https://www.scmp.com/rss/524521/feed The latest news and top stories on Romeo Brawner Jnr, a distinguished Philippine Army general, currently serving as Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, where he supervises the ’one-theatre’ strategy. His extensive career spans over three decades, marked by significant roles including Commanding General of the Philippine Army and Commandant of Cadets at the Philippine Military Academy, where he championed anti-hazing efforts. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Raissa Robles Raissa Robles At least 1,000 Japanese armed combat troops will set foot on Philippine soil next month for the first time in 81 years since World War II. Their return, as part of the joint Philippine-US Balikatan military training drills, also signals a dramatic shift in the development of the Indo-Pacific security architecture from a “hub-and-spoke” strategy to one of multiple, overlapping minilaterals, with the region seen as one undivided theatre, experts say. Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief-of-Staff... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348064/japanese-combat-troops-return-philippines-significant-indo-pacific-defence-shift?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3348064/japanese-combat-troops-return-philippines-significant-indo-pacific-defence-shift?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 02:01:47 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Supporters of former president Rodrigo Duterte have amplified viral claims that Iran could target the Philippines in retaliation for US actions in the Middle East, a narrative analysts say is being used to portray the country’s defence ties with Washington as a threat to national security. The rumours spread widely enough online that the Armed Forces of the Philippines felt compelled to issue a public rebuttal. On Tuesday, armed forces spokeswoman Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said there was... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345317/duterte-allies-use-iran-war-threat-attack-philippines-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3345317/duterte-allies-use-iran-war-threat-attack-philippines-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 01:00:11 +0000 Jeoffrey Maitem Jeoffrey Maitem The Philippines cannot afford an aircraft carrier, could not sustain one if it had it and, according to most analysts, does not need one. What it needs is messier, cheaper and harder to photograph, they say: a web of missiles, patrol boats, frigates and surveillance assets designed not to project power, but to deny it. Two recent developments have made that choice harder to ignore. Last month, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr openly mused that an aircraft carrier with “accompanying... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3344910/indonesia-getting-aircraft-carrier-philippines-isnt-does-it-matter?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2026 02:00:22 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippine military has opted to keep Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio in charge of an army reserve command despite her incendiary public remarks, even as it recently expelled a pro-Duterte lawmaker from the reserve force for politicised conduct. Military officers and defence observers said the contrasting treatment underscores how power, political risk and legal grey zones shape how the Armed Forces of the Philippines disciplines its reservists, as the rift between the president and his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339179/uniform-justice-why-philippine-military-expelled-lawmaker-not-vp-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339179/uniform-justice-why-philippine-military-expelled-lawmaker-not-vp-sara-duterte?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 09:30:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A former Philippine air force general accused of encouraging the military to abandon President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr was arrested on a charge of sedition on Monday at Manila’s international airport. Romeo Poquiz, who had publicly called for the armed forces to “withdraw their support” from Marcos amid a burgeoning corruption scandal, was detained by police after returning from a holiday in Thailand, interior department secretary Jonvic Remulla said. “He was arrested for the charge of sedition in... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338739/philippine-ex-general-who-urged-troops-desert-marcos-arrested-sedition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338739/philippine-ex-general-who-urged-troops-desert-marcos-arrested-sedition?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 05:50:09 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Allegations that a small group of retired generals is trying to push the Philippines military to abandon President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr have intensified concerns about how susceptible the armed forces are to political pressure and extra-constitutional manoeuvres. Observers told This Week in Asia the retired officers appear to be drawing inspiration from the 2001 “EDSA Dos” uprising – when mass protests and a unified military command helped force President Joseph Estrada from office – but argued... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335346/philippines-vulnerable-another-military-triggered-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335346/philippines-vulnerable-another-military-triggered-political-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Dec 2025 10:00:14 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Two of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s most senior cabinet members have resigned, as mass protests and corruption allegations intensify pressure on his embattled administration over the widening flood control corruption scandal. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman quit late on Monday, days after being implicated in the scandal by fugitive ex-lawmaker and former Marcos ally Zaldy Co. The resignations came as a rally, which started on Sunday and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3333145/2-top-philippine-officials-marcos-cabinet-quit-amid-flood-control-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3333145/2-top-philippine-officials-marcos-cabinet-quit-amid-flood-control-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 14:12:45 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles A fugitive former Philippine lawmaker has accused President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr of directing him to add 100 billion pesos (US$1.7 billion) worth of dubious public works projects to the national budget, a claim that throws new fuel on the corruption scandal that has dogged his administration for months. Analysts say the explosive allegation, made in a video sent to reporters by ex-appropriations chairman Zaldy Co, could feed a wider destabilisation push by rival political blocs, including allies... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332876/fugitive-ex-philippine-official-accuses-marcos-ordering-bogus-flood-control-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332876/fugitive-ex-philippine-official-accuses-marcos-ordering-bogus-flood-control-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Nov 2025 13:45:26 +0000 Sam Beltran Sam Beltran Officials in the Philippines have hit back at the tirades of lawmaker Paolo Duterte, who accused the country’s armed forces of “gambling with Filipino lives” and called the military chief a “puppet of the CIA”. Observers say the allegations from the son of former president Rodrigo Duterte are aimed at resuscitating old narratives and pro-Beijing talking points to undermine the current administration. On Saturday, the younger Duterte published a statement on social media directed at Armed Forces... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330663/philippines-dutertes-cia-puppet-slur-ignites-fierce-military-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330663/philippines-dutertes-cia-puppet-slur-ignites-fierce-military-backlash?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippine military has launched an unusually aggressive pushback against what it describes as a growing campaign to destabilise its personnel and ultimately unseat President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr. Army and navy officials have warned that disinformation campaigns, rogue recruitment drives and seditious messaging – often amplified on social media – pose a growing threat to military cohesion. The crackdown comes amid fears of a reprise of coup plots that rocked the country in previous... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330232/philippines-hits-hard-against-campaign-recruit-military-and-destabilise-state?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3330232/philippines-hits-hard-against-campaign-recruit-military-and-destabilise-state?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:56:53 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jnr has revealed he recently rebuffed a group of eight retired generals and colonels who urged him to tackle rampant corruption in the country, a call sources have described as a push for a “soft coup” to withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr and back Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio. General Brawner, who spoke to This Week in Asia after a briefing with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) on Friday, said the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328049/how-philippine-military-chief-foiled-soft-coup-bid-undermine-marcos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3328049/how-philippine-military-chief-foiled-soft-coup-bid-undermine-marcos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Oct 2025 02:00:12 +0000 Alan Robles Alan Robles A wave of fake news and conspiracy theories has taken aim at the Philippine military, with viral claims of coup plots, foreign interference and high-level defections spreading rapidly on social media. Observers warn the campaign is fuelling political instability by exploiting public outrage over recent major corruption scandals. Several trace the effort to a network of loyalists and influencers aligned with former president Rodrigo Duterte, the chief political rival of President Ferdinand Marcos... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327831/fake-coup-and-cia-plot-rumours-philippines-fuelling-real-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327831/fake-coup-and-cia-plot-rumours-philippines-fuelling-real-political-turmoil?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 05:30:08 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippine military is now 3D-printing drones in preparation for future warfare and strengthening foreign partnerships, with Manila recently being recognised by Indo-Pacific defence ministers as a “frontliner” in keeping the region “free and open”. Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff General Romeo Brawner Jnr told the Foreign Correspondents Association on Friday that the 3D initiative had been in place since last year, acknowledging it was still not on a large or sophisticated scale as the objective... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327843/philippines-steps-future-warfare-defence-3d-printed-drones-stronger-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327843/philippines-steps-future-warfare-defence-3d-printed-drones-stronger-alliances?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 13:31:17 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr is facing growing unrest from retired generals, with some veterans even urging active commanders to withdraw support for the president, according to multiple senior military sources. At the centre of the discontent are two flashpoints: allegations that billions of Philippine pesos have been lost to fictitious flood-control projects and proposed pension changes that former officers say would leave them worse off than their civilian counterparts. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327434/unrest-philippine-military-ire-old-guard-could-spell-trouble-marcos?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327434/unrest-philippine-military-ire-old-guard-could-spell-trouble-marcos?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:46:05 +0000 Raissa Robles Raissa Robles The Philippines has warned China that any attempt to board or tow away its grounded warship at the Second Thomas Shoal would be crossing a “red line” after Manila detected a sharp rise in Chinese maritime activity around the disputed feature in the South China Sea. Philippine Navy Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for West Philippine Sea operations, told reporters on Tuesday that the military was closely monitoring a surge in Chinese maritime activity near the shoal, including the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323393/philippines-warns-china-not-cross-red-line-over-grounded-warship-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3323393/philippines-warns-china-not-cross-red-line-over-grounded-warship-south-china-sea?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:55:40 +0000