Rep. Gato Rejects Revisionist Chinese Claims Over Batanes: ‘We Are Proudly Filipino’

Photo Courtesy of Batanes Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office

Batanes Lone District Representative Ciriaco Gato Jr. has broken his silence on recent claims stemming from an academic symposium in China that questioned Philippine sovereignty over the island province, slamming the rhetoric as a geopolitical provocation.

The controversy erupted following a June 30 academic forum hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou, China. During the event, over a dozen state-linked Chinese scholars concluded that Manila's administration of Batanes lacks legal and historical basis, baselessly framing the archipelago as a "natural geographical extension" of Taiwan under Chinese sovereignty.

An ‘Affront’ to Filipino Identity

In a strongly worded official statement, Rep. Gato expressed grave concern over the academic assertions, viewing them as a deliberate attempt to undermine the country's territorial integrity.

"it is an affront to our identity that we will not tolerate," 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."

The lawmaker emphasized that Batanes’ status as an undisputed Philippine territory is an enduring truth backed firmly by history, domestic laws, and the Philippine Constitution. He warned that both local and national governments treat any "gray-zone insinuations" attempting to chip away at absolute Philippine sovereignty with the utmost gravity.

Beijing’s Contradictory Consular Maps

Gato’s fierce defense aligns with the position of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), which swiftly dismissed the Chinese academic claims as "flights of fancy."

The DFA pointed out a glaring contradiction in Beijing's own official state records. According to the DFA, the officially approved consular jurisdiction for the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag, Ilocos Norte, explicitly recognizes Batanes as part of its assigned territory within the Republic of the Philippines.

The Rise of Maritime ‘Lawfare’

Security and geopolitical experts warn that the symposium is not an isolated academic exercise, but a coordinated legal tactic.

According to Ray Powell, director of the SeaLight maritime transparency initiative, this sudden academic focus represents a new "lawfare" strategy by Beijing. By manufacturing a revisionist historical framework, Beijing may be attempting to create a pseudo-legal justification for aggressive future maritime patrols and heightened military presence in the strategic Bashi Channel—a vital choke point separating Taiwan and the Philippines.

Despite the geopolitical noise, Rep. Gato assured his constituents that the local government remains vigilant, standing firm with national defense agencies to protect the northern borders from foreign overreach.

1700 - 07102026 — The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) on Friday firmly rejected claims by Chinese scholars asserting that the northern island province of Batanes belongs to China by way of Taiwan.

In a formal statement, the state historical agency deployed extensive geographical and historical data to counter the claim, declaring that Batanes is, and has always been, an integral part of Philippine territory.

Defending Territorial Integrity

The NHCP's response comes amid heightened regional tensions and a push by certain Chinese academics questioning the historical boundaries of the Philippine archipelago. The agency emphasized that domestic and international historical records consistently recognize Philippine sovereignty over the northern islands.

Standing with Batanes

The commission closed its statement with a staunch defense of the local population's identity and geopolitical alignment.

“The NHCP stands with the People of Batanes in proclaiming their right of allegiance to the Philippines, faithful to our constitution and the flag that continues to proudly fly over our northern provinces,” the agency stated.

The declaration reinforces Manila's administrative and historical mandate over its northernmost frontier, drawing a clear line against foreign revisionist narratives.

NSC Slams 'Baseless' Chinese Academic Claims Over Batanes

2119 - 07102026 | The National Security Council (NSC) has raised the alarm over recent assertions by Chinese academics claiming that the northernmost island province of Batanes is part of China’s territory.

In a statement released on July 10, 2026, National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr. dismissed the claims as having "no merit," countering that the status of Batanes as sovereign Philippine territory is clear and absolute.

"We view with serious concern reports that Chinese scholars are advancing the notion that Batanes belongs to China," Oban said. "There is no ambiguity on this matter: Batanes is an integral and indivisible part of the Republic of the Philippines."

The diplomatic friction stems from a June 30 symposium held at Jinan University in Guangzhou, China. During the event, Chinese researchers from various state-sanctioned institutions concluded that Manila's control over Batanes lacks a legal basis. They argued that the island chain constitutes a "natural geographical extension" of Taiwan, thereby placing it under Chinese sovereignty.

Maritime security analysts from SeaLight—a Stanford University-backed tracking initiative—warned that the symposium functions as a "trial balloon" in Beijing's broader gray-zone lawfare strategy. Analysts noted that while the Chinese government has not officially endorsed the scholars' conclusions, the propaganda seeks to build a narrative backdrop to justify increased Chinese maritime patrols near the strategic Bashi Channel.

The Department of National Defense (DND) also forcefully fired back against the claims. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. branded the academic theory as "baseless and ludicrous" disinformation, suggesting it exposes China's premeditated expansionist intentions in the Pacific Ocean. In response, Teodoro ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to expand and intensify military patrols across the nation's northern and eastern maritime borders.

Philippine officials emphasized that Batanes has been bound securely within Philippine national borders through successive colonial administrations, domestic laws, and international treaties—including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

"We will not allow manufactured history to become manufactured rights," Oban added, reiterating that the state will not tolerate coercion over undisputed sovereign lands.