THE Philippines must sustain effective occupation and assert its legal rights over the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) and the wider West Philippine Sea (WPS) amid what experts described as growing attempts to weaken the country’s maritime claims through misinformation and political narratives. Maritime law expert Prof. Jay Batongbacal said that while the 2016 arbitral ruling invalidated China’s nine-dash line, it did not settle the question of sovereignty over the islands themselves. The ruling only assessed whether features in the South China Sea could generate maritime zones, concluding that the KIG produces only a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea, with surrounding waters falling under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or the high seas. Batongbacal said sovereignty over the islands remains unresolved in international law, making continuous governance essential. He noted that the Philippines was the first claimant to establish a functioning local government in the area, administered as part of Palawan since the 1970s through the municipality of Kalayaan, with settlements, schools and public services forming the legal basis for sovereignty. “Sovereignty over the islands remains unresolved in international law, making it imperative for the Philippines to maintain actual governance and presence,” said Batongbacal, director of the Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea of the UP Law Center. National security expert and civic leader Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia echoed the urgency, warning against narratives that portray Philippine maritime rights as negotiable. Goitia warned that online narratives casting doubt on Philippine claims risk eroding national resolve and effectively advancing foreign interests. “When baseless doubt is normalized, prudence gives way to surrender,” Goitia said, referring to social media discussions questioning the country’s maritime position and the legitimacy of state actions in the West Philippine Sea. He stressed that Philippine maritime rights are firmly grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and reinforced by the 2016 arbitral ruling, which, he said, clarified, rather than weakened, the country’s claims. He rejected arguments that international law had nullified domestic legal bases for Philippine sovereignty, noting that Presidential Decree 1596, which formally established the Kalayaan Island Group, has never been repealed by Congress nor invalidated by the Supreme Court. Goitia also defended the continued presence of the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal, saying it is justified under international law because the feature lies within the Philippines’ EEZ, where the country has sovereign rights to enforce laws, protect resources, and maintain a presence. “You do not need to own land to defend what is lawfully yours at sea,” he said. Both experts warned that any suggestion to relinquish control over KIG or downplay Philippine maritime rights could undermine the country’s legal position, potentially allowing other claimants to strengthen their own assertions. Batongbacal stressed the need for government unity, while Goitia cautioned that repeated doubt, even in domestic discourse, could gradually weaken international perceptions of the Philippines’ resolve. The KIG, part of the Spratly archipelago, remains strategically critical for national security, resource management, and the monitoring of key maritime routes. Maintaining effective occupation, governance, and a consistent legal stance, both experts said, remains the strongest safeguard of Philippine sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) supported the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) initiative to invite government officials to personally see missions being done in the WPS. “The AFP supports the initiative of the PCG and other government agencies to invite senior government officials to see what is out there in the West Philippine Sea either by air or by sea,” Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman, told reporters on Tuesday. Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman, earlier invited Sen. Rodante Marcoleta to participate in a maritime domain awareness flight over the KIG after he suggested giving up the debated water feature because it lies beyond the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.