Tag: Philippines

Blinken Vows US Will Defend Ally Philippines from China’s ‘Intimidation’

The United States would defend its ally the Philippines if the latter were attacked by China, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In a statement issued by the U.S. Embassy in Manila July 12, Blinken warned China’s communist leadership explicitly that Washington was obligated to defend the Philippines if its forces, vessels, or…


Book Review: ‘The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs’

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, they had another strategic target as well. On Dec. 8, 1941 they bombed the Philippines, with invasions to the north and south of Manila that quickly followed. Thousands of American, British, and Filipinos would eventually be killed, tortured, or imprisoned. Amid the horror of this…


Philippines’ Marcos Appoints UN Ambassador as Foreign Minister

MANILA—Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos appointed career diplomat Enrique Manalo as foreign affairs secretary, the president’s press secretary said on Friday. Before his appointment, Manalo served as Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Prior to that, Manalo was undersecretary for policy at the Department of Foreign Affairs. …


Philippines Starts New Era of Marcos Rule, Decades After Overthrow

MANILA—Ferdinand Marcos, the son of the Philippine ruler overthrown in a popular uprising 36 years ago, was sworn in as the country’s president on Thursday, promising to strive for unity and a better future while praising his late father’s legacy. Marcos, 64, won last month’s election in a landslide, capping off his wealthy family’s decades-long…


Explorers Find WWII Navy Destroyer, Deepest Wreck Discovered

MANILA, Philippines—A U.S. Navy destroyer that engaged a superior Japanese fleet in the largest sea battle of World War II in the Philippines has become the deepest wreck to be discovered, according to explorers. The USS Samuel B. Roberts, popularly known as the “Sammy B,” was identified on Wednesday broken into two pieces on a…


Philippine Government Attorney Fatally Shot in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA—A government attorney for the Philippines was fatally shot in an Uber while visiting Philadelphia, officials said Sunday. John Albert Laylo was heading to Philadelphia International Airport with his mother to board a flight and was stopped in the Uber at a red light near the University of Pennsylvania around 4:10 a.m. Saturday, officials said….


Philippines Summons Chinese Diplomat Over ‘Harassment’ of Ship in Disputed Waters

The Philippines has summoned a senior Chinese Embassy official to protest the Chinese coast guard’s alleged “harassment” of a Taiwanese vessel in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on May 31. The department stated that the Taiwanese vessel, dubbed the RV Legend, was conducting a marine scientific research activity with Filipino…


Marcos Jr Proclaimed Next Philippine President With Huge Win

MANILA, Philippines—Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was proclaimed the next president of the Philippines by a joint session of Congress on Wednesday following a landslide election triumph 36 years after his dictator father was ousted in a pro-democracy uprising. The Senate and House of Representatives also declared that his separately elected vice presidential running mate, Sara Duterte,…


PAL Flight Carrying Nearly 90 People Forced to Return Mid-Flight After Smoke in Cabin

A Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight carrying 82 passengers and four crew members was forced to return shortly after takeoff due to a “technical problem,” according to officials. Flight PR2543 experienced a technical issue that resulted in smoke venting into the cabin, PAL spokeswoman Cielo Villaluna said in a statement that was posted on the Philippine News Agency,…


Traffic Jam Causes Philippine Bridge to Collapse, Killing 4

MANILA, Philippines—An old, earthquake-damaged bridge collapsed under heavy traffic in a central Philippine town, sending about a dozen vehicles plummeting into the river below and killing at least four people, officials said Thursday. An Austrian visitor was among the dead, and at least 23 others including his wife were injured in the bridge’s collapse Wednesday…