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
2024 may be the world’s biggest-ever election year, but in the Philippines, voters are already looking ahead to 2028. While current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., elected in mid-2022, hasn’t even reached his second year in office yet, the country’s constitution currently permits only a single presidential term of six years, opening up early speculation … Read more
The Philippines is temporarily halting its onion imports until May—and possibly even up until July—in a bid to control prices from getting too cheap. It’s a complete 180 from the Southeast Asian nation’s problems a year ago—when dwindling supply of the staple vegetable was causing prices to become more expensive than beef. In January 2023, … Read more
January 12, 2024 5:00 AM EST A Philippine prosecutor has dismissed a criminal complaint of grave threats against former President Rodrigo Duterte due to lack of evidence. Read More: Philippine Prosecutor Subpoenas Ex-President Rodrigo Duterte Over Alleged Death Threat Quezon City Deputy City Prosecutor Leilia Llanes approved the dismissal of the complaint filed by House … Read more
MANILA (Reuters) -The U.S. embassy in Manila said on Thursday that the U.S. delivered fuel from one of its naval bases in Hawaii to a facility inside a former U.S. base in the Philippines in coordination with the government. A Philippines senator had criticised the “inexplicable silence” over the shipment, which she said raised suspicions … Read more
FILE–Former NBA player Dwight Howard. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images/AFP MANILA, Philippines—“Superman” got a message for his Filipino fans. While Dwight Howard posting a hilarious Tiktok video on Instagram wasn’t much of a surprise, his message to the country’s basketball fans was a bit unusual—in a good way. Some basketball icons want their arrival to the … Read more
By Laurie Chen BEIJING (Reuters) -China on Thursday said it will not turn a blind eye to repeated “provocations and harassment” by the Philippines, amid heightened tensions over a spate of run-ins in the South China Sea. Manila earlier this month accused the Chinese coastguard and maritime militia of repeatedly firing water cannons at its … Read more
MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines is not provoking conflict in the South China Sea, its military spokesperson said on Tuesday, responding to China’s accusation that Manila was encroaching on Beijing’s territory. It was the latest salvo amid rising tension as the two have traded accusations in recent months over a series of maritime run-ins, including China … Read more
BEIJING (AP) — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the country will maintain military pressure on the Philippines amid a dispute over sovereignty in the South China Sea that could involve U.S. forces defending their treaty partner. In a phone conversation Wednesday with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique A. Manalo, Wang “warned that if the Philippine … Read more