Philippines

The most crucial question remains: How to deter China?

Rodrigo Duterte, who was this week arrested and extradited to the ICC, withdrew Manila from the court's founding statute in 2019.

The International Criminal Court accuses the ex-leader of orchestrating crimes of humanity as part of his violent "war on drugs" campaign.

The ex-leader's arrest is the latest outcome of the bitter political feud between the Marcos and Duterte families.

Despite improvements under President Marcos, the country remains a difficult – and sometimes dangerous – place to be a journalist.

There are early signs that the country's relations with the U.S. will survive the ongoing ructions in Washington, D.C.

Human rights groups have accused the Philippine authorities of using money laundering and terrorist financing laws to clamp down on legitimate dissent.

The Financial Action Task Force has also added Laos and Nepal to its list of nations subject to "increased monitoring."

Trump’s regional policy is likely to focus on U.S. military engagement to counter China. The Philippines thus may become a linchpin in U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific.

Tensions over Scarborough Shoal have increased markedly since the middle of last year, when Beijing and Manila reached an "understanding" over another disputed shoal.

At a political rally last week, Rodrigo Duterte joked about killing 15 senators with a bomb in order to free up positions for his own party's candidates.

The conflict between the two prominent political clans has continued into the first week of campaigning for May's mid-term polls.