Advertisement
Advertisement
-
The Philippines
TOPIC
 / location

The Philippines

The Philippines
The Philippines
Latest news, in-depth features and opinion on the Philippines, covering politics, economy, society, and Manila’s relationships with China and its Southeast Asian neighbours.
Documents that were included in the US Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Photo: AP
Jeffrey Epstein

Did Philippine gig workers help Jeffrey Epstein clean up his online image?

The US Justice Department has released emails showing the sex offender might have recruited a ‘Philippine team’ to boost his reputation.

China-Middle East relations

Is China flexing its intelligence muscle by tracking US military moves near Iran?

videocam
19
South China Sea

Can China and Philippines ‘swap disputes with cooperation’ in disputed waters?

videocam
7
Ferdinand Marcos Jnr

On This Day | Turmoil in Philippines as People Power ends Marcos rule in 1986 – SCMP archive

On this day 40 years ago, a series of massive protests in Philippines ended the decades-long rule of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Snr.

A young protester slashes an oil painting of former Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos as looters stormed the presidential palace in Manila following his ouster in February 1986. File photo: AP
LGBTQ

Philippine Supreme Court ruling adds momentum to same-sex marriage debate

Advocates hailed the ruling as a breakthrough, though observers said its reach remains limited without congressional action.

videocam
Rodrigo Duterte

ICC prosecutor says Duterte bragged about drug war as ‘bodies piled up’

Edward Jeremy alleged that the ex-president drew up ‘death lists’ and children were strangled with wire and ‘sold’ to funeral homes.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
South China Sea

Chinese maritime militia in South China Sea hit ‘record high’ in 2025: US report

Deployments averaged 241 vessels per day, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative report says, notes waning role for civilian fishing fleets.

videocam
9
A vessel identified by the Philippine coastguard as Chinese maritime militia is seen near the contested Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in February 2025. Photo: AFP
China trade

US-Indonesia deal threatens China’s ‘entrenched position’ in nickel market: analysts

A new deal gives America unrestricted access to Indonesia’s nickel – and challenges China’s ‘preferential’ position in the market, analysts say.

5
Rodrigo Duterte

Video | From drug tsar to ICC detainee: the rise and fall of Rodrigo Duterte

The former Philippine leader has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the drug crackdown.

International Criminal Court

Duterte was ‘pivotal’ in murder of thousands, ICC prosecutors say

He has long insisted he instructed police to kill only in self-defence and has always defended the drug crackdown.

videocam
People protest in favour of the detention of former Philippines’ president Rodrigo Duterte outside the International Criminal Court where he will be questioned on charges of crimes against humanity, in The Hague on Monday. Photo: AFP
South China Sea

Art as advocacy: Philippine mural contest adds to South China Sea messaging push

The government-backed drive is the latest in a series of creative campaigns aiming to shape public narrative around the maritime dispute.

videocam
Members of the Philippine Navy take part in a collaborative colouring activity during the launch of the nationwide mural contest on February 10. Photo: Raissa Robles
UK Labour Party

Letters | How sincere is Labour’s narrative of compassion on the BN(O) pathway?

Readers discuss a route for Hongkongers wishing to acquire British citizenship, the US-Philippine military alliance, and a mass shooting in Canada.

Corruption in Asia

Views of corruption in Philippines worsen as ‘grease money’ dents confidence

A global index on corruption perceptions shows the Philippines posting its lowest ranking since 2012.

7
China trade

As high-speed railways saturate China, how far can their global reach extend?

As Chinese giants eye Eurasia for new infrastructure, analysts speculate on what it will take to keep overseas projects from going off the rails in different host nations.

videocam
15
A high-speed train leaves Tegalluar Station, located along the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway in Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua
Rodrigo Duterte

Families of Philippine drug war victims seek ICC justice as Duterte trial looms

A hearing that begins in The Hague on Monday will determine whether the ex-president will stand trial over at least 76 of those deaths.

videocam
Catholic priest Flavie Villanueva (right) joins hands with relatives of those killed in former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war during inurnment rites on Friday. Photo: AFP
Scams and swindles

Water prisons, torture: UN urges crackdown on brutal Southeast Asia scam centres

The agency’s latest report documents torture, sexual abuse, forced abortions, food deprivation and solitary confinement in the centres.

videocam
South China Sea

US missile deployments in Philippines signal deeper strategic shift in region

Analysts said the move bolsters the First Island Chain strategy and deepens Manila’s role in regional defence planning.

videocam
4
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
China’s coastguard

Chinese coastguard reveals growing reliance on drones at Scarborough Shoal

Lunar New Year post gives rare look at the role of uncrewed aircraft in training and operations near disputed South China Sea reef.

Qiu Canhui operates a drone aboard the Chinese coastguard vessel Wanshan near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on February 11. Photo: Xinhua
Japan

‘Knowing your friend’: Japan to join US-Philippines drills for first time

Australia also joins the fray as the US and its allies shift away from simple bilateral deals towards tighter regional security networks.

Sara Duterte-Carpio

Philippines’ Sara Duterte declares early 2028 run amid mounting legal pressure

Analysts say the vice-president’s timing aims to deter defections and harden political lines ahead of a prolonged contest.

videocam
SCMP Highlights

Indonesia’s tourist visa, Filipino attacked in Singapore mall: 7 Asia highlights

From scrutiny over Indonesia’s tourist visa to workplace pranks in Japan, here are a few highlights from SCMP’s recent Asia reporting.

Tourists walk through a shopping area in Kuta, Bali, Indonesia. Photo: EPA
China's military weapons

Why the growing network of American MQ-9 drones is a challenge for China

Reapers can carry out both reconnaissance and strike missions and an increasing number of US allies and partners are buying them.

72
The MQ-9 Reaper has been deployed as part of the US military’s surveillance network in the Indo-Pacific. Photo: Reuters
Rodrigo Duterte

ICC naming of Duterte’s allies sharpens Philippines’ political fault lines

Senators Ronald dela Rosa and Christopher Go named as alleged ‘co-perpetrators’ in the former president’s crimes against humanity case.

videocam
South China Sea

Opinion | Can Manila’s South China Sea strategy of defiance and diplomacy hold?

China and the Philippines are both signalling openness to diplomacy alongside continued military flexing, but this may not be sustainable.

videocam
ICE (US Immigration and Customs Enforcement)

ICE releases detained Filipino after ‘unreasonable failures of care’

Greggy Sorio, a Filipino green card holder who lost a toe and part of his foot to a bone infection, wins release following medical neglect.

Greggy Sorio. Photo: Tanggol Migrante Movement
Rodrigo Duterte

Philippine senators Go, Dela Rosa helped Duterte wage drug war: ICC prosecutors

The two sitting senators are among eight officials linked to the ex-president’s crimes against humanity charges, an ICC document says.

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte listens to then police director general Ronald Dela Rosa during a press conference on January 30, 2017. Photo: AFP
Asean

Asian Angle | How Asean can resolve its Myanmar dilemma post-election

Asean should not discard the Five-Point Consensus, but translate it into a politically astute strategy of conditional engagement.

videocam
4
Rodrigo Duterte

Too popular to impeach? Philippine efforts to unseat Duterte-Carpio face snags

There is some uncertainty over whether President Marcos’ allies would be able to make up the numbers to support the complaints.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement