The ignorant mind, with its infinite afflictions, passions, and evils, is rooted in the three poisons. Greed, anger, and delusion.
— Buddhist semi-legendary monk Bodhidharma
THE absurdity of China’s assertion that the island of Palawan is historically part of its territory has gain adverse reactions from many Filipinos who criticized the claim as not only baseless but also a direct affront to international law and an insult to our countrymen’s knowledge of Philippine history and culture.
According to the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reform (PADeR), China’s claim contradicts the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLoS) as well as the fundamental principles of our country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“The Philippines must respond decisively with enhanced maritime patrols, a strengthened military presence, diplomatic protests and deeper alliances with regional and global partners to counter China’s revisionist claims and expansionist agenda,” the group stressed in a statement it issued that reflects President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM)’s policy in the country’s dispute over territorial ownership in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Dr. Jose Antonio ‘Ka Pep’ Goitia, chairman emeritus of PADeR, noted that in the recent past, China has been intensifying its efforts to expand its territorial reach in the South China Sea (SCS) and is now relying on selective historical narratives to justify its claims of ownership of vast areas in the region, among them Palawan and even the Sulu archipelago.
Beijing based its assertion that Palawan, along with other territories in the West Philippine Sea, historically fell under Chinese influence by citing ancient voyages and maps.
“The claim on Palawan aligns with China’s broader expansionist strategy, which includes the nine-dash line, a claim that was rejected by the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration,” Goitia, who is also the first nominee of the Ang Bumbero ng Pilipinas (ABP) party-list, noted.
He underscored the ironclad legitimacy of Philippine sovereignty over the island, emphasizing that Palawan “is an integral part of the Philippine archipelago (and) under UNCLoS, which China ratified in 1996, coastal states have full sovereignty over their archipelagic waters, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.
“Palawan’s surrounding waters, including the West Philippine Sea, fall squarely within the Philippines’ EEZ and continental shelf, granting the nation exclusive rights over maritime resources, fisheries, and hydrocarbon reserves,” he cited.
Goitia further debunked China’s claim that Palawan was once called ‘Zheng He Island’ as he argued that “international law does not recognize sovereignty based on ancient exploration or historical narratives but on effective control, governance,% and legal recognition.”
“Historical claims alone are insufficient to establish sovereignty or maritime entitlements. The (arbitrary) tribunal’s decision explicitly rejected China’s sweeping assertions over the South China Sea, reaffirming that such claims must adhere to established legal frameworks, not unilateral reinterpretations of history,” he rationalized.
In ending and to further strengthen Philippine sovereignty over Palawan, the ABP party-list nominee stressed that the island has long been recognized as part of the Philippines in international treaties and in fact, in the 1898 Treaty of Paris, Spain ceded the Philippines, including Palawan, to the United States.
“In 1900, the Treaty of Washington reaffirmed US sovereignty over additional islands, including Palawan, which was further reinforced in the 1930 US-Britain Convention that stated Palawan’s legal status as part of the Philippine territory. Upon its independence in 1946, the Philippines inherited full sovereignty over Palawan,” Goitia concluded.
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