Malacanang Palace on Monday seemed to be defending Senator Rodante Marcoleta, stating that the remarks of the lawmaker for the Philippines to ungrip the Kalayaan Group of Islands (KGI) were not treason.

“Alam naman po natin, ang isa sa elemento po ng treason ay dapat po na mayroong actual state of war. So, wala naman po tayo sa ngayon na—wala po tayo sa estado ng actual state of war. Unang-una, kung anuman po ang napagdedebatihan sa Senado, ginagampanan lang nila ang kanilang tungkulin at mayroon po tayong sinasabi na freedom of expression,” said Palace press officer, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro in a press briefing on Monday.

Marcoleta said in a Commission on Appointment hearing that the Philippines should contemplate surrendering KGI as it does not belong to the country’s exclusive economic zone.

However, Castro stressed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is firm that not even a small portion of the country will be surrendered by his administration to any nation.

“Ganoon pa rin po ang posisyon ng Pangulo, wala pong anumang bahagi ng teritoryo natin o anumang interes ang isu-surrender sa anumang foreign power. Pero dapat din po tayong maging tugma sa ating ipinapahayag. May kasabihan nga tayo, “Ang magtanim ng hangin, bagyo ang aanihin,” said Castro.

Disappointing

Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard for the West Philippine Sea, Commodore Jay Tarriela, said he was indeed disappointed in the utterance of Senator Marcoleta, an elected government official who garnered millions of votes.

“Bilang Pilipino, nakakadismaya, nakakagalit, nakaka-disappoint bakit tayo may isang elected member of the Senate and Congress na ganito magsalita, na tila winawalang bahala ang ating posisyon pagdating sa WPS. It’s very disappointing,” Tarriela said.

Earlier, Tarriela challenged Senator Marcoleta and his son, Sagip Partylist Rep. Paolo Marcoleta, to join him for a maritime domain awareness visit in KGI to see the situation of the more than 300 Filipino families living there.

“But to date, we haven’t received any answer from them,” he said.

Partylist solon Marcoleta suggested that Tarriela, and other ‘arrogant’ Senators, be positioned on the front line if China staged a war against the Philippines.

A Call to stand firm on Phl sovereignty

 

With the ongoing fuzz in the KGI, civic leader Jose Antonio Goitia said this is a moment that calls not for confusion, but for clarity.

As claims about the West Philippine Sea gain traction online, Goitia urged Filipinos to be vigilant against narratives that misrepresent the law and weaken national resolve.

Assertions circulating on social media, including those by Sass Rogando Sasot, should be examined carefully, particularly when they cast doubt on the country’s lawful exercise of sovereignty.

“When baseless doubt is normalized,” Goitia said, adding, “prudence gives way to surrender.”

He said the legal framework governing the West Philippine Sea is settled.

“The West Philippine Sea is a geographic designation. The Exclusive Economic Zone is a legal maritime zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Philippines has never confused the two, and its position has never depended on doing so,” he said.

“Complexity should not be used to obscure what is already clear,” Goitia explained. “Filipinos deserve clarity, not manufactured doubt.”

He stressed that international treaties do not, by implication, erase Philippine laws, adding that no act of Congress has repealed Presidential Decree No. 1596. No decision of the Supreme Court has invalidated it. Claims to the contrary mislead the public about how the law actually works.

“The Philippines’ position on Ayungin Shoal has always been lawful and consistent. It is defended not as land territory, but as part of the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone. Under international law, the EEZ grants the Philippines sovereign rights to enforce laws, protect resources, and maintain a presence. These rights were affirmed by the 2016 arbitral ruling,” he said.

“You do not need to own land to defend what is lawfully yours at sea,” Goitia said. “That is precisely why UNCLOS exists.” (RAFFY AYENG)