Philippines

A Philippine Air Force fighter jet, with two pilots aboard, has gone mysteriously silent during a night mission. The aircraft was conducting close air support to troops battling insurgents in a southern province when it became unresponsive on the radio, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation. The FA-50 aircraft had been operating in concert with other aircraft when it …

Philippine Defence Minister Teodoro Gilbert Jr called on all Southeast Asian nations to present a solid front. He mentioned that a divided ASEAN would not be able to face the ever-increasing security threats, with increasingly dubious tensions in the South China Sea. While addressing an assembly of ASEAN defence ministers in Penang, Malaysia, Teodoro highlighted the necessity of regional cooperation …

Japan and the Philippines have committed to bolster cooperation to safeguard regional peace and stability amid growing concerns over China and its rising belligerency. On Monday, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro met in Manila and agreed to deepen cooperation in military training, intelligence sharing, and other domains. Together with the United States, the two …

The Philippines achieved an important victory for its financial reputation by eliminating its position on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The Financial Action Task Force reviewed the Philippines’s financial reforms successfully and announced to removal of the country from their watchlist. What is the FATF Grey List? FATF includes nations in its grey list when their systems …

During a large-scale operation, the Philippine police detained more than 450 persons in a raid against a ‘Chinese run’ scam activity in Manila. The crackdown conducted on February 20 resulted in the arrest of 137 Chinese nationals and five Chinese bosses. Police found out that the area was being used as a scam hub. Police also found that scamming victims …

Award-winning actor Jericho Rosales has been chosen to portray President Manuel L. Quezon in the forthcoming historical biopic Quezon being produced by TBA Studios. The film is scheduled for release in 2025 as part of the studio’s “Bayaniverse,” a series of films that also include the critically acclaimed “Heneral Luna” and “Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral.” Directed and co-written by Jerrold …

The Philippines has suspended a scientific survey in the South China Sea days after China’s coast guard and navy allegedly “harassment” its fisheries vessels. The Philippine coast guard on Saturday accused Chinese coast guard ships and a Chinese navy helicopter of harassing a group of Philippine fisheries vessels, which were conducting a scientific survey in a disputed area of the …

Philippine security officials arrested a Chinese national on suspicion of espionage. During the arrest, they recovered equipment authorities believe could be used for spying on military facilities and police camps. The suspect, identified as a software engineer named Deng Yuanqing, was presented to the media on Monday. The officials presented two other alleged Filipino cohorts in front of the media. …

Heavy rain has been pouring over the Palawan region in the Philippines for the past few days which led to the overflow of water reservoirs like lakes and rivers followed by uncontrollable floods hitting the residential areas. Palawan is considered to be an ecological frontier of the country. The PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) has indicated that …

Filipino actress and comedian Rufa Mae Quinto surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) upon her return to the Philippines on January 8. She and her family landed at the airport at around 5 am. The probe is about an alleged investment scam. Quinto is facing 14 legal charges over violation of Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code …