Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson on Tuesday thanked a descendant of trader Tomas Cloma for her ancestor’s role in discovering, occupying and eventually donating the Kalayaan Island Group to the Philippines.
Lacson particularly extended his thanks through Col. Jacquelyn Cloma, one of the military officers whose promotion was up for confirmation before the Commission on Appointments (CA) – and whose husband is the great-grandson of the KIG’s discoverer.
“Please extend my regards and I’d like to thank him on behalf of his lolo-sa-tuhod, Tomas Cloma, for discovering and occupying and owning and donating to the Philippine government the Kalayaan Island Group,” he said at the confirmation hearing of the CA’s committee on defense.
In Filipino: Lacson, Nagpasalamat sa Inapo ni Cloma sa Papel ng Ninuno sa Pagtuklas at Pag-angkin ng KIG para sa PH
In February, Lacson rejected Sen. Rodante Marcoleta’s suggestion that the Philippines give up the KIG, which he maintained belongs to the Philippines by virtue of a long-standing legal principle of “res nullius.”
Under “res nullius,” whoever discovers and occupies the land is recognized as its owner. In the case of the Spratly Islands, 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.
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Lacson, Nagpasalamat sa Inapo ni Cloma sa Papel ng Ninuno sa Pagtuklas at Pag-angkin ng KIG para sa PH
Nagpasalamat si Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes sa isang inapo ng negosyanteng si Tomas Cloma para sa papel ng kanyang ninuno sa pagtuklas, pag-okupa, at kalauna’y paglipat ng pagmamay-ari ng Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) sa Pilipinas.
Partikular na idinaan ni Lacson ang kanyang mensahe kay Col. Jacquelyn Cloma, isa sa mga opisyal ng militar na nakatakdang kumpirmahin ang promosyon sa Commission on Appointments — at na ang kanyang asawa ay apo sa tuhod ng nakatuklas ng KIG.
“Please extend my regards and I’d like to thank him on behalf of his lolo-sa-tuhod, Tomas Cloma, for discovering and occupying and owning and donating to the Philippine government the Kalayaan Island Group,” aniya sa confirmation hearing ng CA committee on defense.
Noong Pebrero, tinutulan ni Lacson ang mungkahi ni Sen. Rodante Marcoleta na isuko ng Pilipinas ang KIG, at iginiit na pag-aari ito ng bansa batay sa matagal nang kinikilalang prinsipyong legal na “res nullius.”
Sa ilalim ng “res nullius,” ang sinumang nakatuklas at nag-okupa ng isang lupain ang kinikilalang may-ari nito. Sa kaso ng Spratly Islands, si Tomas Cloma ang nakatuklas at nag-okupa sa mga ito, bago niya inilipat ang pagmamay-ari sa pamahalaan ng Pilipinas.
Mayroon ding mga pamilyang Pilipino na naninirahan sa KIG, na isang bayan sa Palawan na binisita ni Lacson noong 2021.
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