Senator Rodante Marcoleta on Tuesday questioned whether the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is teaching what he described as a “distorted” historical narrative about Filipino seafarer Tomas Cloma and the discovery of the Spratly Islands.<br /><br />During the hearing of Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, Marcoleta raised concerns over claims made during a recent Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing that Cloma discovered the Spratly Islands and later donated them to the Philippine government — assertions he said are historically inaccurate.<br /><br />READ MORE: https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/24/marcoleta-disputes-claim-that-tomas-cloma-discovered-spratlys
