By Geoffrey Hartman — The ongoing battle for Marawi City — the capital of Lanao del Sur Province on the island of Mindanao — between Philippine government forces and Islamic militants with links to the Islamic State of Iraq and…
By Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit — Thirty years after Ferdinand Marcos was ousted by Filipinos in the popular People Power Revolution the former president’s burial at the Heroes Cemetery has triggered national outrage and street protests. Sharply critical views have…
By Zachary Abuza — The United States and the Philippines held their annual Balikatan military exercises from April 4 to 15. While the exercise identified no threat, the symbolism of training exercises that included retaking an oil platform and an…
By Conor Cronin & Norashiqin Toh — On May 9, voters in the Philippines will head to the polls to pick a new president. Outgoing president Benigno Aquino III leaves his successor with a nation hoping to balance economic ties…
By Norashiqin Toh – President Benigno Aquino’s plan for lasting peace in the southern Philippines came to its long-anticipated end on February 3, as the Philippine Congress adjourned for election season without having passed his legacy peace agreement. The Bangsamoro…
This week we focus on the latest friction surrounding the disputed South China Sea. CSIS Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative Director Gregory Poling joins to analyze the range of important diplomatic, legal, and security developments in the waters since President Obama’s…
By Conor Cronin Philippine lawmakers on September 23 set December 16 as the new deadline for passing the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), after their earlier plans to approve the draft legislation before the congressional recess from October 10 to…
Who is he? Lieutenant General Hernando Iriberri is the new chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Iriberri entered military service in 1983 after graduating from the Philippine Military Academy and steadily climbed through the ranks. As…
By Zachary Abuza In his final year in office, President Barack Obama seems determined to step up his policy of rebalancing to Asia, in particular by deepening security cooperation with the Philippines. Despite shared strategic interests, U.S.-Philippines security relations are…
By Gregory Poling The Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force launched a raid on January 25 in Mamasapano on the southern island of Mindanao that killed wanted terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, known as Marwan, but at the cost of 44…