The debate proposed by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta on whether the Kalayaan Island Group belongs to the Philippines may not only be agonizing and pointless, but could also potentially affect the basic right of abode of the Filipinos already living there, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Tuesday.
Lacson thus appealed to retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and University of the Philippines professor Atty. Jay Batongbacal to spare Filipinos from such a debate.
“An earnest appeal to Justice Tony Carpio and Atty Jay Batongbacal:
Let’s spare our countrymen, especially our ‘kababayans’ from Barangay Pag-asa, KIG, Palawan from the agony of another pointless debate that might put into question their basic right of abode,” he said on his X account.
In Filipino: Lacson: ‘Debate’ sa Kalayaan Islands, Maaaring Makaapekto sa mga Residente ng Pag-asa Island
An earnest appeal to Justice Tony Carpio and Atty Jay Batongbakal:
Let’s spare our countrymen, especially our “kababayans” from Bgy Pag-asa, KIG, Palawan from the agony of another pointless debate that might put into question their basic right of abode.— PING LACSON (@iampinglacson) February 10, 2026
Lacson maintained that the KIG belongs to the Philippines by virtue of a long-standing legal principle of “res nullius,” thus rejecting Marcoleta’s suggestion that the Philippines give up the KIG.
Under “res nullius,” whoever discovers and occupies the land is recognized as its owner. In the case of the Spratly Islands, lawyer and adventurer Tomas Cloma discovered the Spratly islands and occupied them as Cloma turned over the ownership of the land to the Philippine government.
Also, there are currently Filipino families occupying the KIG, a town in Palawan which Lacson visited in 2021.
Meanwhile, Lacson said the prolonged and heated debates in the Senate plenary over the Philippines’ territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea on Monday were painful to watch.
Lacson said it is hard to imagine such a situation in any other legislature in the world, where lawmakers debated issues touching on their own country’s territorial integrity – a matter where all Filipinos should be united.
“It was painful to watch a heated plenary debate on the issue of territorial integrity and other related matters involving another country and our own. It is hard to imagine that it can happen in the US Senate or any parliament in the world,” he said in a post on X Monday night.
On Monday, the Senate adopted Resolution 256 condemning Chinese diplomats for their hostile statements against Filipino officials and institutions for defending the Philippines’ national sovereignty.
However, this came only after almost three hours of debates between resolution author Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who insisted that Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela’s use of a caricature depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping was wrong.
The debate was so heated that Lacson, as the presiding officer at the time, had to suspend the session twice.
Before Monday’s debate, Marcoleta had expressed opposition to the resolution as well.
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Lacson: ‘Debate’ sa Kalayaan Islands, Maaaring Makaapekto sa mga Residente ng Pag-asa Island
Bukod sa walang saysay, ang debateng iminungkahi ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta kung pag-aari ba ng Pilipinas ang Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) ay maaari ring makaapekto sa pangunahing karapatan sa paninirahan ng mga Pilipinong matagal nang nakatira roon, ayon kay Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes.
Dahil dito, umapela si Lacson kina retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio at University of the Philippines professor Atty. Jay Batongbacal na huwag nang makilahok sa minumungkahing debate.
“An earnest appeal to Justice Tony Carpio and Atty Jay Batongbacal: Let’s spare our countrymen, especially our “kababayans” from Bgy Pag-asa, KIG, Palawan from the agony of another pointless debate that might put into question their basic right of abode,” ani Lacson sa kanyang X account.
Iginiit ni Lacson na ang KIG ay pag-aari ng Pilipinas batay sa matagal nang kinikilalang prinsipyong legal na res nullius, kaya’t hindi niya sinasang-ayunan ang mungkahi ni Marcoleta na isuko ng Pilipinas ang KIG.
Sa ilalim ng res nullius, ang sinumang makadiskubre at sumakop sa isang lupain ay kinikilalang may-ari nito. Sa kaso ng Spratly Islands, nadiskubre ito ng abogadong si Tomas Cloma at inangkin, at kalaunan ay isinuko ang pagmamay-ari sa pamahalaang Pilipino.
May mga pamilyang Pilipino na kasalukuyang naninirahan sa KIG, na isang bayan sa Palawan na binisita ni Lacson noong 2021.
Samantala, masakit para kay Lacson na panoorin ang matagal at mainit na debate sa plenaryo ng Senado noong Lunes hinggil sa usapin ng teritoryal na alitan ng Pilipinas at China sa West Philippine Sea.
Aniya, mahirap isipin na may ganitong sitwasyon sa alinmang lehislatura sa mundo, kung saan pinagtatalunan ng mga mambabatas ang mga isyung may kinalaman sa teritoryal na integridad ng sariling bansa—isang usapin na dapat ay nagkakaisa ang lahat ng Pilipino.
“It was painful to watch a heated plenary debate on the issue of territorial integrity and other related matters involving another country and our own. It is hard to imagine that it can happen in the US Senate or any parliament in the world,” ani Lacson sa kanyang post sa X noong Lunes ng gabi.
Noong Lunes, pinagtibay ng Senado ang Resolution 256 na kumokondena sa mga pahayag ng mga diplomat ng China laban sa mga opisyal at institusyong Pilipino na nagtatanggol sa pambansang soberanya.
Gayunman, nangyari ito matapos ang halos tatlong oras na debate sa pagitan ng may-akda ng resolusyon na si Sen. Francis Pangilinan at Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, na iginiit na mali ang paggamit ni Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela ng isang caricature na naglalarawan kay Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Sa tindi ng naging palitan, kinailangan ni Lacson, bilang presiding officer noon, na suspendihin ang sesyon nang dalawang beses.
Bago pa ang debateng iyon, nagpahayag na rin ng pagtutol si Marcoleta sa naturang resolusyon.
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