3 d. ago ‘Schrodinger’s Pakistan’, Chinese travellers eye Singapore: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Accountability test for Philippines’ Marcos family as budget scandal widens A former prominent lawmaker now in hiding has released new videos accusing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s family of orchestrating massive corruption, escalating a scandal that is...

Politics

5 d. ago 17,000 police deployed as protests erupt in Philippines over flood control scam

Thousands massed in the Philippine capital of Manila on Sunday demanding accountability over a multibillion-dollar infrastructure scandal that has seen scores of officials, lawmakers and construction firm owners accused of corruption. Rage over so-called ghost flood control projects has been mounting for months in the archipelago country of 116 million, where entire towns have been buried in floodwaters driven by powerful typhoons in recent months. President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has seen friend...

Events

8 d. ago As Philippines targets more Pogo figures, can Marcos regain public trust?

A travel ban imposed by the Philippines against two figures tied to its notorious offshore gaming industry (Pogos) marks a bid by the Ferdinand Marcos Jnr administration to boost public standing, but the country’s unfolding flood-control scandal remains the biggest mover of political fortunes. On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that it had cancelled the passports of Harry Roque, a former spokesman for ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, and Cassandra Li Ong, an associate of former...

Events

9 d. ago Accountability test for Philippines’ Marcos family as budget scandal widens

A former prominent lawmaker now in hiding has released new videos accusing Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s family of orchestrating massive corruption, escalating a scandal that is fast becoming a test of accountability for one of Southeast Asia’s most politically influential dynasties. Observers told This Week in Asia that although Zaldy Co’s allegations remained unverified and required rigorous fact-checking, they struck at the core of a system where budget power, patronage and...

Economics

1 week ago Philippine military says ‘no junta’ in its ranks, warns against destabilisation

The Philippine military has confirmed that plots to oust President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr were “not far-fetched”, but downplayed fears of a coup led by troops and said there was “no junta” forming within its ranks. “There is no such thing as a military junta within the AFP,” military spokeswoman Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said on Tuesday, referring to the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Her comments come amid rising public anger over a corruption scandal linked to flood-control...

Events

1 week ago Philippine president on sister’s drug claims: ‘we’re worried about her’

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr refused to respond on Monday to an allegation by his estranged sister, a senator, that he has been a long-time drug addict whose cocaine dependence has undermined his governance, saying with a sombre tone that he did not want to discuss a family rift in public. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro has said that Senator Imee Marcos’ accusations against her own brother before a huge religious rally in Manila last week were “a web of lies”, and may...

Politics

1 week ago 8 arrested in Philippine flood control scandal, but will ‘big fish’ get away?

Eight officials from the Philippines’ Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have been arrested, marking a more assertive phase in President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s response to the sprawling flood control corruption scandal. Analysts, however, have described the step as narrowly focused on minor players, noting that investigators have yet to confront the high-profile lawmakers and contractors accused of driving the scheme, raising doubts about how far the inquiry is prepared to reach. The...

Events

2 w. ago Philippines’ Marcos orders arrest of Zaldy Co, 17 others in flood control scandal

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has confirmed that an arrest warrant has been issued for former lawmaker Zaldy Co and 17 others accused of involvement in anomalous infrastructure projects. The move marks the first major enforcement action since authorities began probing so-called “ghost” flood control projects, referring to substandard or non-existent works now at the centre of a sprawling corruption scandal. Marcos announced the development in a video posted to his social media...

Events

2 w. ago Marcos’ cousin faces plunder charges in Philippine corruption scandal

Plunder, corruption and bribery charges were recommended against Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s cousin for his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal. The Department of Public Works and Highways sought these charges against former House speaker Martin Romualdez during a filing at the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday. The same charges were also recommended for resigned lawmaker Zaldy Co, who was formerly head of the House of Representatives’ appropriations committee. Romualdez...

Politics

2 w. ago Marcos family feud: Philippine president ‘microdoses’ cocaine, sister claims

A searing public broadside by Senator Imee Marcos accusing her younger brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jnr, of using cocaine and cannabis has stunned the Philippines’ political establishment and intensified a bitter feud inside one of the country’s most powerful clans. Delivering her claims to a crowd of 600,000 at a rally organised by Iglesia ni Cristo – a religious group with historic ties to the Marcos family whose name translates to Church of Christ – Imee, 70, said she felt...

Politics

2 w. ago The Philippines’ political chameleon: Juan Ponce Enrile’s complicated legacy

The death of Juan Ponce Enrile has brought an end to one of the most complicated lives in Philippine politics – a man I covered for decades, whose brilliance, ruthlessness and endless reinventions shaped the country as much as they confounded those who tried to understand him. A central figure in the Philippines’ modern history, Enrile served as Ferdinand Marcos Snr’s defence minister during martial law, defected during the 1986 People Power revolt, and eventually reclaimed power as Senate...

Politics

2 w. ago Philippine church rallies over corruption scandal, piling pressure on Marcos

Thousands of members of an influential religious group started gathering in Manila on Sunday for a rally to call for accountability in the Philippine government over a widening corruption scandal. Iglesia ni Cristo members, wearing white shirts, assembled in the historic Quirino Grandstand and nearby streets in Manila city. Police estimated the crowd at 14,500 as of 8am local time. Some camped out overnight for a programme expected to start late in the afternoon. The Christian religious group...

Events

2 w. ago Can ‘passive’ Philippine body deliver accountability in anti

A new Philippine commission tasked with investigating alleged corruption in thousands of public flood control projects has begun issuing its first findings, but analysts warn the body was designed with too little power and independence to deliver real accountability. Created by President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr in response to mounting public anger over so-called ghost projects – flood control works that were paid for but either poorly built or did not exist at all – the Independent Commission for...

Politics

3 w. ago Juan Ponce Enrile, ally of Ferdinand Marcos Snr, dies at 101

Juan Ponce Enrile, a shrewd political operator who helped usher in the darkest repression of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos Snr’s rule, died on Thursday at the age of 101, his daughter said. Enrile, who was being treated for pneumonia, died at home at 4.21pm “surrounded by our family”, Katrina Ponce Enrile said on her Facebook page, adding there would be a public viewing. Known as the architect of the brutal martial law used to crush opposition to Marcos’ rule, Harvard-educated...

Events

4 w. ago Philippines’ Marcos ‘the main casualty’ of political issues as ratings fall

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s sharp decline in public trust and approval, set against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s steadier numbers, underscores the shifting balance of power between two of the most influential political dynasties in the Philippines. While both leaders remain broadly popular, analysts say the latest figures suggest Duterte-Carpio’s camp may be regaining momentum as Marcos grapples with scandals, governance missteps and waning confidence in his leadership – deepening a...

Politics

4 w. ago Philippines declares state of emergency after typhoon kills at least 140

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr declared a state of emergency on Thursday after Typhoon Kalmaegi killed at least 140 people and left another 127 missing in central provinces in the deadliest natural disaster to hit the country this year, as the storm headed towards Vietnam. Marcos’ emergency declaration, made during a meeting with disaster-response officials to assess the typhoon’s aftermath, would allow the government to disburse emergency funds faster and prevent food hoarding and...

Events