crime – Page 67 – Author Carlo Carrasco

Illegal substances seized and seven suspects arrested in Parañaque City

February 3, 2022February 1, 2022carlocarrasco

Yet another buy-bust operation happened in Parañaque City and this time around seven suspects were arrested while almost P6 million worth of illegal drugs were confiscated, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

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

Members of the Southern Police District-Drug Enforcement Unit (SPD-DEU) conducted a buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of seven suspects and in the confiscation of P5.9 million worth of shabu on Monday night (Jan. 31).

SPD Director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg identified the suspects as Bablyn Cabuenas, 35; Edwin John Gonzales, 39; Ebrahim Karim, 29; Ronnie Bayao, 35; Omera Guimad, 30; Amira Carel, 21; and Datu Rajabuyan,19, all residents of Paranaque City.

Macaraeg said members of the SPD-DEU coordinated with the Paranaque City police Sub-Station 5 for the conduct of the buy-bust operation at about 11:10 p.m. at 159 Football St., Lopena Compound, Area 4, Fourth Estate, Barangay San Antonio, Paranaque City.

Confiscated from the suspects were eight heat sealed transparent sachets and one plastic pack containing about 882 grams of shabu worth P5,997,600.

The SPD chief said the arrested suspects were all brought to the SPD custodial facility and were charged with violation of Section 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think makes Parañaque City remain a hot spot for entrapment operations related to illegal drugs? Do you believe that the city is becoming unsafe from criminals?

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 and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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/

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

A Look Back at Punisher 2099 #2 (1993)

February 2, 2022January 31, 2022carlocarrasco

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 revisit the future of 2099 through the Punisher 2099 monthly series.

For the newcomers reading this, Punisher of 2099 is Jake Gallows who works during the day as a law enforcer which is a nice contrast to the concept of the classic Punisher identified as Frank Castle. In Punisher 2099 #1 (1993), Jake Gallows witnesses the demise of his family that got attacked by a gang of killers led by Kron Stone who is not only the son of Alchemax’s Tyler Stone but also became the deadliest nemesis of Spider-Man 2099.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Punisher 2099 #2, published by Marvel Comics in 1993 with a story written by Pat Mills and Tony Skinner, with art by Tom Morgan.

Early story

The story begins with a funeral of Jake Gallows’ lost family members held at the church of Thor. In accordance to the traditions of the Thor religion, the dead bodies were placed on a burning boat floating on the water just outside the church building. As he and his fellow law enforcers watch the ritual happen, Jake confirms that he and the church of Thor do not believe in forgiveness and he himself believes in revenge.

When he is not on duty, Jake goes out as the Punisher hunting and killing criminals in his own brutal ways. Even as he does not wear a mask nor a helmet, his face is digitally covered from detection of security cameras thanks to a special technology he uses to protect his identity.

Meanwhile at an amusement park, lots of children enjoy floating in the air within an anti-gravity chamber. Kron Stone and his fellow killers arrive as they attempt to murder the children. Punisher suddenly comes out and successfully kills Stone’s companions, leaving them together in a standoff…

Quality

*The Punisher has someone assisting him.*

While the sub-par issue #1 was composed mostly of the build-up and emphasis of the futuristic Punisher, this story is pretty much a big pay-off to it. Quite predictably, Jake gets to meet with the gang leader responsible for the death of his family in this issue not once but twice. Along the way, the comic book writers got to emphasize Kron Stone’s wickedness more as well as his continued disregard of human life. This time, Stone’s willingness to kill many children is very disturbing and Tom Morgan’s art style clearly emphasized the villain’s evil.

Within this comic book is a visual tour of the Gallows residence which has a large underground facility and pieces of technology that Jake uses for his campaign against crime (this makes Punisher 2099 becoming similar with Batman and his Bat Cave). He also has a technology oriented partner named Matt who helps him establish a working base of operations.

There is also a sub-plot about the side of crime with the introduction of the Fearmaster who, like Tyler Stone, is with Alchemax and has influence over Public Eye. Unsurprisingly, his introduction is short.

Conclusion

*Jake Gallows and Kron Stone (AKA Venom 2099) meet again, only this time the former is now in his form as the Punisher.*

The best way to describe Punisher 2099 #2 (1993) is that its plot really thickened and unlike issue #1, this one has a more interesting story and the presentation done by the creative team has some entertainment value. While this is unsurprisingly the natural progression of defining the futuristic Punisher to readers, it is also a successful way of expanding his own part of the 2099 universe complete with the introduction of a new villain and conspiracy that connects to both criminals and law enforcers. To be clear, this is far from being an excellent comic book but it is clear that this one is an improvement over issue #1. In retrospect, the one thing that adds weight to this comic book is not Punisher himself nor the creative concepts involved, but rather the presence of Kron Stone who later on became Venom 2099 (read my retro reviews involving him in Spider-Man 2099 issues #35, #36, #37, #38 and #39).

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Punisher 2099 #2 (1993) be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $90 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $200.

Overall, Punisher 2099 #2 (1993) is satisfactory.

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COVID-19 Crisis: Beware of fake vaccination cards and the scammers behind them

February 1, 2022January 30, 2022carlocarrasco

As more people are lining up at vaccination sites around the country to get vaccinated or boosted for COVID-19, there is a rise in the number of fake vaccination cards as reported in the news which, in my view, is most likely related to the implementation of the No Vax, No Ride policy as well as the imposed restrictions on unvaccinated individuals.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the first Manila Bulletin report about fake vaccination cards. Some parts in boldface…

The Pasay City police arrested a graphic artist who was allegedly the source of fake vaccination cards proliferating in the city and being sold to unvaccinated commuters, Tuesday afternoon.

Col. Cesar Paday-os, Pasay City police chief, identified the suspects as Marcelo Cabansag, 28, a resident of 366 F. Rosario St., Barangay 59, Pasay City.

Paday-os said Cabansag is now detained at the Pasay City police custodial facility and is facing charges for violation of falsification of public documents in relation to RA 11332, Sec. 9 paragraph (b).

He said Cabansag was arrested in an entrapment operation at about 5:30 p.m. at No. 32 P. Arnaiz Avenue, Libertad, Barangay 94 Zone 11, Pasay City.

The city police chief said Mayor Emi Calixto-Rubiano came out with an order for the arrest of Cabansag after learning that he was the main source of fake vaccination cards proliferating in the city.

The police arrested two public transportation barkers identified as Alex Bagayan, 39, and Eddie Garcia, 46, on Monday at about 6:30 o.m. along Apelo Cruz St., Barangay 151, Malibay, Pasay City for selling fake vaccination card for P500 each to unvaccinated commuters.

Paday-os said the arrested barkers pinpointed Cabansag as the person behind the printing of fake vaccination cards that are being sold to them at P100 each.

He said Cabansag admitted that he already printed around 50 pieces of fake vaccination cards this January after the “no vaccination card, no ride” police was implemented.

And now here is a look at another Manila Bulletin news report about fake vaccination cards, only this time the story is set in Quezon City. Some parts in boldface…

Police arrested a woman for allegedly selling fake COVID-19 vaccination cards in Barangay E. Rodriguez, Cubao, Quezon City on Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 26.

Lt. Col. Elizabeth D. Jasmin, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) Cubao Station (PS 7) commander, said the suspect, identified as Huwela Mifuel Gabrido, 51, was nabbed in an entrapment operation.

According to the police, they launched the operation after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen. They were able to buy from the suspect a fake vaccination card for P15,000, which was paid through G-Cash.

Gabrido, who came with two cohorts, was arrested upon meet-up with a police poseur-buyer at No. 44 Cambridge St., Brgy. E. Rodriguez at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

However, her two cohorts escaped.

As seen in the above excerpts of the two news reports, the making and selling fake vaccination cards is unlawful. It shows that making money using illegal methods will lead to trouble and punishment under the justice system. There are people out there who are daring to take advantage of the unvaccinated people who in turn are willing to pay a lot of money to obtain an illegal item to get through the restrictions. As for the unvaccinated, using a fake vaccination card itself will make them violators of varied rules and regulations.

To be clear, the issue of fake vaccination cards here in the Philippines is not new. In fact, there were computer shops in Muntinlupa City that engaged in producing and selling fake vaccination cards. For added insight about the issue of fake vaccination cards, watch these Philippines news videos.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think local government units and police officers must do to fight the spread of fake vaccination cards? Are there unvaccinated people in your local community who are eager to obtain fake vaccination cards even though it will put them at risk of getting into trouble with the law?

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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Illegal drugs seized and two suspects arrested in Parañaque City

January 28, 2022February 3, 2022carlocarrasco

Here is the latest about Parañaque City crime developments. Two individuals were arrested in Barangay Tambo, Parañaque City as a result of a new buy-bust operation according to a Manila Bulletin news report. The illegal drugs seized were worth hundreds of thousands of pesos.

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

Members of the Southern Police District (SPD) Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) arrested two suspects during a buy-bust operation in Paranaque City and confiscated from them P340,000 worth of shabu on Tuesday (Jan. 25).

SPD Director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg identified the suspects as Kennedy Valan, 25, and Maynard Delos Santos, 25, both of Paranaque City.

Macaraeg said the suspects were arrested at about 8:55 p.m. at 3299 Kabesang Cillo, Barangay Tambo, Paranaque City.

He said SPD-DEU conducted a buy-bust operation after getting information from a concerned citizen that the suspects were the main source of shabu in Barangay Tambo.

The SPD chief said confiscated from the suspects were eleven plastic heat sealed transparent sachets containing shabu with a street value of P340,000.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Parañaque City, are you tired of seeing your city being the hot spot for illegal drugs?

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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Foreign fugitive arrested in Parañaque City

January 19, 2022January 17, 2022carlocarrasco

Here is the newest Parañaque City crime development. A wanted man from Korea was arrested on the early morning of Sunday (January 16, 2022) by the local police, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. It turns out the foreign national was listed under the Red Notice of Interpol and there has been a warrant of arrest for him that was issued in his home country.

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

A Korean national placed under the Interpol’s Red Notice was arrested by members of the Paranaque City Police’s Intelligence Section early Sunday morning.

Police identified the suspect as Chungho Lee, 37, a resident of Azure Residence, Barangay Marcelo Green, Paranaque City,

Lee was arrested at about 2:40 a.m. after a warrant of arrest issued by Seoul Bukbu District Court, Republic of Korea, on Aug. 20, 2018 was served against him.

Lee, who was facing fraud, was immediately turned over by the Paranaque City police to the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) main office.

The above report ended with Southern Police District (SPD) director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg stating that international criminals are not allowed to stay here in the Philippines and that many of them are part of international syndicates trying to establish their presence in the country.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Parañaque City, are you concerned about the possibility that fugitives from overseas could be living next door? Have you been paying attention lately to international crime news and updates from Interpol?

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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Three prisoners on the loose after escaping from New Bilibid Prison (NBP)

January 17, 2022January 17, 2022carlocarrasco

If you value your safety, you better watch your back as three prisoners escaped from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City leaving behind three guards wounded, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report plus the picture of the three who escaped. Some parts in boldface…

*The three who escaped the NBP. (photo sourced from Manila Bulletin’s report)*

Three prisoners escaped from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa past midnight on Jan. 17, wounding three corrections officers and another prisoner.

The Muntinlupa police identified the escapees as Pacifico Adlawan, 49, who is serving his sentence for frustrated homicide and drug use; Arwin Bio, 35, who was convicted for attempted murder and murder; and Drakilou Falcon, 34, who is serving sentence for robbery with homicide and possession of firearms.

According to the police, the three escaped the NBP’s maximum security compound at about 1 a.m. on Jan. 17 by sawing off the grills of the window of their dormitory cell.

NBP East Building keepers were conducting a roving inspection when they heard several gunshots from inside the dormitory. They found out that the three prisoners escaped.

The four wounded were identified as corrections officers Angelito Marquez, 57; Mark Joseph Pesons, 29; and Jancy Dagonas, 26; and prisoner Michael Dullavin.

The above article ended stating that the four wounded persons were rushed to a local hospital for treatment.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what can you say about this latest local development? Are you ready to call the police if ever you spot any of the three NBP prisoners who escaped? Do you think the MMDA will somehow help in the effort to find the three prisoners?

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 Sludge #3 (1993)

January 17, 2022January 15, 2022carlocarrasco

Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the Ultraverse of Malibu Comics and examine one of its many stories through the Sludge comic book series.

Previously I reviewed issue #2 of the series which was a surprising and fun comic book to read as the creative team took the risk of emphasizing the violent character Bloodstorm over Sludge himself. Ultimately, this move served as a way to not just build up tension but to expand the specific place of Sludge and the dark forces within the Ultraverse. For this retro review, issue #3 is set during the events of the memorable Ultraverse crossover story Break-Thru.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Sludge #3, published by Malibu Comics in 1993 with a story written by Steve Gerber and drawn by Aaron Lopresti.

Early story

The story begins with Sludge still lying down at the dock after just being defeated by Bloodstorm. Suddenly a mob of chaotic people (driven mad by the effects of Break-Thru that just happened) lift him up and throw him into the water without any regrets whatsoever. In hiding, Bloodstorm witnesses their act and thought to himself that he should avoid the madness happening. Suddenly, other mad people ganged up on him forcing him to react by firing his gun and set himself free from their grip. He safely makes it to his car and speeds away, even bumping off a few people on the way.

As Bloodstorm speeds away, another man in hiding who knew him and the boss Marcello was found by the mad people. Out of desperation he runs away and jumps into the water. He realizes that the people are so obsessed with going up to the sky (the Break-Thru effect), they did not bother to follow him at all.

Deep down the water, Sludge finds himself alone and getting relieved of the pain he experienced above. Feeling hopeless, he waits for the river to wash him away…

Quality

Being a standalone story set during the events of Break-Thru, this comic book focuses more on the protagonist while simultaneously raising the stakes with regards to the evil forces as the elements of crime gang combined with the supernatural took effect. To be clear, fantasy elements were added to this series which had darkness and grit dominating the plot of the first two issues.

This comic book has an early appearance of “lord” Pumpkin (AKA The Pump) who is the element of sorcery and, more notably, serves as the Ultraverse’s very own Satanic figure. Not only does the Pump have vast powers to take life away from others and has evil pawns to wield, he also leads and guides an apprentice (the kid gangster called Pistol) with pure wickedness, crafted plans of evil, is cunning in his ways of manipulating others to do evil, and he makes promises or deals with others who will receive some rewards but ultimately will be disregarded and lose a lot. This Ultraverse super-villain, as recorded in Malibu Comics’ publishing history, went on to become a walking symbol of pure evil, corruption, sins and danger in other UV comic books.

While there is indeed more focus on Sludge in this issue, it is the Pump who overshadows him. As for Bloodstorm, his presence has been drastically reduced here which is kind of jarring to read as he was the dominant and heavily emphasized in issue #2. Speaking of characters, the gang boss Marcello (who is Bloodstorm’s client) makes a short appearance but his connections not only with criminals but also with para-military forces emphasized his influence in the city.

More on the plot itself, this comic book is pretty loaded and the stakes were really raised high. In key scenes, Sludge finds himself in the middle of gangsters, the people driven mad by the Break-Thru effect, the para-military forces and the Pump’s ugly and evil pawns. Steve Gerber crafted a story that expectedly built up a lot and paid of strongly since the stakes were raised. I should state that Aaron Lopresti’s art here showed signs of improved creativity

Conclusion

*The gang boss Marcello and Bloodstorm talk during the events of Break-Thru.*

Sludge #3 (1993) is a more engaging and more intense comic book on its own complete with the literary debut of the Pump who is clearly the Ultraverse’s most evil villain. If issue #2 was twisting with the way it presented its characters, this comic book has more of its protagonist who went on to face new elements of evil while the story of Break-Thru transpired. I also noticed the Pump’s offer to Sludge symbolizes Satan offering a troubled soul a place in his force of evil. How did Sludge react to the offer from the evil one? You will have to read this comic book.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Sludge #3 (1993) be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $16.

Overall, Sludge #3 (1993) is recommended!

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Law enforcers arrest foreign national and seizes P30 million worth of fake medicine in Parañaque City

January 17, 2022January 14, 2022carlocarrasco

In a recent operation done within Parañaque City, a foreign national was arrested by local law enforcers in connection to fake medicine found in three different places located in two villages, according to a report published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) on Tuesday reported the seizure of PHP30 million worth of counterfeit medicines in a recent operation in Parañaque City.

In a statement, the bureau said a suspect identified as Adel Rajput, a Pakistani, was arrested during the January 5 operation which was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

The counterfeit medicines such as Biogesic, Neozep, Bioflu, Immunpro, Ivermectin, Phenokinon F Injection, Medicol, Planax, Alaxan FR, MX3, and others were packed in cartons printed with Chinese characters.

They were found in two storages at 7434B and 7434C Highland St., Marcelo Green Village and 27 Pearl St., Severina Subdivision, Km 18, Barangay Marcelo, Parañaque.

The suspect was brought to the Parañaque City Prosecutors’ Office for an inquest and will face various cases for violation of Sec. 1401 (Unlawful Importation/Exportation), Sec. 1113 (Property Subject to Seizure and Forfeiture) paragraph (l) (5) in relation to Sec. 118 (Prohibited Importation and Exportation) paragraph (e) of the CMTA, and the violation of Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines and its Pertinent Rules and Regulations). His visa will be under a revocation process by the Bureau of Immigration.

Alvin Enciso, Intelligence Officer II and Chief of the Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service at the Manila International Container Port (CIIS-MICP) led the implementation of the Letter of Authority together with the Mission Order signed by Customs Commissioner Rey Leonardo Guerrero.

A certification from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Unilab Pharmaceuticals, the makers of market-leading paracetamol brand Biogesic, said the medicines were counterfeit.

Raniel Ramiro, Customs Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence Group, said they received reports about the presence of counterfeit items, which prompted them to launch the operation.

“It’s not just items, but medicines. We acted on this immediately because this can pose a health threat. They are selling these to unsuspecting people whose only hope is to buy authentic medicines for themselves and their loved ones,” he said.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Parañaque City, are you concerned about the possibilities that fake medicine have been stored somewhere in your village? Are you concerned that the branded medicine you have right now might be counterfeit? Does this latest development in Parañaque City compel you to buy medicine from the trusted retailers? Do you believe that Parañaque, which is already a hot spot for illegal drugs and entrapment operations, is becoming a major destination for the storage and distribution of fake medicine?

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 Sludge #2 (1993)

January 14, 2022January 12, 2022carlocarrasco

For the newcomers reading this, I published my retro review of Sludge #1 back in December of 2020. I really enjoyed that Ultraverse comic book and now is a good time to revisit that series and find out what will happen next to Sludge, the UV’s most notable monster protagonist. I should state that Steve Gerber (Man-Thing) and Aaron Lopresti made a solid creative duo in Sludge #1.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Sludge #2, published by Malibu Comics in 1993 with a story written by Steve Gerber and drawn by Aaron Lopresti.

Early story

The story begins with a quick flashback of a young blonde boy who got bullied by other kids due to his unusual appearance and the way he expresses himself. Fast forward to the present day, an armed man (the same kid in the flashback) fires his guns on a man who was on his bed inside his residence.

After finishing the killing, the armed man enters his unusual looking car and leaves in high speed. After passing through the city streets, he drives his vehicle into his secret hideout filled with several weapons. Shortly after cleaning himself, he takes his seat in his private study and starts communicating with Mr. Barnett who tells him that bad news that something happened to his father. The killer then states, “Payment is due.”

Somewhere in lower Manhattan, a man is being beaten by two men who are enforcers of a man wearing a trench coat in their presence. The beaten man named Mikey swears he will get the money to pay off his debt but the coated man tells him that he is a week late and will be penalized.

Suddenly out of nowhere, Sludge comes out and grabs the two enforcers which frees Mike whose ear just got cut off by the coated man. Sludge then calls the coated man by his nickname…

Quality

*The situation only gets more intense whenever Sludge comes in.*

I’ll go straight to the point on the storytelling by Steve Gerber. The biggest surprise is here is that the focus was shifted from the titular protagonist Sludge in favor of the first appearance of Bloodstorm who is more than just a typical villain. Gerber heavily emphasized Bloodstorm’s personality as one who enjoys inflicting violence or death to others (and get paid for it) as a result of his painful childhood and his eventual acceptance of the beliefs that violence itself is always part of life. Even so, this comic book shows that Bloodstorm does not believe in inflicting misery for money and he calls it a cowardly way of earning money. Even as he finds his client’s business appalling, he still proceeds to do the dirty work to make money. This, of course, puts Bloodstorm in the dark work organized, target-focused mobbing which also puts him on the same course as Sludge.

As with issue #1, the violence here is pretty intense and adulterated which goes along almost perfectly with the story’s dark and gritty tone. There is a fine mix of suspense, shock moments and the revealing of key details. I assure you all reading that that even though Sludge himself was not so dominant as the centerpiece of the story, the payoff for all the build-up was still worth reading.

Conclusion

*Get to know Bloodstorm through this comic book.*

Sludge #2 (1993) is a pretty surprising comic book. One might think that it would become the natural progression of what was established in issue #1 (which itself was the first appearance and origin of Sludge) but ultimately it took a completely different approach. I should also state that the duo of Steve Gerber and Aaron Lopresti continued to deliver compelling stuff in this comic book. While the fact that Sludge is not the dominating force in the story might turn off some readers, I can say to you that Sludge #2 (1993) is still a very worthy read and it builds up on something waiting to be revealed in succeeding issues.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Sludge #2 (1993) be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $16 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $48

Overall, Sludge #2 (1993) is recommended!

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Chinese nationals and one Filipino arrested in Parañaque City

January 6, 2022January 4, 2022carlocarrasco

As the nation struggles with the worsening COVID-19 crisis in relation to the local presence of the Omicron variant, a gang composed of five Chinese nationals and one Filipino got apprehended in Parañaque City in connection to a kidnapping incident that happened recently according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.

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

Five Chinese nationals and a Filipino were arrested for allegedly attempting to kidnap another Chinese in Parañaque City, the Southern Police District (SPD) reported Tuesday.

Based on the report submitted by the Parañaque City police, SPD Director, Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraig, identified the suspects as Hu Yang, 34; Zhang Jie, 28; Cen Sha Lu, 28; Shen Fa, 27; Han Xun, 33; and Hazel Cotaco, 37.

Macaraeg said the rescue operation stemmed from information received by Parañaque City Police around 4 a.m. on January 3 that Shaomen Hu, a 25-year-old Chinese businessman, was forcibly taken by the suspects at Monarch Park Suites and held captive at an unknown place.

Around 11 a.m. of the same day, Jie Sun, the interpreter and witness of the victim, received messages from the suspects that the victim was kidnapped and asking for ransom amounting to PHP700,000.

Police, whom Sun sought assistance from, arranged an operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspects around 4 p.m. at a certain hotel along Bradco Avenue in Barangay Tambo.

Seized from Xun’s possession were one small heat sealed transparent plastic sachet containing shabu with estimated weight of 1.75 grams, one small plastic tube straw color white containing traces of shabu, one gray clutch bag and marked money amounting to PHP20,000.

The suspects will be charged with the violation of Article 267 (Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention) of the Revised Penal Code.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think makes Parañaque City remain a hot spot for kidnapping? Do you believe kidnap-for-ransom will still happen within 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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