https://www.scmp.com/rss/318898/feed Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III was the 15th President of the Philippines, and the chairman of the Liberal Party. He is the son of the late Benigno S. Aquino, Jr., a Philippines senator and prominent opposition leader to President Ferdinand Marcos, who was assassinated on August 21, 1983. Aquino began his political career in 1998 when he was elected to the House of Representatives as Representative of the 2nd district of Tarlac province. He was elected president on June 9, 2010. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The Philippines said on Tuesday it will rename more than 100 island features in a bid to reinforce its “sovereignty” in the disputed South China Sea, including areas claimed by China. The features to be renamed under President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s executive order belong to the Spratly archipelago, site of repeated confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels. Beijing claims the South China Sea in nearly its entirety despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3348577/philippines-rename-disputed-south-china-sea-islands-boost-sovereignty?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:40:11 +0000 SCMP SCMP This story was published on February 25, 1986. Marcos on brink of Manila turmoil From Harvey Stockwin The Philippine capital Manila was last night (February 24, 1986) in revolutionary turmoil as a people’s government led by Corazon Aquino sought to take over the country backed by a massive demonstration of non-violence by hundreds of thousands of unarmed supporters. But President Ferdinand Marcos clung to the illusion that he is still in control. Yesterday evening he effectively declared war on... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342181/turmoil-grips-philippines-1986-people-power-ends-marcos-rule-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3342181/turmoil-grips-philippines-1986-people-power-ends-marcos-rule-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Feb 2026 04:15:08 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles A visiting forces military deal to be signed between the Philippines and France has put the focus on “operational intimacy”, with observers noting that Paris has a presence in the Indo-Pacific and would serve Manila’s interests well in the contested waters of the South China Sea. The term was coined by French Ambassador to Manila Marie Fontanel, during a freewheeling discussion on Tuesday at her residence. In a bid to balance the implications of the alliance – a first for the Philippines with a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340187/philippines-france-near-defence-pact-boost-operational-intimacy-contested-waters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340187/philippines-france-near-defence-pact-boost-operational-intimacy-contested-waters?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 10:38:13 +0000 JC Punongbayan JC Punongbayan The fact that the Philippines is at the receiving end of countless typhoons every year is undeniable. But a miserable mix of corruption and the failure to execute and implement a slew of flood control projects has given the country the perfect storm. In the span of just one week, the Philippines was pummelled by two devastating typhoons. Typhoon Kalmaegi (known locally as Tino) made landfall on November 4, leaving a trail of destruction across the Visayas and Palawan, with at least 232 people... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3337111/greed-and-pork-barrel-politics-fuel-philippines-fatal-floods?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3337111/greed-and-pork-barrel-politics-fuel-philippines-fatal-floods?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:00:18 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways is investigating an incident in which one of its planes used a wrong taxiway in Manila, causing delays to two other flights, according to the airline. The airline said on Thursday it was cooperating with relevant authorities in an investigation into the incident involving flight CX918 from Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport to Hong Kong on Wednesday. “During taxi for departure, the aircraft made incorrect use of a taxiway,” a spokesman... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3336953/hong-kongs-cathay-pacific-investigates-wrong-taxiway-use-manila-airport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3336953/hong-kongs-cathay-pacific-investigates-wrong-taxiway-use-manila-airport?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:02:36 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Mary Jane Veloso’s lawyers have asked the Philippine Supreme Court to explain why the woman who once narrowly escaped execution in Indonesia remains behind bars in the Philippines nearly a year after her return, despite facing no criminal charges under local law. The petition has revived international attention on a case that for years sat at the intersection of labour migration, human trafficking and Southeast Asia’s harsh drug laws – and continues to raise questions about how Manila protects... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333226/why-mary-jane-veloso-still-philippine-prison-year-after-indonesia-let-her-go?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333226/why-mary-jane-veloso-still-philippine-prison-year-after-indonesia-let-her-go?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 08:00:10 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles A day after Philippine Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan refused to resign amid mounting public outrage over ghost flood projects worth billions, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr replaced him with high-performing Transport Secretary Vince Dizon. A former high government official who spoke on condition of anonymity told this Week in Asia on Monday that the Marcos presidency now hinged on 51-year-old Dizon’s ability to address the spiralling corruption unearthed... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323965/why-philippines-picked-results-driven-reformer-stem-flood-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3323965/why-philippines-picked-results-driven-reformer-stem-flood-corruption?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 14:30:41 +0000 The public response to the death of former Philippine president Benigno “Noynoy” S. Aquino III on Thursday has so far been decidedly mixed. While some social media influencers continued bashing him, other supportive posts showed yellow ribbons hung in largely high-end neighbourhoods. This popular music-inspired symbol (“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree”) refers to the welcome planned by supporters for his father, Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jnr, the leading opponent of the dictatorship of... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3138681/benigno-aquinos-lost-liberal-yellow-legacy-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3138681/benigno-aquinos-lost-liberal-yellow-legacy-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Jun 2021 02:00:25 +0000 Former Philippine president Benigno Aquino, the son of two of the Southeast Asian country’s democracy icons, died on Thursday. The 61-year-old was president of the Philippines from 2010 to 2016, overseeing the fastest period of growth since the 1970s and challenging China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea before a United Nations-backed tribunal He died “peacefully in his sleep” at 6.30am on Thursday, his family said in a statement. The cause of death was kidney failure as a result of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3138514/former-philippine-president-benigno-aquino-dies-aged-61?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3138514/former-philippine-president-benigno-aquino-dies-aged-61?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jun 2021 01:54:04 +0000 “Cut and cut cleanly. The time has come.” Donald Trump, the outgoing president of the United States, might do well to heed the terse advice given in February 1986 by then-senator Paul Laxalt to the autocratic Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. Like Trump, Marcos had just been beaten at the polls by his opponent Corazon Aquino, the widow drafted by the opposition after her husband and long-time Marcos rival, Benigno Aquino, was assassinated upon his return from exile in 1983. Also like Trump,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3112472/donald-trump-should-remember-philippines-ferdinand-marcos-when?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3112472/donald-trump-should-remember-philippines-ferdinand-marcos-when?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Dec 2020 13:57:51 +0000 The young Filipinos are making a lot of noise, sweating and surging as The Exsenadors belt out a protest song, and scream along to the lyrics “Kamatayan o kalayaan! Maghimagsik!”(Death or freedom! Rebellion!) at a concert north of Metro Manila. Organised by the Crazy Don’t Collective, February’s event in Baliuag, Bulacan province, featured dissident music from the Filipino underground punk rock scene, including a set by the band Bad Omen, and the crowd was on fire. The sound of rebellion and... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3075713/punk-rock-music-protest-finds-new-voice-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3075713/punk-rock-music-protest-finds-new-voice-philippines?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2020 21:00:12 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Thursday accused China of breaking a US-brokered deal between the two nations on the Scarborough Shoal, an uninhabited rocky outcrop in the South China Sea. China claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines also claim the waterway, through which about US$5 trillion in ship-borne goods pass every year. Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal, near the main... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1955814/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-attacks-china-breaking?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1955814/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-attacks-china-breaking?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 May 2016 13:12:33 +0000 Thirty years after emerging from a brutal dictatorship, Filipinos went to the polls yesterday facing stark choices, and duelling narratives for the future of their nation. Will it be fast and furious under foul-mouthed front runner Rodrigo Duterte, who has promised to “butcher” criminals, or moderate reforms under the other more democratically minded contenders? We were called the sick man of Asia before, but are Asia’s rising tiger now President Benigno Aquino It’s a make-or-break moment for... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1942948/philippines-crossroads-what-does-rise-rodrigo-duterte-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1942948/philippines-crossroads-what-does-rise-rodrigo-duterte-say?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2016 17:00:55 +0000 The Philippines holds elections on Monday to choose a successor to President Benigno Aquino. Here are 10 crucial victories and setbacks that came to define his six years in office: ● Barely two months in office, Aquino faces his first major crisis when a disgraced policeman takes a busload of Hong Kong tourists hostage. The gunman and eight hostages are killed in a hail of gunfire hours later in a bungled police rescue operation that deeply embarrasses the young administration and strains ties... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1942595/how-will-benigno-aquino-be-remembered-here-are-10-events?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1942595/how-will-benigno-aquino-be-remembered-here-are-10-events?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 May 2016 05:34:40 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino yesterday called on the trailing presidential candidates to unite against front runner Rodrigo Duterte, in a sensational finale to one of the nation’s most divisive election campaigns. Aquino has warned Duterte is a dictator in the making, and made the plea after polling showed the favourite had kept a huge lead ahead of Monday’s elections despite allegations he has overseen vigilante death squads and a spate of controversies over vulgar campaign speeches. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1942058/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-urges-candidates-join?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1942058/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-urges-candidates-join?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 May 2016 01:00:27 +0000 A terrorist group in the Philippines that beheaded a Canadian this week had designs on kidnapping Manny Pacquiao, said President Benigno Aquino III, who added there was an assassination plot perhaps aimed at him, too. Abu Sayyaf militants reportedly also wanted to explode bombs in metropolitan Manila to try to get funding from Islamic State, but the plans were uncovered and troops have reduced the group’s ability to inflict harm. Though Aquino has forged a peace pact with a larger Muslim rebel... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1939449/philippines-president-says-abyu-sayyaf-terrorists-had?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1939449/philippines-president-says-abyu-sayyaf-terrorists-had?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Apr 2016 02:56:53 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino has approved the purchase of 44 billion pesos (US$932 million) worth of military equipment to help boost maritime security capability as tensions simmer in the South China Sea. Defence Undersecretary Fernando Manalo made the announcement Saturday after the government received the first two of a dozen new South Korean-made light fighter jets to enhance the country’s air defence capabilities. Aquino authorised the multi-year contract to purchase two frigates,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1884922/glad-we-are-back-supersonic-age-philippines-gets-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1884922/glad-we-are-back-supersonic-age-philippines-gets-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Nov 2015 09:00:45 +0000 The anti-corruption campaign of Philippine President Benigno Aquino has led to the arrest of top officials, including three senators, a former national police chief and even his predecessor. But a few prominent people who have been indicted have evaded jail time and are in no danger of imminent conviction. Some experts doubt Aquino's campaign has had wider impact and question his effectiveness in tackling the scourge of graft. Although corruption remains entrenched, Aquino has made progress by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1879046/philippine-presidents-anti-corruption-efforts-receive-mixed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1879046/philippine-presidents-anti-corruption-efforts-receive-mixed?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Nov 2015 12:12:15 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino endorsed long-time ally Manuel Roxas on Friday for the country’s 2016 presidential election, saying the interior minister was the best person to advance anti-corruption reforms. “We choose the one who is certain to pursue the straight and narrow path,” said Aquino, alluding to his hallmark anti-graft crusade that he says ushered in unprecedented economic growth in the impoverished archipelago nation. “In short, I believe that person is none other than Mar... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1845472/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-endorses-interior?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1845472/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-endorses-interior?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Jul 2015 09:45:34 +0000 When President Benigno Aquino gave his first State of the Nation Address in 2011, he sent foreign diplomats in the audience scrambling for assistance when he spoke in  the local language, Tagalog. Previous presidents always used English. On Monday, envoys will have interpreters ready as the president delivers the last speech of his term. It isn’t just in use of the national language that Aquino differs from his predecessors. Past presidents in the last year of their terms were lame ducks,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1843792/popular-or-not-philippines-president-benigno-aquino-aims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/1843792/popular-or-not-philippines-president-benigno-aquino-aims?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jul 2015 11:30:00 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino III drew a parallel between present-day China and Nazi Germany during a speech in Japan, hinting that the world cannot continue to appease Beijing as it claims ever-more territory in the South China Sea. The comments come as disquiet grows over the quickening pace of China’s land reclamation programme in international waters, including its construction of a runway long enough for large military planes. “If there was a vacuum, if the United States, which is the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1815677/philippine-president-likens-chinas-territorial-rise-nazi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1815677/philippine-president-likens-chinas-territorial-rise-nazi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Jun 2015 06:30:00 +0000 After my interview with Philippine President Benigno Aquino finally concluded last Thursday, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario came up to me and said: “I have to shake your hand. You broke the record. That’s two hours and a half.” All I could say was: “Really?” Because to me, the record wasn’t that impressive, considering that I’d been nagging Aquino for an interview since 2010. The only other time I had interviewed him face to face was in 2010 when he was a senator running for the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/article/1773211/raissa-robles-two-and-half-hours-aquino-were-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/article/1773211/raissa-robles-two-and-half-hours-aquino-were-five-years?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Apr 2015 01:45:30 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino has little more than a year left in office and a legacy to think of. He is especially mindful of growing anti-Chinese sentiment in his country spurred by Beijing's perceived bullying on a range of issues, among them disputed territory in the South China Sea. There is little likelihood of a backing down on positions already taken or the forging and strengthening of alliances with governments seen as having common interests. But he also has to be realistic;... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1773129/engaging-china-best-way-philippine-president-benigno-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1773129/engaging-china-best-way-philippine-president-benigno-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2015 16:30:15 +0000 When the Philippines elected Benigno Aquino president in 2010, many predicted the country’s most eligible bachelor would soon claim his next big prize: A first lady. It didn’t happen with then girlfriend Shalani Soledad, a local politician he dated for two years. Nor would it be his stylist Liz Uy, television host Grace Lee, or any of the string of other women to whom Aquino has been romantically linked. When the South China Morning Post asked the 55-year-old Aquino whether he was still hopeful... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/article/1772717/all-presidents-women-why-benigno-aquino-still-bachelor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/article/1772717/all-presidents-women-why-benigno-aquino-still-bachelor?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2015 07:00:00 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino’s reason for smiling after the 2010 Manila hostage crisis in which eight Hongkongers died was “ridiculous”, survivors said, accusing him of lacking empathy. Aquino attracted furious criticism after disgruntled former Philippine policeman Rolando Mendoza hijacked a tourist bus, leading to a deadly shoot-out with police, when he appeared to smile at a press conference following the incident. But the Philippine president told the South China Morning Post in an... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1772721/smiling-aquino-ridiculous-and-lacking-empathy-manila-hostage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/1772721/smiling-aquino-ridiculous-and-lacking-empathy-manila-hostage?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2015 03:45:00 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino has explained why people sometimes misunderstand his awkward smile – including in the wake of the 2010 Manila hostage tragedy in which eight Hongkongers died. “I have various smiles for various purposes,” he told the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview, as he recounted the outrage his enigmatic expressions have caused. “Usually I have a particular smile when I am so fed up.”  Aquino is well known for smiling during moments when it would seem... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/article/1772350/i-smile-when-im-fed-philippine-president-benigno-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-east-asia/article/1772350/i-smile-when-im-fed-philippine-president-benigno-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2015 00:00:00 +0000 President Xi Jinping did not talk like he was an “elder brother” and seemed “very sincere” during a meeting in Beijing in November, Philippine President Benigno Aquino has said. During their 10-minute conversation on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum, Xi also acknowledged that “because of the South China Sea, we had regretful developments” and looked forward to turning a new page in bilateral relations, according to notes of the conversation Aquino released... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1772001/xi-did-not-talk-down-me-elder-brother-aquino-says-apec-chat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1772001/xi-did-not-talk-down-me-elder-brother-aquino-says-apec-chat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:00:15 +0000 If President Xi Jinping were to visit Manila, “I’d take him to a Chinese restaurant”, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said. Such a dinner would “risk paling in comparison” to the food in China, Aquino told the South China Morning Post in an interview last week, but his objective in bonding with Xi would be “to show him how ingrained Chinese culture is in this country”. The Philippine president said the meal “might be at an extravagant place or it might be at a very simple noodle house, that... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1772010/im-taking-xi-chinese-restaurant-if-he-visits-manila-says-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1772010/im-taking-xi-chinese-restaurant-if-he-visits-manila-says-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:00:15 +0000 A new “strategic partnership” being negotiated between two states fending off China’s maritime claims in the South China Sea was suggested by Vietnam, Philippine President Benigno Aquino has revealed. It had been widely assumed that the proposed pact between Vietnam and the Philippines was initiated by Manila, which has taken a high-profile stand against China. In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, the Philippine president said China’s moves in the South China Sea were... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1771526/vietnam-asked-philippines-form-pact-counter-china-aquino-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/diplomacy/article/1771526/vietnam-asked-philippines-form-pact-counter-china-aquino-reveals?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2015 00:00:15 +0000 China’s efforts to stake its claim to most of the South China Sea should spark fear around the world, with military conflict possible, Philippine President Benigno Aquino said. In an interview with AFP, Aquino also warned that China’s increasingly assertive actions raised the spectre of other nations having access cut to international shipping lanes and fishing grounds in the sea. ”Does it engender fear? Yes, I think it should engender fear for the rest of the world,” Aquino said when asked to... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1766409/world-should-fear-beijings-claims-south-china-sea-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/1766409/world-should-fear-beijings-claims-south-china-sea-says?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2015 11:44:46 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino approved a bungled secret mission against Islamist rebels that led to the deaths of 44 police commandos, an official report released yesterday said, piling more pressure on the beleaguered leader. The Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry (BOI) report also found Aquino had authorised suspended police general Alan Purisima, a personal friend, to take part in the mission even as he was being investigated for corruption. In January, police commandos sneaked... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1737130/aquino-authorised-bungled-secret-mission-where-44-police-died?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1737130/aquino-authorised-bungled-secret-mission-where-44-police-died?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Mar 2015 17:10:12 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino is no Ferdinand Marcos, the dictator toppled 29 years ago by a popular uprising dubbed the People Power Revolution. Yet discontent with the presidency is such that there is growing agitation for a movement similar to that which swept the hated regime aside and finished with his mother, Corazon Aquino, at the head of a democratically elected government. Even relatives have joined calls for his resignation, contending the administration is so flawed that it... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1724457/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-walking-tightrope?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1724457/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-walking-tightrope?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2015 17:00:30 +0000 As the Philippines today commemorates the 29th anniversary of the first People Power revolution, efforts are under way to hold a similar peaceful uprising - this time to unseat the son of the 1986 movement's heroine. President Benigno Aquino, son of People Power icon Corazon Aquino, faces demands that he resign from three groups spanning the political spectrum. Members of these groups are staging week-long protests to demand the president step down over a disastrous commando operation on January... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1722712/opponents-benigno-aquino-hope-return-people-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1722712/opponents-benigno-aquino-hope-return-people-power?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2015 22:52:04 +0000 A ban may have been imposed on nine Hong Kong journalists that would block them from entering the Philippines to report on next year's Apec summit. The nine were said to have "heckled" the country's president at last year's meeting by asking questions about the 2010 Manila bus hostage tragedy, a Philippine government letter showed. Six reporters from Now TV, two from Commercial Radio and another from RTHK were "blacklisted", according to the letter, apparently issued by the country's National... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1645362/hong-kong-journalists-blacklisted-philippines-after-questioning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1645362/hong-kong-journalists-blacklisted-philippines-after-questioning?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2014 06:30:15 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino yesterday defended the pace of rebuilding in communities ravaged a year ago by Super Typhoon Haiyan, insisting that reconstruction takes time. Haiyan, the strongest storm ever to make landfall, slammed into the central Philippines one year ago today, with winds of more than 300km/h and a tsunami-like storm surge six metres high. It killed or left missing more than 7,350 people. Tens of thousands of survivors are still dangerously exposed to future storms,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1634526/year-after-typhoon-haiyan-benigno-aquino-defends-slow-pace-rebuilding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1634526/year-after-typhoon-haiyan-benigno-aquino-defends-slow-pace-rebuilding?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Nov 2014 14:45:00 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino has ruled out any attempt to seek a second term, a highly controversial proposition that would have required the rewriting of the constitution. In August Aquino had hinted at such a possibility. But he quickly ran into opposition in a nation still haunted by the dictatorial rule of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. Aquino, elected by a landslide in 2010, is limited by the constitution to a single six-year term. "There are some quarters that were saying I... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1626943/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-rules-out-bid-second-term?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1626943/philippine-president-benigno-aquino-rules-out-bid-second-term?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2014 14:45:45 +0000 President Benigno Aquino said yesterday he would be willing to help Beijing seize illicit assets of Chinese who have fled to the Philippines if any cases were discovered and if Beijing requested cooperation. The overture to Beijing comes as the two countries remain embroiled in a territorial dispute in the South China Sea. "Not to my knowledge have there been discussions with our Chinese friends with regards to this particular operation," Aquino said at his annual press conference with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1622434/aquino-says-philippines-willing-help-china-seize-illicit-assets-fugitives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1622434/aquino-says-philippines-willing-help-china-seize-illicit-assets-fugitives?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2014 20:00:00 +0000 Thousands of people including activists and clergy gathered in the Philippine capital's main park yesterday to denounce the "pork barrel" system of government funding which they blame for spreading corruption. Organisers said almost 20,000 people joined the rally, but observers said the crowd was much smaller, with police putting it at about 5,000 at its peak. The crowd, which included nuns, priests and lawyers, was significantly smaller than a similar rally last year which observers said drew... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1580621/manila-protest-against-pork-barrel-funds-and-second-term-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1580621/manila-protest-against-pork-barrel-funds-and-second-term-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Aug 2014 14:15:30 +0000 Filipinos thought long and hard about the constitution that took effect after the overthrow of dictator Ferdinand Marcos in 1986. They did not want a return to the abuses and excesses of his 21-year rule, so determined that a single six-year term was enough for the country's leader. President Benigno Aquino's mother, Corazon, was the first to serve under the new legislative framework and she graciously left office when required, considering her job to have been done. It is therefore surprising,... https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1576281/aquino-treading-dangerous-ground-questioning-constitution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1576281/aquino-treading-dangerous-ground-questioning-constitution?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:15:00 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino has said he may try to change the constitution and serve a second term in office, a stunning announcement in a nation haunted by dictatorship. The Philippine constitution restricts presidents to serving a single term of six years, a clause designed to stop a repeat of dictator Ferdinand Marcos' two-decade reign that ended in a 1986 "people power" uprising. It doesn’t automatically mean I will go after an additional term PRESIDENT BENIGNO AQUINO Aquino... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1573823/benigno-aquino-says-he-may-try-change-constitution-so-he-can-run-again?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1573823/benigno-aquino-says-he-may-try-change-constitution-so-he-can-run-again?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Aug 2014 15:15:45 +0000 Philippine security forces yesterday captured a fugitive former army general wanted over the kidnapping of two students, fulfilling a promise by President Benigno Aquino to bring high-profile criminal suspects to justice. Military spokesman Ramon Zagala said agents arrested Jovito Palparan in Manila. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the arrest of Palparan showed the government would "end the culture of impunity" characterised by human rights violations under Aquino's predecessor, Gloria... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1572365/capture-fugitive-general-jovito-palparan-hailed-victory-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1572365/capture-fugitive-general-jovito-palparan-hailed-victory-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Aug 2014 14:45:45 +0000 Political opponents of Philippine President Benigno Aquino have filed an impeachment complaint against him, alleging his controversial economic stimulus package represents a "culpable violation of the constitution" and "betrayal of public trust". The complaint, filed yesterday, is also backed by some members of the Catholic clergy, academics and other individuals. Lawyer Neri Colmenares of the left-wing Bayan Muna Party said the complaint had grounds because "President Aquino admitted he knew... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1557065/benigno-aquino-faces-impeachment-action-over-economic-stimulus-fund?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1557065/benigno-aquino-faces-impeachment-action-over-economic-stimulus-fund?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Jul 2014 14:45:00 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino's performance ratings have plunged to their lowest ever, two independent pollsters said yesterday, as a perception grew that he is not serious enough in efforts to fight corruption. Aquino won the presidency in 2010 on a promise of good governance and fighting graft, but has struggled to rid the country of its image as the most corrupt in Asia. A survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia, taken last month, showed Aquino's approval rating dropped from 70 per... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1554276/philippine-president-benigno-aquinos-approval-ratings-plunge-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1554276/philippine-president-benigno-aquinos-approval-ratings-plunge-new-low?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Jul 2014 14:28:24 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino yesterday rejected a resignation offer from his budget secretary after the top court declared the government's discretionary fund illegal in the biggest test yet for its battle against graft. Aquino came to power in 2010 on the promise of transparency, good governance and battling corruption to lift the Philippines from poverty. But he has struggled to shed the country's image as one of the most corrupt in Asia as he continues to defend his allies while... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1552286/benigno-aquino-refuses-resignation-aide-over-fund-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1552286/benigno-aquino-refuses-resignation-aide-over-fund-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:07:41 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino has defended a controversial decision he made to withhold a top award from one of the country's most accomplished film stars because of a drug conviction. Last month's snub of multi-award-winning actress Nora Aunor sparked a nationwide furore, with millions of fans insisting no one deserved a "national artist" prize more than the 61-year-old fondly nicknamed the "Superstar". "Ms Nora Aunor has been convicted for drugs and was punished for it ... By making her... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1544469/aquino-explains-why-he-denied-actress-national-award-over-drug-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1544469/aquino-explains-why-he-denied-actress-national-award-over-drug-conviction?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:45:45 +0000 The Philippine Supreme Court yesterday voided parts of President Benigno Aquino's 144 billion peso (HK$25.54 billion) stimulus package in a landmark ruling that may leave him open to lawsuits seeking his impeachment. The court declared as illegal some parts of the president's Disbursement Acceleration Program, which fast-tracked infrastructure spending in the three years from 2011, while giving some perks to certain lawmakers. "The ruling could subject Aquino to suits alleging culpable violation... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1544463/philippine-supreme-court-partially-voids-aquinos-stimulus-package?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1544463/philippine-supreme-court-partially-voids-aquinos-stimulus-package?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Jul 2014 14:45:45 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino, whose country was brutally invaded by Japan in the second world war, said yesterday he supported Shinzo Abe's plan to expand the scope of his country's armed forces. The comments, during a one-day trip to Tokyo, highlight the huge shifts in attitude in the region and show how alliances are being forged as Asia adjusts to an increasingly muscular Beijing pressing territorial claims in nearby waters. Aquino praised the path Japan had taken in the decades since... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1539613/philippine-president-aquino-supports-abes-plan-expand-japans-military?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1539613/philippine-president-aquino-supports-abes-plan-expand-japans-military?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Jun 2014 08:16:26 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino will visit Japan next week, with rows over China’s territorial ambitions likely on the agenda, his office said on Wednesday. Aquino will meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during the one-day trip on June 24, in another move to deepen ties as the two nations have endured increasingly hostile disputes with China over rival maritime territorial claims. The tensions will “likely” be a topic of discussion when the leaders meet, Aquino’s spokeswoman, Abigail... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1535453/philippines-aquino-visit-japan-china-tensions-mount-over-territorial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1535453/philippines-aquino-visit-japan-china-tensions-mount-over-territorial?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Jun 2014 03:55:15 +0000 Philippine President Benigno Aquino accused China on Monday of violating a 12-year-old informal code of conduct in the South China Sea with land reclamation work in a disputed shoal. China has stepped up activity to assert its claim to most of the energy-rich South China Sea. But Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims over parts of the sea through which about US$5 trillion of ship-borne goods pass every year. China’s activity has in particular raised alarm in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1515669/philippines-aquino-says-china-violates-informal-code-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1515669/philippines-aquino-says-china-violates-informal-code-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2014 10:00:53 +0000 China's new ambassador to the Philippines met President Benigno Aquino yesterday to try to mend relations strained by a festering territorial dispute. Zhao Jianhua , who arrived in the Philippines over a month ago, met Aquino after presenting his credentials, said the presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte. "It went well," she commented. Valte added that the delay in Aquino receiving the ambassador was due to his busy schedule and was not caused by the two countries' competing claims to parts of... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1470152/chinas-new-ambassador-philippines-finally-meets-president-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/1470152/chinas-new-ambassador-philippines-finally-meets-president-aquino?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Apr 2014 17:51:54 +0000