Home Bournemouth Daily Echo Foreign Affairs Community & Local Democracy Education

Foreign Affairs

Reporting, commentary, and feature on international affairs, with a focus on South East Asia

The New World •

The VP who dreamed of decapitating the president

The Philippine House of Representatives has now voted to impeach Duterte for a second time, with the process now moving to the Senate for trial. She is accused of misusing public funds and making death threats against president Marcos Jr, after stating that she had dreamed of decapitating him. Being impeached twice does not always condemn a leader – just ask the current occupant of the White House. But, unlike Donald Trump, Sara Duterte, vice-president of the Philippines, finds herself on the ba...
The New World •

Trump’s Iran war is going global

I’ve often thought the jeepney served as a metaphor for the Philippines itself. Now, it’s at the epicentre of a national fuel crisis brought on by the Iran war. The elongated, brightly decorated military jeeps that look like small buses were originally left behind by American troops after the second world war. They are the most popular means of public transport across the nation’s cities.

While teaching in Davao City, I was initially hesitant to ride a jeepney bus.A lanky, six-foot-plusser like...
The Diplomat •

Thousands of Overseas Filipinos Celebrate Former President Duterte’s Birthday

If you had passed Marble Arch on March 28, you would probably have assumed that the music, cake, and colorful balloons were for a birthday party. And you’d have been right.

What you probably wouldn’t have guessed is that those celebrations were for a man accused of crimes against humanity: Rodrigo Duterte, the former president of the Philippines. Hundreds of Filipinos from the diaspora community in the U.K. gathered in central London to show their support, while thousands more gathered at meeti...
The New World •

If you thought Rodrigo Duterte was bad, wait til you meet his daughter

Sara, the current vice-president of the Philippines, recently took a step closer to succeeding him by declaring that she will run for president in 2028. When a furious city mayor in the Philippines punched a sheriff for disobeying her demands back in 2011 – in full view of the television cameras – there was little outrage. Instead, with one fell swoop, Sara Duterte announced herself as the true heir to her strongman father, the “Trump of Asia”, Rodrigo Duterte. Her father, president from 2016-20...
Ben's Substack •

Is the "Trump lens" leaving Iranians and Venezuelans out of focus?

The Iran war has exposed an uncomfortable discourse, with those living through the conflict being lectured on what is in their best interests. Social media has predictably provided the perfect breeding ground for opinionators and faceless accounts to spew out their hot takes – muzzling the lived experiences of Iranians in the process. lilsmichelle captured this frustration in About Iran, from an Iranian Woman: “For a moment, it felt like the man who presided over decades of death, imprisonment,...
The Diplomat •

Philippine Senator’s Deepfake Post Raises Fresh Disinformation Concerns

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the former chief of the Philippine National Police and a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, set off a national debate in the Philippines last week after he shared an AI-generated “deepfake” video in support of beleaguered Vice President Sara Duterte.

Dela Rosa was responsible for executing the bloody anti-narcotics campaign waged by Rodrigo Duterte during his 2016-22 presidency. Now with Duterte isolated in The Hague and his daughter Sara facing imp...
The Diplomat •

US-Philippines Relations Take Center Stage After Midterm Elections

Following an underwhelming electoral return, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is likely to lean all the more heavily on his relationship with Washington.

Awaiting trial from within the confines of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte could only watch on as he was once again elected mayor of his hometown of Davao City, one of more than 18,000 positions up for grabs in last week’s midterm elections. Despite being situated thousands of mile...
The Diplomat •

Tensions Rising in the Philippines After Former President Duterte’s ICC Arrest

The ex-leader may finally face justice for his bloody “war on drugs”, but the country he leaves behind is increasingly divided.

Last week, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by Philippine police at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in connection with their investigation into his bloody “war on drugs.” The anti-narcotics campaign, which spanned across his Davao mayorship and 2016-2022 presidency, saw thousands killed without trial for their alleged crim...
The Diplomat •

Philippine Sex Education Bill Is ‘Woke and Abhorrent,’ President Says

The proposed Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act has come under fire from President Marcos, despite the country’s alarming teenage pregnancy rates.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. takes part in a video call with outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru at the Malacañang Palace in Manila, Philippines, January 13, 2025.

Last week, Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made an impassioned critique of Senate Bill No. 1979, blasting some...
The Diplomat •

With Public Tirade, Philippine Vice President Further Widens Rift With Marcos Clan

The relationship between Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr hit a new low last week, after Duterte launched a scathing attack on the president in a two-hour-long press conference on October 18.

In the extraordinary outburst, Duterte threatened to dig up the remains of Ferdinand Marcos Sr., the former Philippine dictator and father of the current president. “One of these days, I will go there. I will get the body of your father and throw it in the...
The Diplomat •

Former Philippine President Duterte Makes Political Comeback Amid Usual Controversy

The ex-leader’s return coincides with the eroding relationship between his family and the Marcos clan, as well as the arrest of his close ally, televangelist Apollo Quiboloy.

On October 8, the final day of the weeklong registration period for next year’s midterm elections, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte submitted his candidacy for mayor of Davao City. It is a position that the 79-year-old held for more than two decades prior to his election as president in 2016.

It is from the Dav...