The PRC’s attempt to present this 1990 letter as proof of Philippine concession over Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) is misleading at best and a deliberate distortion at worst. This unverified document presented as letter from Ambassador Bienvenido A. Tan, Jr. to a German radio hobbyist was not an official waiver of sovereignty—it merely noted that the shoal lies outside the colonial boundaries set by the 1898 Treaty of Paris, while affirming it is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
Under international law, as retired Philippine Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio has pointed out, an ambassador lacks the authority to waive, abandon, or decide on a state’s sovereignty or territory. Only statements from the head of state or foreign minister can bind the nation. This casual correspondence to a private individual does not qualify as a binding admission, and relying on it ignores the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling, which confirmed Scarborough Shoal is within the Philippines’ EEZ and that China has no historic rights overriding UNCLOS entitlements. China released this letter years ago, but recycling it now as “evidence” is just another selective narrative to justify encroachment—it is not a lie detector, it is a smoke screen.
The fact remains: China has not once exercised sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc. The PRC claim is bogus and has no credible historical basis. The Scarborough Shoal has always been and will always be a Philippine territory.
