- Philippine military chief reveals “soft coup” attempt
- China suspected of fomenting unrest in the Philippines
- US carrier loses two aircraft in South China Sea
- Taiwan jails four officials for spying for Beijing
The Philippines has been hit with social and military instability, with Philippine military chief Romeo Brawner Jr. revealing that he rejected an approach last month by eight retired generals and colonels urging he withdraw support from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and back Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio. The Philippines has a history of attempted coups and martial law, but could the country be at risk of becoming a Myanmar-style junta? And is China secretly fomenting this unrest? Meanwhile, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier lost a fighter jet and helicopter in the South China Sea within 30 minutes. In this episode, we discuss Manila’s latest corruption scandals and coup rumors, the US military accident, and what Taiwan and the Philippines could learn from each other in their shared fight against China’s espionage and gray-zone tactics.
*Recorded on October 29, 2025 at 3pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host/Senior Producer: Yin Khvat
Producer: Chinyeh Chiang
Our guests:
Shen Ming-shih
- Institute for National Defense and Security Research (INDSR) Research Fellow
Renato Cruz de Castro
- National Chengchi University MOFA Taiwan Fellow
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