Latest news with #US-Philippine
Straits Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Philippines slams ‘high-risk' Chinese naval actions near contested reef
The Scarborough Shoal has been a flashpoint since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. PHOTO: AFP MANILA - The Philippines criticised on May 8 a 'high-risk' manoeuvre by a Chinese vessel near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in a rare incident involving warships from the two navies. The Scarborough Shoal – a triangular chain of reefs and rocks in the contested South China Sea – has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012. The May 5 encounter took place 'approximately 11.8 nautical miles south-east' of the Scarborough Shoal, the military said, during ongoing US-Philippine military exercises that Beijing has slammed as destabilising. 'The Chinese frigate BN 554 was documented tailing PS35 (BRP Emilio Jacinto) at close range, while BN 573 dangerously crossed its bow in a high-risk maneuver that created the danger of collision,' the military said in a statement, labelling the incident 'threatening and provocative'. Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told AFP the last such encounter between warships from the two navies he could remember was on a resupply mission in the South China Sea two years ago. Mr Alexander Lopez of Manila's National Maritime Council said the Chinese vessel had been 'dangerously close' to its Philippine counterpart. The ship crossing the bow of the BRP Emilio Jacinto had come within about 180m,, he told AFP, leaving 'no room for any manoeuvre, for any emergency cases'. The Chinese vessel following alongside had been less than 100m away, he said. The Chinese embassy did not immediately return AFP's calls seeking comment. China and the Philippines have engaged in months of confrontations in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling its assertion has no merit. A Filipino sailor lost a thumb last June when Chinese coast guard members wielding knives, sticks and an axe foiled a Philippine Navy attempt to resupply its troops stationed on the Second Thomas Shoal. The joint US-Philippine exercises known as Balikatan, which this year were to simulate a 'full-scale battle scenario', are set to end on May 9. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Warship sinks before it can be sunk in US-Philippine drills
The BRP Miguel Malvar, old enough to have seen action in World War II, was scheduled to go out in a blaze of glory today, as a target ship during the annual US-Philippine "Balikatan" military exercises. The 80-year-old vessel, however, would not quite make its own funeral. Onlookers instead watched as the ship, which once chased Japanese submarines and ferried German prisoners as part of the US fleet, sank before the first volley could be fired. "The Balikatan 25 maritime strike targets vessel sank off the west coast of the Philippines prior to the event commencing today," Philippine Navy spokesman John Percie Alcos said in cancelling a planned media event. "Due to rough sea conditions ... and with its long service life... she took on a significant amount of water and eventually sank," he said. Praising it as one of the most-decorated ships in Philippine history, Mr Alcos added the country was proud to be "transitioning to a new and multi-capable navy". After more than 20 years of service, the vessel - then named USS Brattleboro - was sold to the Republic of Vietnam in 1966. The Philippine Navy acquired and refurbished the ship after its crew fled Vietnam following the 1975 fall of Saigon. Balikatan, three weeks of US-Philippine joint exercises aimed at deterring Beijing's ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, is set to end Friday.
The Star
05-05-2025
- General
- The Star
Warship sinks before it can be sunk in US-Philippine drills
This handout photo taken and released on Monday, May 5, 2025 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines shows the decommissioned BRP Miguel Malvar (PS-19) being positioned at its intended location during the US-Philippines joint military "Balikatan" exercise off the coast of San Antonio, Zambales. The BRP Miguel Malvar, old enough to have seen action in World War II, was scheduled to go out in a blaze of glory May 5, as a target ship during the annual US-Philippine "Balikatan" military exercises. - AFP MANILA (AFP): The BRP Miguel Malvar, old enough to have seen action in World War II, was scheduled to go out in a blaze of glory Monday, as a target ship during the annual US-Philippine "Balikatan" military exercises. The 80-year-old vessel, however, would not quite make its own funeral. Onlookers instead watched as the ship, which once chased Japanese submarines and ferried German prisoners as part of the US fleet, sank before the first volley could be fired. "The Balikatan 25 maritime strike targets vessel sank off the west coast of the Philippines prior to the event commencing today," Philippine Navy spokesman John Percie Alcos said in cancelling a planned media event. "Due to rough sea conditions ... and with its long service life... she took on a significant amount of water and eventually sank," he said Praising it as one of the most-decorated ships in Philippine history, Alcos added the country was proud to be "transitioning to a new and multi-capable navy". After more than 20 years of service, the vessel -- then named USS Brattleboro -- was sold to the Republic of Vietnam in 1966. The Philippine Navy acquired and refurbished the ship after its crew fled Vietnam following the 1975 fall of Saigon. Balikatan, three weeks of US-Philippine joint exercises aimed at deterring Beijing's ambitions in the disputed South China Sea, is set to end Friday. - AFP
Gulf News
02-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf News
Peso rises to 12-month high vs US dollar: Trade deal with Trump in focus
Manila: The peso has continued to climb against the US dollar on Tuesday, already hitting a 12-month high in terms of average exchange rate. The Philippine currency gained further to ₱56.32 vs $1 on Tuesday (5:06 AM UTC, April 29), according to Morningstar data. Meanwhile, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data shows the peso has averaged ₱56.888 so far this month (April 2025) against the greenback. That's about 3% higher than the ₱58.695 average rate in November 2024, and still higher than ₱56.951 average in April 2024, as per BSP data. 'Tariff war' cooling down? The Philippine peso had a reason to strut on Tuesday (April 29), climbing to its strongest level in a year against the US dollar — thanks in part to easing US-China trade tensions. On Friday (April 25), the local currency strengthened to ₱56.521 against the US dollar, gaining 45 centavos from the previous week's ₱56.976 vs $1 close on April 16, BSP data showed. The BSP is widely expected to continue its monetary easing cycle, one of the levers it uses to keep local inflation in check, and potentially keeping the peso around the ₱56-to-$1 level. US-Philippine trade deal Meanwhile, Philippines officials are optimistic about securing a favourable trade deal with the United States, the Malacañang presidential palace said on Monday (April 28). A high-level delegation is set to travel to Washington on Tuesday (April 29) to negotiate the 17% 'reciprocal tariff' imposed on Philippine goods by US President Donald J. Trump — part of a broader trade policy that has sparked global tensions. Aim: Zero tariff 'We'll aim for zero tariff,' Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque said. 'But it depends on what they tell us. Because in every negotiation, there's always the other side, right?… It's either we get it in one go or like other countries, [go through] negotiations,' local media quoted her as saying Enhancing market access Roque said the Trade department's strategy is to offer enhanced market access to key US exports to the Philippines, including: automobiles dairy products frozen meat, and soybeans 'In any negotiation, we cannot just take and take… But when we get into a negotiation, we'll always try to protect what's here. It's useless to negotiate if we kill (our own industries),' she said.
South China Morning Post
30-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
US, Philippines flex military muscle with Himars live-fire drills near South China Sea
Long-time allies the United States and the Philippines have flexed their military muscle by firing six rockets in a defence drill on Palawan Island, in a show of sustained American commitment to Manila. Advertisement Defence experts say the show of strength from the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (Himars) could signal its potential long-term deployment, much like the Typhon arsenal that previously raised China 's ire. They caution however that it would be premature to consider it as sign of a golden age in US-Philippine relations under President Donald Trump On Monday, about 500 troops from the Philippines , the US and Australia conducted a maritime interdiction drill in Rizal, where Manila's navy intercepted a remote-controlled vessel approaching the coast. Part of this year's ongoing large-scale Balikatan – or shoulder to shoulder – exercise, the drill culminated in a precision strike showcasing the Himars system's quick and accurate response to amphibious threats. Advertisement 'We achieved everything we set out to achieve,' US Marines commander Major General Thomas Savage told reporters. 'We're trying to demonstrate a capability to work together. The exercise you saw is agnostic of an enemy. If somebody is trying to interfere with a sovereign nation, that's what we're trying to demonstrate.'
