MANILA — Philippine foreign minister Ma. Theresa Lazaro said on Wednesday that she intends to meet ethnic groups from Myanmar in the coming days to learn about the situation and seek solutions. “I intend to meet with certain ethnic armed groups and to find out the situation and how we can really try to help,” Lazaro said […]

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MANILA — The Philippines called on Myanmar on Wednesday to allow ASEAN’s special envoy to meet with detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi, pressing for greater transparency after authorities allowed her to serve the remainder of her sentence under house arrest. “We view these developments as vital steps in a sequence of confidence-building measures necessary for long-term national […]

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MANILA — The Philippines has received an assurance from Iran that it will allow the safe passage of Philippine-flagged vessels, fuel and Filipino seafarers through the Strait of Hormuz, Manila’s foreign ministry said on Thursday. The assurance came after Philippine foreign minister Ma. Theresa Lazaro spoke with her Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi, with the two top diplomats tackling energy…

MANILA — The Philippines takes “strong exception” to a statement by the Chinese Embassy in Manila that the simmering diplomatic spat between the two countries could result in millions of jobs being lost, the foreign ministry said, adding such comments could be seen as coercive. The Philippines and China have had repeated maritime confrontations in the […]

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MANILA — The Philippine foreign ministry urged the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Wednesday to be “constructive” in its statements amid an escalating war of words between Chinese diplomats and public officials, including senators. The Department of Foreign Affairs’ newly appointed maritime affairs spokesperson, Rogelio Villanueva, said that responses should be delivered in a “calm” and…