COMMENTARY: The public should not be too alarmed of the Chinese claims over the northern part of the country. Unlike the government’s incoherent posture in the West Philippine Sea, the Armed Forces of the Philippines has a more structured and disciplined approach to countering Chinese moves in the Batanes Group of Islands and with elements of a viable “denial strategy” in play.

COMMENTARY:The Philippines has long sought a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, with the aim of averting conflict in these waters. But as tensions with China rise, it looks unlikely to succeed. Manila is shifting toward other means of defending its maritime interests.

Even before House prosecutors presented their first witness, the opening day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial on Monday became a battle over competing interpretations of the Constitution and other laws, with rival political camps offering conflicting claims that quickly spread on social media.