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☆ ASEAN welcomes world leaders as China-U.S. rivalry overshadows region
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The United States and its allies have echoed ASEAN's calls for freedom of navigation and overflight and to refrain from building a physical presence in the area. Just before this week's gatherings, China released a map with its "10-dash line" delineating what it considers its waters, that appeared to expand its claims in the South China Sea. The United States has also courted ASEAN countries with varying degrees of success. 'GREAT DANGER'Lina Alexandra, a political analyst at think tank CSIS, said the draft was "very weak on the issues of the South China Sea". President Joko Widodo of ASEAN chair Indonesia warned on Tuesday that members must not become proxies in big-power rivalry.

Persons: Ferdinand " Bongbong, Marcos Jr, Lee Hsien Loong, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sarun, Pham Minh Chinh, Li Qiang, Joko Widodo, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, ASEAN's, Lina Alexandra, Alexandra, Wednesday's, Aung, Suu Kyi, Stanley Widianto, Kate Lamb, Kanupriya Kapoor, Robert Birsel Organizations: Singapore's, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam's, ASEAN, Wednesday, The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, U.S, White, United, Reuters, CSIS, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Laos, JAKARTA, United States, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, South China, States, South, Indonesia, ASEAN, Myanmar, Suu, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

The Chinese military regularly sends ships and aircraft through the channel, Taiwan's defence ministry has said. The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed port in Basco. Cayco confirmed the visit, saying they came "one time to assess" the proposed alternative port. Marcos has said the bases under the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) could prove useful if China attacked Taiwan. Jay Batongbacal, maritime affairs expert at the University of the Philippines, said the proposed port "would certainly be needed for the island’s defence in a worst case scenario."

Persons: Marvin Licudine, Andres Centino, Heather Variava, Noel Beleran, Eric Austin, Marilou Cayco, Batanes, Cayco, Kanishka, MARCOS, Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Jay Batongbacal, Poppy McPherson, Karen Lema, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Philippine Military, Embassy, Staff, Education, U.S, Reuters, China, Washington, U.S . Army, ., Enhanced, Security, University of the, Thomson Locations: Philippines, Philippine, U.S, MANILA, Taiwan . U.S, Taiwan, China, Washington, Pacific, Manila, Basco, Asia, Beijing, Batanes, South China, University of the Philippines, Luzon

☆ Australia says it will conduct more joint patrols with Philippines in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The joint exercises, a first for the two nations, come amid renewed tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea. Marcos spoke to journalists after Friday's beach landing drill in Zambales, near the South China Sea, which he watched with binoculars, accompanied by Marles and Philippines Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. At a joint news conference with Teodoro, Marles said the first joint patrols of the South China Sea by the two navies would "happen soon". The Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and Taiwan have claims to certain areas of the South China Sea. Most of Australia's trade goes through the South China Sea, and upholding international rules is a shared strategic interest with the Philippines, he earlier told ABC radio.

Persons: Richard Marles, Caroline Chia, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Marles, Gilbert Teodoro, Teodoro, Anthony Albanese, Kirsty Needham, Karen Lema, Gerry Doyle Organizations: Australian, REUTERS, Rights, Marines, Philippine Navy, Philippines Defense, ABC, Thomson Locations: Singapore, Australia, South, Philippines, Philippine, Canberra, China, South China, Zambales, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, U.S, Sydney, Manila

☆ Philippines says South China Sea outpost resupplied despite Chinese harassment
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Philippines on Tuesday said it had successfully delivered supplies to marines aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, a dilapidated military outpost in the contested South China Sea, despite attempts by Chinese vessels to block the mission. Liu said two Philippine supply vessels and two marine police vessels entered the waters “without the permission of the Chinese government.”The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Beijing claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it, even those hundreds of miles from the Chinese mainland. The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to various atolls, sandbars and islands of the sprawling South China Sea. Manila’s territorial claims are backed by the international Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled in 2016 that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea.

Persons: Thomas, Renai, Liu Dejun, Liu, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, ” Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, National Task Force, West Philippine, China Coast Guard, Chinese Maritime Militia, Philippine Coast Guard, China, China’s, Guard, “, Court Locations: Philippines, BRP Sierra, China, Beijing, South, United States, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine, Manila, The Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan, Hague, South China

☆ Philippines sees risk of conflict over Taiwan as a 'major concern'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Filipino soldiers stand at attention near a Philippine flag at Thitu island in disputed South China Sea April 21, 2017. "Major concern is also seen in the Cross-Straits relations that has the potential to be the flashpoint in the region," the government said in the document, published by the National Security Council, referring to the Taiwan Strait. The plan also covered government food and energy security priorities and noted that the South China Sea "remains a primary national interest". To achieve energy security, the government said it would explore development of offshore reserves, including in the South China Sea, to help reduce dependence on imports. Ties with China have grown tense under Marcos, as the Philippines pivots back to traditional ally the United States.

Persons: Erik De Castro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Karen Lema, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, National Security Council, Mutual Defense, U.S, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Thitu, China, Philippines, United States, Taiwan, Beijing, Japan, South, South China

☆ Lea Salonga on the groundbreaking representation of Broadway’s ‘Here Lies Love’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Ann Bindot | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“Here Lies Love” arrives onto Broadway, though, at a moment of greatly increased visibility, representation and empowered Filipino identity. Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images“Here Lies Love” is an immersive experience that invites show-goers to the dancefloor, literally, imbuing the proceedings with a fun, nightclub-meets-karaoke vibe. That’s what I remember.”When the Marcoses fled to Hawaii in 1986, having been granted asylum by the United States, Salonga was celebrating her 15th birthday in Manila. The cast of "Here Lies Love" performing onstage. Watching “Here Lies Love” over two decades later, the emotion returned, packing an even stronger punch.

Persons: —, Lea Salonga, Kim, Salonga, Tony, ”, Imelda Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos, Aurora Aquino, Benigno “ Ninoy ” Aquino, Corazon Aquino, Marcoses, Corazon’s, Benigno “ Noynoy, Corazon III, Imelda, Andy Hernandez, Conrad Ricamora, Ninoy Aquino, she’s, “, ’, ’ ”, I’ve, ” Salonga, …, “ I’m, Willa Kim, Will Rogers, ” Lea Salonga, Jonathan Pryce, Sonia Moskowitz, Marcos, “ Laban, John Nacion, Jose Llana, ‘ We’ve, I’m, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Romualdez Marcos Jr, Ferdinand, Moses Villarama, Apl.de.Ap, H.E.R, Jo Koy, Jose Antonio Vargas, David Byrne —, Fatboy Slim, Moammar Gadhafi, Fidel Castro, Ronald Reagan, Castro, Gadhafi, Billy Bustamante, Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman Organizations: CNN, New York, Broadway, San Francisco Bay Area, Manila International, Getty Locations: United States, Miss, ”, New, London, American, San Francisco Bay, Philippines, Manila, Mindoro, New York, ‘ Miss, New York City, Hawaii, “, Virginia

China Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERSMANILA, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Wednesday denied making an agreement with China to remove a grounded warship that serves as a military outpost in South China Sea, and said if there ever were such a deal, it should be considered rescinded. China on Monday accused the Philippines of reneging on a promise made "explicitly" to remove the ship, which was grounded in 1999 to bolster its territorial claims in one of the world's most contested areas. Jonathan Malaya, National Security Council assistant director general, earlier challenged China to produce evidence of the promise. China and the Philippines have been embroiled for years in on-off confrontations at the shoal, the latest on Saturday. China has built militarised, manmade islands in the South China Sea and its claim of historic sovereignty overlaps with the EEZs of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, I'm, Marcos, Jonathan Malaya, Thomas, Jay Batongbacal, Neil Jerome Morales, Karen Lema, Martin Petty Organizations: Coast Guard, China Coast Guard, REUTERS, National Security Council, Philippines, China, South China, University of the, Thomson Locations: Philippine, REUTERS MANILA, China, South China, Philippines, Sierra, Manila, reneging, China's, Sierra Madre, Malaya, South, Thomas Shoal . China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, University of the Philippines

☆ China repeats call for Philippines to remove grounded warship
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The dispute over the Second Thomas Shoal in South China Sea came after Manila accused China's coast guard of "excessive and offensive actions" against Philippines vessels. "China once again urges the Philippine side to immediately remove the warship from Second Thomas Shoal and restore it to its unoccupied state," China's foreign ministry said in a statement. Tensions have soared between the two countries over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports Manila in its maritime disputes with China. Echoing the foreign ministry, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines said on Tuesday China had no choice but to respond. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the waters of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Thomas, Jonathan Malaya, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Huang Xilian, Ella Cao, Liz Lee, Karen Lema, Jacqueline Wong, Gerry Doyle Organizations: China Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine, REUTERS, National Security Council, South China, China, Thomson Locations: South, BEIJING, MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Beijing, South China, China's, China, Philippine, Ayungin, United States, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan

Tensions have soared between the two neighbours over the South China Sea under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, with Manila pivoting back to the United States, which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. China's embassy in Manila criticised Washington for "gathering" its allies to continue "hyping up" the South China Sea issue and the boat incident. "South China Sea is not a 'safari park' for countries outside the region to make mischief and sow discord," the embassy said in a statement on Tuesday. The Second Thomas Shoal, which lies within the Philippines exclusive economic zone, is home to a handful of troops living aboard the former warship Sierra Madre. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, which overlaps with the exclusive economic zones of Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Erik De Castro, Rommel Ong, Ong, Collin Koh, There's, Koh, Jonathan Malaya, Lloyd Austin, Gilbert Teodoro, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson, Sharon Singleton Organizations: South China, coastguard, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Navy, REUTERS, Singapore's, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, Philippines National Security Council, China, U.S . Defense, Philippines Defense, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, Manila, South, Philippine, United States, China's, Washington, Sierra Madre, BRP Sierra, Spratly, Beijing, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan, U.S, Japan, France

☆ China tells Philippines to remove grounded warship in South China Sea
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING/MANILA, Aug 7 (Reuters) - China told the Philippines on Monday to remove its grounded warship from the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea after blocking two Manila supply ships with water cannons over the weekend as both sides asserted their claims of the area. The Philippines in 1999 intentionally grounded the warship to stake its claim to the Second Thomas Reef, a submerged reef that is part of the Spratly islands in the South China Sea. China over the weekend said it had "indisputable" sovereignty of the area and urged the Philippines to stop infringing activities in this waters. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday that the country continued to assert its sovereignty and territorial rights despite challenges in the South China Sea. China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and the Spratly island, which consists of many islets, reefs banks and shoals and lie in the centre of South China Sea and along major shipping lanes.

Persons: Thomas Shoal, Thomas, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Albee Zhang, Neil Jerome Morales Organizations: China, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, MANILA, China, Philippines, South, Manila, Philippine, Spratly, South China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Beijing

Images from the Philippine Coast Guard also showed the Chinese ship moving dangerously close in front of the Philippine Coast Guard vessels as they escorted the resupply boats. Manila’s claims are backed by the international Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, which ruled in 2016 that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea. “Two Filipino supply vessels and two coast guard vessels illegally intruded into the waters adjacent to Renai Reef in China’s Nansha Islands,” Gan Yu, spokesman for the China Coast Guard, said according to the statement published on its website Sunday. Gan reasserted Chinese territorial claims on the islands and the South China Sea and vowed to continue law-enforcement activity within the region. And on Monday, China’s coast guard, in a statement, accused Manila of trying to “permanently occupy” Chinese sovereign territory.

Persons: Thomas, Renai, Matthew Miller, Ottawa “ unreservedly, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Thomas Shoal, Collin Koh, ”, Koh, Philippine Sen, Alan Peter Cayetano, Gan Yu, Gan, Jeffrey Ordaniel, Blake Herzinger, Lloyd Austin, Gilberto Teodoro Jr, Jonathan Malaya, ” Koh, Ordaniel Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, South China, Philippines Mutual Defense, US State Department, Canadian Embassy, Ottawa, Chinese Coast Guard, Philippines Coast Guard Philippine, Philippine Foreign Ministry, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Court, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, CNN Philippines, China Coast Guard, Facebook, Pacific Forum, Tokyo International University, United States Studies Center, US, Philippine, Monday’s, National Security Council Locations: China, Philippine, South, United States, Philippines, Washington, Manila, Australia, Japan, Germany, South China, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, BRP Sierra, Hague, Singapore, China’s Nansha, China’s, “, Malaya

CNN —The Philippines has accused Chinese Coast Guard ships of firing water cannons and making “dangerous maneuvers” at its ships in the South China Sea. “(China) has no lawful claim to the maritime area around Second Thomas Shoal,” it said in a statement published on Saturday. One of the world’s most contested regionsThe South China Sea has long been a source of tension between Manila and Beijing. Beijing claims “indisputable sovereignty” over almost all of the 1.3 million square mile South China Sea, as well as most of the islands within it. Relations were strained in December when Manila expressed “great concern” about the presence of Chinese vessels in the contested waterway.

Persons: Thomas, Second Thomas, Thomas Shoal, Xi Jinping, Ferdinand Marcos Jr Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Philippine Coast Guard, US State Department, BRP, BRP Sierra Madre, Philippine Locations: Philippines, South China, China, Ayungin, Spratly, Second, Manila, Beijing, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Philippine, BRP Sierra

☆ EU ready to strengthen maritime security cooperation with the Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., claps beside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, after signing ceremonies at the Malacanang Presidential Palace in Manila, Philippines, July 31, 2023.Aaron Favila/POOL via REUTERSMANILA, July 31 (Reuters) - The European Union is ready to strengthen cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday, as she stressed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. She was speaking after a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Manila where the two leaders discussed a range of issues from security and trade to climate change. "We are ready to strengthen the cooperation with the Philippines on maritime security in the region by sharing information, conducting threat assessment and building the capacity of your coast guard," she said in a joint press conference with Marcos. Von der Leyen on Monday reaffirmed the EU's support for a 2016 international arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's expansive claims, saying the ruling is legally binding and provides the basis for resolving disputes peacefully. Von der Leyen also said the European Union will support the Philippines' fight against climate change, which is a priority for Marcos as he pushes to increase renewables in the country's power mix to 35% by 2030.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Ursula von der Leyen, Aaron Favila, Marcos, Von der Leyen, Karen Lema, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Philippine, European, REUTERS, European Union, Thomson Locations: Manila, Philippines, REUTERS MANILA, The Philippines, United States, China, South China, European

☆ Philippines seeks rice supply boost, may look to India
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"I'm thinking about the national supply for rice," Marcos told officials in the northern province of Cagayan, where he went to assess the damage from Typhoon Doksuri. "Everybody is preparing for El Nino, all of Southeast Asia. " The Philippines, one of the world's biggest rice importers, traditionally buys the staple grain mainly from its neighbour Vietnam. India last week banned exports of non-basmati white rice - its largest rice export category - to ease domestic prices that climbed after rains caused significant crop damage. "That's why I'm getting nervous over possible spikes in (local) prices even if we import."

Persons: Marcos, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Doksuri, Enrico Dela Cruz, Mayank Bhardwaj, William Mallard Organizations: El Nino, El, Thomson Locations: Vietnam, Philippines, MANILA, Philippine, India, El Nino, Cagayan, Southeast Asia, New Delhi, Thailand, Ukraine

MANILA, July 24 (Reuters) - Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Monday touted his administration's successes over the past year, including battling inflation and steering the economy back on track, but said a number of economic challenges lie ahead. After more than a year in office, buffeted by soaring inflation that has dented economic growth, the government is now "stabilising the prices of all critical commodities", Marcos said. "Inflation rate is moving in the right direction," he said in his second state of the nation address. Developing the long-neglected farm sector, which contributes 10% of the country's economic output, is a priority for Marcos, who also helms the agriculture ministry. The Philippines remains vulnerable to global price shocks because it buys a sizeable portion of its rice overseas, and relies on imports for most of its fuel requirements.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, helms, Michael Ricafort, Enrico dela Cruz, Eloisa Lopez, Bernadette Baum, Mark Potter Organizations: Rizal Commercial Banking Corp, Asia's, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Philippine, Rizal, China, Manila, United States

Hong Kong CNN —A growing typhoon is sweeping across the Pacific Ocean toward the Philippines, with forecasters warning it could strengthen into a supertyphoon and press on towards Taiwan, Hong Kong or mainland China later this week. Typhoon Doksuri began as a tropical storm in the Western Pacific on Sunday morning, according to the United States’ Joint Typhoon Warning Center. That could increase to about 18 inches of rainfall by Wednesday as the typhoon intensifies and heads toward the northern part of the South China Sea – spelling potential trouble for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and parts of southern China. The Hong Kong Observatory has asked the public to monitor weather announcements, warning the typhoon will bring high heat and thunderstorms ahead of its arrival. The city has just experienced another storm, Typhoon Talim, a week ago, which prompted authorities to close schools and the stock market.

Persons: Doksuri, Ferdinand R, Marcos Jr, Talim Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Pacific, Warning, Pagasa, South China, Hong, Philippine, Hong Kong Observatory Locations: Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan, China, United States, Luzon, South, Taiwan Strait, China’s Guangdong, “

☆ Philippines closely monitors threat of invasion of Taiwan - defence chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Nonetheless, we continue to plan on all contingencies not merely any flashpoint between China and Taiwan, but any contingency within the theatre," he added. A priority for the Philippines is the safety of the more than 100,000 of its nationals living and working in Taiwan. Without providing specifics, Teodoro, said the contingency measures being discussed were "a multi-agency effort and not only a defence effort". The Philippines has granted access to four additional bases this year, some facing north towards Taiwan. "Hopefully, the engagements bilaterally between the United States and China leads to the diffusion of tensions in that theatre," said Teodoro.

Persons: Gilbert Teodoro, Teodoro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Karen Lema, Martin Petty Organizations: U.S ., Philippine, Washington, Thomson Locations: MANILA, China, Taiwan, U.S, Philippines, Pacific, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, United States, Washington, Beijing

☆ International Criminal Court rejects Philippine attempt to block drugs war killings probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Kathleen Magramo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The decision comes after the ICC said in January it would revive its investigation into possible “crimes against humanity” during Duterte’s tenure. More than 6,000 people have been killed in anti-drug operations since Duterte launched his controversial drug war soon after taking office in 2016, according to police data. Duterte’s administration and its successor under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have pushed back against the ICC’s probe into drug war killings in the country, denouncing the investigations as unjust. The Philippines was formerly a signatory to the ICC but Duterte canceled the country’s membership after the court began probing his drug war. Remulla accused the ICC of having a “political agenda” to resume the investigation, and is an interference to the freedom and sovereignty of the country.

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte’s, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, ”, Duterte, Kristina Conti, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, pullout, Marcos Jr, Jesus Crispin Remulla, Remulla, ” Bryony Lau, “, Marcos Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, Hague, Twitter, Duterte, Human Rights Locations: Philippine, Philippines, Manila, Asia

☆ ICC ruling opens way to investigation on killings in Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a ruling on July 18, the ICC appeals judges rejected an attempt by the Philippines to block an investigation into the bloody anti-narcotics campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte. A majority of judges rejected all four points of Manila's appeal, including that the ICC has no jurisdiction in the Philippines and that authorities there were conducting their own investigation. "The ICC appeals judges' ruling marks the next step toward justice for victims of 'drug war' killings and their families," Bryony Lau, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said in a statement. The decision left some of the families of drug war victims in tears after they watched the court proceeding online. But appeals judges ruled prosecutors still had jurisdiction over the alleged crimes because they occurred when the Philippines was still an ICC member.

Persons: Rodrigo Duterte, Harry Roque, Roque, Marc Perrin de Brichambaut, Bryony Lau, Kristina Conti, HRW's Lau, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Anthony Deutsch, Benoit Van Overstraeten, Neil Jerome Morales, Eloisa Lopez, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Emma Rumney, Alex Richardson Organizations: Criminal Court, ICC, Philippine, Human Rights Watch, Duterte, Police, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Asia, Amsterdam

☆ Xi tells ex-Philippine president Duterte to promote ties with China
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BEIJING, July 17 (Reuters) - China's President Xi Jinping told former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to continue to promote cooperation between the two countries, after bilateral relations cooled with Duterte's successor seeking closer ties with Washington. Ferdinand Marcos Jr was elected as president for a six-year term in 2022, taking over from Duterte who had adopted a more pro-China stance. Under Marcos, relations between China and the Philippines have grown tense, with Manila pivoting back to its traditional ally, the United States. "During your tenure as president of the Philippines, you had resolutely made the strategic choice to improve relations with China in an attitude of being responsible to the people and to history," Xi told Duterte. Last month, Duterte told domestic media that the Philippines could become a "graveyard" if it gets caught up in U.S.-China tensions.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Rodrigo Duterte, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Xi, Marcos, Joe Biden, Duterte, Ryan Woo, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Washington, . Washington, Beijing, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Philippine, Duterte, China, Philippines, Beijing, Manila, United States, U.S, ., Taiwan

☆ Philippine finance secretary sees 'long pause' in rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, June 25 (Reuters) - Philippine Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said he expected the central bank, of which he is a policymaker, to take a "long pause" in raising interest rates steady as inflation is expected to ebb. The bank held its key policy rate steady at 6.25% for a second straight meeting on Thursday. I don't see any cut until we really have that strong evidence of a decline" in inflation, Diokno said. He is one of the seven members of the policy-making Monetary Board, which next meets on Aug. 17 to review policy under the leadership of a new central bank governor. Since May last year, the central bank raised rates 425 basis points to combat inflation.

Persons: Benjamin Diokno, Diokno, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Eli Remolona, Felipe Medalla, Neil Jerome Morales, WIlliam Mallard Organizations: Philippine Finance, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Bangko

☆ Philippines agrees $1.14 bln loans with World Bank for environment, farming
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, June 26 (Reuters) - The Philippines on Monday said it had signed four loan agreements with the World Bank totalling $1.14 billion, including $750 million of budgetary support for policy reforms to boost environmental protection and climate resilience. The agreements also include $276 million of funding support for two projects aimed at developing the agriculture and fisheries sectors, and $110 million financing for improving education quality, according to the Philippines' finance department. The Southeast Asian country is looking to transform its long-neglected farm sector into an engine of growth. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, who is also the agriculture minister, has vowed to undertake reforms to improve productivity of the sector, which in recent years accounted for about a tenth of gross domestic product. Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Editing by Martin PettyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Enrico Dela Cruz, Martin Petty Organizations: World Bank, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines

☆ Opinion | Your Brain Has Tricked You Into Thinking Everything Is Worse
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Adam Mastroianni | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Perhaps no political promise is more potent or universal than the vow to restore a golden age. What these political myths have in common is an understanding that the golden age is definitely not right now. I and my colleague Daniel Gilbert at Harvard have found evidence for that bug, which we recently published in the journal Nature. We first collected 235 surveys with over 574,000 responses total and found that, overwhelmingly, people believe that humans are less kind, honest, ethical and moral today than they were in the past. Respondents of all sorts — young and old, liberal and conservative, white and Black — consistently agreed: the golden age of human kindness is long gone.

Persons: Caesar Augustus, Medicis, Adolf Hitler, Xi Jinping, “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Donald Trump’s “, ”, Joe Biden’s, Daniel Gilbert, pollsters, — Organizations: Harvard Locations: China, Philippines

To help address that, Tokyo in April said it would offer like-minded countries military aid, including radars, that the officials said would help the Philippines plug defensive gaps. One, however, said the aid effort was a Japanese initiative and not anything the United States had pressed for. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs said it was not immediately able to comment on security aid from Japan or hosting Japanese troops. LOOSENING THE RULESThe scope of Japanese military aid is limited by a self-imposed ban on lethal equipment exports. But he said Japan and the United States are treading carefully in trilateral talks with the Philippines.

Persons: Read, Fumio, Katsutoshi Kawano, Joe Biden's, Jake Sullivan, Takeo Akiba, Eduardo Ano, Fumio Kishida, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Kishida, Kawano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Marcos, Yusuke Ishihara, Tim Kelly, Sakura Murakami, Yukiko Toyoda, Neil Jerome Morales, Gerry Doyle Organizations: U.S, Marines, Warriors, Philippine Marine Corps, Japanese, Reuters, Washington, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine, Group, Seven, Self - Defence Forces, Staff, Japan's National Institute for Defense Studies, Thomson Locations: Philippine, Japan, South Korea, ”, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, TOKYO, Indonesia, Taiwan, Ukraine, East Asia, Tokyo, Pacific, China, Japanese, United States, Kyiv, Manila, Yonaguni, Britain, Australia

☆ Magnitude 6.3 earthquake strikes northern Philippines
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MANILA, June 15 (Reuters) - An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck the Philippines' main island on Thursday, authorities said, halting some railway operations in the capital Manila. No casualties or major damage were reported after the quake, which struck out at sea at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.21 miles) and was felt in nearby provinces, the Philippine seismology agency said. Operations of the three elevated railway lines in Manila were stopped due to the earthquake, the transport ministry said. The seismology agency initially recorded a magnitude 6.2 earthquake, but later revised it to 6.3. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru, Enrico Dela Cruz and Neil Jerome Morales in Manila; Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Peter Oliver Palacio, Jahnavi, Enrico Dela Cruz, Neil Jerome Morales, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Railways, GMA, Thomson Locations: MANILA, Philippines, Manila, Philippine, Calatagan, Bengaluru

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