The Philippine president said Thursday that his government would take action against what he called dangerous attacks by the Chinese coast guard and suspected militia ships in the disputed South China Sea, saying “Filipinos do not yield.” Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not provide details of the actions his government would take in the succeeding weeks … Read more
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been attending “prayer rallies” in opposition to the charter change (ChaCha) planned by the government of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. On January 28, Duterte and his family joined a “prayer rally” in Davao. He attended a similar event in Cebu on February 25 and in Manila on March … Read more
Chinese vessels have again blocked and fired water cannons at a Philippine supply ship close to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, causing “heavy damage” to the wooden vessel and injuries to several of its crew, according to the Philippine government. In a series of social media posts on Saturday, the Armed Forces … Read more
The recent state visit of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Hanoi was the latest sign of the growing strategic convergence between the Philippines and Vietnam regarding maritime security and the South China Sea. Building on a range of past efforts, both leaders confirmed an agreement on coast guard cooperation and a future bilateral code … Read more
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored Washington’s “ironclad commitment” Tuesday to help defend the Philippines in case of an armed attack against its forces after clashes between Chinese and Filipino coast guards in the disputed South China Sea recently turned more hostile. Blinken, the latest high-level official to visit the United States treaty ally, … Read more
U.S. President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a summit in Washington on April 11, the White House has announced. In a statement to the press yesterday, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said that leaders “will discuss trilateral cooperation to promote inclusive economic growth and … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken next week to discuss cooperation and security matters amid continuing tensions in the South China Sea. In a statement issued last night, Marcos’ office said that the meeting would discuss the strengthening of defense and economic ties between the … Read more
Amid swelling seaborne trade, rising maritime crime, and intensifying territorial disputes, coast guards are increasingly central to Asian maritime security. However, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has long lagged behind its neighbors. A 2016 estimate put the PCG’s total tonnage at just 11 percent of the China Coast Guard (CCG), even though the two coast … Read more
A number of leading American corporations are set to announce more than $1 billion in investments in the Philippines, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said yesterday. Raimondo made the comments while on a two-day trade and investment mission to the Philippines along with executives from 22 companies, including United Airlines, Google, Visa, Mastercard, Bechtel, and … Read more
Fides Lim never met a prickly prison guard she couldn’t stand up to. At the gates of the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW), Lim, of the political prisoner support group Kapatid, argued with all of the prison guards. They eventually begin to concede to her just demands. The diminutive senior citizen and some volunteers had … Read more