blogging – Page 159 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Consultancy firm in Parañaque City shut down by DMW for illegal recruitment

September 12, 2023September 9, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in Parañaque City, agents of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) shut down a consultancy firm for illegal recruitment, according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). There were also local police officers and barangay officials present during the closure.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has shut down another consultancy firm found to be offering fake jobs overseas.

On Thursday, DMW Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, together with Undersecretary Bernard Olalia, head of the DMW’s Licensing and Adjudication Services cluster, Assistant Secretary Francis de Guzman, and lawyer Geraldine Mendez, Chief of the Migrant Workers Protection Bureau (MWPB), raided the office of RTM Maritime Consultancy Services Corp. at the 2nd floor of the J & P Building along Ninoy Aquino Avenue in Santo Niño, Paranaque City.

They were assisted by the Parañaque City police and the officials from Barangay Sto. Niño.

Cacdac said the DMW received several emails early this year complaining about the RTM Maritime Consultancy agency.

He cited victims “Ernesto” and “Dindo” who sent separate emails to the department narrating their experience.

Cacdac said “Ernesto” was promised by RTM a job as Chief Cook onboard a container vessel in Dubai with a monthly salary of USD900 (PHP51,300).

“Ernesto” was asked to pay by the consultancy firm a total of PHP105,000 as consultancy fees for finding him an overseas job.

Meanwhile, “Dindo” applied for the position of Engine Cadet with a promised monthly salary of USD350, or approximately PHP20,000, and was asked by RTM to pay a consultancy fee of PHP140,000 for the job placement.

Both “Ernesto” and “Dindo” applied for their alleged jobs in the first quarter of 2023.

However, several months have passed but they have not been deployed yet despite having paid the consultancy fee, and so they decided to file their complaints with the DMW.

The DMW conducted initial surveillance operations of RTM’s activities in March while a follow-up surveillance operation was undertaken in June to bolster the case against the agency.

Cacdac said RTM does not have a valid license or accreditation from the department.

He said RTM received and processed applications and referred these to its partner manning agency, and collected consultation fees ranging from PHP105,000 to as much as PHP140,000 from their applicants who were promised fake jobs as seafarers in Dubai, despite a no placement fee policy for seafarers.

RTM officers and personnel will be charged with illegal recruitment, the DMW said.

The DMW is also urging other victims of RTM Maritime Consultancy Corp. to visit the MWPB so they may be assisted in filing their complaints and cases against the illegal recruitment agency.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? Do you anyone who got victimized by the Parañaque consultancy firm that got shut down? Do you believe there could be more scammers operating in Parañaque?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Las Piñas City government warns constituents about people pretending to be BPLO employees and extortion

September 12, 2023September 10, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in Las Piñas City, the City Government issued a public warning to local residents about individuals who have been pretending to be employees of the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) and acts of extortion that were detected, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Las Piñas City government is warning the public against individuals posing as employees of the Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO) and unlawfully extorting money from applicants.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar released the advisory after receiving several reports of “unscrupulous activity” involving individuals posing as BPLO employees who are allegedly extorting money from applicants in exchange for faster processing of their permits.

Aguilar said the city government is also coordinating with the police to apprehend individuals posing as BPLO employees.

She emphasized that those who will be apprehended for falsely posing as any city government employee will face legal repercussions.

Authentic or legal employees of the BPLO and the city government carries valid IDs, according to their assigned offices, complete with a photo, name, position and signature, the mayor added.

Aguilar told the public to verify the identity of the individuals they interact with by asking for proper identification and contacting their designated offices.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to this development? Did you encounter someone who claims to be working for the city’s BPLO? Are you concerned that there could be more scammers posing as authority figures in the city?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at Spider-Man 2099 #43 (1996)

September 11, 2023September 17, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 and explore a part of the Marvel 2099 comics universe through a tale of the Spider-Man 2099 monthly series.

In my previous retro review, Miguel O’Hara learns how challenging it could be for him to direct the path of Alchemax which is symbolize with himself being surrounded by the managers. He recently stopped his father Tyler Stone from taking control of his office. As his office needs a secretary, someone very exceptional came in.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #43, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Andrew Wildman and Ron Lim.

Early story

The story begins when one of the undersea bases of Alchemax explodes to the surface in heavily damaged form. Something terrible happened to it deep below and there is only one man (wearing a protective suit) still living floating on the sea. Just as he notices sharks coming his way, Spider-Man comes down to save him with the use of one of Alchemax’s floating vehicles. As Spider-Man pulls the helpless man up with his web, one of the sharks leaped high at them. The web breaks and both the man and Spidey fall into the sea.

Meanwhile at Alchemax, Gabriel O’Hara confronts his mother Conchata who very recently started working as the office secretary of Miguel. Gabriel asks how could she be working for Miguel as part of Alchemax which is the very corporation she hated. The mother answered back stating that she resolved her accumulated anger related to Miguel and has realized that he needs her…

Quality

*The rise of the mutate rebel Roman and Miguel O’Hara’s corporate interactions dramatized efficiently in this single page.*

Moving further away from what was dramatized in issues #40 and #41, Peter David crafted this tale focusing on a new threat that endangers not only Spider-Man but the people and their local society as a whole. To put things in perspective, it is recommend you revisit issue #8 and focus on Alchemax’s aquatic division called Atlantis which had been working on a major reclamation project under the sea with the objective of becoming a tourist attraction in the years to come. Right there, Tyler Stone mentioned Miguel’s involvement with the project which includes bio-engineered workers.

The key elements of Atlantis mentioned in issue #8 literally resurfaced in this comic book and Peter David heavily emphasized the related details and integrated it all in the plot which essentially justified the existence of the new opposition led by Roman who is the charismatic leader of the mutates (genetically designed sentient beings) who had long been working hard and long outside of the undersea bases which had humans living comfortably inside. Roman here is not related in any way to Marvel’s aquatic hero Namor the Sub-Mariner but he is an imitation of him (note: his name is Namor in reverse).

The conflict of Atlantis revives the business-laborers conflict but was twisted to show the conflict between humans and mutates, as well as Atlantis being symbolized as a physical project of Alchemax to exploit the aquatic life and resources deep under the sea. The build-up of the human-mutates conflict in this particular comic book is surprisingly beefy and was efficiently done.

As for Spider-Man himself, you will get to see him more involved with Alchemax just as he successfully keeps his civilian identity secret. Along the way, you will see more of Miguel O’Hara doing more corporate work and negotiations. As expected, his drive to lead Alchemax with his own perception of being compassionate encounters hurdles from the established order – both within and outside his company. His mother was portrayed to be more sympathetic than before and she shows lots of signs of having mellowed. The development on Miguel and Conchata here were deep and they made a lot of sense with the plot itself.

Conclusion

*The futuristic Spidey interacts with a huge shark!*

Spider-Man 2099 #43 (1996) is another tale that has aged well as its foundations and elements proved to be very solid until now. With regards to the big event that took place near the end of this comic book, it seems that Peter David took inspiration from what was portrayed in Fantastic Four #4 (1962) as well as from Namor the Sub-Mariner himself. I really enjoyed how this story became a huge pay-off to the minor build-up in issue #8.

Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #43 (1996) is highly recommended!

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Starfield is now available and I’m enjoying it on my Xbox Series X!

September 8, 2023September 7, 2023carlocarrasco

Starfield, the epic sci-fi role-playing game (sci-fi RPG) from Bethesda Game Studios (Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 4) has finally been released on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC plus Xbox Game Pass (XGP) and this early I am already enjoying it! Even gamers still hanging on with their aging Xbox One consoles could enjoy the game with the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate service and Xbox Cloud Gaming!

To put things in perspective, Starfield was made available to several gamers who paid for early access as early as September 1. The early access proved to be a big hit among Xbox Game Pass subscribers! This past March, the final release date of September 6, 2023 was announced. Even before that, a vague 2023 release was announced on June 2022 (note: November 2022 was the original release target for the game). In preparing for the game, I replayed Halo: Infinite and Fallout 4 on my Xbox Series X console, and I also watched Interstellar and Star Trek: First Contact on 4K Blu-ray disc format.

*There is nothing like being able to fly your spaceship through an asteroid belt in Starfield.*

A lot is at stake with Starfield which is the first new intellectual property of Bethesda and the team led by Todd Howard. Take note that Bethesda has been integrated into Team Xbox for more than two years now as a result of Microsoft’s acquisition agreement with parent company ZeniMax.

It is very clear that today, Starfield is the most ambitious Xbox-exclusive game and it was released at a time when the lack of Xbox-exclusive games was felt since early 2022. Apart from the positive reviews it received, Starfield just might motivate more people out there to buy Xbox Series consoles or new gaming PCs, stimulate sales at retail and boost the number of people subscribing to Xbox Game Pass worldwide. Not only that, this game is from the same team that made the much-beloved Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. Those four open-world Bethesda games are well known for the very deep engagement and intense fun that gamers enjoyed with a lot of longevity.

Ironically, the brand new RPG from Bethesda became a lightning rod of criticism and creative negativity from the PlayStation fanboys and the “Xbox has no games” zealots (plus other gamers who obsessively hate Xbox) who cannot help but be jealous and frustrated over the Xbox exclusivity. I understand that jealousy really hurts a person deep down inside and what is even worse is hatred towards Xbox combined with obsession caused by certain external forces. I know that there are gaming media writers, bloggers and vloggers who grew up with hatred towards Xbox and some of them even sold their souls to PlayStation in exchange for something. It is bad enough that in this divisive world, there are many so-called journalists who are actually political activists pretending to be journalistic.

*Watch out for the character Marika during your first city exploration in the game.*

*If you are very used to shooting in Fallout 4, you will have to adjust yourselves to become proficient and comfortable with the gunplay in Starfield.*

To those of you reading this, you are better off enjoying Starfield for what it is and what it has to offer regardless of what platform you have to play it on. This is, after all, a Bethesda game with the design and production led by Todd Howard and a team with an extensive record of experience, acclaim and success.

The PlayStation culture itself is toxic and I know because I myself used to be a PlayStation fanboy. That being said, I can say that PlayStation leadership today is the worst and I have seen lots of PS executives come and go. If the PlayStation people, their media partners-in-crime (read: IGN is just one of them) and other haters would not stop smearing Starfield and Bethesda itself because of Xbox and Microsoft (now owner of Bethesda), then there definitely is something wrong with those people. As such, you should NOT let them ruin your enjoyment of Starfield. The game is an Xbox-exclusive designed to entertain and engage gamers.

It is fun and intriguing to watch Sarah Morgan (a significant character you will spend time with) interact with another character she personally knows. Pay close attention to what they say to each other.

Going back to the game itself, I managed to find time to start playing it on launch day here in the Philippines. Without spoiling plot details, I can say that it took me three hours of learning and experimenting with Starfield’s gameplay and functions. Getting myself oriented with the new game proved tricky as I just finished replaying Fallout 4 on my Xbox Series X. For comparisons, I got myself oriented with the gameplay and functions of Oblivion, Skyrim and Fallout 4 within two hours of initial play respectively.

By the time I reached the 4^th hour of my 6-hour launch day session, I finally got myself oriented (this includes lots of on-foot exploration, space flights and misadventures before taking on the main quest) and Starfield became much more engaging as more quests, more characters and more locations emerged. By the time I stopped playing to get some much-needed rest, my enjoyment of the game really intensified complete with a growing sense of wonder about what awaits me in the huge galaxy Bethesda prepared. That being said, I went back to playing Starfield yesterday and I found myself enjoying it even more as I proceeded with the main quest while finding time to do side-quests. I have gotten more proficient with the way the game functions.

Right now, I am really eager to keep on playing Starfield during my free time, discover more within the game and have more fun along the way. Literally, I am only scratching the surface with Bethesda’s sci-fi RPG and as I played it, there were moments when I noticed the game had some similarities with Obsidian Entertainment’s own sci-fi RPG The Outer Worlds.

*My character and the first-ever spaceship I got.*

If you are eager to acquire a digital copy of Starfield, head on to https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/starfield

To get yourselves oriented early, check out Team Xbox’s Starfield guides by clicking here, here and here.

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Several Chinese nationals and a few Filipinos arrested in Parañaque City for illegal gambling

September 8, 2023September 7, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the city of Parañaque, several Chinese nationals and a few Filipinos were apprehended for illegal gambling as a result of a raid that took place in Barangay Tambo, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

Ten Chinese nationals and three Filipinos were arrested by personnel of the Southern Police District (SPD) –Special Operation Unit (SOU) for illegal gambling in Parañaque City on Monday, Sept. 4.

Reports showed that the SPD-SOU raided a recreational hub located at Bayview Drive, Tambo, Parañaque at around 9:30 p.m., leading to the arrest of the suspects who were allegedly engaged in illegal gambling activities.

The suspects were identified as Gong, Zhao Wei, 34; Long, Junfei, 33; Tang, Xiaoxang, 29; Dong, Jian Hua, 27; Zhao, Zheng, 26; Li, Xin, 35; Tan, Yucheng, 31; Chen, Guo Dong, 28; Yu, Shuai, 37; Han, Xu, 33 and Yue, Xiao Lu, 27; all Chinese nationals.

The three arrested Filipinos were identified as Salman Ali, 28; Jonathan Tañedo, 43; and Anna Silverio, 22.

The SPD said members of the SPD-SOU, in coordination with the Tambo police substation 2, recovered three table gaming machines, 170 token pieces, a counting machine, three bundles of money amounting to ₱27,000 in different denominations, a 9mm caliber Rock Island M1911 A1-FS, a 9mm magazine, and four pieces of 9mm live ammunition.

The arrested suspects are facing charges for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 or illegal gambling. Additional penalties for violation of Batas Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code was filed against Ali.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Parañaque City, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be more Chinese nationals secretly operating illegal activities in the city?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Council committee wants to halt Skyway off-ramp project in Alabang

September 7, 2023September 5, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, a committee under the Muntinlupa City Council wants to halt the construction of Skyway’s off-ramp project in Alabang citing a lack of permits and other factors, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

A Muntinlupa City Council committee wants the Skyway management to stop its construction of an off-ramp widening project in the city due to lack of permits.

The project will result in narrowing of a portion of the West Service Road that will affect traffic flow.

The Committee on Engineering, Public Works and Infrastructure headed by Councilor Francis Ian Bagatsing submitted its recommendation to the City Council after conducting a public hearing on the “inquiry on the widening of Skyway resulting to narrowing of West Service Road.”

The project involves that ongoing widening of the Skyway off-ramp at Filinvest in Alabang towards the Alabang-Zapote Road that will narrow the existing West Service Road in the area.

In its report, the committee said the “narrowing of West Service Road southbound towards Filinvest Northgate is due to the additional exit tollbooth being constructed by the Skyway management.”

It said the portion of the West Service Road affected by the project will lose about 1.2 to 2 meters of “carriage way because of said expansion.”

“Residents, establishments and some stakeholders along West service road are not amenable to the said Skyway exit tollbooth expansion since this will result to a ‘funneling’ and will only result to traffic jam,” according to the report.

The City Engineering Office and Office of the City Building Office said the Skyway widening project did not apply for a permit, the committee added.

The committee recommended that “since the said construction project at the time of the hearing does not have any permits from the city, the Chair/Committee recommended for its stoppage.”

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a Muntinlupa resident, have you seen the off-ramp project of Skyway in Alabang recently?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Muntinlupa City Government distributing supplies to over 90,000 public students

September 7, 2023September 5, 2023carlocarrasco

Recently in the progressive City of Muntinlupa, the City Government of Muntinlupa led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon officially started the distribution of free shoes, bags and other supplies to over ninety thousand local public school students, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…

The Muntinlupa City government has started distributing its free Balik Eskwela Packages to public school students.

The Balik Eskwela Package will benefit 90,007 students from day care level to senior high school. Mayor Ruffy Biazon led the distribution of the Balik Eskwela packages on Sept. 4.

“With the high cost of commodities, your City Government has set aside funds so we can help families provide for their children. This is our way to help offset the cost of school supplies especially for struggling families,” he said.

Biazon distributed the free packages to students at Sucat Elementary School, Cupang Senior High School, Cupang Elementary School, Alabang Elementary School, Pedro E. Diaz High School, and Putatan Elementary School.

Councilors and city government department heads also joined the simultaneous giving out of the kits in other schools around the city as well.

Each Balik Eskwela Package consists of a school bag, a pair of leather shoes, eight notebooks, a case of pencils and sharpener for Kinder to Grade 3, and assorted ballpens for Grade 4 to Grade 12 students.

For day care students, the kits include a school bag, two notebooks, two jumbo pencils, pad paper, crayons, and a drink bottle.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a Muntinlupa resident, do you approve of the City Government’s distribution of school-related supplies to the local public school students?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at Punisher 2099 #3 (1993)

September 6, 2023September 3, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, the futuristic Punisher moved on from the deaths of his family members. Influenced strongly by the writings of the late Punisher Frank Castle, Jake Gallows begins operating as a vigilante even though he still has a full-time career as a law enforcer with Private Eye. Not only that, he gets opportunities to face off once again with Kron Stone (Venom 2099 himself) who is responsible for the deaths of Jake’s family.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Punisher 2099 #3, published in 1993 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner, and drawn by Tom Morgan.

Early story

The story begins on one snowy night within the city. A lady who has grown very addicted with Total Reality makes a deal with a sinister merchant and makes her escape out of reality and into a living digital realm without caring about the consequences she will physically experience.

A black ambulance arrives and out comes the Punisher who hits the merchant hard enough with his weapon for a quick knockout. He then takes off the lady’s optical device (note: this should remind you somewhat of Microsoft’s HoloLens in terms of physical similarities) which brings her back to reality. Gallows knows fully well that Total Reality can actually kill users who do not practice any restraint, and he then crushes the lady’s device. Instead of thanking the Punisher, she expresses her frustration and anger to him before leaving.

Afterwards, Gallows brings the merchant into the black ambulance and puts him on stretcher. There are sharp devices nearby that can kill the merchant if he makes any attempt to escape…

Quality

*Among his colleagues at work, Jake Gallows simply acts as he himself is the Punisher captured on video (but his face has been protected digitally).*

While the first two issues of this monthly formed the origin and establishment of Punisher 2099, this comic book shows him doing vigilante work and acting as judge, jury and executioner all together. Going back to issue #1, the creative team made it clear that in 2099, justice can be bought and punishment for criminals is much softer compared to how it was in the 20^th century. This alone serves as a powerful motivation for Jake Gallows to bring back old-fashioned, harsh punishment for criminals even if it means he has to do it by himself outside of the law. This is the core concept of this comic book and along the way, there is this build-up of the villain Fearmaster and his henchman Multi-Fractor.

More on the story, the creative team took their time to develop Jakes Gallows and emphasize how his mind functions each time he works secretly as a vigilante (who cannot be identified visually) and privately as a Private Eye cop (the organization’s psychologist noticed something about him). More on his secret as the Punisher, it turns out Gallows was able to establish a secret prison complex, equipment for crime-fighting and even a deadly chair underground.

As he continues to be obsessed with fighting criminals with the harsh ways of the past, the futuristic Punisher symbolically becomes a questionable protagonist. On face value, he seems to be good by simply opposing crime and yet he seems to be evil as he commits acts outside of 2099’s laws.

Conclusion

*Clearly acting out of the law, the Punisher of the future imprisons criminals and acts as judge, jury and executioner without hesitation. This also shows his dark side.*

With its simply concept, Punisher 2099 #3 (1993) succeeds in defining the futuristic Punisher’s motives, intentions and execution. Compared to Frank Castle Punisher, Jake Gallows lives in a society which has laws that are so weak to push back against crime, justice becomes hollow and even laughable. That being said, this comic book is very socially relevant (note: Leftists in America weakened laws which benefited criminals, supported illegal immigrants at the expense of citizens, and have varied movements of arrogant protesters and activists who intimidated people and caused serious damage around the country) and what has been happening in America under the influence of the Democrats makes the dark future of 2099 looking like it could happen. At the same time, the Punisher in this story incidentally became somewhat unlikable as his crime-fighting obsession is gradually turning him into becoming as bad as the bad guys. This is a lively reminder that even in a society that is plagued with crime and weak justice, vigilantism is still a big no-no and it is also very destructive. To be a vigilante means becoming wicked.

Overall, Punisher 2099 #3 (1993) is satisfactory.

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COMELEC urges BSKE candidates to be watchful and file charges against rivals who violate election laws

September 6, 2023September 4, 2023carlocarrasco

With over a million candidates nationwide registered for this October’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) urged the aspirants to be observant and file complaints against those who are caught violating the election laws, according to a Philippine Star news report. Previously the COMELEC warned against premature campaigning and they anticipated an intense BSKE this year.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine Star news report. Some parts in boldface…

As the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections officially ended yesterday in most parts of the country, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) urged BSKE candidates to be watchful and file charges against rivals who violate election laws.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they are relying on the vigilance of candidates to prevent poll offenses, including violations of laws against political dynasties among candidates in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) or youth councils.

“We welcome the filing of disqualification cases by their rival SK candidates or any interested parties against those who are relatives of incumbent national or local officials,” Garcia said.

Due to limited resources, the Comelec chief admitted that it is difficult for local poll offices to immediately determine if the one filing the COC for the SK election has relatives who are incumbent elected national or local officials.

“We are left with no choice but to accept the COC as the local Comelec offices have no information if they have elected relatives,” he said

The SK Reform Act prohibits those with relatives within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official, in the locality from seeking SK post.

Thus, Garcia encouraged rivals of candidates who are attempting to violate the SK Reform Act to file appropriate charges against the latter.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you expect the Barangay and SK elections this year to be intense?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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A Look Back at Spider-Man 2099 #42 (1996)

September 5, 2023September 2, 2023carlocarrasco

In my previous retro review, the futuristic webslinger encountered a group of dangerous people who are convinced that he betrayed them by becoming a corporate tool (note: the result of Goblin 2099 poisoning people’s minds). Not only that, the still-recovering Tyler Stone came back at Alchemax, saw his captured son Kron (Venom 2099 himself) and cold heartedly ordered his execution.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Spider-Man 2099 #42, published in 1996 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Peter David and drawn by Andrew Wildman.

Early story

The story begins with Miguel O’Hara now wielding tremendous corporate power at Alchemax where he is surrounded by managers. Some time had passed since he prevented Tyler Stone from returning to power and he made it known to him that he is aware that they are biologically father-and-son. Miguel then played “duck, duck, goose” on the managers while he stood up on his desk. He made clear to them that he is aware of their so-called game of “who can jerk the new boost and get the most for himself?”

Miguel then tells them that he will review their requests and address their concerns in his own time and his own way. They get dismissed by him. Miguel then meets someone who just arrived for the post of office secretary.

Meanwhile in the downtown section of New York, Raff and Kasey watch a union group composed of construction guys, watchdogs, sewer workers and truckers marching down the street and making noise. As Kasey wonders where the group was heading, she notices a man named Boru whom she previously heard was dead…

Quality

*Spider-Man 2099 faces a tough opponent.*

Storywise, this tale by Peter David moved away from the themes of issues #40 and #41 by focusing more on Miguel’s newest rise in Alchemax’s corporate hierarchy and how this adds more tension to his already troubled living as a secret superhero, an executive and as a person. By this stage, he knows Tyler Stone is his true father and the man known as Venom 2099 is his half-brother and relationships within his family are far from being normal or ideal. Still on the corporate aspect, a very notable person gets to work as Miguel’s new secretary which I won’t spoil here because I can say that the build-up and pay-off are well worth reading. The new secretary also added to the further development of specific characters and what was dramatized here will compel you to revisit earlier issues of the Spider-Man 2099 series. As always, Peter David’s writing is rich here.

Outside of Alchemax, the group led by Boru (who is symbolically a leader of hardened and desperate labor union members) emerges as an intimidating force of opposition for Miguel, the corporation he leads and even in his Spider-Man identity. Boru himself is quite a strong opponent for Spidey and the way their battle ended is something can intrigue readers or even frustrate die-hard fans of the protagonist. These conflicts, combined with Miguel’s struggle with all the tension hitting him from all angles, made this tale very intriguing and compelling to read.

Conclusion

*While walking through the city, Miguel O’Hara spots members of Fantastic Four 2099 in conflict with Stark-Fujikawa.*

Spider-Man 2099 #42 (1996) may not look like the expected continuation of what was built up in the previous two issues but its standalone story combined with strong twists, in-depth character development and sheer intrigue in key points of the story made this a must-read. I can also say that I am motivated to find out what happens next, especially given how this particular tale ended.

Overall, Spider-Man 2099 #42 (1996) is highly recommended!

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