News

Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Albay 2nd District Representative Joey Salceda as chief liaison to Congress. His position is as secretary of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO). “The mandate given to me is to reform and transform the PLLO into a genuine policy in the Office of the President. This administration has been uniquely open to the best ideas from the people,” said Salceda. “I humbly invite the country’s best minds, especially young people, to share with us your time, your talents, and your energies towards this undertaking,” he added. The PLLO promotes the administration’s legislative agenda and priority policy reforms in Congress. Salceda is not new to the Cabinet, having served as presidential chief of staff in 2007 under then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. He was elected governor of Albay, winning the 2010 and 2013 elections. Salceda was a member as well of…

Metro Manila, Philippines – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Manila on Tuesday, July 21, to attend key Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) ministerial meetings and deepen Washington’s strategic partnership with Manila as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific. Rubio is attending the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. He is also expected to hold meetings with senior government officials from the Philippines and other Indo-Pacific countries. According to the US State Department, the visit underscores Washington’s commitment to advancing a “free and open Indo-Pacific” that promotes security, safety and prosperity across the region. The State Department said Rubio will use the meetings to highlight the results of the US-ASEAN partnership and further strengthen his country’s comprehensive partnership with the Philippines. Regional tensions remain high following a new confrontation between Philippine and Chinese forces near Ayungin…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete has been appointed as new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Department of National Defense (DND) said. He will replace Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., who retired on Tuesday, July 21. Brawner had been the top military official since July 21, 2023. Nafarrete was a former army commanding general, serving since July 31, 2025. Lt. Gen. Donald Gumiran, the commander of the Western Mindanao Command, will take over the army leadership, the DND said.

Metro Manila, Philippines – The Impeachment Court’s partial approval of the prosecution’s motion to subpoena the bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio was a win for accountability, prosecutors said Monday, July 20. READ: Impeachment Court partially grants prosecution subpoena for Duterte’s financial records Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, the lead prosecutor for the article on unexplained wealth, issued this statement, noting that the ruling is victory for truth. “Panalo ito ng taumbayan,” he added. [Translation: This is a win for the Filipino people.] Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima, another prosecutor, said the decision was also a triumph for the court for upholding its constitutional authority. “Hindi ito nagpahina doon sa mga supposed confidentiality provisions,” she said, in reference to the National Internal Revenue Code, which provides certain limitations on the disclosure of tax documents. [Translation: The court…

Metro Manila, Philippines – A Philippine Navy sailor was injured after being struck on the head with a wooden baton by China Coast Guard personnel during a confrontation near Ayungin Shoal on Monday, July 20,  the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said. The military also reported that a Philippine Navy rubber boat was damaged in the incident, which occurred during a mission near the BRP Sierra Madre, the grounded naval outpost at Ayungin Shoal. According to the AFP, a China Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boat with eight people from vessel CCGV 21560 unlawfully approached the Sierra Madre, circled the ship and took photos and videos. The military said two AFP rubber boats then moved “calmly and non-confrontationally” to drive away the Chinese vessel. “The CCGV personnel reacted violently and aggressively by striking a Philippine Navy personnel on the head with a wooden baton, causing injury and damaging the…