The ASEAN–Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan was not merely another ceremonial gathering wrapped in diplomatic pleasantries. It was a political signal. Held on June 17–18, 2026, the summit marked 35…
CHINA’s unilateral sanctions against Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. may look, at first glance, like another episode in the now-familiar diplomatic boxing match between Manila and Beijing. China…
The reported filing of a case against Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. over his alleged Maltese citizenship has reopened a politically sensitive and constitutionally serious issue: can someone who…
THE Philippine Senate is supposed to be the upper chamber of sober reflection, constitutional restraint and national statesmanship. Today, however, it looks less like the Republic’s deliberative chamber and more…
A FINANCIAL Times article, titled “US military deepens ties with Japan and Philippines to prepare for China threat,” depicts the current defense and military configurations of the United States-Japan-Philippines security,…
THE PHILIPPINE Senate today looks less like the “august chamber” of constitutional and democratic deliberation and more like the main stage of a national political circus. At the center are…
THE latest International Criminal Court (ICC) spectacle in the Philippines is being marketed, predictably, as a grand morality play about accountability, justice and the rule of law. But scratch the…
The ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Maritime Cooperation should be read for what it is: not a replacement for the long-delayed South China Sea Code of Conduct, but ASEAN’s attempt to…
While the world’s major powers are busy negotiating trade and managing geopolitical rivalries, the Philippines appears trapped in an entirely different reality show, one part political soap opera, one part…
The latest ICC spectacle in the Philippines is being marketed, predictably, as a grand morality play about accountability, justice, and the rule of law. But scratch the surface, it’s actually…