MANILA — Senator Rodante Marcoleta asserted during a Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing on March 17, 2026, that it is historically incorrect to claim Filipino adventurer Tomas Cloma “discovered” the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), challenging statements made by Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson and confronting a relative of Cloma present at the session.

Marcoleta made the remarks while questioning Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Nurse Corps Colonel Jacquelyn C. Cloma, who is married to a great-grandson of Tomas Cloma. The senator asked whether Lacson’s earlier claim that Cloma discovered the KIG was supported by reliable historical accounts.

Jacquelyn Cloma responded that she had read references about the matter but did not categorically confirm the claim. Marcoleta then stressed that there is “no historical basis” to say Cloma discovered the islands, pointing out that the Kalayaan Island Group had long been known and mapped before Cloma’s 1956 declaration of “freedomland.”

The exchange took place during deliberations on the confirmation of military officers, where Cloma was among those up for approval. Marcoleta used the opportunity to highlight what he described as inaccuracies in the narrative surrounding the Kalayaan Island Group.

The KIG, located in Palawan, is part of the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea. Tomas Cloma, a fishing magnate and adventurer, proclaimed ownership of the islands in 1956, later ceding rights to the Philippine government. His claim has often been cited in discussions of the Philippines’ stake in the territory.

Image from PAMI