13/06/2026

SATURDAY | JUNE 13, 2026

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MANILA: The Philippines defence chief said yesterday he would continue to do his duty in the face of “wickedness” committed by China, a day after he was sanctioned by Beijing for what it described as repeated “erroneous remarks”. Ties between China and US ally the Philippines have soured in the past few years as Manila, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, pushes back at what it sees as aggression by Beijing. Meanwhile, China has accused the Philippines of repeated encroachment in its waters in the disputed South China Sea. “That is truly what they do to those who speak the truth against their deception,” said Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in a statement yesterday. “I will just keep doing my duty and uphold our nation in the face of the wickedness they are committing here and even in our seas.” China’s Foreign Ministry announced sanctions on Thursday against Teodoro and his close relatives, saying he has “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China” that have undermined China’s legitimate interests and bilateral ties. Manila’s Foreign Ministry said it views the sanctions as an “unfriendly act that further complicates bilateral relations”. “Such measures do not contribute to building mutual trust, managing

Philippines vows to press on against ‘China wickedness’

tensions between the two Koreas, which remain technically at war. In an incident unrelated to Yoon’s drone case, South Korean investigators found that government officials had sent drones into the nuclear-armed North in January. Lee expressed regret earlier this year over the incident. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister called Lee’s statement “wise behaviour”, but hopes for a rapprochement faded after the diplomatically isolated nation returned to calling the South its “most hostile” enemy. – AFP conducted with the highest honours in accordance with royal tradition. Her Royal Highness’ remains will lie in state at the Phimarn Rattaya Throne Hall within the Grand Palace. Princess Bajrakitiyabha had been receiving treatment at the hospital since December 2022 after collapsing from a heart-related condition while training her pet dog in Pak Chong district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. Born on Dec 7, 1978, she was the daughter of then Crown Prince Vajiralongkorn and his first wife Princess Soamsawali. Educated in Thailand and abroad, Princess Bajrakitiyabha earned a law degree from Thammasat University before pursuing further studies in the United States, where she obtained a Master of Laws degree and a doctorate in law from Cornell University. Widely known in Thailand as “Princess Pa”, she built a career in law, diplomacy and public service. She was actively involved in social and humanitarian causes, particularly in advancing women’s rights, rehabilitation programmes for female inmates, public health initiatives and legal reform. – Bernama revealed eight additional deaths while the number of missing stood at 31 as reports from local jurisdictions trickled in. In Sarangani province, provincial disaster chief Rene Punzalan said many of the blocked roads have been cleared but helicopters are still being employed to take food and water to cut-off residents who remain without power. “Aftershocks are slowing us down, plus it rained last night, so we have to stop the operation for a while,” he said of operations in which backhoes were being used to remove large boulders. Punzalan added that while the search for the missing continues, there is little hope of finding survivors. “Many days have passed since the earthquake, so it is going to be a miracle if any of them can be rescued alive. Our goal is just to retrieve their bodies.” – Reuters

declared a 15-day period of national mourning following the death of Princess Bajrakitiyabha Narendira Debyavati, the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, with flags to be flown at half-mast at government institutions nationwide. Princess Bajrakitiyabha passed away peacefully on Thursday at the age of 47, according to the Royal Household Bureau. It said Princess Bajrakitiyabha passed away at 7.48pm in the King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital of the Thai Red Cross Society. It added that her condition had deteriorated since May 21 due to an infection in the abdominal cavity caused by inflammation of the large intestine. “Princess Bajrakitiyabha also suffered from low blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmia and abnormalities in blood clotting. Although the medical team provided close and comprehensive treatment to the best of their abilities, her condition progressively worsened.” It said King Maha Vajiralongkorn has commanded that the royal funeral be Philippines, which is under severe threat territory-wise and politically too by China, we have no choice but really to be resilient and stand up against Chinese aggression,” said Teodoro on the sidelines of Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence forum. Earlier this week, Manila also took diplomatic action against Beijing for what it called the “illegal presence” of a floating structure in a disputed atoll. In a separate development, rescuers battling rain and aftershocks cleared roads and searched for the missing in the southern Philippines yesterday as the death toll from a major quake rose to 55. The 7.8-magnitude tremor just off the coast of Mindanao on Monday brought down buildings and triggered landslides on the southern island while setting off tsunami warnings across the region. A government tally yesterday

o Ministry calls Beijing’s sanctions against Defence secretary ‘unfriendly act that further complicates bilateral relations’

summit that sought to stabilise ties. In 2021, Beijing also imposed such sanctions on five European Union (EU) lawmakers over their allegation of Chinese persecution of Muslims in the northwestern Xinjiang region. These sanctions were lifted last year as China pursued closer relations with EU to limit damage from Trump’s tariffs war. Beijing accused Teodoro last week of having no gratitude for China’s supply of important commodities and using issues about people’s wellbeing for political showmanship, in relation to his remarks about China being a threat. “For countries such as the

differences responsibly or creating the conditions necessary for constructive engagement between our countries,” it said on Thursday. The sanctions put Teodoro among other foreign officials who have faced similar actions by Beijing in recent years. China sanctioned US State Secretary Marco Rubio for his criticism of the Chinese government and human rights accusations when he was still a senator in 2020. Beijing has since found a diplomatic workaround in the Chinese translation of Rubio’s name that allowed him to join US President Donald Trump last month for a

Thai princess dies at age 47 BANGKOK: Thailand yesterday

LAUDING LIBERTY ... Protesters shouting slogans as they march towards the US Embassy to commemorate the 128th Independence Day in Manila, the Philippines yesterday. – REUTERSPIC

S. Korea ex-president gets 30 years for Pyongyang drone incident SEOUL: A South Korean court sentenced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years’ prison yesterday for sending military drones into North Korea, saying he planned the action as pretext for his disastrous martial law declaration in 2024. according to a summary of their ruling. Yoon had planned to “heighten inter-Korean military tensions and manufacture a national crisis” so that his martial law could have been justified, they added. across the border that year. The court judges yesterday said the 2024 drone operation “entailed the use of South Korea’s military capabilities for private purposes”. televised address in December 2024 that suspended civilian rule plunged South Korea into an unprecedented political crisis. Martial law lasted only about six hours as lawmakers raced to the assembly building and voted it down in an emergency session.

They added that powers vested in the president, including supreme command of the armed forces and authority to declare martial law, must be exercised to protect the nation’s survival and security. However, Yoon approved the military drone operation, “believing he could arbitrarily use such powers for his own political gain“, they said. Yoon’s shock late-night national

Yoon is in detention while he appeals a life sentence for leading an insurrection with his martial law declaration. He insists that he declared martial law “solely for the sake of the nation”. His defence has denied the charge over the drones, arguing that the operation was in response to North Korea sending balloons carrying trash

The drone flights two months before Yoon suspended civilian rule had sparked anger in Pyongyang, which accused the South of dropping propaganda leaflets as well. Judges said Yoon had intended to provoke Pyongyang “into carrying out armed or equivalent acts against South Korea’s military of people”,

However, it triggered protests, sent the stock market plunging and caught key allies off guard. Yoon is facing multiple legal cases and Lee Jae Myung was elected president after months of political chaos in the country. Drone flights remain a flashpoint in