China | The Adobo Chronicles

The Hague, Netherlands – The Philippine government has filed a formal petition with the United Nations, laying territorial claim to the countries in Polynesia. The petition was submitted by the Philippines’ permanent representative to the U.N. Libran Cabactulan to the International Court of Justice located at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The petition came after the National Geographic published the results of a new research study on ancient chicken DNA which led to the conclusion that the Philippines could actually be the ancestral home of the Polynesians.

The researchers found that Polynesian chickens had their roots in the Philippines, making that region a candidate for the homeland of the mysterious Lapita people thought to be ancestral to Polynesians who transported the domesticated birds to the Pacific islands.

Ancient chicken DNA confirms Filipinos were the ancestors of Polynesians

“We have identified genetic signatures of the original Polynesian chickens, and used these to track early movements and trading patterns across the Pacific,” said lead author Dr. Vicki Thomson of the Australian Center for Ancient DNA (ACAD). “We were also able to trace the origins of these lineages back into the Philippines, providing clues about the source of the original Polynesian chicken populations.”

Philippine President NoyNoy Aquino ecstatically briefed reporters about the petition, saying that the territorial claim could be the highlight of his presidency. He added that the Philippines will abandon its claim to the disputed Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea, which are also being claimed by China.

Aquino said he would rather pursue the claim to Polynesia because it would mean the Philippines’ expansion to larger territories like Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand , and several other islands in the Pacific. “This would make the Philippines truly a world power,” Aquino said.

Manila, Philippines – The Chief of Staff of the Philippines’ Armed Forces has accused the Chinese Coast Guard of firing water cannons at Filipino fishermen to drive them away from the disputed Scarborough Shoal. General Emmanuel Bautista told reporters that the incident happened last January 27.

The Philippines and China both claim sovereignty over the territory located in the South China Sea, believed to be oil-rich.

The United States, a long-time ally of the Philippines, has declared that it will not get involved in the territorial dispute. However, the Philippines and the U.S. have an existing treaty under which the U.S. is obliged to help its ally if it is attacked. The U.S. State Department is still assessing whether the firing of water cannons would be considered an “attack.”

Asked by The Adobo Chronicles how the Filipino fishermen responded to the water cannon firing, Gen. Bautista said: “Of course, an eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth! The fishermen fired back with their water pistols.”