4 d. ago Did Philippine VP Sara Duterte’s jailbreak ‘joke’ keep her dad in ICC detention?

The International Criminal Court’s ruling that Rodrigo Duterte is too politically connected to be trusted on interim release – citing his entrenched networks and even a “joke” from his daughter about breaking him out – has entwined the former president’s legal predicament with the political dynamics shaping the 2028 race. Analysts told This Week in Asia that the decision has narrowed the 80-year-old’s room for political manoeuvre while potentially strengthening, under some circumstances, the...

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 ‘Pressure from China’: US, Philippines take cyberwar games to the next level

The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt, head of the US embassy’s information and communications technology unit, said specialised training ranges and sophisticated threat-emulation software would be incorporated into next year’s Balikatan drills so troops could rehearse defending...

Events

9 d. ago Are US, Philippines preparing for a future cyber ‘confrontation’ with China?

The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt, head of the US embassy’s information and communications technology unit, said specialised training ranges and sophisticated threat-emulation software would be incorporated into next year’s Balikatan drills so troops could rehearse defending...

Politics

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 Can Manila as Asean chair deliver progress on Myanmar and South China Sea code?

As the Philippines prepares to take over the rotating Asean chairmanship next year, Manila faces the daunting task of managing a protracted civil war in Myanmar while pushing for progress on a long-delayed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Analysts say Manila must navigate an Asean agenda crowded with difficult trade-offs, balancing the crisis in Myanmar where progress is expected to remain incremental with a COC process facing a 2026 deadline, even as internal divisions within the...

Society

1 week ago How Philippines might navigate Asean’s divisions as it prepares to lead bloc

As the Philippines prepares to take over the rotating Asean chairmanship next year, Manila faces the daunting task of managing a protracted civil war in Myanmar while pushing for progress on a long-delayed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea. Analysts say Manila must navigate an Asean agenda crowded with difficult trade-offs, balancing the crisis in Myanmar where progress is expected to remain incremental with a COC process facing a 2026 deadline, even as internal divisions within the...

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 Alice Guo gets life term for human trafficking linked to Philippine scam hub

A Philippine court found a former mayor guilty of qualified human trafficking and sentenced her to life imprisonment over her role in setting up a scam centre that victimised foreigners, as Southeast Asian governments vow to fight transnational criminal syndicates. A regional trial court issued the verdict against ex-Bamban town chief Alice Guo, according to the Presidential Anti-Organised Crime Commission. There was no immediate reaction from Guo and her lawyers. Guo helped incorporate Baofu...

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 Why is Mary Jane Veloso still in prison a year after Indonesia let her go?

Mary Jane Veloso’s lawyers have asked the Philippine Supreme Court to explain why the woman who once narrowly escaped execution in Indonesia remains behind bars in the Philippines nearly a year after her return, despite facing no criminal charges under local law. The petition has revived international attention on a case that for years sat at the intersection of labour migration, human trafficking and Southeast Asia’s harsh drug laws – and continues to raise questions about how Manila protects...

Events

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 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

3 w. ago Potential arrest of Duterte ally Dela Rosa tests Philippines’ ICC obligation

The Philippine government is facing mounting legal and political uncertainty after reports emerged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the former national police chief widely seen as the main enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs. Dela Rosa, a long-time Duterte ally and now a sitting senator, oversaw the Philippine National Police during the early years of Duterte’s presidency, when...

Events

3 w. ago ‘Test the waters’: rumoured ICC plan to arrest Duterte ally grips Philippines

The Philippine government is facing mounting legal and political uncertainty after reports emerged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the former national police chief widely seen as the main enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs. Dela Rosa, a long-time Duterte ally and now a sitting senator, oversaw the Philippine National Police during the early years of Duterte’s presidency, when...

Events

3 w. ago Will East Timor be Philippines’ new voice on maritime law in Asean?

Poised to take up the Asean chair position, the Philippines’ courting of the regional bloc’s latest member, East Timor, signals its intent to secure a new ally in promoting maritime security among the 11 strong grouping of nations. But analysts say the budding partnership is more likely a symbolic rather than a strategic one, with the Philippines playing more of a mentor role to the newcomer. On the sidelines of the defence chiefs meeting in Kuala Lumpur on October 31, following the Association...

Politics

3 w. ago Philippines courts East Timor as new South China Sea ally in Asean

Poised to take up the Asean chair position, the Philippines’ courting of the regional bloc’s latest member, East Timor, signals its intent to secure a new ally in promoting maritime security among the 11 strong grouping of nations. But analysts say the budding partnership is more likely a symbolic rather than a strategic one, with the Philippines playing more of a mentor role to the newcomer. On the sidelines of the defence chiefs meeting in Kuala Lumpur on October 31, following the Association...

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