Manila: The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), on Tuesday asserted its 'incontrovertible' sovereignty over the Spratlys (Kalayaan Island Group) and the Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) in the West Philippine Sea as it again criticized misinformation circulating over the features.
According to Philippines News Agency, the DFA emphasized that certain states have been alluding to misconceptions about the extent of Philippine territory. The agency clarified that the Philippines' sovereignty over its archipelago and other territories, including Bajo de Masinloc and the high-tide features of the Kalayaan Island Group, is firmly grounded in international law, legal principles, effective control, and recognition through international treaties and agreements.
The DFA highlighted that some countries have been misinterpreting treaties that partly define Philippine territory. They pointed to the Treaties of Paris and Washington, along with other agreements like the 1930 United States-Great Britain Treaty, as clearly outlining the extent of Philippine territory. These treaties and agreements are supported by the consistent demonstrations of sovereign authority and jurisdiction exercised by the Philippines over the centuries.
Additionally, the DFA referenced the 1935, 1973, and 1987 Constitutions of the Philippines, which collectively provide a clear legal basis and outline the extent of the national territory. The agency reiterated the Philippines' commitment to remain vigilant against misinformation, asserting its territorial integrity, and upholding its sovereignty and sovereign rights in accordance with international law.
Last October 2, Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Jay Tarriela, stated that many discredited propagandists have attempted to use the Treaty of Paris as a definitive boundary that excludes areas such as the Scarborough Shoal and the Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys. Tarriela argued that this interpretation is historically and legally inaccurate, explaining that the Treaty of Paris was never intended as a final delimitation and was supplemented by subsequent treaties that clarified the scope of the Philippine Archipelago.
At the 21st IISS Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore in May 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remarked on the significance of the Treaty of Paris in unifying the Philippine islands. He described the Treaty of Washington as a tool that clarified the extent of Philippine sovereignty and emphasized how the country's patrimony transcends lines set by international powers.
