President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.—the son and namesake of the Philippines’ late dictator—has floated the idea of holding a national vote to amend the Southeast Asian country’s constitution at the same time as its upcoming midterm elections in 2025. “If possible, we can have the plebiscite in the local elections to be held in May … Read more
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. just laughed off allegations that he’s a user of illegal drugs—a charge recently leveled at him by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte. “I think it’s the fentanyl,” Marcos, 66, told local reporters on Monday, turning the accusation back on Duterte. “After five, six years, it has to affect him; that’s … Read more
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. struck back on Monday at his firebrand predecessor Rodrigo Duterte who called him a “drug addict”, saying the former leader’s fentanyl use could have affected his judgment. “I think it’s the fentanyl,” Marcos told reporters shortly before leaving for Vietnam in response to claims made by Duterte … Read more
MANILA, Philippines — Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is throwing allegations at his successor, Fernando Marcos Jr., and even raising the prospect of removing him from office, bringing into the open a long-rumored split between the two. In an expletive-laden speech late Sunday, the former populist leader alleged Marcos’ legislative allies are plotting to amend … Read more
The Philippines’ top defense official brushed aside coup rumors against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying the nation’s military that has a history of ouster plots is professional and will follow the chain of command. “These adventures before are a thing of the past already,” Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said in an interview on Wednesday … Read more
A Chinese Coast Guard ship sails near a Philippine vessel (R) that was part of a convoy of civilian boats in the disputed South China Sea on December 10, 2023. A convoy of civilian boats planning to deliver provisions to Filipino fishermen and troops in the disputed South China Sea aborted the trip on December … Read more
Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave MANILA — An explosion in the southern Philippines that killed at least four people Sunday was “perpetrated by foreign terrorists,” according to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The blast took place during a Catholic mass held inside a gymnasium at Mindanao State University in the majority-Muslim city of … Read more
November 24, 2023 3:05 AM EST Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stood by his position against an international probe on former leader Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, underlining his efforts to keep the ruling alliance intact. “It’s not right for outsiders to tell us who to investigate, who the police will arrest or detain,” Marcos told … Read more
MANILA (Reuters) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Sunday strongly condemned the killing of a Filipino journalist and ordered the police to conduct an investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. The journalist, Juan Jumalon, also known as “DJ Johnny Walker”, was shot by unidentified assailants while broadcasting from his home in a southern … Read more
Comment on this storyComment MANILA — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was visiting a province outside the capital, Manila, last month when his national security adviser urgently contacted him: China had installed a floating barrier in part of the sea claimed by the Philippines. Should it be removed? Marcos’s decision was almost immediate, according to … Read more