Bayan Muna Partylist slammed claims made on several Chinese social media platforms that its territory includes the Philippine island of Palawan, calling the new assertions “delusional.”
Former Bayan Muna Congressman Neri Colmenares said the new contentions are China’s latest historical revisionism and called for increased maritime patrols by Philippine authorities to protect Philippine territory.
“These claims are not just historically inaccurate but represent a dangerous pattern of territorial aggression masked as historical rights,” said the Bayan Muna chairperson and first nominee.
Several posts have on social media platforms Weibo, Douyin, Rednote and Xiaohongshu claims that Palawan was Zheng He island, named after a famous Chinese explorer.
There had been no official statement from the Chinese government but social media platforms in the former socialist country is closely monitored, leading to speculations that the new claim is “testing the waters.”
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) meanwhile debunked the claims saying Palawan was governed by China for a millennium and should be “returned.”
Colmenares did not mince words in his assessment of China’s claims, exclaiming China has against shown delusion and is revising history to grab Philippine territiory.
Colmenares the new claims are part of China’s broader strategy to legitimize its illegal nine dash line claim, which the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated in 2016.
“We must increase Philippine Coast Guard patrols in the area as well as joint patrols with other claimants in the West Philippine Sea,” Colmenares stressed.
The former lawmaker also pointed out that China’s claims contradict established historical and archaeological evidence. “
The NHCP has already confirmed that Palawan has been continuously inhabited for 50,000 years, and there is zero evidence of any permanent Chinese settlement or governance. Palawan is Filipino territory, plain and simple.”
Colmenares echoed the NHCP’s statement that “Palawan is and will always be Filipino” and called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to lodge a diplomatic protest against China’s persistent historical revisionism.
“These false claims are not innocent historical debates—they are calculated moves to justify territorial expansion,” Colmenares said.
“We must stand firm in defending our sovereignty, not just through words but through concrete actions that assert our rights in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
Colmenares called on the government to strengthen the country’s position by increasing maritime patrols, pursuing joint patrols with allies, and continuing to build international support for the Philippines’ legitimate claims based on international law.
“We must not be swayed by China’s lies. Our history, culture, and sovereignty cannot be given away or traded to anyone,” he said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
