Batanes solon disputes Chinese academics’ claim: Ivatans are Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — Batanes Rep. Ciricaco Gato has called out claims from Chinese academics that the province is part of China through Taiwan, saying that the island province’s native people, the Ivatans, have been and will always be Filipinos.

In a statement on Friday, Gato said that the “enduring truth” is that Batanes has always been part of the Republic of the Philippines through history and legal basis.

Gato’s statement came after it was reported that Chinese academics claimed during a symposium in June that Batanes, the Philippines’ northernmost province, is part of Chinese territory due to its proximity to Taiwan.  The remarks have been condemned since then by local officials.

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READ: Philippine sovereignty over Batanes ‘not up for debate’

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“I view with grave concern recent claims made during an academic symposium in China asserting that Batanes is a natural geographical extension of Taiwan with sovereignty belonging to China,” Gato said.

“Batanes is a province of the Republic of the Philippines. The Ivatans are Filipinos. These are enduring truths established by history, affirmed by our Constitution and laws, and embodied in the identity and collective experience of our people,” he added.

According to Gato, any claim to link Bataan to China is a way of undermining the Philippines’ sovereignty.

“We treat any insinuation that seeks to question or undermine the absolute sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines over our islands with utmost gravity. Any challenge to our status is not merely a geopolitical provocation; it is an affront to our identity that we will not tolerate,” he said.

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“We have always known who we are. Our allegiance is to the Republic of the Philippines — now and always,” he added.

Aside from Gato, Itbayat town Mayor Joseph Cultura also opposed assertions that Batanes is part of China, saying that this mindset stems from the Asian superpower’s expansionist policy and bully posturing.

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“I saw the news yesterday. We should not even respond to the academic paper because we know this is plain propaganda,” Cultura said in an interview.

READ: Itbayat mayor ties China claim over Batanes to Taiwan IP voyage

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. said that the claim appears to be a proof of the Philippine government’s long-held assessment that Beijing intended to expand its influence over more maritime areas.

“It also validates what we’ve been saying — that they have a plan to control the whole Pacific Ocean,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the National West Philippine Sea Summit in Pasay City.

Teodoro said the claim appears to be a joke.

United stand

Former Bayan Muna lawmaker Neri Colmenares also spoke out regarding the Chinese academics’ claim, saying that regional peace will be impossible unless China stops its baseless territorial claims.

“There will be no regional peace and stability while China continues with its baseless and excessive claims that only improves the relation of claimant countries,” Colmenares said.

“Each new claim is proof of China’s non-stop ambition in the region.  While we stand on diplomacy and international law, they continue to grab our lands.  This is no longer a mere territorial dispute — it is a systematic campaign aimed at changing the political geography of the whole Southeast Asia,” he added.

According to Colmenares, there has to be a “unified response” from different countries with stakes over the South China Sea, to show that Southeast Asian countries are serious when it comes to territorial matters.

“There has to be a unified response from all the claimant states and the international community.  The Philippines should show that we are serious in protecting our sovereignty — not only through words but through real action that would show our control and determination,” he said.

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“Without peace in the region, there will be no development, there will be no progress for our people.  We need to directly face the problem, and not hide under diplomatic niceties,” he added. /mr