By Zachary Abuza On January 25, a detachment of elite Philippine National Police forces tried to capture a known member of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah — Malaysian national Zulkifli bin Hir, aka Marwan. The police clashed with forces from…
By Priscilla A. Tacujan Philippine prosecutors charged Marine Pfc. Joseph Scott Pemberton on December 15 with murder in the killing of a Filipino transgender, Jennifer Laude. Pemberton was stationed in the Philippines for a joint Philippine-U.S. military exercise when this…
Who is he? Francis Jardeleza is the newest associate justice of the Philippines’ 15-member Supreme Court. Before President Benigno Aquino appointed him on August 19, Jardeleza had served as the Philippines’ solicitor general since 2012. Jardeleza is a graduate of…
By Dylan Kean President Benigno Aquino III on July 21 signed into law Republic Act 10641, known as “An Act Allowing the Full Entry of Foreign Banks in the Philippines.” This law amended a previous legislation that limited foreign ownership…
By Zachary Abuza The Philippine economy has been one of the fastest-growing in Asia in recent years, and if there is ever a time for Manila to invest in boosting its military capability, it is now. The Philippines has born…
On May 1, CSIS hosted Jejomar C. Binay, vice president of the Republic of the Philippines, at our Banyan Tree Leadership Forum. Mr. Binay spoke about the U.S.-Philippines alliance in light of President Barack Obama’s April visit, the significance of…
By Priscilla A. Tacujan Philippine undersecretary of defense Lorenzo Batino said April 11 that negotiators had reached “consensus on key points” of a new deal to allow a greater U.S. rotational military presence in the Philippines. But this raises a…
The Philippine Congress in 1995 passed the Armed Forces Modernization Act, hoping to provide around $7.3 billion to modernize the Philippine military over a 15 year period. But a change in government priorities derailed the plans, leaving the Armed…
By Noelan Arbis The Philippine government and Muslim rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on January 25 signed the fourth and final annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro, first forged in October 2012, that will replace the…
Who is he? Panfilo “Ping” Lacson was elected to the Philippine Senate in 2001 and served as a legislator for more than a decade, during the administrations of presidents Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Benigno Aquino. During his time in…
