Philippine president slams China in veiled rebuke in his state of the nation speech

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. criticized China in his state of the nation speech, vowing to defend a 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing’s South China Sea claims. He also announced charges against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, his cousin, in a corruption scandal. The Philippines condemned a Chinese state-owned media outlet for publishing racist content depicting Filipinos as monkeys, which Marcos addressed in his speech.