The assertion that Batanes falls under Chinese sovereignty through Taiwan exposes what Manila has long argued about Beijing’s regional intentions, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Thursday.
He described the claim as evidence of a design that extends well beyond the northern Philippine island group.
“Signalling of a preconcenied intention already. HIndi din malayo na nasa plano nila ‘yan. And it also validates ‘yung sinasabi natin na they have the plan to control the whole Pacific Ocean, what is this for?” the defense chief told reporters in an ambush interview.
The theory originated from a group of researchers attached to universities and institutes in China. They argued that no historical or legal foundation supports Philippine administration of the islands, and that Batanes is properly understood as a physical continuation of Taiwan — placing it, in their reading, under Chinese sovereignty.
Teodoro dismissed the reasoning outright, labeling it “baseless and ludicrous.”
The wider concern, he said, is who absorbs it. Information controls inside China mean the public there has little means of testing such claims against contrary evidence.
“Sa kanilang closed society, sa tao nila, naniniwala ang mga tao nila dito. Brainwashed eh ang mga tao nila. So ito ay concerning kaso ito’y dapat labanan,” he said.
He called on scholars internationally to reject the theory publicly rather than let it circulate unchallenged.
“We should not allow this to go unresponded to. All academics in the world should douse cold water already on this theory. Kalokohan na ‘yan eh,” he said.
Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, framed silence as an invitation to repetition.
“Otherwise, kapag hindi natin pinatulan itong mga ganitong kasinungalingan, uulit-ulitin lang nila and they are going to rewrite history once again,” Tarriela said.
He offered a pointed illustration of where such logic could lead: “Baka hindi natin alam, baka pati Ilog Pasig angkinin na rin ng China.”
Teodoro added that Beijing has no one else to hold accountable for the hardening of regional sentiment against it, and that such claims will only consolidate opposition to what he called “China’s irresponsible behavior.”
“And sino ang sisisihin dito kapg nag karoon ng anti-China feeling. Sila lang dahil sa ginagawa nila, no?” he said. “I mean, it’s— hindi na kapanipaniwala.”
