Philippines

Maria Ressa, CEO of the Rappler news site, leaves a Philippine regional trial court after being convicted for cyber libel on June 15. Ressa, a veteran journalist and outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, is the focus of A Thousand Cuts, a documen

Philippine Journalist Maria Ressa: 'Journalism Is Activism'

8:26am August 06, 2020

The documentary A Thousand Cuts focuses on how Ressa and her Rappler news organization navigate Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's attacks on the press. It will be released in the U.S. Aug. 8.

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A protester wearing a face mask demonstrates against the Philippines' new anti-terrorism law on July 4, in Quezon city, Metro Manila. Earlier this month, President Rodrigo Duterte approved a law that critics say could lead to more human rights abuses.

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Why Rights Groups Worry About The Philippines' New Anti-Terrorism Law

5:14pm July 21, 2020

by Julie McCarthy

Petitions have piled up at the country's Supreme Court to overturn the new legislation championed by President Rodrigo Duterte, which could jail suspects without charge for weeks.

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The USS Ronald Reagan (foreground) and the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Groups sail together in formation in the South China Sea on July 6. China has accused the U.S. of flexing its military muscles by conducting joint exercises with two U.S. aircraft carrie

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U.S. Rejects Beijing's Maritime Claims In South China Sea

8:29pm July 13, 2020

by John Ruwitch

China claims sovereignty over the vast majority of the economically important body of water, and in recent years, it has built artificial islands to bolster those claims.

Prison inmates gather in cramped conditions in Manila's Quezon City Jail. Guards and inmates at the notoriously overcrowded Philippine jail tested positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus, officials said last month, sparking urgent calls for the release of s

As COVID-19 Fears Grow, 10,000 Prisoners Are Freed From Overcrowded Philippine Jails

2:16pm May 05, 2020

by Julie McCarthy

"Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we had already been receiving reports on the terrible conditions in the jails that made sickness a normal thing," says a leading Philippine human rights lawyer.

Chinese medical experts heading to the Philippines are seen during a ceremony before their departure in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, earlier this month.

Chinese Song Expressing Friendship During Pandemic Backfires With Wary Filipinos

10:35am April 28, 2020

by Scott Neuman

A video for "One Sea" was posted by the Chinese Embassy in Manila in an effort to foster solidarity in the fight against COVID-19. But many Filipinos saw it as Beijing pressing territorial claims.

World News

Child Sex Abuse Livestreams Increase During Coronavirus Lockdowns

11:58am April 08, 2020

by Michael Sullivan

Online sexual abuse is rising as countries close schools and impose various shutdown measures to contain the new coronavirus pandemic, children's rights advocates in Southeast Asia warn.

A huge video screen shows members of the Philippine Congress participating in a special session via video conference in Manila on Monday to discuss a proposed emergency power to be given to President Rodrigo Duterte to tackle the COVID-19 coronavirus outb

Concerns In Philippines After Duterte Given Emergency Powers To Fight COVID-19 Spread

5:00pm March 24, 2020

by Julie McCarthy

Congress granted President Rodrigo Duterte special temporary powers early Tuesday to manage the COVID-19 crisis. To date, there are 552 confirmed cases, and 35 deaths.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, pauses to speak to media on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Romney is among the officials who criticized the flouting of airport guidelines for greeting returning missionaries.

Salt Lake City Airport Tightens Rules For Greeting Missionaries Returning From Abroad

5:08am March 24, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The tougher restrictions were announced after criticism from officials, including Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, following scenes over the weekend of friends and family thronging an airport parking lot.

Philippine Navy personnel watch the U.S. Navy's multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS WASP during the Joint U.S.-Philippine military exercises in April 2019.

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Philippines Says It Will End U.S. Security Agreement

1:36pm February 11, 2020

In a move that could have consequences for a counterinsurgency against Islamist extremists, President Rodrigo Duterte says Manila will unilaterally scrap the deal that lets U.S. forces train there.

Fishermen head to Taal Volcano Island to rescue their horses and other livestock in Talisay, Batangas, on Sunday.

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After Volcano Quiets, Philippine Officials At Odds Over Residents' Return

12:27pm January 21, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The vice mayor of a town located near Taal Volcano, which began spewing ash and steam last week, has urged people to defy warnings from authorities and to "come back and clean up."