Latest Rodrigo Duterte News
Ex-Philippine leader and democracy defender Ramos is buried
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos was laid to rest in a state funeral Tuesday, hailed as an ex-general who backed and then helped oust a dictatorship and became a defender of democracy and a can-do reformist in his poverty-wracked Asian country. ...
Marcos Jr. says Philippines won't rejoin international court
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Newly elected President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday the Philippines has no plan to rejoin the International Criminal Court, a decision that supports his predecessor’s stance but rejects the wishes of human rights activists. Former President Rodrigo...
US official warns Asian aggressors will face Western might
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Any Asian aggressor who violates the sovereignty of other countries in the region risks punitive counter actions, just like what Russia is confronting now for its invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. secretary of the Navy said in a veiled warning to China's increasingly...
AP Exclusive: Philippines scraps Russian chopper deal
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government has scrapped a deal to purchase 16 Russian military transport helicopters due to fears of possible U.S. sanctions, Philippine officials said. Former Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Tuesday night he canceled the...
Philippine leader vows recovery but quiet on human rights
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed to considerably ease poverty, boost economic recovery and defend the country’s territory in his first key policy speech Monday that avoided contentious issues like human rights and pervasive corruption. ...
Philippines ends stay of foreign peacekeepers in the south
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Foreign peacekeepers credited with helping ease years of bloody fighting between government forces and Muslim rebels have left the southern Philippines after officials decided to end their presence, but talks are underway to allow their possible return, officials and...
US warns it will defend ally if China breaks sea ruling
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on China to comply with a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's vast territorial claims in the South China Sea and warned that Washington is obligated to defend treaty ally Philippines if its forces, vessels or...
Marcos plays balancing act in meeting with China's FM
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — New Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with China’s top diplomat Wednesday to take up long-simmering disputes in the South China Sea, as he waded into foreign policy dilemmas that include the U.S.-China rivalry in the region. Chinese Foreign...
Rebel land mine wounds 7 soldiers in central Philippines
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A land mine set by suspected communist guerrillas wounded seven soldiers in the central Philippines on Tuesday, in one of the insurgents’ first known attacks since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last week. Army troops were checking reports...
Opposition: Philippines should rejoin international court
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Opposition leaders asked new Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday to restore the country's membership in the International Criminal Court to strengthen defenses against human rights abuses. Former President Rodrigo Duterte, whose six-year...
