Context Dispatch

The European Union and the Philippines convened their second Security and Defence Dialogue in Manila on today. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the rules-based international order and deepened discussions on regional security, with strong focus on maritime security, freedom of navigation and respect for the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The dialogue follows the EU’s announcement of its first European Peace Facility assistance in Asia, a €15 million support package for the Philippines, underscoring the bloc’s commitment to regional stability. The meeting was co-chaired by Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss of the European External Action Service and Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim. For Filipinos, this partnership means stronger support for maritime rights, improved regional peace and security, and tangible resources to help keep communities safe.

Senator Mark Villar has joined the majority in the Senate. He was persuaded by Senator Migz Zubiri and was named chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Works and Highways, and into the powerful Commission on Appointments. Zubiri said that this had nothing to do with the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, downplaying suggestions that it will help guarantee enough votes for the conviction of the Vice President. Zubiri said there is a chance that senators will vote not because of political affiliation, but their own conscience.

House prosecutors said they found gaps in Vice President Sara Duterte’s annual Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from 2022 to 2025, the first four years of her six-year term, with the highest alleged gap reaching P98 million in 2023.

The National Security Council (NSC) will examine P319.33 million in remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong to Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte.

A tabulation presented by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, showed covered and suspicious transactions involving Vice President Sara Duterte’s accounts from 2007 to 2025. The records reflected total inflows of P1.41 billion, outflows of P1.06 billion, and P1.26 billion in transactions with undetermined inflow or outflow. The report also showed inflows from China and other countries amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos involving Cale88 Foods Corp., owned by Duterte’s husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, with whom she has an absolute community of property. The AMLC report forms part of the prosecution’s evidence on alleged ill-gotten wealth, as prosecutors contend their salaries and business income are insufficient to explain their accumulated wealth.