Latest Ferdinand Marcos Jr. News

A growing Filipino diaspora means plenty of celebration worldwide for Philippine Independence Day

Jun. 11, 2024 02:08 AM EDT

In the Philippines — where Spanish and later U.S. colonial rule persisted for nearly four centuries — June 12 is the real Independence Day. That date in 1898 was the pivotal moment when the island nation first made a bold move for autonomy. Ahead of this year's holiday in...

Zelenskyy in Manila to promote peace summit, which he says China and Russia are trying to undermine

Jun. 03, 2024 11:46 AM EDT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Philippine president on Monday in a rare Asian trip to urge regional leaders to attend a Swiss-organized global peace summit on the war in Ukraine that he accuses Russia, with China’s help, of trying to undermine. ...

Chinese defense minister accuses US of causing friction with its support for Taiwan and Philippines

Jun. 01, 2024 23:17 PM EDT

SINGAPORE (AP) — China's defense minister on Sunday acknowledged the importance of newly renewed military-to-military communications with the United States as tensions escalate in the Asia-Pacific, while at the same time accusing Washington of causing the friction with its support for Taiwan and...

US defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks

Jun. 01, 2024 10:05 AM EDT

SINGAPORE (AP) — United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him...

Top US and Chinese defense officials seek to restore communications as tensions rise in Indo-Pacific

May. 31, 2024 10:46 AM EDT

SINGAPORE (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his Chinese counterpart for more than an hour Friday, as the two countries seek to repair lines of communications between their militaries that could be critical as tensions continue to rise between the two in the Indo-Pacific region....

Philippines says it will forge security alliances and stage combat drills despite China's opposition

May. 24, 2024 04:45 AM EDT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippines will continue to build security alliances and stage joint combat drills in disputed waters to defend its territorial interests, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Friday, dismissing China’s criticisms of such moves as paranoia. ...

US and Philippine forces sink a ship during largescale drills in the disputed South China Sea

May. 09, 2024 01:18 AM EDT

LAOAG, Philippines (AP) — U.S. and Philippine forces, backed by an Australian air force surveillance aircraft, unleashed a barrage of high-precision rockets, artillery fire and airstrikes Wednesday and sank a mock enemy ship as part of largescale war drills in and near the disputed South China...

China publicizes for the first time what it claims is a 2016 agreement with Philippines

May. 03, 2024 09:46 AM EDT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — For the first time, China has publicized what it claims is an unwritten 2016 agreement with the Philippines over access to South China Sea islands. The move threatens to further raise tensions in the disputed waterway, through which much of the world's trade...

Philippines' Marcos says 'not one person died' as police make huge drug bust, in dig at predecessor

Apr. 16, 2024 02:14 AM EDT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday police seized the largest haul of methamphetamine in the country in years without anybody being killed, in a subtle criticism of his predecessor’s notoriously deadly crackdown on illegal drugs. ...

The Philippine president says he won't give US access to more local military bases

Apr. 15, 2024 21:03 PM EDT

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine president said Monday his administration has no plan to give the United States access to more Philippine military bases and stressed that the American military's presence in several camps and sites so far was sparked by China’s aggressive actions in the...