The Philippine government should strengthen maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following China’s false claim that Palawan once belonged to them, former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said Sunday.
Colmenares denounced the claim—circulating on the Chinese social media platform Rednote—as “delusional.” According to the post, the Philippines should return Palawan to China, alleging that its original name was “Zheng He Island,” after the 14th-century Chinese explorer.
“These claims are not just historically inaccurate but also part of a dangerous pattern of territorial aggression disguised as historical rights,” Colmenares warned. “We must increase Philippine Coast Guard patrols in the area, along with joint patrols with other claimants in the West Philippine Sea.”
The former lawmaker, who chairs Bayan Muna, slammed Beijing’s assertion as another attempt to distort history to justify its territorial ambitions.
“The Chinese government is once again displaying its obsession with claiming territories that never belonged to them. This is not just a distortion of history—it is a calculated move to assert sovereignty where none exists,” he said.
The National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) has also refuted China’s claim, affirming that Palawan has been continuously inhabited for at least 50,000 years.
“There is zero evidence of any permanent Chinese settlement or governance in Palawan. It is, and has always been, Filipino territory, plain and simple,” Colmenares stressed.
China’s continued aggression stems from its sweeping claims over nearly the entire South China Sea, including most of the WPS, despite the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated its assertions and ruled in favor of Manila.
The landmark ruling resulted from a case filed by the Philippines in 2013, following a tense standoff with China over Panatag Shoal, which Beijing now controls.