NATIONALIST organizations have strongly denounced China’s assertion that Palawan is historically part of its territory, calling it an insult to Filipinos’ understanding of their own history and culture.
Dr. Jose Antonio Ejercito Goitia, chairman emeritus of the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement, dismissed Beijing’s claim as “absurd” and a “direct violation of international law.”
China has long sought to expand its territorial influence in the West Philippine Sea, often citing historical narratives to justify its claims.
Recently, Beijing asserted that Palawan and other areas in the West Philippine Sea had historically been under Chinese influence, referencing ancient voyages and old maps.
Goitia, representing various nationalist groups such as the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reform and Liga Independencia Pilipinas, argued that China’s claim contradicts the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an agreement China has ratified.
He warned that Beijing’s expansionist agenda poses a serious threat to Philippine sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“We are being oppressed by a nation we once considered a close partner in trade and culture,” Goitia lamented, criticizing China’s use of historical revisionism to justify its territorial ambitions.
He further condemned China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea, including the harassment of Filipino fishermen and military personnel.
Goitia also accused Beijing of using deceptive economic agreements during the Duterte administration as a cover for its territorial encroachment.
“This must stop. We, Filipinos, will not allow our sovereign territories to be taken or our history to be rewritten for China’s expansionist agenda,” he declared.
The issue has intensified tensions between the two nations, as Filipino activists and nationalist groups continue to protest China’s actions.
International analysts have also weighed in, highlighting that China’s sweeping claims over the West Philippine Sea—many of which overlap with the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone—have been repeatedly invalidated by international courts.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China’s “historical rights” claims over the disputed waters.
However, Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling, further escalating tensions in the region.