Scrutiny cast on internet service providers, lax enforcement and a disturbing culture compounded by poverty.

Marcos Jnr’s office says “no such directive exists” and Manila is working with various agencies to combat deepfakes.

The Philippine Navy says 124 Chinese vessels have been detected in the West Philippine Sea since the military drills began on Monday.

Intelligence officers have been sent to investigate potential national-security threats in Cagayan, where about 4,600 Chinese students reportedly live.

Some 4,600 Chinese nationals have been recorded to be living in the Cagayan area and enrolled in private universities in the city of Tuguegarao.

Several prominent Filipinos say the deal has effectively handed control of the Second Thomas Shoal to China.

Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte said Chinese President Xi Jinping strongly warned him against drilling for oil in the disputed waters.

Beijing’s reaction followed a directive by the Philippines to probe the reported online recruitment of Filipino military personnel as ‘part-time consultants’.

Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez says the Philippines cannot continue being ‘accepting’ of Beijing’s aggression in the South China Sea.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has unveiled a six-year plan to counter the risks posed by digital intrusions from abroad following a spate of cyberattacks blamed on Chinese hackers.

Manila says the summit isn’t ‘directed at any country’. But analysts speculate it aims to strengthen maritime defensive efforts to counter China’s increasingly aggressive actions.

This year’s edition of the annual Balikatan joint military exercises will take place in areas outside Philippine territory along the outer edge of South China Sea’s waters.

Accepting defence and maritime security donations from foreign powers would be ‘the fuel to never-ending conflict’, said Senator Imee Marcos, sister to President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr.

While Manila should engage its allies and bolster its defence capabilities, the key to resolving the row is through ‘negotiations and direct talks’, analysts say.

Former president Duterte’s purported verbal pact with Xi intended to mitigate South China Sea disputes, yet China’s renewed hostility prompts scrutiny

The Philippine flotilla was outnumbered and “surrounded by Chinese ships” during the supply mission, a reporter says.

The president said ‘I ambushed you, you animal’ to former Daanbantayan mayor Vicente Loot, who escaped death after the attack last year – in a speech where he also renewed his offer of big bounties for the return of mistakenly-released convicts.

Philippine President says Iceland, which introduced a UN resolution to investigate his war on drugs, is concerned about human rights yet it allows abortions until the end of the 22nd week of pregnancy.

Three elderly women whose connecting flight was diverted to Wuhan said their return to the Philippines was delayed by eight days, after a typhoon caused travel chaos.

Delfin Lorenzana has called for online casinos operating near military camps to be relocated over fears Chinese nationals working in such firms could be tapped to gather intelligence for Beijing.

Yang Kang died after escaping from a sixth floor window. It is thought he was being held captive over unpaid debts; police say they are closing in on his employer

The Philippine president has signed a multibillion-dollar deal with Xi Jinping to transform Fuga, Chiquita and Grande into tourism and leisure destinations, but the influx of Chinese cash could have long-term implications for national security.

The president, who critics accuse of being too close to Beijing, is reportedly planning the trip to coincide with a basketball tournament featuring the Philippine national team.

Tough-talking former police chief Ronald dela Rosa, often likened to Hollywood actor The Rock, has been elected to Senate committee tasked with investigating operation Oplan Tokhang, which has left thousands dead.

Responding to accusations he has been too soft on China, the Philippine president called for the US to ‘gather their fleet’ in the disputed waterway.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr said the country would stay in the UN Human Rights Council but directed scathing criticism at Iceland for moving a vote to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

The move will help Filipinos get accountability for the ‘spate of killings’, which has claimed the lives of even toddlers, activists say.

It began as a jubilant affair – right up until the country’s national dish, adobo with egg, landed more than 200 guests in various hospitals.

Earlier this week, Duterte said he would be unable to stop China fishing in his country’s exclusive waters even if he wanted. He has reversed that position after accusations his position was unconstitutional.

The former foreign affairs secretary is a noted critic of Chinese President Xi Jinping and his detention occurred one day after he said Beijing was ‘not to be trusted’ over the sinking of a Philippine vessel in the South China Sea.