Political situation in the Philippines

President Marcos, 68, challenges the press: “Come to the gym”

The 68-year-old President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos on Monday dismissed persistent rumors that his health has deteriorated, reports The Manila Times.

To emphasize his point, the 68-year-old also did several so-called jumping jacks, or cross jumps, in front of the assembled press.

“I challenge anyone who says I am sick to come and work out with me. Come to the gym. Let’s see who is better at lifting weights,” Marcos said, according to the AP.

Rumors that Marcos was seriously ill – or even dead – began circulating after he unexpectedly disappeared from public view in January. He has since said that he was suffering from a harmless stomach illness, which he now believes has passed.

Philippines accuse China of spreading cyanide in the sea

The Philippines accuses China of using fishing boats to spread the deadly poison cyanide in the waters around the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

According to the Philippines' National Security Council, the intention is partly to kill the fish that their soldiers live on in the area, and partly to kill the coral reef on which the ship BRP Sierra Madre is located.

The ship houses Filipino soldiers and was deliberately stranded on the reef in 1999 as a way for the country to assert its territorial claims.

China calls the accusations malicious and baseless.