Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson pushed back against assertions by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Rodante Marcoleta that Filipino seafarer Tomas Cloma did not discover the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the Spratlys.
Citing records from the official website of the Municipality of Kalayaan, Lacson maintained that historical documents clearly show Cloma’s role in identifying and claiming the island group.
“Merong hindi pa rin maka-move on kay Tomas Cloma. Kaya narito ang mga historical facts para matahimik na rin sa kanyang himlayan si Tomas Cloma,” Lacson said.
Municipal records indicate that on May 15, 1956, Cloma issued a “Notice to the Whole World,” staking a claim over 33 features in the Spratlys.
On July 6 of the same year, he proclaimed an “Independence Claim,” establishing what he called the “Free Territory of Freedomland,” with its capital on Flat Island.
Lacson also pointed out that Cloma later transferred his claim to the Philippine government in the 1970s for a symbolic ₱1.
This development eventually led to then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. issuing Presidential Decree No. 1596 in 1978, formally creating the Municipality of Kalayaan.
The remarks came after Marcoleta questioned Cloma’s historical role during a Senate defense committee hearing.
“It should not be distorted. Tomas Cloma is a seafarer, he’s not a discoverer,” Marcoleta said.