The original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, known as the Mother of All Philippine Maps, donated by Mel Velarde on display at the Treasures of the National Library of the Philippines hall in Manila on August 28, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Murillo Velarde Map on Display

Bianca Dava

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174289290095620240828-murillo-velarde-map-MD-19.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, known as the Mother of All Philippine Maps, donated by Mel Velarde on display at the Treasures of the National Library of the Philippines hall in Manila on August 28, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The original Murillo Velarde 1734 Map, known as the Mother of All Philippine Maps, donated by Mel Velarde on display at the Treasures of the National Library of the Philippines hall in Manila on August 28, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — An official of the Philippine Navy on Tuesday said China’s &quot;10-dash line&quot; claim in the South China Sea is a “joke designed for entertainment.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/17/china-philippines-quarrel-over-south-china-sea-row-in-munich-conference-1018">China, Philippines quarrel over South China Sea row in Munich conference</a></div><p>“It is a joke designed merely for entertainment purposes. It is absurd and has no legal basis. It is beyond normal imagination and understanding,” Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said.</p><p>Trinidad said China may have various audiences for such pronouncements.</p><p>“Number one could be the internal audience of the Chinese Communist Party in order to provide a strong narrative to support the grip on power. It could be the Filipino population. It could be the international audience,” he explained.</p><p>But Trinidad stressed that no one is “laughing at the joke.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/7/philippine-angels-aim-to-de-escalate-south-china-sea-encounters-1529">Philippine &#x27;Angels&#x27; aim to de-escalate South China Sea encounters</a></div><p>“Suffice to say, we have a lot of international jurisprudence that would support the stand of the Philippines. We have the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling. We have our Constitution. It is very clear that Palawan is part and parcel of our archipelago. Pronouncements like this by a foreign power should be taken with a grain of salt,” the official said. </p><p>“It is not even worthy to provoke a laugh from nobody.  It only shows the level of understanding,” he added.</p><p>Beijing’s 10-dash line is an update to its previous nine-dash line claim to almost the entire South China Sea.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/24/philippines-us-kick-off-army-drills-ahead-of-hegseth-visit-1846">Philippines, US kick off army drills ahead of Hegseth visit</a></div><p>The Philippines in 2013 challenged China’s sweeping claim. </p><p>In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines and said that China’s claims were not supported by international law.</p><p>However, Beijing has brushed aside this ruling.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CptpLVvVaws?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>An official of the Philippine Navy on Tuesday said China’s "10-dash line" claim in the South China Sea is a “joke designed for entertainment.”</p>

An official of the Philippine Navy on Tuesday said China’s "10-dash line" claim in the South China Sea is a “joke designed for entertainment.”

China’s 10-dash line claim ‘a joke,' says PH Navy official | ABS-CBN

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China’s 10-dash line claim ‘a joke,' says PH Navy official

China’s 10-dash line claim ‘a joke,' says PH Navy official

Bianca Dava,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 25, 2025 05:15 PM PHT

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