(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has rejected claims by Chinese scholars that the northern province of Batanes belongs to China, with top officials declaring that Philippine sovereignty over the island province has been "settled and not up for debate" and challenging Beijing to bring the case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
In a statement, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año Oban Jr. expressed concern over reports that scholars from Chinese institutions, including Nanjing University, argued during a recent symposium that Batanes was a natural extension of Taiwan and therefore would fall under Chinese sovereignty.
"There is no ambiguity on this matter: Batanes is an integral and indivisible part of the Republic of the Philippines," Oban said, dismissing the claim as having "no merit."
He warned, however, that such assertions could be part of an effort to "manufacture ambiguity where none exists."
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. likewise rejected the claims, describing them as "baseless," "nonsense," and "ludicrous."
"I view this, once again, as probably a signal of a preconceived intention," Teodoro told reporters. "It is not far-fetched to think that this is already part of their plan."
The controversy comes as the Philippines marks the 10th anniversary of the landmark 2016 South China Sea arbitral ruling, which invalidated China's expansive maritime claims in the disputed waters.
Oban said the latest assertions reflected a broader effort to create false narratives that could later be used to justify territorial claims.
"We will not allow manufactured history to become manufactured rights, nor a fabricated dispute to take root over what is unquestionably ours," he said.
Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio challenged China to bring their latest claim to the International Court of Justice for an arbitration ruling that Batanes was part of their territory by way of it being a supposed extension of Taiwan.
“Any country has the right to claim provided it can prove its claim so my challenge to China is why don’t we bring that issue to the International Court of Justice that they owned the Batanes Islands, that it is part of the natural prolongation of Taiwan,” Carpio told reporters in an interview.
“Why don’t we just go to an arbitral tribunal and we will get a definite ruling because with what’s happening they want to claim everything,” Carpio said
At a recent symposium at the Jinan University in Guangzhou, China, Chinese academics "unanimously concluded" that the Batanes Islands are a "natural geographical extension of Taiwan"—and because Beijing claims sovereignty over Taiwan, they argued sovereignty over Batanes belongs to China as well.
Carpio also urged China to bring forth their claims in other areas within the West Philippine Sea as well especially Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) which has been under de facto control of China since 2012.
“Go ahead, bring a case to the international court of justice we will meet there, we will abide by the ruling.
“We will also bring the issue of the island in the South China Sea, your claim to the Scarborough Shoal, you bring that together also, in one case it can be settled. If they really believe they own it, they should fight for it in the international court of justice,” Carpio said.
In a separate statement, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) condemned and refuted the claims, comparing them to a similar misinformation campaign that circulated on social media in 2025 regarding Palawan.
"These 'claims' have no rational basis in substantive research and operate from evident bad faith," said NHCP.
Batanes, the Philippines' northernmost province with a population of about 20,000, lies roughly 160 kilometers south of Taiwan across the strategically important Luzon Strait, a vital waterway linking the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. The province has gained increasing strategic importance in recent years and has hosted joint military exercises involving Philippine and United States forces.
Chinese state media reported on the June 30 symposium in Guangzhou where the scholars presented their arguments, but the Chinese government has not officially adopted or endorsed the position. WITH A REPORT FROM ALLEN LIMOS
