The first lady’s comments come after the president on Monday said his relationship with his vice-president was ‘complicated’ and ‘hasn’t really changed’.

Firebrand ex-leader Rodrigo Duterte says his successor is a ‘crybaby’, with the two trading jibes over drug-use accusations and their opposing South China Sea stances. Will they ever bury the hatchet? ‘It’s complicated’.

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

ICC launched an inquiry into Duterte’s drug crackdown in September 2021, but suspended it two months later when Manila said it was re-examining cases of drug operations.

Joint statement by the three leaders makes it clear the Washington summit was aimed at opposing China’s recent maritime activities.

The ICC has called for translators in Tagalog and Cebuano, languages involved in the crimes against humanity trial against the ex-Philippine leader.

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

Chinese foreign ministry says Beijing consistently committed to dialogue and consultation with Manila over the shoal.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has expressed outrage over a “secret agreement” on the South China Sea that threatens the Philippines’ sovereignty.

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.

Marcos said his government isn’t aware of any “gentleman’s agreement” with China, and were not briefed by his predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, about it when he came into office in 2022.

Any accord should be in written form as per the Vienna Convention on the Law of the Treaties, and ratified by the senate, says lawmaker Francis Tolentino.

The unit is said to be the ‘secret weapon’ of the Philippine Coast Guard, which is often involved in dodging Chinese vessels in the South China Sea.

Boracay’s indigenous Ati people have been pushed to the margins and are fighting to retain agricultural land that developers claim is better used for tourism.

Marcos Jnr’s meeting with President Joe Biden and PM Fumio Kishida in the US could be a springboard for him to boost his approval ratings.

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

Critics fear politicians and businessmen may abuse new, relaxed gun rules, emboldening private armies and militias.

The comments from Navy Commodore Roy Trinidad come a day after four Filipino navy personnel were injured in a confrontation between Chinese and Philippine ships.

The Philippines said it would file a sexual abuse charge against Filipino pastor, Apollo Quiboloy, for crimes that were committed more than a decade ago

It’s a far cry from 2022, when supporters from both sides worked together for the campaign of Marcos Jnr and his vice-presidential running mate, Duterte’s daughter Sara.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr has been trying to put a positive spin on his father’s dark legacy since assuming office in 2022.

Since the start of the year, the New People’s Army has clashed with government forces at least 10 times in Rizal, Batangas and Iloilo.