Coalition and members of the media as they prepare to depart from Matalbis Port in Masinloc, Zambales, for the second civilian resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on May 15, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday delivered a pointed rebuttal to the Chinese Embassy in Manila after it posted what it claimed was a 1990 letter by the late Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido A. Tan Jr. — a document Beijing is presenting as proof that the Philippines once acknowledged Scarborough Shoal as outside its territory.</p><p>DFA Maritime Affairs Spokesperson and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary Rogelio Villanueva Jr. delivered a DFA statement that flatly dismissed the letter, saying the department &quot;will not engage in conjecture or speculation over a document of uncertain origin and authenticity, and certainly without value.&quot;</p><p>&quot;There is no merit in debating supposed documentary artifacts produced by third parties and presented as posts on social media, especially if these third parties have vested interests and willfully misconstrue and misrepresent established facts,” Villanueva said.</p><p>The DFA reiterated that the Philippines has &quot;indivisible, incontrovertible, and long-standing sovereignty&quot; over both Bajo de Masinloc and Kalayaan Island.</p><p>“The historical and legal foundations of Philippine sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc are unassailable,” he said.</p><p>Villanueva invoked the Murillo-Velarde map of 1734 as the oldest cartographic evidence placing Bajo de Masinloc within Philippine territory, noting that &quot;all subsequent cartographic records appear the same.&quot; </p><p>He further cited centuries of continuous and uninterrupted Philippine sovereign acts over the shoal, including detailed hydrographic surveys and official government correspondences to the Armed Forces of the Philippines designating it as a target range, and Philippine authorities demolishing illegal structures erected on the shoal by foreign smugglers.</p><p>“Sovereignty is not merely claimed, it is exercised. The Philippines has done precisely that, consistently and without interruption,” Villanueva said.</p><p>Manila&#x27;s rejection of Beijing&#x27;s broader claim was equally unequivocal.</p><p>“The Philippines flatly rejects China&#x27;s assertion of indisputable sovereignty over the entire South China Sea. This claim has no basis in fact, no basis in history, and no basis in international law.”</p><p>The DFA also turned the legal spotlight back on China, arguing that Beijing&#x27;s persistent refusal to submit its claims to international adjudication was itself an admission of weakness.</p><p>“A state confident in the legality of its claims does not shy away from international adjudication. China&#x27;s conduct is a tacit admission that its claims cannot withstand legal scrutiny. The Philippines, on the other hand, duly proved and established its maritime claims through the 2016 Arbitral Award, which has become an integral part of international law,” he said.</p><p>The DFA also addressed the diplomatic dimension of the dispute directly, by drawing a line against any interpretation of ongoing Philippine-China dialogue as a softening of Manila&#x27;s positions.</p><p>“While the Department welcomes the resumption of dialogue mechanisms with China as critical platforms for effective diplomacy, consistent with the guidance of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. The Philippines makes one thing unequivocally clear — engagement is not concession,” Villanueva said.</p><p>“Our pursuit of dialogue reflects a calibrated and principled commitment to peaceful dispute settlement. It does not in any manner debut or qualify the Philippines&#x27; firm and equivocal positions in the West Philippine Sea. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable. Our resolve is absolute.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/9/casual-convo-with-pcg-personnel-turns-into-alleged-espionage-case-1302">Casual convo with PCG personnel turns into alleged espionage case</a></div><p>When asked if the DFA will file a diplomatic protest, Villanueva said “it is not necessary” at this time. He did say however, that the Philippines continues to consider its legal options.</p><p>“The Philippines is a firm believer of international law and its processes. So we remain open to international legal proceedings, whether this would be in the form of adjudication or arbitration,” he said.</p><p>The controversy began on March 14 when the Chinese Embassy in Manila published remarks by its Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei, targeting Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela by name and citing the Tan letter as evidence that Manila had effectively conceded that Scarborough Shoal, or Bajo de Masinloc, was not Philippine territory.</p><p>In the letter, purportedly written on February 5, 1990 to a German amateur radio operator named Dieter Löffler, Tan is quoted as writing that &quot;according to the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the Scarborough Reef or Huangyan Dao does not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines.&quot;</p><p>The Embassy used this to challenge what it called Tarriela&#x27;s &quot;wrong views,&quot; framing it as a damning historical admission from a Philippine official.</p><p>Tarriela responded on March 15, calling the letter &quot;misleading at best and a deliberate distortion at worst.&quot; He argued that the unverified correspondence to a private individual is “not an official waiver of sovereignty.” </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/27/-one-message-many-voices-tarriela-says-no-order-to-tone-down-messaging-on-west-ph-sea-1113">‘One message, many voices’: Tarriela says no order to tone down messaging on West PH Sea</a></div><p>He further noted that under international law, an ambassador lacks the authority to waive or decide on a state&#x27;s sovereignty and only statements from a head of state or foreign minister carry binding weight. </p><p>Tarriela also pointed out that China had released the letter years ago, calling its reemergence or “recycling” now as “just another selective narrative to justify encroachment.</p><p>“The fact remains: China has not once exercised sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc. The PRC claim is bogus and has no credible historical basis. The Scarborough Shoal has always been and will always be a Philippine territory,” Tarriela said in his post.</p><p>For its part, China&#x27;s Embassy in Manila had accused Tarriela of “attempting to hijack Philippine foreign policy&quot; and sabotaging diplomatic efforts through his transparency initiative, a campaign of publicly documenting and releasing footage of confrontations at sea.</p><p>But Tarriela had previously clarified that the transparency initiative is not attributable to him alone, but is the “cornerstone of the Philippine strategy in countering China’s aggressive and unlawful actions in the West Philippine Sea.”</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/3/16/west-ph-sea-patrols-continue-amid-hefty-oil-prices-ph-navy-1403">&#x27;Sovereignty has no price&#x27;: West PH Sea patrols continue amid hefty oil prices - PH Navy</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EW_9r0jjg4Y?si=Y4trkfbh8jon-4Kn" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday delivered a pointed rebuttal to the Chinese Embassy in Manila after it posted what it claimed was a 1990 letter by the late Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido A. Tan Jr. — a document Beijing used to prove Scarborough Shoal is outside PH.</p>

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday delivered a pointed rebuttal to the Chinese Embassy in Manila after it posted what it claimed was a 1990 letter by the late Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido A. Tan Jr. — a document Beijing used to prove Scarborough Shoal is outside PH.

PH has 'indivisible sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc,' alleged letter of concession posted by China Embassy 'without value' — DFA

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

PH has 'indivisible sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc,' alleged letter of concession posted by China Embassy 'without value' — DFA

Zen Hernandez,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 16, 2026 05:56 PM PHT

Read More:

DFA

Philippines

China

South China Sea

West Philippine Sea

China Embassy

PCG

Jay Tarriela

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.