Marcos-Biden meet seen to spark tensions in region

The second meeting of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with US President Joe Biden in months is seen to stir more tension in the Southeast Asian region, analysts and activist leaders said.

Protests marked Marcos and Biden's meeting in Washington, DC, on Monday. Marcos' state visit to Washington came on the heels of a joint military drill after allowing US forces access to more Philippine military bases right across China's Taiwan.

The US chapter of the New Patriotic Alliance, or BAYAN, a coalition of Filipino grassroots organizations across the United States, has led a rally in front of the White House, protesting Marcos' arrival. Marcos' new meeting with Biden this year "will only put the Filipino people in more danger of poverty and war", BAYAN said in a statement.