MANILA, Philippines—A powerful typhoon left at least 31 people dead, knocked down power and communications in entire provinces, and wrought widespread destruction mostly in the central Philippines, officials said Saturday. A governor said her island has been “leveled to the ground.” Typhoon Rai blew away Friday night into the South China Sea after rampaging through…
Typhoon Leaves 12 Dead, Traps People on Roofs in Philippines
MANILA, Philippines—A powerful typhoon that battered the central Philippines left at least 12 people dead in massive floods that trapped residents on roofs and damaged buildings including a hotel and an airport, officials said. Typhoon Rai slightly weakened after slamming ashore Thursday on the country’s southeastern coast but still packed destructive and deadly winds of…
Rescuers Battle Strong Typhoon Lashing Southern Philippines
MANILA, Philippines—A powerful typhoon slammed into the southeastern Philippines on Thursday, toppling trees, ripping tin roofs, and knocking down power as it blew across island provinces where nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated. Coast guard personnel were rescuing residents stranded by chest-deep waters in a southern province, where pounding rains swamped villages in brownish water….
Gunmen Kill Town Mayor, Wound Another in South Philippines
ZAMBOANGA, Philippines—Motorcycle-riding gunmen killed a town mayor and wounded another in a brazen attack Monday that also killed their driver and caused villagers to flee to safety in a coastal village in the southern Philippines, police said. Mayor Darussalam Lajid of Al-Barka town was killed and Mayor Alih Sali of Akbar town was wounded by…
Duterte-Backed Candidate Makes Sudden Exit From Philippines Presidential Race
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s preferred successor, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, has announced his withdrawal from the May 2022 presidential race, saying that it was “not yet my time.” Go, a close aide of Duterte, cited his family’s resistance to his presidential run and admitted he was unprepared to seek the country’s highest elected post. “In…
Philippines Races to Vaccinate 9 Million People Amid Omicron Concerns, Shuts Borders
The Philippines has kicked off an ambitious campaign to vaccinate nine million people in three days, as it temporarily suspended flights from countries with cases of the Omicron variant, a new variant of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. “This is our single biggest push to fast-track vaccination and reaches our target of 70 percent…
Philippines Rejects China’s Demand to Remove Grounded Navy Ship
MANILA—The Philippines will not remove a dilapidated navy ship grounded on an atoll in the South China Sea, its defence chief said on Thursday, rejecting a demand by China after it blocked a mission to resupply the vessel’s crew. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana dismissed China’s assertion on Wednesday that the Philippines had committed to remove…
US Backs Philippines Against China’s Actions in South China Sea
The United States reaffirmed its defense commitments to the Philippines after Chinese coastguard vessels were accused of firing water cannons against Philippines resupply boats in the disputed South China Sea. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States has pledged to stand with its treaty ally, the Philippines, and warned China that any “armed…
Philippines to Reopen Borders to COVID-19 Vaccinated Tourists
Fully vaccinated visitors from “green list” countries will soon be allowed to enter the Philippines, the Tourism Ministry announced on Nov. 19, following the lead of other Southeast Asian countries in relaxing travel restrictions for international leisure travellers. In a statement, Tourism Minister Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said the country’s coronavirus taskforce has “approved in principle” the…
ICC Prosecutor Halts Probe Into Duterte’s Drugs War
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has temporarily suspended its investigation into suspected human rights abuses committed under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs” campaign, following a deferral request filed by Manila, documents released on Nov. 19 revealed. The Hague-based court in September authorized an official probe into Duterte’s anti-drug campaign that has left thousands…
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