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Sam Beltran
SCMP Contributor
Sam Beltran is a journalist based in Manila who has written for publications in the Philippines and around Asia. Her stories explore food, lifestyle scenes, popular trends, and sub-cultures as windows into society and the human condition.
Sam Beltran is a journalist based in Manila who has written for publications in the Philippines and around Asia. Her stories explore food, lifestyle scenes, popular trends, and sub-cultures as windows into society and the human condition.
Languages Spoken:
English
Critics are worried that the massive budget would either fall prey to corruption or not be enough to tackle long-standing problems.
Deepening political feuds, ex-president Duterte’s ICC arrest and the South China Sea dispute have reshaped the Philippine landscape.
While the ruling has been hailed as a win for human rights, it may not have much impact on Duterte’s ICC case, legal analysts say.
Australian police are looking into a trip the two suspects made to Davao City, but Philippine officials say it is not connected to the shooting.
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Measures to rein in tech companies risk opening the door to tighter state oversight of online platforms, analysts say.
The former lawmaker, who is facing charges linked to the Philippines’ flood control scandal, is suspected to have fled to Portugal.
The Eurofighter, which is estimated to cost US$117 million each, has drawn buying interest from Bangladesh and other countries.
Viral footage of Axle the dog’s shocking death has galvanised the country’s animal activists to demand harsh legal repercussions.
Analysts urge Asean to take ‘urgent, coordinated action’ if it hopes to mediate an end to the Thailand-Cambodia conflict.
Prosecutors accuse Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya of pocketing millions for a government-funded flood control project that was never built.
A new survey shows Marcos’ satisfaction ratings at only 21 per cent – his lowest since taking office in 2022.
Cybercrime officials have uncovered a ‘definite link’ between the massive graft scandal and laundering rings run by banned gaming operators.
Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.
Critics call the Philippine trade chief’s 500-peso Noche Buena price guide for a family of four a ‘fantasy’ that insults the poor.
Analysts warn relations are in a ‘fragile place’ as the neighbours trade barbs and leverage international law at a UN meeting in Geneva.
Analysts warn the government’s anti-corruption drive could stall if public mobilisation continues to thin.
The flood-control scandal has a bigger impact on the Philippine president’s approval rating than any anti-Pogo moves, analysts say.
Analysts say the two challenges will weigh heavily on the Philippines’ agenda as chair of the bloc next year.
Analysts say the real test will be whether investigators confront the deeper networks alleged to underpin the corruption scandal.
‘The wheels of justice are turning,’ the Philippine president said when announcing that an arrest warrant has gone out against Co and others.
The Iglesia ni Cristo is seeking to use the corruption scandal to assert its relevance amid the warring factions in government, analysts say.
The verdict comes at a time when Asean leaders have expressed alarm over rising cybercrimes perpetrated by transnational gangs.
The treaty is expected to plug major cooperation gaps by creating uniform rules across a region struggling with cybercrime and trafficking.
The former death row inmate has languished behind bars since being convicted of heroin smuggling in 2010. She was repatriated last December.
Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.
Manila’s task as Asean chair will be to preserve the momentum set by Malaysia amid a crowded 2026 agenda, analysts say.
Limited powers for the Independent Commission for Infrastructure may hamper its ability to tackle flood control fraud, analysts say.
The ombudsman’s revelation of an arrest warrant may be a calculated risk to test the waters on possible reactions, analysts say.
Next year’s Asean chair has shown interest in formalising defence cooperation with the latest member of the 11-nation bloc.
