Batanes District Representative Ciriaco Gato Jr. has rejected the claim by certain academics that Batanes is a natural geographical extension of Taiwan and belongs to China.
In a social media post, Gato stressed that Batanes is a province of the Republic of the Philippines and that the Ivatans are Filipinos.
He said this is a historical fact, upheld by the Philippine Constitution and deeply rooted in the identity and lived experience of the people of Batanes.
The lawmaker expressed concern over attempts to question or undermine the Philippines’ sovereignty over the province.
According to Gato, challenging Batanes’ status is not only a geopolitical provocation but also an insult to the identity of the Ivatan people—something they will never tolerate.
“We view any insinuation that seeks to question or undermine the absolute sovereignty of the Republic of the Philippines over our islands with utmost gravity. Any challenge to our status is not merely a geopolitical provocation; it is an affront to our identity that we will not tolerate,” he said
He added that the people of Batanes know who they are, and that their loyalty has always been with the Philippines.
