Latest news with #MarcosJr
UAE Moments
a day ago
- Entertainment
- UAE Moments
Sofronio Vasquez to Sing National Anthem at Marcos's 2025 SONA
Internationally recognized singer Sofronio Vasquez III will sing the national anthem to open President Marcos Jr.'s 2025 State of the Nation Address at the Batasang Pambansa on July 28. From The Voice USA to the Batasan Remember him? The first Filipino champ of The Voice USA! Now based in the U.S., Vasquez flew back just for this moment. For him, it's more than a gig—it's a full-circle moment. Singing from the Heart He's going a cappella, and yes, that's hard—but he says it's not just about hitting the right notes. It's a tribute to the country, God, and the people. His message? Unity. Simplicity. Filipino pride. Marcos Set to Deliver Fourth SONA Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). With only three years left in his term, the details of this year's address remain largely under wraps. In a brief social media post the night before, Marcos simply said he is 'all set to deliver the message of Bagong Pilipinas.' Traditionally, SONAs serve two key purposes: to report on the administration's accomplishments over the past year, and to lay out plans and priorities for the future. It's also a platform where major announcements—whether economic, legislative, or political—are often made.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
How a Philippine Court Handed Duterte Family Another Victory
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte gestures as she speaks during a press conference in Manila, Philippines, on Feb. 7, 2025. Credit - Basilio Sepe—AP The Philippines' notorious Duterte family has won another victory in the uphill battle it has been waging since earlier this year. The family's patriarch, former President Rodrigo Duterte, was detained at the International Criminal Court in March on charges of crimes against humanity. His daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, was impeached a month earlier over alleged corruption and threats against ally-turned-nemesis President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. Opponents hoped the Dutertes' unprecedented influence in the Southeast Asian nation may be coming to an end. But a midterm election in the spring proved that the political dynasty is here to stay. And on Friday, the country's top court handed the family a win, ruling that an impeachment case filed against Vice President Duterte in February was unconstitutional due to a technicality. A spokesperson for the court said Friday that the impeachment was barred by a provision in the Philippine charter stating that 'no impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within a period of one year.' The lower chamber of the Philippine Congress received at least four separate cases of impeachment against the Vice President between December and February—though only one was transferred to the Senate, which would have served as the impeachment tribunal. While the court clarified that it 'does not absolve' Vice President Duterte of the charges, its ruling on the impeachment spares her from any other impeachment attempt until February 2026. 'It is not our duty to favor any political result,' the Supreme Court's ruling said. 'Ours is to ensure that politics are framed within the rule of just law.' The Vice President has framed the impeachment complaint against her as politically motivated, especially as she emerges to be a strong contender for the presidency come 2028. Her defense counsel said in a statement that the court's decision 'upheld the rule of law and reinforced the constitutional limits against abuse of the impeachment process,' but clarified that they are 'prepared to address the allegations at the proper time and before the appropriate forum.' Political observers, however, tell TIME that the court was instead reinforcing the legacy of the Duterte family, and that the decision does save their legacy and paves the way for a future presidential victory. Duterte appointed 12 of the 15 justices sitting in the Philippine Supreme Court during his Presidency. The ruling 'bolsters impunity and hiding behind legal technicality as part of the Duterte legacy,' Aries Arugay, who chairs the University of the Philippines' Department of Political Science, tells TIME. Richard Heydarian, a senior lecturer at the same university, says that while another impeachment complaint could be initiated against the Vice President next year, it nips future efforts in the bud. 'I don't think the idea that we can come back to this after another year is really politically feasible,' Heydarian tells TIME. 'It's all about momentum. It's all about public attention. It's all about political inertia.' The Dutertes enjoy significant popularity in the Philippines, having branded themselves as tough-talking, hard-on-crime politicians. This popularity has stuck despite many issues—particularly on the part of the family's patriarch, who led a bloody war on drugs that killed thousands while he was chief executive. (He's now facing trial in the Hague because of this drug war, but has denied wrongdoing.) Meanwhile, the younger Duterte revealed in November an apparent assassination plot against President Marcos, who her family has been at odds with after an alliance that got them elected in the 2022 national elections fell through. She has also been hounded by allegations of misuse of more than $10 million in public funds as vice president and former Education Secretary. For many Filipinos, particularly those victimized under the elder Duterte's presidency, his arrest and his daughter's impeachment served as a reckoning. The Philippines' presidential office said it would respect the court's decision. But the court's junking of the Vice President's impeachment has raised concerns about its integrity. Heydarian notes that the ruling 'undermines faith' in the Supreme Court, and 'resurrect' suspicions against the justices former President Duterte appointed. Rep. Leila de Lima, a lawmaker who was incarcerated under the leadership of President Duterte due to trumped up drug charges, questioned the procedures behind the ruling and asserted that the 'public deserves an explanation,' but argued that 'this is not vindication. This is not exoneration.' Jean Encinas-Franco, a professor of political science at the University of the Philippines, however, says that 'to the everyday Filipino, this may mean that the VP has been acquitted.' Contact us at letters@
Fox News
7 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Pillsbury: This is an invitation to strike Iran again
Fox News contributor Michael Pillsbury joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss President Trump's meeting with Philippine President Marcos Jr. amid rising China tensions and Iran opening up indirect talks with the U.S.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump says US, Philippines 'very close' to trade deal
Trump says US, Philippines 'very close' to trade deal US President Donald Trump has welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to the White House, saying the two countries are close to finalising a trade agreement. "We're going to talk about trade today and we are very close to finishing a trade deal, a big trade deal actually," Trump told reporters at the start of his meeting with the Philippine leader. Trump has already struck trade deals with two regional partners of the Philippines - Vietnam and Indonesia. The United States had a deficit of nearly $US5 billion ($A7.7 billion) with the Philippines last year on bilateral goods trade of $US23.5 billion. ADVERTISEMENT Trump this month raised the threatened "reciprocal" tariffs on Philippine imports to 20 per cent, from 17 per cent threatened in April. .@POTUS: "It's a great honor to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines... we're going to be talking about trade... we have some fantastic military relationships with the Philippines." — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 22, 2025 Trump said the two countries did "a lot of business" with each other, saying he was surprised to see what he called "very big numbers" that would only grow under a trade agreement. Gregory Poling, from the Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Marcos might be able to do better than Vietnam, with its agreement of a 20 per cent baseline tariff on its goods, and Indonesia at 19 per cent. Trump underscored the importance of the US-Philippine military relationship. ADVERTISEMENT "They're a very important nation militarily and we've had some great drills lately," he said. Marcos, who arrived in Washington DC on Sunday, went to the Pentagon on Monday for talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and later met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his trip, he will also meet US business leaders investing in the Philippines.
NDTV
19-07-2025
- Business
- NDTV
India, Philippines To Hold 1st Joint Naval Drills In August: Sources
Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is all set for a state visit to India in the first week of August. While President Marcos Jr visits India between August 4-8, the navies of the two countries will hold the first ever joint bilateral maritime exercise or Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) on August 3-4, according to a source. The exercise will be held in strategic waters on the West Philippines coast facing the South China Sea and close to Scarborough Shoal. Scarborough Shoal is hotly contested between the Philippines and China over both its sovereignty and resources - specifically, fish. It is located 200 kilometres off the Philippines coast and lies in its Exclusive Economic Zone. However, China asserts claim over most of the South China Sea and its resources leading to friction with the Philippines. Even though China's claim was rejected under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 2016, Beijing continues to enforce its will, leading to frequent maritime and aerial encounters with Philippine forces. In another related development, four Indian Navy ships are scheduled to make a goodwill visit to the Philippines from the 30th of July including the latest survey ship INS Sandhayak for hydrographic cooperation. So far, the highest number of Indian naval ships that have participated has been three. The last one being seeing the guided missile destroyer INS Delhi, the anti-submarine warfare corvette INS Kiltan, and the fleet tanker INS Shakti, part of the Indian Navy Eastern Fleet. So far, India and Philippines have largely conducted passing exercises (PASSEX) but last week, the Indian ambassador to Philippines, Harsh Kumar Jain, had indicated that it was likely to be expanded to joint military exercises. He was quoted by the Philippine News Agency as saying, "Given the high importance of the maritime sector for both our countries, we can expand our cooperation to include joint exercises in maritime security and disaster response." Meanwhile, after the purchase of the mid-range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from India, Philippines is reported to be in talks for the purchase of Akash short range missiles. Reuters had reported that the deal would be worth more than $200 million. Another lingering defence purchase, that of ALH Maritime Reconnaissance Helicopters, by the Philippines coastguard has been in discussion since 2021. With the growing defence and maritime ties between Manila and Delhi, the bilateral relationship is expected to be elevated to the level of strategic partnership during the visit of President Marcos Jr. The President will be travelling with a high-level delegation consisting of at least 10 cabinet-level ministers including finance, defence, law and justice. President Marcos will meet Prime Minister Modi on the 5th of August, while on 7th and 8th he will be in Bangalore for business engagements. The recent thrust on upping of military ties between India and Philippines is linked to China's domineering behaviour in the Indo-Pacific. The Philippines continues to tackle China's growing assertiveness in the South China Sea not only around the Scarborough Shoal but also the Second Thomas Shoal. There have been frequent clashes around the area between China and the Philippines. Meanwhile, India and China are only now seeking to improve ties after the 2020 Galwan clashes. However, India remains cautious. New Delhi has reiterated that resolving the border issue peacefully is important to build mutual trust. During External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar's visit to Beijing this week, where he met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, India issued a statement, stating that Jaishankar "highlighted the positive impact of peace and tranquillity in the border for the smooth development in bilateral relations."
