Manila: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) underscored the Philippines' sovereignty over Batanes, asserting that it is "settled and not up for debate" in response to claims by purported Chinese scholars that the province belongs to China via Taiwan.

According to Philippines News Agency, Foreign Affairs spokesperson Analyn Ratonel conveyed in a message to reporters that the Philippines will not dignify these claims with a response, emphasizing the nation's firm stance on its territorial rights. Ratonel urged Chinese scholars to focus on genuine research rather than entertain revisionist claims.

Ratonel pointed out that the Chinese Consulate General in Laoag, approved by the Philippines, recognizes Batanes as part of its consular district. This further solidifies the Philippines' territorial integrity over the province.

A report by Newsgd, a Guangdong-based media outlet, quoted Chinese scholars from various universities who claimed that the Batan Islands are a natural geographical extension of Taiwan, thereby asserting that sovereignty belongs to China.

In a related statement, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. labeled these assertions as "disinformation" and described them as "outlandish narratives," reiterating the Philippines' position on the matter.