MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated that the Philippines’ sovereignty over Batanes is firmly established, rejecting claims by supposed Chinese scholars that the province belongs to China through Taiwan.

In a text message to reporters, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Analyn Ratonel dismissed the claims and stressed that the country’s sovereignty over the island province is not subject to debate.

“Flights of fancy should not be dignified with a response. Nevertheless, the Philippines’ sovereignty over Batanes is settled and not up for debate,” Ratonel said.

“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,” she added.

Ratonel also pointed out that the Philippine-approved consular district of the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag includes Batanes, underscoring the province’s status as part of Philippine territory.

Her statement came after a report by Guangdong-based media outlet Newsgd cited Chinese scholars from various universities as “unanimously” concluding that the Batan Islands are a natural geographical extension of Taiwan and that sovereignty over the islands belongs to China.

In a separate statement, Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. dismissed the assertions, describing them as “disinformation” and “outlandish narratives.”