Philippine

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Sara Duterte arrive for the opening of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018. AFP via Getty Images A foiled succession plan, sensational allegations, and a family feud at the pinnacle of power — these are the ingredients in what promises to be a riveting race to succeed outgoing Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. The no-holds-barred contest scheduled for May 2022 has already produced what some observers see as an unsettling alliance: the offspring of two presidents pairing off in an unprecedented bid to run the country. Taking full advantage of their prominence, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., has teamed up with Sara Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte in the national election. He is running for president in this dynastic duo, while she vies for vice president. Are dynasties and celebrities narrowing democracy? Political dynasties in the Philippines are nothing new. Richard Heydarian, an expert on Philippine politics, says they are such a dominant feature in the country that between 70% and 90% of elected offices have been controlled by influential families. But even by those standards, this Marcos-Duterte coupling takes powerful clan politics to a new level, says University of the Philippines Diliman political science professor Aries Arugay. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is surrounded by supporters after attending the recount of votes in the 2016 vice presi...

MANILA, June 13 (Reuters) - At least 14,000 people evacuated from around a volcano spewing lava and noxious gases in the central Philippines may remain displaced from their homes for months, authorities warned on Tuesday. Incandescent lava was seen flowing slowly from the mouth of the 2,462-metre (8,077-foot) Mayon volcano, which was placed on a high alert level last week following seismic tremors and hundreds of rockfall events. "Based on our previous experiences, this volcanic activity may persist for a few months," Teresito Bacolcol, chief of the state volcanology and seismology agency, told DZMM radio, adding that residents usually living within a 6 km (3.7 miles) radius of the volcano would have to stay in evacuation centres. Roughly 14,000 people have been evacuated and are sheltering in schools and community centres, disaster agency data show. Larry Llenaresas, a community leader in Albay province, told DZMM radio there was a need for more food and drinking water for the displaced. Authorities said people living further away from the volcano should also be ready for possible evacuation, with the police placing checkpoints to prevent residents from returning. "We will make sure evacuees cannot return until they are advised to do so," police regional director Westrimundo Obinque told reporters. Mayon is a tourist attraction because of its near near-perfect conical shape. Dorothy Colle, a provincial tourism official, said while the no-go zone was being enforced, people...