Tag: the philippines

US and Philippines Close Ranks Against China

Commentary As tensions rise between China and the Philippines over islands and resource rights in the South China Sea, the Biden administration has drawn a line in the sand. In response to standoffs between Chinese and Philippine coast guard ships within the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a State Department spokesman said on April 29…


US Urges China to Stop Harassing Philippine Vessels in Disputed Sea

The United States on Saturday urged China to stop harassing Philippine vessels in the South China Sea after a tense encounter between a Chinese coast guard ship and a Philippine patrol ship in the disputed waters. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the incident in the Ayungin Shoal—also known as the Second Thomas Shoal—was a…


Philippines Urges ‘Transparent and Sincere Engagement’ in US-China ‘Strategic Rivalry’

The Philippines has called for a commitment to dialogue in the “strategic rivalry” between the United States and China, as any escalation of tensions over Taiwan could lead to “adverse repercussions” for the entire Indo-Pacific region. Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) forum in Washington on Monday, Philippine Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo…


Philippines’ Marcos Cuts Off Contact With ICC Over Probe Into Drug-War Killings

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday that he had decided to cut ties with the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court denied the government’s appeal to cease a probe into his predecessor’s brutal war on drugs. “At this point, we essentially are disengaging from any contact, from any communication,” Marcos told reporters, according…


Philippines Says New Military Bases With US Will Bolster Defense on Eastern Coast

The Philippine leader said on March 22 that four new military bases targeted to host U.S. troops would be “scattered” around the nation, specifically focusing on reinforcing defense along the country’s eastern coast. Speaking to reporters, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines and the United States have already identified and agreed on the new…


Wreckage of Missing Philippine Plane Found After Month-Long Search, No Survivors

A Philippine rescue team has found the wreckage of a Philippine air force plane that crashed in northern Isabela province on Jan. 24 and went missing, but there were no survivors, an official said on Thursday. Constante Foronda, head of the Isabela incident management team, said the wreckage was found within a 20-kilometer (12 miles)…


Philippines in Talks With Australia, US for Joint Patrols in South China Sea

The Philippines has begun talks with Australia and the United States over possible joint maritime patrols in the disputed South China Sea to counter Beijing’s growing assertiveness in the region. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles met with Philippine Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez in Manila on Wednesday to discuss strengthening bilateral defense relations between the…


Philippine Leader Visits Japan to Forge Closer Security Ties Amid China Concerns

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Japan on Wednesday to hold talks with his Japanese counterpart on deepening security ties amid concerns over China’s increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific. Marcos will meet with Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other top officials during his five-day visit to Japan to enhance “regional cooperation in a…


US Seeks to Modernize Philippines Military, Resume Joint Maritime Patrols

The United States will help to modernize Philippine military capabilities and revive joint patrols in the South China Sea, which had been stalled during the previous Duterte administration, the U.S. defense chief said on Thursday. The move was announced following a meeting between U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Secretary…


ICC Judges Approve Request to Reopen Probe Into Philippines’ Drug War Killings

The International Criminal Court (ICC) said Thursday that it had granted its prosecutor’s request to reopen a probe into the alleged killings and rights abuses committed in the Philippines’ drug war campaign. The ICC judges concluded that the Philippine government failed to provide any evidence to support its claims that it was conducting concrete investigations…