Southeast Asia in January 2026: the most important developments in politics
In January 2026, politics in Southeast Asia was led by impeachment moves in the Philippines. Early in the month the presidential palace said it would not interfere if anyone filed a case against Rodrigo Duterte, and on 12 January it said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was ready for any impeachment complaint. Reports on 11 January said both Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte could soon face impeachment bids, and Sotto vowed to act 'forthwith' on any such bid. On 19 January the first impeachment complaint against Marcos was filed in the House of Representatives, and the palace said it respected Congress's duty in handling the matter. On 29 January the Supreme Court dismissed a House appeal, effectively ending an impeachment complaint against Sara Duterte.
The Philippines also dealt with a flood control corruption case. A Senate committee investigated the alleged scam, former Senator Bong Revilla surrendered after an arrest warrant and was ordered detained with six others on 20 January, and the Commission on Audit flagged 325 million pesos of flood control projects in Bulacan. On 29 January a town in Palawan declared China's ambassador persona non grata over his alleged support for Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea. The national government said it respected the decision, and Marcos rejected calls to expel the ambassador on 30 January.
In Myanmar, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party won a majority of seats in the Union Parliament, according to official results. The Philippine Foreign Secretary said ASEAN did not currently recognise the election.
Elsewhere, Vietnam's Communist Party held its congress, with delegates using pre-set tablets instead of personal phones, and Vietnam and the European Union agreed to raise relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Singapore's Parliament voted on 15 January to remove Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition after he was found to have given false testimony. In Malaysia, construction firm IJM was investigated for alleged money laundering. In Indonesia, President Prabowo Subianto nominated his nephew for the post of senior deputy governor at the central bank. Polls showed Natthaphong leading ahead of Thailand's February general election.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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