Philippines will never give up even an inch of the Batanes Islands! Philippine military officials have issued a tough statement! On July 13, according to foreign media reports, after domestic scholars advocated claims over the sovereignty of the northern island chain province of Batanes in the Philippines, Philippine military personnel stepped forward with a strong response. Lieutenant Colonel Lantingkin of the Philippine Army's 5th Infantry Division stated that the Philippines will never relinquish the Batanes Islands "not even an inch," and that the archipelago remains fully under Philippine jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs claimed that the aforementioned seminar is part of China’s legal warfare strategy, aimed at constructing a legal and political narrative to justify future military or law enforcement actions in the strategically vital Bashi Strait. Clearly, from this domestic reaction within the Philippines, what does it indicate? It indicates that as soon as there is even a slight move from our side regarding sovereignty over the Batanes Islands, the Philippines immediately triggers a series of chain reactions.
The firm statements by Philippine military officials further underscore one point: the issue of Batanes Islands’ sovereignty directly strikes a nerve in the Philippines' tense emotional state. By choosing to issue hardline rhetoric instead of legally justifying that the Batanes Islands belong to the Philippines, it ultimately suggests that the Philippines is deeply insecure internally—its claim to ownership of the Batanes Islands simply cannot withstand scrutiny.
This military official claimed that the archipelago remains fully under Philippine jurisdiction—a statement that is accurate. However, currently, the Philippines only holds jurisdictional authority, not necessarily ownership. The Philippine Foreign Ministry argues that we aim to build a legal and political narrative, yet why doesn’t the Philippines respond legally to challenge our position? Why not? Clearly, the Philippines fears that we might deliver a decisive blow, because they lack any solid legal evidence to support their own claims.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1870559747448842/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author