Philippines

WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES - APRIL 17: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies at House Defense Subcommittee hearing on the President's budget request for the Department of Defense in Washington, DC on April 17, 2024. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

May 3, 2024 10:24 AM

South China Sea damage to Philippines ‘irresponsible’: US Defense secretary

The injuring of Filipino crew and damage to Philippine vessels in the South China Sea is "irresponsible behaviour and disregards international law", U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a joint press conference on Thursday (May 2). Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro told the press conference the job was to ensure that through building capacity and deterrence there were no situations where a Mutual Defense Treaty would be triggered. China claims sovereignty over much of the Sout...

LUNETA PARK, MANILA, NCR, PHILIPPINES - 2016/06/12: Yearly, on the 12th of June Philippines honor the declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule. Filipinos celebrate Philippines 118th Independence day at Luneta Park and declared as national holiday in the Philippines. (Photo by Star Magbanua/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

May 2, 2024 1:11 PM

Philippines summons Chinese diplomat over South China Sea flare-up

The Philippines summoned a Chinese diplomat on Thursday to protest Beijing's use of water cannon against Filipino vessels at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, describing it as harassment and "dangerous manoeuvres". Its foreign ministry said the deputy chief of mission was summoned to hear the 20th protest made by the Philippines against China this year, one of 153 under the current administration, over the conduct of its coast guard and fishing vessels that Manila maintains are militia. ...

April 27, 2024 12:55 PM

Philippines denies deal with China over disputed South China Sea shoal

The Philippines on Saturday denied a Chinese claim that the two countries had reached an agreement over an escalating maritime dispute in the South China Sea, calling the claim propaganda. A spokesperson at China's embassy in Manila said on April 18 that the two had agreed early this year to a "new model" in managing tensions at the Second Thomas Shoal, without elaborating. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Saturday his department was "not aware of, nor is it a part...

April 19, 2024 5:02 PM

India delivers BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Philippines

India has delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of the USD 375 million deal signed between the two countries in 2022. The missiles have been delivered at a time when tensions between Philippines and China have escalated owing to frequent clashes in the South China Sea. Three batteries of the BrahMos missile system would be deployed by the Philippines in the coastal areas to guard against any threat in the region. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile, a j...

April 13, 2024 2:52 PM

US, Japan, Philippines trilateral deal to change dynamic in South China Sea, Marcos says

A cooperation agreement by the Philippines, the United States and Japan will change the dynamic in the South China Sea and the region, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Friday, while seeking to assure China it was not a target. "I think the trilateral agreement is extremely important," Marcos told a press conference in Washington a day after meeting President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the nations' first trilateral summit. "It is going to change the ...

April 8, 2024 10:59 AM

Philippines will continue dialogue with China to ease South China Sea tensions, says president

Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday called on China to talk to prevent more incidents like ramming vessels and the use of water cannons in the South China Sea. The Philippines continues to talk with China, and is exhausting all options to speak to Chinese leadership so as not to heat up tensions in the waterway, Marcos said. He added he hopes the recently concluded joint maritime activity with Japan, Australia, and the United States will reduce incidents at sea with China. D...

April 3, 2024 5:52 PM

Philippines ready to counter China’s re-supply interference

The Philippines is prepared to respond to China's attempts to disrupt its supply missions in the South China Sea and protect its troops stationed in the waterway, a top security official said on Wednesday. Jonathan Malaya, the spokesperson of the National Security Council, said the Philippines is committed to maintaining its position at the Second Thomas Shoal and there will be no let up in re-supply missions to Filipino soldiers on a grounded warship there. "Our commitment to maintain BRP Sie...