68 m. ago How the next Philippine president could reshape its South China Sea policy

With Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr about halfway through his six-year term, questions are growing over whether his successor will uphold his firmer stance on the South China Sea or, as one senior official has warned, retreat to the symbolic “jet ski” posturing and softer policies seen under his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. Last month’s midterm elections delivered a split Senate, with Marcos-aligned candidates winning five of the 12 contested seats and Duterte allies clinching the...

Politics

2 d. ago Philippines’ Marcos softens stance amid economic pressures but will China bite?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s recent call to Filipino-Chinese businessmen to boost Manila’s bilateral ties with Beijing has raised the possibility that the Philippine leader is softening his stance on China. However, while the president’s sudden pivot could signal a recalibration of his approach, observers say the move is unlikely to yield any results in the near term because of his earlier hardline policy, including a statement earlier this month by his defence chief at a major security...

Economics

3 d. ago ‘Sara has momentum’: how Philippine VP won round 1 of impeachment row

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio has won round one of her impeachment battle after her allies in the Senate tossed back the bid to the Lower House on claims it was “defective” and “unconstitutional”. The unprecedented move on Tuesday, which was settled by a vote of 18-5, has triggered an intense debate online about the senators’ actions and Duterte-Carpio’s political future. “I think, for now, Sara has momentum even if the president still has three years left in his term of office,”...

Politics

5 d. ago Philippine senators split over legality of delaying Duterte’s impeachment trial

Mounting calls from legal scholars, civil society and protest groups are putting the Philippine Senate under pressure to launch an impeachment trial against Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio – even as her allies move to have the case dismissed. Duterte-Carpio was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5 on a wide range of serious charges that include large-scale corruption and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr, his wife and the speaker of the house –...

Politics

1 week ago Can Rodrigo Duterte serve as Davao mayor from ICC detention?

Rodrigo Duterte, the firebrand former president of the Philippines, has made political history – not once, but twice. First, as the only ex-Philippine leader to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). And now, as the first to win a mayoral race while imprisoned abroad, securing an extraordinary landslide victory from a detention cell in The Hague. The post he won is no ordinary local office. It is the mayorship of Davao City, the southern Philippine...

Politics

1 week ago A legal impossibility? Experts weigh in on Duterte’s Davao win from detention

Rodrigo Duterte, the firebrand former president of the Philippines, has made political history – not once, but twice. First, as the only ex-Philippine leader to face charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). And now, as the first to win a mayoral race while imprisoned abroad, securing an extraordinary landslide victory from a detention cell in The Hague. The post he won is no ordinary local office. It is the mayorship of Davao City, the southern Philippine...

Politics

2 w. ago ‘They’ve smelled blood’: battle for 2028 presidency begins in Philippines

As the dust settles from the shock of the Philippines’ midterm election, it is clear that President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and his dynastic rivals, the Dutertes, have fought to a stalemate, with both camps securing an equal number of Senate seats. This political deadlock ensures that the immediate focus of national politics will revolve around the rivalry between the two powerful clans. For Marcos’ administration, pressing economic and foreign-policy issues are likely to take a back seat to two...

Events