Malacañang has denounced China’s move to rename five undersea features in the Philippine Rise (Benham Rise) and has protested through the Philippine Embassy in Beijing.

“We object and do not recognize the Chinese names given to some undersea features in the Philippine Rise,” Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said in a statement on Wednesday, a day after Jay Batongbacal, a maritime law expert, was quoted in a report as saying that the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) approved five names China proposed in 2017.

Premium Subscription
P 80 per month
(billed annually at P 960)
  • Unlimited ad-free access to website articles
  • Access to subscriber exclusive website contents
  • Access to the Digital Edition (up to 3 devices)

TRY FREE FOR 30 DAYS
Digital + Print
P 830 per month
(billed annually at P 9,960)
  • Ad-free online access
  • Access to the Digital Edition
  • Print copies**
***Not available for delivery outside of the Philippines. Delivery charges may apply to subscribers outside of Metro Manila

(No free trial for this plan)