Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday ridiculed Chinese scholars who claimed that Batanes is part of China, saying the assertion defies international law, the Philippine Constitution, and basic reason.
“Number one, this assertion is not only against international law, it is not only against our Constitution,” Teodoro said in an ambush interview.
“It goes against the normal human thinking,” he added.
At a symposium hosted by Jinan University in Guangzhou on June 30, Chinese scholars claimed that Batanes is part of China by way of Taiwan.
They argued that the Batanes Islands are a “natural geographical extension” of Taiwan, over which China claims sovereignty.
Teodoro dismissed the claim and suggested that the scholars undergo medical evaluation, referring to Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.
“The people who made this assertion, we should have them consulted by Secretary Herbosa to determine what is wrong with these people,” Teodoro said.
The defense chief said he believes something is wrong with the scholars’ reasoning, adding that any society that accepts such an assertion suffers from “systemic dysfunction.”
“And I don’t know what drugs those people took to say that. I think the drugs they took were also made in China. I hope they don’t bring it here in the Philippines,” Teodoro said.