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AllAfrica
07-08-2025
- Politics
- AllAfrica
Court gives Sara Duterte a new lease on political life
MANILA – Sara Duterte, the feisty Philippine vice president and arch-rival of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has gotten a new lease on political life after the Senate voted not to proceed with an impeachment trial against her. In February, Duterte became the first Philippine vice president to be impeached for charges of violating the constitution, massive corruption and of allegedly plotting to assassinate Marcos and his wife. Shortly thereafter, her father – ex-strongman Rodrigo Duterte, initially seen as untouchable – was arrested and swiftly flown to the Hague to face trial for 'crimes against humanity' for the thousands of deaths in his brutal war on drugs campaign while serving as president from 2016-2022. Marcos has tried to distance himself from the troubles of the Duterte family, but pundits here believe that the legislative victory for Sara Duterte – albeit controversial – could cement her family's political dynasty at the national level. New elections are due in May 2028, where Sara Duterte is expected to vie for the presidency. By law, Marcos is limited to one six-year term. The Supreme Court, a coequal branch of the government, struck down the impeachment complaint but did not absolve Sara Duterte of the complaints lodged against her. It said that the case could be refiled next year, but few believe it will go ahead after the top court's ruling. On Wednesday, 19 senators voted to archive the impeachment, four wanted it to proceed, while one abstained. Political and security analyst Chester Cabalza, head of the International Development and Security Cooperation think-tank, said that the vote meant that many still see the Duterte family as power brokers. 'The Dutertes have a stronghold in the judiciary and the upper chamber of the legislative branch,' Cabalza told Asia Times on Thursday (August 7). 'While the country is politically polarized, the Dutertes have had a share of why politicians are hedging with them.' The Senate's archiving of the motion means that 'Sara remains an undisputed candidate for the 2028 presidential election,' he said. 'And her probable win is also China's preferential pivot and return to power,' in the Philippines, Cabalza added. He was referring to China's unprecedented access to the inner sanctum of Philippine politics during the term of Rodrigo Duterte, who had crossed swords with long-time defense ally the United States in favor of China. He embraced Chinese investors, went to China five times, openly fawned over Chinese President Xi Jinping and ignored a 2016 arbitral ruling in favor of Manila over their disputes in the South China Sea. When Marcos succeeded Rodrigo Duterte, he swiftly repaired strained bilateral ties with Washington, allowing American troops access to additional Filipino bases in the north, including those where they could readily monitor Taiwan amid rising fears of a Chinese invasion. Politicians, Cabalza said, 'are still betting their fates and chances with Sara in case she wins' as president three years from now. In May, many of the politicians that she backed in the campaign for congressional and senatorial positions won. In fact, Rodrigo Duterte, also won as mayor of his hometown, Davao City, even while in International Criminal Court (ICC) detention, as did his son, Sebastian, who won as vice-mayor. Another son, Paolo, won reelection to Congress. Senator Imee Marcos, the president's sister who has complicated the clan feud by aligning with Sara, in explaining her vote to archive the impeachment said late Wednesday on a nationally televised broadcast that oppositionists needed to respect the view of the Supreme Court. 'The voice of the Supreme Court is the voice of the constitution,' she said. 'And those against this are driven purely by ambition.' She called on everyone to 'move on' and accept the ruling. Rodrigo Duterte's former police chief, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who oversaw the first phase of the drug war, stressed that while the Senate was a coequal with the high court, it would do well to 'peacefully co-exist' with the judiciary. 'We must follow the Supreme Court ruling, not because it is the most convenient thing to do, but because it is what is right and just – no matter how unacceptable or painful it may be,' Dela Rosa said. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, one of the four dissenters, stressed that voting to archive the impeachment was tantamount to abandoning their mandate. 'We may dismiss or archive the Articles of Impeachment, but it is more difficult to dismiss the pain of the public looking for justice,' she stressed. Jason Gutierrez was head of Philippine news at BenarNews, an online news service affiliated with Radio Free Asia (RFA), a Washington-based news organization that covered many under-reported countries in the region. A veteran foreign correspondent, he has also worked with The New York Times and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Philippines' defence pacts bear fruit with expanded Balikatan military drills
Nineteen countries are taking part as observers in this year's Balikatan military exercise led by the Philippines and the United States – a record turnout that signals growing international alignment with Manila's defence posture amid heightened security concerns in the Indo-Pacific. Advertisement About 17,000 troops are taking part in the annual war games, which began on Monday and will run until May 9. Japan and Australia are joining the Philippines and the US as the main participants. Colonel Xerxes Trinidad, public affairs chief of the Philippine military, said on Sunday that the countries involved in the drills as part of the international observers programme would 'enhance transparency and cooperation with allies and partners, strengthening regional solidarity'. The military said there would be a total of 19 observer countries at this year's Balikatan exercise – including Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, France and South Korea – an increase from 14 at last year's drills. Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation think tank, said the increase in observer nations at the annual drills highlighted 'the respectable command and leadership of the Philippines in defence partnership in the region'. Advertisement The level of involvement by the different countries also underscored Manila's strategic importance at the centre of the Indo-Pacific region, he added.
Voice of America
14-02-2025
- Business
- Voice of America
Philippines increases defense efforts amid ongoing tension with China
The Philippines is increasing efforts to strengthen defense cooperation with several like-minded democracies amid ongoing tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea. Manila is trying to conclude major defense pacts with Canada and New Zealand and explore possibilities of expanding joint military drills with the United States, its main defense partner. Analysts say the development is part of Manila's effort to counter China's aggressive maritime activities near several disputed reefs in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost the entirety as its territory. 'The Philippines is trying to boost their capabilities to sufficiently deter China by putting a lot of emphasis on the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States while broadening the net of cooperation to other like-minded democracies,' said Collin Koh, a maritime security expert at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. described the defense pacts with Canada and New Zealand as part of Manila's efforts to 'build and strengthen' alliances with like-minded countries. 'The status of visiting forces agreement with New Zealand is an important part of … both countries' and multilateral countries' initiatives to resist China's unilateral narrative to change international law,' he told journalists on the sideline of an event on Feb. 6. Meanwhile, the Canadian ambassador to the Philippines, David Hartman, said at a press event on Feb. 7 that the visiting forces agreement would enable Canada to 'have even more substantive participation in joint and multilateral training exercises and operations with the Philippines and allies' in the Indo-Pacific region. Some Philippine analysts describe the signing of the agreements as part of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s efforts to 'reset' the country's long-term strategic interests. As China continues to challenge different countries' territorial claims across the Pacific region, 'the Philippines' efforts to consolidate more agreements with allies fits Manila's need to defend its maritime territories and safeguard the freedom of navigation in the region,' Joshua Espena, a resident fellow at the Philippine-based International Development and Security Cooperation, told VOA by phone. Since about one-third of global trade passes through the South China Sea, Koh in Singapore said other democratic countries view signing defense agreements with the Philippines as a way to safeguard their strategic and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific region. While the Philippines' efforts to strengthen defense cooperation with other democracies may not fundamentally change China's behaviors in the South China Sea, 'it is still a concern for China when you have so many partners being militarily involved with Manila,' Koh told VOA by phone. Apart from negotiating defense pacts with Canada and New Zealand, the Philippines is also looking to expand joint military exercises with the United States. During a call on Tuesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown talked about the 'military modernization initiatives, Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites and increasing the scope and capacity of joint exercises in the Philippines,' according to U.S. Joint Staff Spokesperson Navy Capt. Jereal Dorsey. In addition to the discussions, the Philippines has conducted a series of joint drills with the U.S. and Canada since last week, a development that China said undermines 'peace and stability in the South China Sea.' While countries around the world are bracing for uncertainties extending from the foreign policy of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, some experts say recent developments suggest the U.S. may continue to uphold its defense partnership with the Philippines. 'The people [that] the Trump administration has put into key security roles are mostly China hawks, so they see the China threat as being very real, and the Philippines remains on the front line [of that threat,]' said Raymond Powell, director of Stanford University's Sealight project, which tracks Chinese maritime activities across the Indo-Pacific region. He said the Philippines may 'stand to gain' from the Trump administration's foreign policy direction. Manila 'may have one of the strongest arguments' to convince the U.S. to shift resources to the Indo-Pacific region because 'they are on the front line,' Powell told VOA by phone. As the U.S. and the Philippines continue to uphold their defense cooperation, China has described the partnership as 'extremely dangerous.' 'China will not sit idly by when its security interests are harmed or threatened,' Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a regular press conference on Wednesday. To counter the Chinese coast guard's aggressive operations in the South China Sea, Brawner Jr. said Wednesday that the Philippines hoped to buy two more submarines and BrahMos missiles in India. The Reuters news agency reported that New Delhi is expected to sign a $200 million missile deal with Manila in 2025. Powell said the additional missiles could strengthen the Philippines' deterrence against China, while Manila may need to put a lot of effort into familiarizing its military forces with the submarines. Despite Philippine President Marcos Jr.'s recent attempt to 'offer a deal' to reduce tension in the South China Sea, Powell said Beijing's aggressive posture will make it hard for the proposal to materialize. 'We're seeing much heavier [Chinese] Coast Guard and militia activity around Scarborough Shoal, and I don't see a lessening of tension there,' he said, adding that tensions between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea will likely 'plateau' in the near future.
South China Morning Post
13-02-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Can Manila's submarine plan challenge Beijing's South China Sea dominance?
Manila's plan to acquire submarines and additional missiles to counter Beijing's military might in the South China Sea has been praised by observers as a strategic long-term measure, despite the high costs and questions about the country's readiness to maintain such technology. One analyst said the move was long overdue, since the Philippines discovered last year that its rival had used drones in mapping out the seabed in the disputed waters. On Wednesday, citing an 'increase in China's illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive activities' General Romeo Brawner Jnr, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief, announced the country's desire to procure two submarines and additional BrahMos missiles in response to China's military build-up in the West Philippine Sea, Manila's name for the South China Sea within its exclusive economic zone. Last year, Manila acquired its first and only batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles under a US$375 million deal with India. 'It is a dream for us to get at least two submarines,' Brawner said at the Management Association of the Philippines in Taguig City, adding that as an archipelago nation, they need this capability to effectively defend our waters. Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based International Development and Security Cooperation think tank, said the submarine acquisition highlighted Manila's recognition of underwater deterrence.
