Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Philippines needs a strong pushback to claims by Chinese scholars that that the Batanes Islands are part of China, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said Friday.In a post on X, maritime transparency initiative SeaLight said scholars at a June 30 symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou concluded that the Philippines&#x27; control over Batanes &quot;lacks historical and legal basis&quot; and that the islands belong to China.“Dapat talaga strong ang pushback natin diyan kasi number one, hindi lamang ito labag sa international law, hindi labag sa ating saligang batas, kundi labag sa normal na pag-iisip ng tao,” Teodoro said in a conference on Friday. (We really need strong pushback there. Number one, it not only violates international law and our constitution, but it also goes against how normal people think.)<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/9/china-symposium-sparks-concern-over-reported-batanes-claim-1617">Batanes belongs to China? Symposium sparks concern over reported claim</a></div>He chided the Chinese academics, saying Health Secretary Ted Herbosa should check on them.“At hindi ko alam kung ano ang gamot na ininom nung mga ‘yan. Palagay ko gawa din sa China ‘yung gamot na ininom nila,” Teodoro added. (I don&#x27;t know what medicine those people are taking. Maybe that medicine is made in China.)Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad earlier also said “stronger pushback” is needed in response to an academic discussion in China resulting in a claim that the Batanes islands are historically theirs. Teodoro said they will increase patrols in all areas.“Mind you, even in the Pacific Ocean and in the Philippine Rise. We need to do that because once we be remiss in that then somebody else may claim ownership over it,” Teodoro said. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/dfa-says-philippine-sovereignty-over-batanes-not-up-for-debate-1031">DFA: Philippine sovereignty over Batanes &#x27;not up for debate&#x27;; NHCP rejects Chinese claims</a></div>&quot;There is no ambiguity on this matter: Batanes is an integral and indivisible part of the Republic of the Philippines,&quot; National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr. said.Oban said the issue becomes more relevant in the anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral ruling that favored the Philippines.&quot;The award reminds us of what is at stake when baseless narratives are allowed to harden into claims, claims are used to justify presence, and presence is used to normalize coercion. That is why we will not allow manufactured history to become manufactured rights, nor a fabricated dispute to take root over what is unquestionably ours.&quot;Trinidad described the Chinese claim as disinformation and a &quot;systematic manufacturing of false historical and legal narratives intended to desensitize the international community, gradually alter the status quo and establish a pretext for future expansion.&quot;He added: &quot;The AFP cannot and will not let these attempts of foreign malign influence go unchallenged. Leaving these attacks on our cognitive domain unanswered allows revisionist history to take root.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/12/defense-chief-teodoro-says-to-keep-doing-my-duty-after-china-sanctions-0813">Defense chief Teodoro says to &#x27;keep doing my duty&#x27; after China sanctions</a></div><div> </div><div>&#x27;BRING ISSUE TO ICJ&#x27;</div>Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio challenged China to bring the supposed claims over the Batanes Islands to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).“Any country has the right to claim provided it can prove its claim. So my challenge to China is why don&#x27;t they bring that issue to the International Court of Justice that they own the Batanes Islands and that it is part of the natural prolongation of Taiwan? So why don&#x27;t they just go to an arbitral tribunal? And we will meet them there,” Carpio said.Even if the conclusion came from <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/9/china-symposium-sparks-concern-over-reported-batanes-claim-1617">scholars</a> at Jinan University and not government officials, Carpio stressed the discussion was organized by the state, and so this is something they can use to formalize their claim.“That discussion was organized by state. And I see where they&#x27;re going. I can see where they&#x27;re going. They create this opinion among their scientists, their geographers, and then they will use that now to formalize their claim,” Carpio told reporters.“Okay, go ahead. And let&#x27;s meet at the International Court of Justice. And we will abide by that ruling. And let&#x27;s include the Kalayaan Island Group and Scarborough Shoal because they claim that also,” Carpio added. In a separate statement, Mamamayang Liberal Party-List Rep. Leila De Lima said China &quot;reaches a new level of arrogance and of spreading disinformation and propaganda in asserting what is not theirs&quot; with the reported claim. &quot;It also demonstrates a lack of sincerity in genuinely resolving issues in the region,&quot; she said.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Friday echoed the sentiment of an official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in saying a strong pushback is needed after claims emerged that the Batanes Islands allegedly belong to China.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Friday echoed the sentiment of an official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in saying a strong pushback is needed after claims emerged that the Batanes Islands allegedly belong to China.

‘Labag sa normal na pag-iisip’: Teodoro wants strong pushback vs. Chinese scholars' Batanes claim

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‘Labag sa normal na pag-iisip’: Teodoro wants strong pushback vs. Chinese scholars' Batanes claim

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 10, 2026 04:37 PM PHT

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Updated July 10, 2026 05:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Batanes

West Philippine Sea

DND

AFP

China

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