If you were in Las Piñas City during the week of July 21 to 25, 2025, were you trapped in the middle of heavy traffic because of immense flooding? Did you witness flood water that entered houses of a local residential community during that week? Today, the topic of flood control is a very hot one for Las Piñas City residents because a lot were negatively affected by flooding and Congressman Mark Santos has been speaking out a lot about it.
For starters, watch the YouTube news video of GMA Network below.
Next, watch the analytical YouTube video of Claire Castro below.
Santos recently pointed out that more than forty construction projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the city lacked permits from the City Government.
Going back to Las Piñas City, there is controversy over certain infrastructure projects involving the influential Villar business and political family and already there was friction with the City Government. Congressman Santos pointed out that the Las Piñas-Zapote River Drive (another project of the Villar family which you can learn about by clicking here and here) made flooding in the city worse. For insight about Las Piñas City developments, watch the YouTube video below.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a resident of Las Piñas City, what is your reaction to the recent developments regarding construction, infrastructure and flooding? Are you following what Congressman Santos has been doing and saying regarding the state of flood control in the city? Do you hope to see the DPWH coordinate closely with the City Government and make sure it secured permits for local projects?
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
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, Congressman Mark Santos visited the Zapote River Drive and pointed out that the construction of the road made the waterway narrower and resulted in worse flooding in recent times, according to a GMA Network news report.
For the newcomers reading this, the Zapote River stretches for several kilometers and it physically separates Las Piñas City from Bacoor City (Cavite province). The Zapote River Drive itself was constructed to decongest traffic in Las Piñas City.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…
The construction of a road along the Zapote River in Las Piñas City has narrowed the waterway and worsened flooding in parts of the city, according to a lawmaker.
In Maki Pulido’s Thursday report on “24 Oras,” a resident of Barangay Zapote 2 said floodwater enters their home during heavy rains.
Due to the rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) in July, several areas in Las Piñas City were submerged in the ensuing floods.
According to Las Piñas Rep. Anthony Santos, there is a flood control project for the Zapote River, one of the major waterways in the city. But instead of dredging and cleaning the river, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) constructed a road alongside the river.
As a result, Santos said the river became narrower and prone to faster overflowing, causing more floods in different areas of the city.
“Malaki po ang inoccupy nito doon sa Zapote River kung saan makikita natin ngayon na medyo nabawasan yung puwang o luwang ng river na nagdudulot ngayon ng problema dito sa Las Piñas nung raw na mas malapad ito mas maraming tubig ang dumadaloy,” Santos said.
(The road occupies a larger portion of the Zapote River. The width of the river is now smaller, which is causing problems here in Las Piñas. When it was wider, more water was able to flow.)
The DPWH is currently repairing riprap after a portion of it collapsed.
“Itong river na ito, hindi dapat tinayuan para gawing kalsada. Ito po ay para linisin lang ang river, pero kita niyo ang nag initiate na predecessors ko. Conflict of interest po, very clear po dito, kasi lahat ng kalsadang dinaanan papunta sa mga lupa nila ng mga Villar kasi nagpagawa bridge papunta sa mga property nila. Ang dulo nito ay isang malaking mall na pag aari ng pamilya Villar,” Santos said.
(Roads were not supposed to be constructed alongside the river. It was intended for just cleaning the river, but look at what my predecessors did. It’s very clear that there is a conflict of interest because all the constructed roads lead to the properties of the Villars. At the end of this road is a mall owned by the Villar family.)
According to Santos, the road construction began in 2012 and now stretches to at least 10 kilometers.
Posters along Las Piñas Zapote Road indicate the road is a project by siblings and senators Mark Villar and Camille Villar-Genuino and their mother, former senator Cynthia Villar.
Santos won the congressional seat against the elder Villar during the 2025 Philippine elections.
“Wala naman pong kwestyun kung sino mag be-benefit dito e nag re-reklamo mga kababayan ko sa baha (there is no question who will benefit from this project, but the people are complaining about the floods),” Santos said.
Roads were also built alongside the city’s creeks, including Talong Creek in Barangay Pulang Dos.
According to a resident, in 2024, the retaining wall collapsed due to the volume of water and accumulated garbage in the narrower creek.
“Gumiba siya. Nag breach aming wall pinasok kami tubig. May portion pa na neck-deep. Kinakatakot namin papasok na naman tag-ulan wala na natutulog dito,” resident Elmer Pascual said, adding that their subdivision experienced flooding for the first time.
(The wall collapsed after it was breached by the water. In some areas, the floodwaters rose to neck-deep levels. We’re concerned that it might happen again during the rainy season.)
In a statement, Cynthia Villar said the Las Piñas Zapote River Drive is a flood control and traffic decongestion project to rehabilitate the Las Piñas River.
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? Have you ever traveled along the Zapote River Drive in Las Piñas City? Are you convinced that the Zapote River Drive made the river narrower and made flooding worse? Do you think the Zapote River Drive succeeded in decongesting traffic within the city? Do you live in a residential community bordering the Zapote River?
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
The economy of the Philippines expanded by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter of 2025, according to a GMA Network news report. Among the factors are strong 2nd quarter gains by the agriculture, forestry, fishing, industry and services sectors.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the GMA News. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine economy grew marginally quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of 2025 amid the growth seen in services, agriculture, and industry sectors, and posted a deceleration from the same period last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) — the value of goods and services produced in a period — grew slightly faster by 5.5% in the April to June 2025 compared to the 5.4% growth seen in the January to March 2025 period, PSA chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported at a press conference in Quezon City on Thursday.
The second quarter GDP growth was the fastest in four quarters, however, it was still slower than the 6.5% growth rate in the same period in 2024.
All major economic sectors posted annual growth during the quarter — agriculture, forestry, and fishing with 7.0%, industry with 2.1%, and services with 6.9%.
The PSA attributed the year-on-year growth to wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles with 5.1%; public administration and defense, and compulsory social security with 12.8%; and financial and insurance activities with 5.6%.
Fixed capital investments climbed 2.6%, led by private construction which grew 11.2%, and investments in durable equipment up 10.6%.
Government spending posted an 8.7% growth rate during the quarter, slower than the 18.7% seen in the first quarter, which Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan attributed to the election spending ban.
“We expect to maintain that momentum in the spending side. I think that the next half, the second half of the year, you should see improvements in the construction, public construction spending,” he said in a briefing.
While the election spending ban hit government spending, officials said the campaigns boosted household spending which grew by 9.5%, faster than the 5.29% in the previous quarter, and the 5.4% in the second quarter of 2024.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the economy of the Philippines will be able to accelerate to achieve 6% gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the entire year?
Recently in the City of Las Piñas, a freelance club disc jockey (DJ) was shot by an armed man (who has a partner driving a motorcycle) at a gas station, according to a GMA Network news report. The victim was brought to a hospital but was declared dead-on-arrival. The shooting incident was captured on CCTV camera.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA news report. Some parts in boldface…
A club disc jockey was killed in a shooting incident in Barangay Pamplona Uno, Las Piñas City on Wednesday evening, according to a report of GMA Integrated News’ Jhomer Apresto on Unang Balita Thursday.
As seen in CCTV footage, the 34-year-old victim aboard his pickup vehicle was at a gasoline station when two men aboard a motorcycle stopped near him around 10 p.m. The backrider alighted the motorcycle, approached the pickup vehicle, and shot the victim.
The perpetrators on board their motorcycle fled while the victim on his pickup vehicle hit a wall at the gasoline station. The victim was brought to a hospital but he was declared dead on arrival.
According to the police, investigators are looking into the possibility that the crime was drug-related as sachets of suspected illegal drugs were recovered from the hand and bag of the victim.
“Yun ang tinitignan natin maaaring galing sa bahay papunta rito hanggang siya ay sundan, abangan, at pagbabarilin,” Las Piñas Police chief Police Colonel Sandro Tafalla said.
The mother of the victim said that her son just returned home from Malaysia and that she has no idea who is behind the shooting.
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? Do you think there is more than meets the eye in this crime story? Do you think the police will be able to find and arrest the suspects?
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
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of GMA News. Some parts in boldface…
The three suspects behind the murder and robbery of a TNVS driver in Parañaque City last May have surrendered to authorities on Monday.
According to Jaime Santos’ report in “Saksi”, the families of the suspects coordinated with their barangay chairperson and councilor to surrender before Manila Mayor Isko Moreno. The mayor, on the other hand, coordinated with the Manila Police District and the Northern Police District.
The families of the suspects feared for their safety after their identities were reported, the report added.
“Humingi sila ng tulong kung paano sila susuko sa alagad ng batas, through some assistance from the Northern Police District and the Manila Police District, nandito sila kanina. Gusto ko rin ipaalam sa inyo na ang pamilya ng mga suspects ay nandito rin. Kinausap ko sila kanina,” said Moreno.
(They asked for help on how they can surrender to the authorities, through some assistance from the Northern Police District and the Manila Police District, who were also here earlier. I also want to inform you that the family of the suspects are also present here. I talked with them earlier.)
“Now I’m happy that the case is na-resolba. Nakikiramay kami…sa pamilya ng biktima. In our own little way, kami ay maging tulay man lamang na makapagbigay ng hustisya sa pamilya ng biktima.”
(I’m happy that the case is now resolved. We extend our sympathies to the family of the victim. In our own little way, we hope we can become a tool in giving justice to the victim’s family.)
Meanwhile, the suspects have yet to declare where they disposed the victim’s body.
“Disgrasya lang po talaga ang lahat…Hindi ko na po masasagot…Sa NBI ko na lang po ipapaliwanag ang lahat po,” one of the suspects said.
(Everything was just an accident…I cannot answer anymore….I will just explain everything to the NBI.)
Moreno said that it will be up to the National Bureau of Investigation to take the next steps on the case. The suspects are now in NBI custody.
The suspects were picked up by the victim in Parañaque last May 18. The car didn’t reach its destination in Molino, Cavite and instead was driven around the province.
Audio from the car’s dashcam indicated that the victim, Raymond Cabrera, was no longer driving the car. It can also be heard from the audio that he was being stabbed.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you think that murder and violent forms of crime in the city will keep getting worse over the next six months?
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
Welcome back fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!
When it comes to watching movies – both old and new – the best place for me is still the movie theater. The very large screen, high-tech sound systems and comfortable seats of the cinema all make the theater viewing experience very immersive which streaming apps and the home theater setup could never match. The cinema experience is always better than streaming.
That being said, it is disappointing for me – as a resident of Muntinlupa City here in the Philippines – that local theaters in Alabang had to close down. The original cinemas of Festival Mall, which first opened in 1998 and grew from six to ten screens, are no more. Before they were all closed down, those cinemas had deteriorated over time and I still remember how bad the projection in one of their premium cinemas was when I saw Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013. It was like I was watching a VHS copy of the movie on their screen. It was that bad!
This year, the 4-screen cinemas of Commercenter in Filinvest City had closed down (refer to my past blog posts by clicking here and here) and it is very unfortunate not just for me but also for others who enjoyed watching movies at that mall. In my experience, Commercenter was my favorite local place to watch movies at and the cinema operators were consistent with maintaining each screen, the comfortable chairs and the sound systems. At the same time, it was pretty convenient for me to park the car in the basement parking (really spacious), climb up to the cinemas at the 2nd floor (ticket counter and snacks counter were beside each other), enjoy a movie, and visit a local store or a restaurant within the mall after leaving the cinema.
With the closure of Festival Mall’s original cinemas and Commercenter cinemas, that is a combined loss of ten screens along with the many seats and equipment combined. Along the way, many people who worked directly in those lost cinemas either became unemployed or got re-assigned to a new task within the local establishment. Sadly, not too many people here in the Philippines are talking about the jobs lost with the closure of cinemas.
Cinemas of Commercenter have been closed down since March 15, 2025.
This brings me to my next point – BusinessWorld published an article exploring the current struggle of Philippine cinemas in what is now the post-pandemic era. For the newcomers reading this, the Philippines economy has been growing strongly year-by-year after the COVID-19 period ended but the nation’s cinema industry is still struggling in terms of sales and attracting paying customers. The Filipinos’ love for streaming is huge factor but there are also other reasons why not enough moviegoers are supporting cinemas.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld article. Some parts in boldface…
KAREN LUSTAÑAS, 30, tries to watch a movie in the Philippine capital at least once a month, if the budget allows it.
“I try to save time and money for films that I really want to see,” she told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat. “I can barely afford it, but if I’m a fan of the director or actors, I really have to watch it.”
“Otherwise, I’ll just watch it on a streaming platform,” she added.
As good as the movie industry is in imagining alternate realities, it didn’t see this one coming. Five years after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) decimated the box office here and all over the world, movies are still struggling to come back.
Philippine gross movie ticket sales fell 3.7% year on year to $45.5 million (P2.5 billion) last year, a far cry from the $144.5 million posted in 2019, before the pandemic hit, according to US-based box office revenue tracker Box Office Mojo. In 2020, gross sales plunged 95% to $7.7 million.
Global cinema ticket sales fell 8.8% last year to €28 billion (P1.8 trillion) from 2023, the first annual drop since COVID-19, the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) said last month.
Regular movie ticket prices cost P300 to P400 in Metro Manila, or about half the daily minimum wage. On the other hand, the basic monthly subscription to streaming platforms like Netflix, Max (HBO) and Disney+ costs P150 to P250, and the titles are virtually endless.
“If you think about it, it’s really worth it and more practical to go with Netflix,” Ms. Lustañas, a freelancer, said.
The annual Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) grossed P800 million last year, hitting the target but failing to top 2023’s record P1 billion despite a week-long extension.
The pandemic forced people to watch movies at home, aiding streaming services like Netflix, whose revenue grew 14% annually to more than $39 billion last year from 2019, according to computations by BusinessWorld using data from the company’s website. Netflix subscribers also doubled to about 300 million over the five-year period.
Since 2020, local box office hits have been few and far between. The latest was Star Cinema’s My Love Will Make You Disappear starring Kim Chiu and Paulo Avelino, grossing P12 million on its opening day in March.
“Today, going to the cinema is a more intentional experience, rooted not just in the movie being shown but in the overall ambiance that brings the film to life,” Hamm E. Katipunan, Ayala Malls’ Asset Management head, said in an e-mailed reply to questions.
“It’s not just about waiting for blockbusters to hit streaming sites; Filipinos appreciate the good feeling of watching movies that are truly worth experiencing on the big screen,” he added.
While cinemas run by Ayala Malls, SM Supermalls and other mall chains have diversified their offerings, a pattern has emerged in the top-grossing Filipino films that have drawn people to cinemas.
GMA Pictures and Star Cinema’s co-production Hello, Love, Again starring Alden Richards and Kathryn Bernardo set the record for the highest opening day gross for a local film with P85 million in November, surpassing the P75-million gross from The Super Parental Guardians in 2016.
‘FORMULAIC STORIES’ – It shows that Filipinos watch a movie mainly because of its main cast, Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) Chairman Jose Javier Reyes told a news briefing in March, citing a council-funded study involving 800 respondents.
“They can’t afford to go regularly to the movies anymore,” he said. “The biggest blow is that people don’t repeat screenings. They just wait for it to go on streaming platforms.”
The study, done in 2024 in collaboration with De La Salle University to explore the evolving habits, preferences and challenges shaping the local film industry, found that Filipinos from the A, B, and a small part of the C socioeconomic classes regularly watch movies.
The study, which will be released in July as part of the launch of FDCP’s Philippine Film Industry Roadmap, also found that streaming services have become the primary platform for 67% of Filipinos.
Only 21% still frequent cinemas, with many complaining about repetitive movie themes and high ticket prices.
Though stars are still the main movie drawer, the study also found that Filipinos are “sick of formulaic stories,” Mr. Reyes said. He added that the roadmap, mandated by the government, would shed light on how to better support the industry.
In October last year, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. placed the Film Academy of the Philippines under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to boost Filipino film development.
Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque earlier said the budget for the film industry would increase next year as part of the roadmap. She noted that other countries have been using movies and the creative industry to boost tourism and trade.
Mr. Reyes said movie outfits should improve the quality of their films to boost their success overseas. “In the Philippines, star power is important, but the moment you cross borders, there’s a market for people who are more interested in the material itself,” he pointed out.
Rico V. Gonzales, head of distribution at Warner Bros. Pictures Philippines, said the company supports the local industry by distributing two to three Filipino movies yearly, along with the usual foreign releases from Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures.
“It’s part of the goodwill of the company to help local producers who don’t have a distribution arm, compared with the likes of Star Cinema and GMA Pictures, which have the power to do it themselves,” he said.
The current state of the cinema industry of the Philippines is disappointing and the future looks uncertain as of this writing. While a lot of my fellow Filipinos chose streaming to watch movies in the comfort of their home, I prefer watching movies on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray disc format. The most phenomenal 4K Blu-ray experiences I had was Top Gun: Maverick and that movie never failed to amaze me each time I saw it using my 4K Blu-ray disc player. I also enjoyed watching my 4K Blu-ray copies of Casablanca, Interstellar, Total Recall (1990), and Star Trek: First Contact.
Going back to the state of cinema here in the Philippines, I did not watch a single movie in the cinema in 2024. In fact, the last time I saw a movie on the big screen locally was Sound of Freedom in 2023 (read my review by clicking here). This is because the new movies that were released in 2024 did not interest me at all and the fact that a lot of new Hollywood movies had woke garbage in them turned me off. Not only that, there were times when news movies from overseas were not even released in Philippine cinemas at all such as Jesus Revolution (note: I had to buy the movie on Blu-ray just to watch it).
I saw The Batman at Commercenter’s cinema on March 2022.
As of this writing, the direction of the entire cinema industry of the Philippines remains uncertain and so far there were no real breakthroughs that happened. That being said, I still remember when in 2015, there were long lines of moviegoers at Commercenter waiting to enter the cinemas to watch Jurassic World. Such a memory won’t be repeated here in Alabang and without its cinemas, Commercenter’s value as a place for fun has gone way down.
Recently in the city of Parañaque, elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Bureau of Immigration (BI) apprehended nine Koreans for involvement in online fraud, according to a GMA Network news report. The apprehension happened inside a condominium and the law enforcers found several computer workstations operating programs.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of GMA Network. Some parts in boldface…
Joint forces of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Bureau of Immigration (BI) arrested nine Koreans in Parañaque City for alleged involvement in online fraud, the bureau announced Friday.
According to the NBI, agents of the NBI-Organized and Transnational Crime Division and BI-Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) arrested the foreigners in a condominium in Parañaque on Wednesday, June 25.
“The Korean nationals were found operating computer workstations that run multiple applications displaying foreign-language scripts and exhibiting user interface windows typically associated with financial transactions and online communication platforms,” the NBI said in a statement.
“The configuration and real-time display of these systems raised reasonable suspicion of involvement in online loan fraud schemes,” it added.
The arrested individuals underwent inquest proceedings by the BI for violations of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940, as amended, the NBI said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you think that cyber crime or online fraud within the city will only grow and get worse?
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
Recently the Bureau of Immigration (BI) formally filed deportation charges against three foreigners for misrepresenting themselves as Filipino citizens during their time working in the country, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) filed deportation cases against three foreigners who allegedly misrepresented themselves as Filipinos while working in the country.
On Tuesday, BI Deputy Spokesperson Melvin Mabulac said this developed after immigration officials nabbed three foreigners aged 46, 41 and 34, in Zamboanga del Sur on June 16 for allegedly pretending to be Filipinos.
Mabulac said the foreigners were engaged in legitimate businesses in the province. However, they were using alleged fake government-issued documents in identifying themselves.
“Ang Immigration ay nag-file ng deportation case sa mga dayuhang ito para sila ay ma-deport,” he told state-run PTV’s “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon”.
(The BI has filed deportation cases against the foreigners.)
“Pero sa ating pag-deport, kung may pananagutan sila sa criminal case, they have first be accountable sa ibang kaso,” Mabulac added.
(But before we deport them, they should be held accountable to any criminal cases they are possibly facing.)
According to the BI, one of the foreigners was apprehended in the town of Dumalinao and was discovered to be allegedly operating a coconut charcoal business without a proper permit and visa since 2022.
Another suspect was found working without a permit in the same business. He allegedly managed the aforementioned business, was found to be misrepresenting himself as a Filipino and possessed a Philippine driver’s license indicating his nationality as such.
The BI likewise apprehended a 41-year old foreigner who was found manning a cellphone store. Found in his possession was a Driver’s License indicating his nationality as Filipino.
“Nakakabahala kasi if we go into the previous cases, nakikita natin once nahuli na mayroong silang mga dokumento na government-issued. Nakakabahala ito kaya ang ating national security agencies, tulong-tulong tayo,” Mabulac added.
(These incidents are causes for concern because if we go into the previous cases, we see that they have government-issued documents. We are working with national security agencies to address this.)
Meanwhile, the BI warned of possible charges against Filipinos who will assist foreigners in acquiring fraudulent government documents.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you concerned that there could be more foreigners pretending to be Filipino citizens using fake documents? Do you consider this development a huge national security concern?
During an entrapment operation in Parañaque City, a Chinese national physically attacked three agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and it took a few men to subdue him, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of GMA News. Some parts in boldface…
Three agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were physically attacked by a Chinese man during an entrapment operation in Paranaque City.
In John Consulta’s exclusive report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday, the incident occurred against members of the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division inside a building in Parañaque City.
Video showed one NBI agent backing away after he was punched in the face by one of the Chinese men.
Authorities had difficulty in arresting the Chinese man after his violent outburst after his companion was being arrested.
“Nagulat kami. Lumaban. Nanakit ng mga agents natin. Very bothering yung ginagawa nung isang suspect na lumaban sa mga otoridad kasi parang hindi na niya kinakatakutan ang local authorities. Hindi na sila natakot kahit alam nila otoridad,” said Noel Bocaling, NBI Intelligence Service assistant director.
(We were caught off guard because he fought back and hurt our agents. What he did was very bothering because it seemed like he was not afraid of local authorities.)
“It took at least three men to subdue the said person pero kung unarmed, you will practice maximum tolerance din pagdating sa ganyan. Huliin mo talaga kaya tatlong agents dyan ang nasaktan,” he added.
(It took at least three men to subdue the said person, but he was unarmed, [so] you will practice maximum tolerance in this case. You need to arrest them, but in the process three of our agents got hurt.)
According to the NBI, one of the Chinese men is facing a complaint for allegedly keeping the complainant’s passport as ransom.
“Passport na ayaw isuli and the passport will be returned for a fee kaya pumunta kami doon in an entrapment operation. Naghanda kami ng pera, ng marked money, para ibayad and then after dun, ang plano huliin,” Bocaling said.
(The suspect will only return the complainant’s passport if he pays the fee, so we prepared marked money for the entrapment operation and the plan was to capture him.)
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, do you consider your city a hot spot of criminal activities and violent incidents 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
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?
Author Carlo Carrasco 