Recently in the city of Parañaque, agents of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested two Chinese nationals – one fugitive and the other with a hold departure order from a local court – according to a news report by GMA News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…
A Chinese national wanted in his home country for allegedly duping his victims of over $900,000 through fraudulent investment schemes was recently arrested in Parañaque City, the Bureau of Immigration said on Monday.
The BI’s Fugitive Search Unit collared the 36-year-old suspect during an operation along Aseana Avenue in Barangay Tambo in the evening of Sept. 29. Aside from being a fugitive, the suspect was also found to be an overstaying alien.
The Chinese national is wanted by the Jiutai District Court in Chang Chun City, Jilin Province, China, for illegal absorption of public deposits.
The suspect allegedly conspired with other Chinese nationals in defrauding 6.54 RMB (renminbi) or around $918,603 from 42 investors between 2016 and 2019 by enticing them to put their money in fraudulent investment schemes.
During the same operation, the BI agents also encountered another Chinese national, a 53-year-old man with active derogatory records and is facing a hold departure order from a Parañaque City court.
Both foreigners were taken into custody following booking and documentation procedures and will be turned over to the BI’s Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more Chinese fugitives living secretly in your local community? What do you think makes Parañaque a hot spot of criminal activity involving Chinese nationals?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
While Spain and other nations of Europe are struggling with the high number of illegal migrants and foreign nationals who keep on trespassing into their respective territories, the Philippines deported more than one thousand four hundred foreigners in the first half of 2025 over a series of violations of immigration law, according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the first PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The number of foreign nationals who were deported during the first half of the year doubled compared to last year, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) reported Friday.
According to Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, data from the bureau’s deportation and implementation unit (DIU) revealed that a total of 1,422 foreign nationals were deported due to immigration violations during the period. The BI recorded 717 deportees during the same period in 2024.
Chinese nationals topped the list with 957, followed by 231 Vietnamese, 41 South Koreans, 41 Malaysians, and 37 Burmese.
Viado said majority of the deportations were foreigners found to be illegally working in Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) in the country despite the ban.
“Our strengthened deportation protocols follow the directive of the President to act swiftly and remove foreigners who abuse our people’s hospitality. We will continue expediting the deportation of foreign nationals who violate our laws,” the BI chief added in a statement.
The BI earlier reported improvements in deportation protocols, including fast-tracking clearances in partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation, immediate resolution of cases suspected to be filed under the ‘demanda me’ scheme, regular coordination with embassies for swift issuance of travel documents, and opening of a new holding facility for arrested aliens.Meanwhile, Viado also reported the arrest on July 22 of two Sudanese nationals found to be undocumented in San Carlos City, Pangasinan.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the national authorities will be able to apprehend and deport more illegal aliens who are still on the lose all over the Philippines? Do you think the authorities can double the number of deportees by the end of this year?
Months after initial communications were made (click here and here), Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. finally met with US President Donald Trump in the White House and this ultimately resulted in a 19% tariff on Philippine goods by America, according to two related news articles (click here and here) by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
For the newcomers reading this, America initially announced a 17% tariff on products from the Philippines last April and it was recently revised to 20% which surprised many here in the Philippines. Now that the American tariff for Philippine goods has been settled at 19%, President Marcos called the reduction significant. It should be noted that America generated more than $100 billion in new revenue from tariffs under Trump this year.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the first PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
Philippine exports to the United States (US) will now be subject to a 19 percent tariff, down from the 20 percent Washington initially planned to impose, US President Donald Trump announced following what he called a “beautiful visit” by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the White House.
Part of the new deal includes granting zero tariffs for American products bound for the Philippines.
Philippine President Marcos with US President Trump at the White House. (photo source – the White House)
“It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19% Tariff,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account early Wednesday (Manila time).
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt tweet of President Trump’s TRUTH Social post about the meeting with President Marcos and new trade deal.
He also described Marcos as a “very good and tough negotiator.”
Latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that the US comprised the highest export value amounting to USD1.115 billion, or 15.3 percent of the country’s total exports in May this year.
Posted below is an excerpt from the other PNA news article related to Marcos’ description of the 1% reduction of tariff by America as well as his clarification about Philippines’ zero tariff approach on certain American products coming to the country. Some parts in boldface…
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. defended the Philippines’ new trade arrangement with the United States (US), saying the reduced 19 percent tariff on Philippine exports—down from the proposed 20 percent—is a “significant achievement,” amid questions over its fairness.
“One percent might seem like a very small concession. However, when you put it in real terms, it is a significant achievement,” Marcos said in a press briefing following his meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday (Manila time).
The President acknowledged that the new deal also opens key Philippine markets to American products—particularly vehicles, agricultural goods, and pharmaceuticals—but said the arrangement will benefit Filipinos through lower prices and stronger bilateral trade.
“We will open that market and no longer charge tariffs on that… para makamura naman ‘yung mga – maging mas mura ‘yung gamot natin (so we can lower the cost of medicines),” he said.
Marcos said while the 19 percent tariff on Philippine goods is still substantial, it reflects a step forward in trade engagement with Washington D.C. and lays the groundwork for future negotiations.
For transparency, posted below is the official video from the White House YouTube channel.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you realize that there is a lot more about US and Philippines relations that go beyond the newly agreed trade agreement? Do you think America’s 19% tariff on exports from the Philippines will add challenged to the Philippine economy? What do you think about the Trump-Marcos meeting? Did you pay attention to the planned Subic Bay ammunition manufacturing plant that was mentioned? If you are based in the Philippines, do you look forward to importing American-made vehicles, agricultural products and pharmaceutical products once they enter the country without any tariffs imposed on them? Do you think the newest exchange between Trump and Marcos will make Communist China concerned or worried?
Recently authorities here in the Philippines deported over one hundred Chinese nationals who previously worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), according to a news report by GMA News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the GMA News. Some parts in boldface…
Some 100 Chinese individuals who worked for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) were deported to China on Tuesday.
According to Saleema Refran’s report on Balitanghali, they were deported at around 10:40 a.m.
The Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) said China paid for the airfare of the deportees, with the goal of ensuring that they will not be able to escape.
“Importante kasi sa kanila ‘yan dahil marami silang nakukuhang impormasyon dito sa mga bosses kung paano sila nag o-operate, saan sila nag-o-operate, at anu-anong mga sistema sa money laundering ang ginagamit nila,” PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz said.
(It’s important to them because they get a lot of information from the bosses here. How they operate, where they operate, and what money laundering systems they use.)
“Ang ayaw kasi nila siyempre ‘yung hindi nakakarating sa China mismo ‘yung mga boss nitong operation ng POGO,” he added.
(What they really don’t want, of course, is for the bosses of these POGO operations to not arrive in China.)
Once in China, the deportees will undergo investigation for scamming, cybercrime, fraud, and money laundering.
Broken apart – Meanwhile, the Filipino partners and spouses of the deportees were emotional when saying their goodbyes, including one who even brought their six-month child.
“Sobrang sakit po kasi may anak po kami (It really hurts because we have a child),” one of the women said.
The mother is already in contact with the deportee’s family and China, and plans to follow him there with their daughter.
The former workers were arrested during anti-POGO operations in Cebu, Cavite, Parañaque, and Pasay.
They have been declared undesirable aliens due to lack of visas and work permits, and for working in illegal POGOs. Aside from these, they have also been blacklisted and can no longer return to the Philippines.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the authorities should do more apprehending the many illegal aliens (former POGO workers) still on the loose so that more will get deported? Are you concerned that there could be many Filipinos who became personally involved with foreigners who worked in POGOs?
The Chinese national who was arrested near the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) building in Manila with high-tech equipment with him has been formally charged by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), according to a news story by the Philippine New Agency (PNA). GMA Network had its own reporter on location when the arrest happened.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of the PNA. Some parts in boldface…
The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday filed criminal charges against a Chinese national arrested for possession of electronic eavesdropping equipment near the Commission on Elections (Comelec) building in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday.
Tak Hail Lao, 47, was charged by the NBI before the Department of Justice (DOJ) with misuse of device and illegal interception and system interference under Republic Act No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, and espionage under Commonwealth Act No. 616 or the Espionage Act of 1941.
Speaking to reporters, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said while the charges are bailable, “it will be up to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to decide whether temporary liberty should be granted while the case is pending since the suspect is a foreign national.”
Records from the BI showed that Tak Hail Lao, who uses a passport issued by the Chinese special administrative region of Macau, arrived last April 2 and had no derogatory record.
He was caught in possession of an international mobile subscriber identity device, or IMSI catcher, which can be used to intercept mobile communications, including text messages.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there could be a lot more Chinese nationals using high-tech equipment in the Philippines doing secret acts of espionage? Do you consider Chinese spies a threat to national security?
Recently at Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), elements of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested a Chinese national who was found using a fraudulently acquired working visa, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of the PNA. Some parts in boldface…
Bureau of Immigration (BI) officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) arrested a Chinese man for using a fraudulently acquired working visa.
In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado said 23-year-old Li Xuanjun was intercepted at the immigration departure area of NAIA Terminal 1 in Parañaque City on Jan. 22 before he could board a Philippine Airlines flight for Quanzhou, China. Viado said Li’s name prompted a hit in the bureau’s automated derogatory check system.
The hit indicated that the passenger was wanted by the BI for possessing a working visa which he acquired through fraud and misrepresentation.
Verification made by the BI supervisors confirmed that Li and the person who is the subject of the derogatory hit are one and the same.
“We will be deporting him for being an undesirable alien which stemmed from his acquisition of a visa through dishonest means,” Viado said. “His inclusion in our blacklist effectively banned him from re-entering the Philippines.”
The passenger was turned over to the Order Control and Intelligence Unit which brought him to the warden facility in Taguig City as he undergoes deportation proceedings.
Records showed that Li’s working visa was canceled by the BI in 2023 after an investigation revealed that he acquired his visa upon the petition of a fictitious employer company.
A check with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry reportedly found that the purported firm is non-existent.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there are still a lot of Chinese nationals here in the Philippines using visas that were fraudulently acquired? How many Chinese nationals are living in your local community right now? Are you ready to report the presence of illegal aliens to the local authorities?
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 engagement, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In light of the recent apprehension of Chinese nationals who were suspected to be working as spies, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) urged the public to report foreign nationals engaged in illegal espionage here in the Philippines, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news article of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday, Feb. 2, urged the public to report foreigners engaged in illegal espionage and other suspicious activities.
“We are serious in our efforts to stop these undesirable aliens from abusing our hospitality,” declared BI Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado in a statement.
Viado aired his plea following the arrest of six suspected Chinese spies who were caught during a series of operations conducted recently by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The alleged spies were earlier identified by as Deng Yuangqing, Cai Shaohuang, Cheng Hai Tao, Wu Cheng Ting, Wang Yong Yi, and Wu Chin Ren.
They have been charged with the non-bailable offense of violations of Commonwealth Act No. 616, the Espionage Act, in relation to Republic Act (RA) No. 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.
Viado disclosed the BI has been investigating the arrested suspected spies and found that they have been embedded in the Philippines for years.
“Some have been here as early as 2002,” he said.
“They have been holding legal statuses, and have lived in the country for a long time before they were found to be doing suspicious activities by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP),” he also said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there could be a lot of spies from Communist China living here in the Philippines doing secretive espionage work? Do you think the government should announce financial rewards for information that would lead to arrest of foreigners who committed illegal espionage in the country?
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1 HolyLandSite’s examination of Kursi and Lord Jesus’ power over the demonic realm – Kursi is a place in the east side of the Sea of Galilee in the region of Gerasenes (or Gadarenes) in Israel where two men possessed by demons stayed at. HolyLandSite produced this video to emphasize the biblical relevance of the place, what happened and, most of all, the immense power Lord Jesus had over the demonic forces that caused huge problems for people back then. This is a biblical examination of the place and a lively reminder of the light and authority of Lord Jesus, the Savior and Hope of ALL nations. Grab a copy of the Holy Bible and then watch the video from start to finish.
#2GTV Japan examines Nintendo’s crisis – Remember back in the late 1980s when a shortage of ROM chips prevented Nintendo from releasing games on time? Back in those days, microchips were essential for manufacturing cartridges of games for consoles. A lot of people believed that Nintendo, which already had several restrictions on game publishing and business with 3rd party game companies, deliberately created the shortage for their advantage. There is a lot more details and developments that happened beyond the perceived shortage and the video by GTV Japan has a very in-depth look at it in the video below.
#3 What the hard drive of terrorist Bin Laden contained – Remember when America found and eliminated the mass murderer and terrorist Osama Bin Laden in 2011? YouTuber fern published a video focused on one particular aspect related to the operation that took Bin Laden down – the sensitive information contained in his hard drive. The video also has a key analyst interviewed who provided a lot of insight. Watch the video now.
#4 Wokeness in Japan exposed – Believe it or not, there definitely is wokeness in Japan and it was exposed a lot during their news media coverage of the 2024 US Presidential Election which Donald Trump won. In fact, a certain Japanese professor who was included in the media outlet’s coverage (being in the studio with others) was so liberal, he got frustrated as Commie Kamala Harris lost and he even reiterated the Democrats’ buzz words like “threat to democracy”. Think about it very carefully. The Democrats and their Satanic Left pawns have been spreading their distorted views in Japan and influenced some people there. The woke-minded in Japan may not realize it but they are looking and sounding awkward (if not pathetic). Perhaps some woke nuts of Japan love Islamic terrorists and I know they have pro-Palestine zealots. Watch and learn from the video below.
#5 Controversial Alice Guo featured in episode of Dark Asia with Megan – Alice Guo (AKA Guo Hua Ping), the controversial former mayor of Bamban who has been detained for various charges, is now the subject of a new episode of Dark Asia with Megan. For the newcomers reading this, Alice Guo is notorious in the Philippines not only for her links with POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators) but also for her very questionable background with regards to citizenship, family and origin. She even escaped the Philippines temporarily before getting brought back. In fact, Alice Guo’s case raises a lot of questions about national security, espionage and foreign infiltration into the systems of governance in the Philippines. Watch and learn from the Dark Asia with Megan video.
#6 PatmanQC examines Donkey Kong – Long before Donkey Kong Country became a massive critical and commercial hit with gamers around the world, there was the original Donkey Kong in 1981. I never played the arcade version but I played Donkey Kong on the Atari 2600 back in the early 1980s and it was a fun game. A short time later, I played the ColecoVision version and was impressed to see the graphical improvements. The production history of Donkey Kong is really interesting and PatmanQC produced not just one but two documentary videos about the game.
#7 Popcorn in Bed and You, Me and the Movies react to Vertigo –Vertigo, the classic film directed by Alfred Hichcock, was one of the first twenty-five films selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. That being said, it is not surprising that it has been the subject of several movie reaction videos on YouTube. If you have not seen it, I encourage you to watch it entirely first when you have the chance. Otherwise, I encourage you to watch the reaction videos of Popcorn in Bed, and You, Me and the Movies below.
#8 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Signs – Back in 2002, I saw Signs inside a packed local cinema during the evening. The film directed by M. Night Shyamalan and starring Mel Gibson kept moviegoers in suspense and occasionally pulled off some sudden scary moments. That being said, you have to see Ashleigh Burton react to it.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Donald Trump’s decades-long journey to becoming US President – No matter what your political views are, there is no denying that Donald Trump’s incredible 2016 election victory as President of the United States was the culmination of a very long journey that started since 1980s. As Trump kept doing lots of business, he observed what went wrong in America, what the nation lost to other countries with regards to trade or diplomacy, why many ordinary Americans became forgotten, and more. Watch Trump’s journey in the video below.
#2 A look back at Street Fighter II V (anime) – If you are a long-time gamer like me, chance are, you must have played one of the many games of Street Fighter II. If you have played the games, were you able to watch the short-lived anime series titled Street Fighter II V? Loosely based on Super Street Fighter II Turbo, the anime series started in 1995 and was directed by Gisaburō Sugii who was responsible for the anime movie of 1994. I found two YouTube videos revisiting Street Fighter II V posted below for your enjoyment.
#3 Fox News interview shows Kamala Fit is too dishonest and too out-of-touch to be US President – If there is anything notable with the incumbent United States Vice President Kamala Harris – the one woke candidate the Democrats nominated after pushing Joe Biden out of the way – is that she has a very distorted view of reality and she is very unfit to become US President. Her recent interview with Fox News is the worst yet and the consequences are still being felt as I write this down. Watch the selected videos below to find out.
#4 A look back at Koudelka – During the late stage of the first PlayStation console’s life, Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) became really popular with gamers in Europe and America. Back in 1999, the role-playing game Koudelka was released on PlayStation in Japan and an international release followed in 2000. That game did not achieve critical acclaim and was never a big seller. As many old-time gamers have forgotten about its existence, Koudelka’s production history is rather intriguing and surprising to discover.
Koudelka was developed by Sacnoth which was founded by former Squaresoft employee Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, and Soukaigi). To find out why Koudelka had an unusual RPG concept and style of gameplay, I encourage you to watch the retro gaming video below.
#5 More Iranians need Israel’s help – It is a fact that the Islamic regime of Iran has a long record of brutalizing Iranians who do not follow their evil moves. In short, the people of Iran are not their wicked government. That being said, the dissenting Iranians are reaching out to Israel for help in the form of military action against the evil regime. Watch the video of The 700 Club below. It includes statements from Iran’s Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.
#6. George Romero was hired to make a Resident Evil motion picture – Back in the late 1990s when the Resident Evil game franchise really soared in popularity and became bankable for Capcom, a movie project was approved and the late George A. Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow) was hired to write and direct it. It should be noted that Capcom hired Romero to make the Resident Evil 2 commercial which became very popular and contributed to the game’s big success. Eventually, Romero’s drafts of the script got rejected and Constantin Film replaced him with Paul W. S. Anderson resulting in the 2002 Resident Evil movie.
If you are fascinated with Romero’s short-lived involvement with the Resident Evil movie project, you should watch the related videos posted below…
#7. China’s Bonnie and Clyde – Have you been following the YouTube channel Dark Asia with Megan? Every week, there is always a new episode about true crime stories that took place within Asia and the host Megan is often great with her presentation and she clearly does a lot of research. Recently an episode about China’s very own Bonnie and Clyde was released. I saw it and it is very intriguing to watch. For the newcomers reading this, Bonnie and Clyde refers to real-life American bandits and serial killers who caused a lot of trouble from 1931 to 1934. Hollywood even released a movie in 1967 glorifying them. As for who exactly were China’s Bonnie and Clyde, and what had they done, I encourage you to watch Dark Asia with Megan’s episode below.
#8. Kamala Harris supporter shouts at toddler – Going back to the 2024 US Presidential campaign, a supporter of Communist Kamala Harris (the US Vice President since 2021) was caught on camera yelling at and traumatizing a toddler. I know for a fact that liberals, Leftists, Marxists, socialists and woke Americans can be quite wild but the die-hard Kamala supporter who screamed at the toddler clearly has crossed the line. It makes me wonder if the Democrats ever oriented their supporters to be civil and in control. Watch the Sky News Australia Lefties Losing It video below.
#9. Kamala Harris got booed at her own campaign rally! – The presidential campaign of Commie Kamala Harris is clearly failing not only because the opinion polls – most of which are Left-leaning and oversampling Democrat voters – are showing her falling further behind Donald Trump but also because unfortunate events have been happening at her campaign rallies. The new embarrassment this time is Harris getting booed at her own campaign rally! Watch the videos below.
Author Carlo Carrasco 