If you’re reading this while aggressively smashing the snooze button on a Saturday morning, we won’t judge. Go, and sleep in, hit the espresso, and let us handle the heavy lifting of keeping you informed.
Here is what we’re diving into today:
Marcos heads to New Delhi for the BRICS Summit to pitch ASEAN priorities and chase investments from India.
Manila demands that Beijing evacuate illegally occupied Mischief & Subi reefs following recent flare incidents in the West Philippine Sea.
The Cayetano siblings return to Manila just as the NBI investigation into 2019 SEA Games spending reaches a boiling point.
Marcos Heads to BRICS Summit to Pitch ASEAN and Trade
Coverage: Politics & Foreign Affairs
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. departed Manila on Friday for New Delhi to participate in the 18th BRICS Summit in his capacity as current ASEAN Chair.
Marcos aims to pitch the Philippines as a premier investment destination while advocating for rules-based international order, food and energy security, and climate action. On the sidelines, he will conduct bilateral talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the 2025–2029 Strategic Partnership Plan of Action across defense, health, and IT sectors. The trip follows up on $5.8 billion in investment pledges secured during his August 2025 state visit to India.
DFA and Defense Chief Demand China Exit EEZ Reefs
Coverage: National Security & Foreign Policy
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) demanded that China immediately cease its illegal occupation and island-building on Mischief (Panganiban) Reef and Subi (Zamora) Reef. Foreign Affairs spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva Jr. emphasized that these low-tide elevations fall inside the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) under Republic Act 12064 and UNCLOS.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. reaffirmed that Manila will not back down from upholding international law, following reports that Chinese forces fired flares at an unarmed Philippine aircraft conducting routine surveillance over the Kalayaan Island Group.
Cayetano Siblings Returning Home Amid NBI Games Probe
Coverage: Politics & Legal Affairs
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag shared that Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia Cayetano are scheduled to land back in Manila on flight SQ-918 after a short stint in Singapore.
The timing of their quick getaway certainly raised eyebrows, given that the NBI is wrapping up its inquiry into financial missteps during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. Matibag hinted that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano could face legal scrutiny over his past leadership role in Phisgoc, especially regarding a questionable double-payment trail for the famous New Clark City cauldron.
And that’s it. We respect your weekend and your packed schedule, so we keep our updates sharp and short, so you can get right back to enjoying your Saturday.
Have a blessed weekend.