Lacson: 'Giving up Kalayaan islands like surrendering entire country'

MANILA -  "Giving up" the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) is no different from surrendering the entire country, Senator Panfilo Lacson said on Saturday. 

The Senate President Pro Tempore said that under international law, the first discovery and possession of land that "belongs to no one" - like in the case of the KIG - is a recognized mode of sovereign ownership. 

“'Giving up' the Kalayaan Island Group is no different from giving up Luzon Island or the entire country. Under international law, first discovery and possession of land that belongs to no one under the legal principle of ‘res nullius’ or ‘terra nullius’ is a recognized mode of sovereign ownership. Even non-lawyers were taught this in school," he said on X (formerly Twitter).

Maritime law expert slams Marcoleta’s call to give up Kalayaan islands

He said that lawyer and adventurer Tomas Cloma discovered the Spratly islands and occupied them as under "res nullius." 

Cloma turned over the ownership of the land to the Philippine government. Whoever discovers and occupies the land is recognized as its owner, the senator said. 

Lacson cited this legal principle that supports the Philippines' ownership of KIG in reaction to the suggestion of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta of "giving up" the Kalayaan group because its features are "way beyond" the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. 

"Yan ang hindi ko mapalampas," Lacson, who visited the KIG in 2021, said in a radio interview.

He pointed out that Kalayaan is a municipality of Palawan, inhabited by some 300 Filipino families.

"When I heard Sen. Marcoleta say that we should give up KIG, I had to clear the issue and assert why KIG is ours. Sen. Marcoleta claimed the KIG is outside the EEZ, and I cannot accept that because there (are) Filipinos living on Pagasa Island," he said in Filipino.

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Marcoleta later claimed his statement was taken out of context.

The senator said he was only explaining that the arbitral award on the West Philippine Sea does not cover the Kalayaan Island Group, which includes Pag-asa Island.

"Paano ka ngayon makakagawa ng mapa ng West Philippine Sea pag isinama mo yung Kalayaan Island Group? Kaya hanggang ngayon, pinipilit ko, hinahamon ko sila eh. Hindi nila magawa," he said.