U.S., Philippines Strike Trade Deal, Trump Says
U.S., Philippines Strike Trade Deal, Trump Says Presidents Trump and Marcos(Jr.) meeting at the White House July 22, 2025. The U.S. and the Philippines have reached a trade pact, President Trump said Tuesday. He said on Truth Social that the U.S. will charge Philippine imports a 19% tariff under the deal. In return, Trump said […]
U.S. Aims to Keep Chinese Navy Guessing With New Missile System
BATAN ISLAND, Philippines—The Air Force C-130 transport plane dipped down on the sun-baked airfield of this remote island in the northern Philippines, delivering a weapon system designed to give the U.S. an edge in the intensifying superpower standoff in the Pacific. The Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, or Nmesis, is an antiship missile launcher mounted […]
China, Philippines South China Sea Disputes
China, Philippines Make Rival Claims in Disputed South China Sea(WSJ) US Navy on Maneuvers in Western Pacific China and the Philippines are in a standoff over Sandy Cay in the South China Sea. Both countries have planted flags on Sandy Cay, a collection of sandbars with geopolitical significance. The U.S. and the Philippines are conducting […]
Pinatubo Explodes
Pinatubo Explosion, June, 1991 Pinatubo exploded, burying Clark AFB and inundating the area for miles around with volcanic ash Wikipedia Article on Pinatubo Eruption June 15, 1991, Pinatubo explodes as seen from Clark AFB Pinatubo Ash Fallout Map
Typhon Missiles
US sends defensive long range missiles to the PI The US Army has installed numerous long range(1200 miles) Typhoon(/Typhon?) and Cruise missiles/launchers on the Philippine Islands to suit the missions of both countries. Shorter range SM-6 missile sites have also been deployed, which are said to be the only defensive US weapon capable of intercepting […]
Duterte ICC
Rodrigo Duterte faces ICC charges of crimes against Humanity March 13, 2025, the Wall Street Journal reported former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has been flown to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity. This stems from his tenure in office whereby he initiated a de facto vigilante […]
Main Deck Resurrection
The old Main Deck got a makeover and religion
Bongbong Marcos, Son of Ferdinand, elected Philippine President
Bongbong Marcos, Son of Ferdinand, elected Philippine President
As the finishing current event chapter of Philippine politics, deja-vu strikes again. Following Duterte’s tenure, the son of Ferdinand Marcos, Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos, entered his bid for the presidency, pledging once again legal reforms, the end of corruption, etc. In 2022, Bongbong easily won the Presidency. Apparently there were no hard feelings among the Philippine people regarding his father’s reign of totalitarian martial law and the missing $9B from the country’s treasury. I suppose the people did not blame the son for the sins of his father. But so much for altering the dynastic lineage of politics in the Philippines. A most recent news report by CBS quoted Sara Duterte, the Philippine’s VP, as threatening to assassinate President Bong Bong Marcos if any harm were to come to her. (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sara-duterte-ferdinand-marcos-jr-philippines-assassination-threat/). She is currently undergoing a legislative impeachment trial.
Rodrigo Duterte faces ICC charges of crimes against Humanity
Duterte elected President, Declares war on drugs
In the Philippines, the political climate remains volatile to this day. The recently elected(2016-2022) Rodrigo Duterte, former mayor of Davao, to the Presidency chose to make one of his central domestic issues fighting drug dealers and users. But not only were the local and national police involved, Duterte called upon the people to take the law into their own hands by encouraging them to shoot “known suspects”, ala vigilante style. One can only imagine how this style of justice could quickly run out of control, given that anyone with a firearm was sanctioned to kill anyone thought to be involved with illegal drugs. The RC church sponsored many protests in Manila and other cities, however Duterte’s solution garnered a 90% approval rating amongst the people. It has always seemed the threshold for the sanctity of human life in the P.I. is lower compared to other countries globally and in Southeast Asia. It was reported that approximately 7,000 drug suspects were shot by non-uniformed civilians. This includes low level drug users and people suspected of drug use, dealing, or smuggling. Continuing along his unconventional path, Duterte turned to China and Russia to improve diplomatic relations. This was of great concern to the US State Dept., but did not completely jeopardize US relations. The US remains committed to defend the Philippines from adversaries, and still assists with military hardware. This is likely to continue, as the people of the P.I. and U.S. remain close friends and allies given our shared troubles in WWII, on through to the rocky road we travel today.
Duterte