Philippines

Philippine troops to China?
Philippine troops to China?
Imagine this. China builds a military base on the Australian continental shelf off, say, Cairns. Then, according to the Australian prime minister, China threatens a military…
Duterte unchecked
Duterte unchecked
Rodrigo Duterte, President of the Philippines, is a quarter of the way through his single six-year term under the current constitution. So far, he is changing the office…
ASEAN summit should focus on the possible
ASEAN summit should focus on the possible
Close observers of ASEAN's peak summitry often note the blandness of the final communiqués. The forum remains crippled by the consensus-based nature of decision-making…
Duterte’s mutually beneficial Japan trip
Duterte’s mutually beneficial Japan trip
President Duterte returned last night from a three-day working visit to Japan, his second bilateral trip to Tokyo since taking office in June 2016. This visit took place only two…
Marawi battle has implications for Australians
Marawi battle has implications for Australians
Recent terrorism-related developments in the Philippines could lead to an increased security threat to Australians in parts of Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia and Malaysia…
After Hapilon’s death and the ‘liberation’ of Marawi
After Hapilon’s death and the ‘liberation’ of Marawi
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has declared the 'liberation of Marawi', and the Philippines military says Isnilon Hapilon, the Abu Sayyaf militant seen as Islamic State…
Putting Duterte’s popularity in perspective
Putting Duterte’s popularity in perspective
There is little doubt that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a populist. As I write in The Rise of Duterte: A Populist Revolt Against Elite Democracy, the Filipino…
A test for Australia in Marawi
A test for Australia in Marawi
The continuing conflict in the southern Philippines has engaged Australia's regional counter-terrorism interests like never before. Few predicted that the siege of Marawi, now…
Has Marawi killed the Philippines peace process?
Has Marawi killed the Philippines peace process?
For years, the common wisdom about conflict in the southern Philippines was that the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was the best antidote to…
The 21st century will be a battle on the urban front
Commentary
The 21st century will be a battle on the urban front
Originally published in The Australian. Euan Graham , Greg Colton