Metro Manila, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro brushed aside claims by some Chinese academics that the northernmost Batanes province belongs to China, saying Manila will respond only to official positions taken by Beijing.
Speaking to reporters after the commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award on Friday, July 10, Lazaro downplayed the remarks, describing them as views expressed by academics rather than official policy.
“These are academics. Sometimes the academics really, well, they are academics,” Lazaro said. “We listen to the government, only listen to the government.”
She said the Philippines remains focused on official government positions and the implementation of the arbitral ruling, rather than responding to individual academic statements.
Her remarks came a day after the Department of Foreign Affairs rejected what it called “revisionist claims” by Chinese scholars over Batanes.
“Flights of fancy should not be dignified with a response,” the department said in a statement Thursday, July 10.
“The Philippines’ sovereignty over Batanes is settled and not up for debate. The Philippines will not entertain revisionist claims over its territory and calls on so-called scholars to focus their energies on genuine, good-faith studies of the region,” it added.
The DFA also noted that China’s own official actions recognize Philippine sovereignty over the province, pointing out that the consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag, as approved by Beijing, includes Batanes.
Lazaro also cited growing international support for the 2016 arbitral award despite China’s continued rejection of the ruling.
“You heard Australia. You heard Japan. And many other like-minded countries. You look at the members of the diplomatic corps who were present. That is a testimonial of how this arbitral award has taken shape,” she said.
