The Manila Times

Philippine right-center

Background

The Manila Times was founded on October 11, 1898, by Thomas Gowan, an Englishman, shortly after the United States took control of the Philippines from Spain, making it the oldest continuously published English-language newspaper in the country. It changed hands several times in its early decades and was shut down three times: in 1930, again in 1972 when Ferdinand Marcos Sr. declared martial law and arrested then-owner Chino Roces, and in 1999 when a libel suit by President Joseph Estrada—stemming from a story linking him to a state power company deal—forced the paper to print a front-page apology and triggered the resignation of its editors and writers. John Gokongwei had acquired the paper in 1989 before that 1999 closure. Dante Ang Sr. purchased it in August 2001 and rebuilt it into one of the country's major broadsheets, running it until his death on May 5, 2026, at age 83. Under Ang's ownership the paper developed a consistent pro-establishment editorial posture; Ang himself was appointed President Rodrigo Duterte's special envoy for international public relations in 2017, blurring the line between media ownership and government service. The most widely criticized editorial incident of the Ang era came in April 2019, when the paper published a front-page 'matrix' story—authored by Ang personally—claiming journalists and lawyers critical of Duterte were plotting to oust him; the managing editor resigned publicly, calling the story 'poorly sourced,' and PolitiFact found no credible evidence supporting the claims. Media Bias/Fact Check rates the outlet right-center biased with mixed factual reporting, citing loaded language that favors conservative causes and a general pro-government editorial tilt.

Sources

1. The Manila Times – Wikipedia
2. Dante Ang – Wikipedia
3. The Manila Times – Bias and Credibility (Media Bias/Fact Check)
4. The Manila Times Online – Media Ownership Monitor (Philippines)
5. Manila Times managing editor resigns over 'Oust Duterte plot' matrix publication (CNN Philippines)
6. Claims Filipino journalists are trying to oust President Rodrigo Duterte lack evidence (PolitiFact)
7. The Manila Times – Media Bias & Ratings (AllSides)
8. Govt officials mourn passing of Times Chairman Emeritus Dante Ang (The Manila Times)

Profile compiled 2026-07-14; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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