Tag: Inclusion

Nine Chinese nationals arrested at Parañaque City Fishport

Nine Chinese nationals arrested at Parañaque City Fishport

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Recently in the city of Parañaque, nine Chinese nationals were arrested by immigration agents (supported by the Armed Forces of the Philippines) at the Parañaque City Fishport for illegally working onboard vessels, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.  

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

Nine Chinese nationals suspected to be working illegally onboard vessels along Manila Bay were arrested last June 29 at the Paranaque City Fishport, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said on Monday, July 1.

BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco said only five of those arrested have pre-arranged working visas petitioned by an engineering company in Pasay City.

Tansingco identifed them as Li Weilin, Liu Peng, Wang Yong, Huang Haibing, Gong Yuan Ju, Zhang Tao, Dai Guang Yuan, Li Jiang Yu, and Kang Tian De. Those with working visas were not identified.

He said they were arrested by BI operatives in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) while disembarking from three motorboats at the Paranaque City Fishport at around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 29.

“This operation is a clear message that we will not tolerate foreign nationals abusing their stay in the country,” Tansingco said.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to protect our borders and maintain order,” he assured.

Tansingco said: “We have reason to suspect that these individuals are engaging in illegal work in vessels along Manila Bay.”

He said the visas of five of them “limit their work to a company in Pasay City and nowhere else.”

He stressed that “foreign nationals with valid working visas, if found to be working in a different company, are violating the conditions of their stay.”

Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, what do you think makes your city a favorite destination for Chinese criminals? Did you notice that Parañaque has long been a hot spot of criminal activities that involved Chinese nationals? Did you notice any Chinese fugitives living and hiding in Parañaque?

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

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

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

Immigration officials intercept two foreign tourists suspected of attempting to work illegally in the Philippines

Immigration officials intercept two foreign tourists suspected of attempting to work illegally in the Philippines

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Two foreign tourists – one from China and the other from Vietnam – were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) for trying to work illegally in the country, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

The Bureau of Immigration intercepted two foreign nationals suspected of attempting to enter the country to work illegally.

According to a statement by the BI on Friday, 20-year-old Chinese national Ding  Junda claimed he was visiting a relative in the country for eight days when he arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on  Sunday.

On Monday, 22-year-old Vietnamese Nguyen Thi Tuyet Trang arrived and said she was going to Tagaytay City for a holiday.

However, the two individuals confessed to working in the country during a secondary inspection, with Ding working as a parcel delivery rider and Nguyen as a nail technician.

Ding was also found to have been sponsored by another Chinese national outside the country.

“They were denied entry after our officers determined that they were likely to become a public charge, as stipulated by the provisions, resulting in their classification as excludable aliens under our immigration laws,”  said BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think there will be more foreigners who will try to enter the Philippines as tourists only to engage in illegal work locally?

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

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

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

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 23

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 23

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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 Woke Disney’s discriminatory practices confirmed and caught on camera – Being woke means being foolish and wicked. What was discussed before about the woke Disney Company’s distorted approach on hiring workers as well as promoting their current workers was confirmed to be true as a Disney executive confirmed it openly on camera. A lot of footage has been recorded of him talking about Disney’s discrimination against white males as they empower people of minorities (colored people, the under-represented ethnic groups, etc.). You should watch the two videos I selected from Midnight’s Edge ad RK Outpost. Woke Disney should be brought to justice!

#2 Video documentary about Sega’s Streets of Rage franchise – YouTuber PatmanQC recently published another informative and entertaining look at the history of Sega’s popular Streets of Rage game franchise. This includes the behind-the-scenes development of the first game that hit the arcades, as well as the different versions that appeared on multiple platforms.

#3 Somewhere in Time videos – Somewhere in Time (1980) was a film that starred the late Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. While it was never successful in movie theaters, it became a big hit on cable TV, public TV and home video. As its legacy lived on, it is not surprising that there are several movie reaction videos, video reviews and other features about it on YouTube. Posted below are some selected videos for those of you who wish to discover more of Somewhere in Time.

#4 A look at the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic – Back in the mid-1990s, a lot of my friends (who love basketball) became fans of the Orlando Magic which had Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson (the guy who missed 4 crucial free throws in specific NBA Finals game), Horace Grant and Dennis Scott. Their excitement really went overboard when the Magic of 1994-95 successfully won the Eastern Conference Finals and entered the NBA Finals to face off with the defending champion Houston Rockets. Of course, as recorded by history, the Magic got swept away by the Rockets even though they had the home court advantage. If you are nostalgic about 1990s NBA action or if you want to see how different the Orlando Magic was back in the 1990s, then you should watch the video below.

#5 Stockton to Malone (but still no NBA championship) – Still on the topic of basketball, do you remember the so-called golden age of the Utah Jazz when they had Karl Malone and John Stockton who together were among the very best players in the NBA back then? For the newcomers reading this, the Utah Jazz made it to the NBA Finals of 1997 and 1998 but lost each time to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Long before those championship series happened, the Utah Jazz became a serious playoff contender in 1988 (pushing the LA Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals) and went on to struggle in the years that followed. As for Stockton and Malone, they each had great basketball achievements but never won a championship. To learn more with a lot of details plus in-depth analysis, watch the video below.

#6 Heart of Darkness retrospective video – Way back in 1998, I played the video game Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation console but never got to finish it. While the cinematic cutscenes are not outstanding, the graphics used for gameplay was eye-catching thanks to the developers’ artistic and technical approach. This should not be surprising as the game was supervised by Eric Chahi who was best known for Another World. To learn more about Heart of Darkness’ production history, watch the video below.

#7 A look at Salamander (AKA Life Force) – Still on the topic of retro gaming, I had fun memories playing Salamander (titled Life Force in North America) on the Family Computer (Famicom) back in the late-1980s. It was a sci-fi 2D scrolling shooter that not only featured side-scrolling levels but also vertical levels. Developed and published by Konami, Salamander was a spin-off of Gradius (an acclaimed 2D side-scrolling shooter on its own) but it became successful in entertaining players with the two-player mode, unique challenges, fine gameplay features and outstanding visuals. To learn more about Salamander, watch the selected videos below.

#8 Friday The 13th Part 3 videos – If there is anything significant about Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982) other than being filmed in 3D, it is the fact that it marked a creative turning point for the franchise. It was in this movie that the film series really started to take shape with Jason Voorhees as its feature antagonist. That being said, it is not surprising that there are lots of retro reviews/reactions and feature videos about it. Watch the selected videos below.

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

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 12

Retro Gaming Ads Blast – Part 12

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Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!

In this edition of the Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) series, we will take a look at another batch of retro gaming print ads from the 1980s and 1990s. In addition, there will be a few flyers of arcade games.

For the newcomers reading this, Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) looks back at the many print ads of games (console, arcade, computer and handheld) that were published in comic books, magazines, flyers and newspapers long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and streaming became popular. To put things in perspective, people back in the 1980s and 1990s were more trusting of print media for information and images about electronic games and related products.

With those details laid down, here is the newest batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…

1. Contra arcade flyer

A clever visual concept by Konami towards gamers and arcade operators.
Details on the other side of the flyer.

Before it established itself as a popular gaming franchise with console gamers, Contra truly started in the arcades in 1987. First released in Japan on February 1987, Konami went on to release the game in arcades in the United States a month later and the flyer you see here was the Americanized promotion they came up with. Instead of hiring male actors or models to play soldiers, they hired a slim lady to appear with a female Rambo look standing in front of a Contra arcade machine. On the other side of the flyer are details that players and arcade operators can learn from. By today’s standards, this arcade flyer of Contra is still eye-catching and even amusing to look at.

2. College Football’s National Championship print ad

This ad has a strong visual appeal to gamers who like football.

This is another one of those video game ads I saw while reading comic books in the 1990s. College Football’s National Championship was a Sega Genesis-exclusive American football video game published by Sega (with the Sega Sports brand) to capitalize on gamers who want college football to play with at home. This print ad has a nice visual presentation of the college teams’ logos, screenshots and details of what gamers could expect when they buy and play the game. College Football’s National Championship received mostly positive reviews and it must have sold well because Sega went on to release a sequel to this game.

3. Robotron X print ad

This Robotron game was made at a time when 3D polygons became common for making video games.

Having played the classic game Robotron: 2084 on PC back in the 1980s, I was very surprised to see this print ad in 1996 promoting a brand new Robotron game for PlayStation as well as Windows PC. For the newcomers reading this, Robotron: 2084 was a classic which heavily influenced game designers who went on make other fan-favorite games like Smash TV and Llamatron. What makes Robotron X notable apart from being an official follow-up to the classic game was the fact that it was made at a time when game developers did their stuff to modernize gaming with 3D polygons for visuals while trying to come up with gameplay inspired by the classics. While Robotron X did not make a major impact on gaming, the classic Robotron: 2084 went on to be released in several multi-platform compilations such as Williams Arcade’s Greatest Hits, Midway’s Greatest Arcade Hits, and Midway Arcade Treasures.

4. Space Jam game print ad

If you saw the movie in 1996, were you able to play this video game adaptation?

What makes 1996 a memorable year for basketball fans was the Michael Jordan’s return to prominence (having previously retired for less than two years before returning to the NBA in 1995) and leading a very powerful Chicago Bulls team to what was their 4th NBA championship title. In that same year, Jordan starred in the live-action/animated movie Space Jam which grossed an impressive $250 million worldwide. On the same month the movie came out, the Space Jam video game adaptation was also released on PlayStation and Sega Saturn. This print ad was part of the multimedia hype of the movie and the game itself had a very similar design and visuals concept with NBA Jam but ultimately it failed to become a hit with critics and gamers. Not even the combined visual might of Jordan and Warner Bros. characters could achieve success.  

5. Magic Johnson’s Fast Break print ad

Still on basketball video gaming, the side-scrolling Magic Johnson’s Fast Break game was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) for console gamers to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, this ad had nice black-and-white art work of Magic Johnson as the dominant figure while leaving little space left to show the game box and only one screenshot. The real meat of this print ad are the details laid down in text description.

6. Virtua Fighter 2 for Sega Genesis print ad

Clearly a late effort by Sega to sell something to its many Genesis owners/fans in America at a time when PlayStation and Nintendo 64 started dominating 5th console generation sales.

In the history of arcade gaming and fighting games, Virtua Fighter 2 was a worthy follow-up to its groundbreaking predecessor. VF2 also made its way on the Sega Saturn which essentially maintained the great gameplay and 60 frames-per-second animation even though the 3D polygonal graphics were noticeably lower in quality compared to its arcade version. With VF2 in the arcades and on Saturn selling well, I was surprised to see this print ad of Sega releasing a totally different version of the game on the aging Sega Genesis console. Virtua Fighter 2 on Genesis had 2D graphics, sprites for the characters and a side-scrolling visual design. In fairness, the game developers exerted effort to recapture some of the gameplay elements within the Genesis limitations and 2D graphics. This print ad is a reminder of Sega’s American division selling a product to the remaining active Genesis owners.

7. Ring King print ad

Ring King itself clearly lacked promotional space in this ad.

In 1987, Data East released their arcade hit game Ring King on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and prepared this print ad involving Ray Leonard, Jr. (on the foreground in boxing gear) and conveniently with the famous Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns (with the promo of their first fight together in the background). Also conveniently, the company inserted their other games on the lowest part of the ad. Ultimately, the presence of Ring King itself was minimized only showing the game cover and two screenshots. This is clearly an eye-catching ad but there was not enough emphasis on the game itself.

8. Super Spacefortress Macross arcade flyer

The arcade flyer released only in Japan.

Have you ever seen the classic anime movie Macross: Do You Remember Love? I really love watching that movie and I played and finished the video game adaptation on PlayStation in 1999. What I never got to play was the arcade game adaptation of it which was released by Banpresto in Japan in 1992. This flyer promoting the game has a strong visual presentation thanks to the artwork made for it. Only one screenshot was shown as well as a clip from 1984 the animated movie (note: the arcade game itself has some images directly from the film plus some newly created ones added) but this ad still had what it takes to capture the attention of the many Macross fans in Japan. This arcade game was eventually released with an English translation in America and Australia.   

9. 2-in-1 print ad featuring Super C and Snake’s Revenge

A memorable and intriguing print ad from Konami promoting sequels.

This is one of the ads that Konami came up with to promote at least two games using a single-page ad format. I saw this ad in many comic books I read decades ago and its visual concept always caught my attention especially since I played the console game Contra a lot. At the high end of the ad were two fictional newspaper headlines highlighting the respective conflicts of Snake’s Revenge (with a nuclear danger concept) and Super C (with emphasis on alien invaders). These two games were sequels to the classics Metal Gear and Contra, and Konami clearly knew how to take advantage of the older games’ success and do their best to sell the sequels to gamers who love action-packed gaming as well as fantasized armed conflicts. Like the 2-in-1 ad showcasing Contra and Jackal, this was Konami’s aggressive move to sell war-inspired games to the NES userbase which was mostly composed of children and teenagers.

10. True Lies game print ad

There is nothing like taking advantage of the imagery of a Hollywood superstar to promote a video game based on the related movie.

Here is a video game ad I saw in many comic books I read in 1994-1995. True Lies (starring Arnold Schwarzenegger) was one of the big summer season movie hits of 1994 and the video game was part of the business tie-ins with the film. The people who made this print ad made the smart moves of showing not just one but three images of Schwarzenegger to promote the game while leaving some space to show what the game looked like. The True Lies game even had stills from the movie to emphasize the flow of the plot.

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

COMELEC may file election-related offense case against suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo following matching fingerprints with Guo Hua Ping

COMELEC may file election-related offense case against suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo following matching fingerprints with Guo Hua Ping

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The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that may file an election-related offense case against the controversial suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo following the recent findings that her fingerprints matched those of Guo Hua Ping, according to a GMA Network news report. Take note that Guo has already been charged for alleged human trafficking and has also been expelled by a political party.

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

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Sunday it may file an election-related offense case against suspended Bamban Mayor Alice Guo following the findings that she and Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping have matching fingerprints.

Comelec chairman George Garcia said that the poll body may file charges “motu proprio” or on its own against Guo based on misrepresentation.

Based on Guo’s Certificate of Candidacy (COC) when she ran as mayor of the Tarlac municipality in the 2022 elections, she signed a declaration that she is a Filipino citizen, and that she is not a permanent resident of or an immigrant to a foreign country.

“Ang isang taong ‘yan ay pupwedeng humarap ng election offense na may three to five years na imprisonment. At the same time, pwedeng maharap ng kasong perjury o…dahil nagsinungaling nga sa isang pinanumpaan na dokumento, kasong falsification [of public document],” Garcia said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(That person may face an election offense with three to five years imprisonment. At the same time, she may face a case of perjury or falsification of public documents because she lied when she signed a sworn document.)

The poll chairman also pointed out that the country’s laws are applicable to anyone, whether they are Filipinos or foreigners. He also said that a government official may still face a criminal case even after getting elected.

“Kahit ang isang taong tumakbo ay hindi nafile-an ng kasong disqualification o kanselasyon ng kanyang candidacy, hindi nangangahulugan na siya ay pupwede nang malibre o ma-abswelto sa kahit na anong obligasyon o responsibilidad lalo pa’t ito’y kasong kriminal, lalo na ‘yung tinatawag na misrepresentation,” Garcia added.

(Even if a case of disqualification or cancellation of candidacy was not filed against a person running for election, it does not mean that s/he can be absolved from any obligation or responsibility, especially a criminal case like misrepresentation.)

The Comelec earlier submitted to the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality the COC and Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) of Guo.

According to her COC, the 37-year old Guo declared Tarlac, Tarlac as her place of birth.

Guo also stated in her COC that on the day before the May 9 elections, she has been living in the Philippines for 35 years and two months and she has been living in the municipality of Bamban, Tarlac for 18 years and two months.

However, Senator Risa Hontiveros, as confirmed by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), revealed that the embattled mayor and Guo Hua Ping are the same person following finding that they have matching fingerprints.

The NBI also showed a picture of another woman with the name Alice Leal Guo who had the same information as the suspended mayor.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think mayor Alice Guo and Guo Hua Ping are one and the same person based on the matching fingerprints?

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

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

Ombudsman rejects Bamban mayor Alice Guo’s bid versus suspension order

Ombudsman rejects Bamban mayor Alice Guo’s bid versus suspension order

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The bid of the controversial and suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo to lift the preventive suspension has officially been rejected by the Office of the Ombudsman, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

The Office of the Ombudsman has junked Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo’s bid to lift the six-month preventive suspension slapped against her over her alleged links to a raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in her jurisdiction.

The Ombudsman resolution dated June 21 said it is standing by its preliminary findings that there are sufficient grounds to hold that the evidence against Guo and the other respondents are strong.

Aside from Guo, also suspended by the Ombudsman were Bamban Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) officer Edwin Campo and Municipal Legal Officer Adden Sigua.

The Ombudsman suspended the three in May to keep them from interfering in the investigation following the complaint filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which is accusing them of committing grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

In its resolution signed by Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires, there is evidence that Guo has business interest in Baofu Land Development Inc., owner of the land where the raided POGO was located. It said this was shown by a Tarlac Electric Cooperative Inc Statement of Account dated March 8, 2024 under Guo’s name that was seized during the March 13, 2024 raid in the Baofu compound for alleged human trafficking and serious illegal detention.

The Ombudsman also cited documents showing that Baofu and the POGO, Zun Yuan, operated their respective businesses with permits processed by the BPLO and issued by Guo, as well as documents showing that Sigua knew and had prior acquaintances with Guo since he was the one who notarized each of the Deed of Absolute Sale covering the eight parcels of land that Guo bought that later on became the compound.

“This Office only deems it prudent to preventively suspend respondents Guo, Campo and Sigua given their undeniable hand in the operation of Baofu and Zun Yuan,” the Ombudsman said.

“After due consideration of the factual circumstances of the instant case, this Office finds no compelling reason to reconsider and lift the Order of preventive suspension of respondents Guo, Campo and Sigua while the case against them is pending adjudication,” it added.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you convinced that mayor Guo is involved with the POGO crime activities mentioned? Do you think that the raided Bamban POGO could be linked with the scam hub in Parañaque?

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

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

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

Better than Streaming: Do you have Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray in your collection?

Better than Streaming: Do you have Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray in your collection?

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Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs!

Decades ago, I saw on home video Cloak & Dagger (1984) which turned out to be an entertaining film to watch as I was already playing games on Atari 2600 and the arcades. After replaying by chance on cable TV years later, I finally bought myself the 4K Blu-ray and it sure was fun to watch it all over again. Check out my retro movie review of it by clicking here.

The front of my copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray.
The rear with the details that can be read.

For the newcomers reading this, Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a movie that involved then video game giant Atari in the creative process. The movie’s plot is not based on Atari’s arcade game of the same name (previously titled as Agent X).

Cloak & Dagger (1984) its own original plot of espionage about a young boy Davey (played by Henry Thomas, the star of Steven Spielberg’s E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial) who witnesses a murder and receives an Atari 5200 cartridge of the game Cloak & Dagger that contains something very important. This in turn makes him a target of armed henchmen who won’t stop until they get him. Due to his reputation of being too playful and living with his wild imagination as a spy, people don’t believe Davey’s claim of witnessing a murder. This film happens to be inspired by the short story “The Boy Cried Murder” written by Cornell Woolrich.

Cloak & Dagger in arcade form. Atari released it in the form of an arcade conversion kit aimed at arcade machines of certain games of its competitors.
The Cloak & Dagger arcade game can be played on your game console with the Atari 50 collection software (over 100 games). This screenshot I captured while playing it on my Xbox Series X console running Atari 50.

A few weeks ago, my copy of the Cloak & Dagger 4K Blu-ray arrived and it came with two discs: One 4K Blu-ray disc which contained the movie in native 4K (scanned in UHD from the 35mm film) resolution of 3840 x 2160p. The other disc has the same movie in HD (1920 x 1080p) plus the extra stuff which can provide viewers and Cloak & Dagger fans a good amount of important content which will help them learn what the video game elements in the film are, what inspired its creative process and why the film is very unique by today’s standards. There is also an informative new interview with Henry Thomas.

Since then, I saw Cloak & Dagger in 4K twice on my Xbox Series X and its 1080p version on a standalone Blu-ray disc player. Cloak & Dagger in 4K looks better than ever as the picture quality is better, images look sharper and clearer, the colors are vibrant, the small visual details (which were not visible in lower resolution before) are more noticeable now, and film grain structure has been preserved intact!

The two discs. The one on the right is Cloak & Dagger in 4K.

As for the story itself, I still find it engaging and enjoyable to watch from start to finish. Cloak & Dagger is clearly a production of its time as it carries clear Cold War references – the Soviet Union and Iran are the evil forces told in very subtle fashion – as well as video game elements and brands (note: ColecoVision even appeared in this Atari-influenced movie) that dominated America’s console gaming market long before PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox arrived. For a movie aimed at parents and children, this one has really intense violence as it involves shooting and even some elements of terrorism.

Ultimately, I got a lot of enjoyment from my Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray and I highly recommend it to Cloak & Dagger fans, gamers, physical media collectors and anyone who loves watching movies in the comfort of home. Cloak & Dagger (1984) is a very unique and fun movie that Hollywood does not make anymore. You really should see it.

In case you are interested or if you have made up your mind, you can order a copy of Cloak & Dagger (1984) 4K Blu-ray by clicking here.

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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

Suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo and others charged for alleged human trafficking

Suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo and others charged for alleged human trafficking

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The controversial and suspended Bamban mayor Alice Guo along with others were formally charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for alleged human trafficking in connection with the raided Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Tarlac, according to a GMA Network news report.

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

In complaints filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ), Guo, former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) deputy director general Dennis Cunanan, and 12 officers and incorporators were charged with violation of Sections 4 and 6 of Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 as amended by RA 10364, as further amended by RA 11862.

Among the respondents are Guo’s alleged business partner Huang Zhiyang, who is a fugitive in China, and Zhang Ruijin and Baoying Li, two individuals who are involved in the biggest money laundering case in Singapore.

Guo was also referred to as “a.k.a Guo Hua Ping” in the complaint.

GMA News Online has sought comment from the camps of Guo and Cunanan but they have yet to reply as of posting time.

Evidence – The complainants are the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

“Lumabas na mga ebidensya dito tulad ng fact na siya ang nag apply doon sa dating [letter of no objection] from the local government. Lumabas din ang kanyang involvement doon sa lesser company,” Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking chairperson and Justice Undersecretary Nicky Ty said in a briefing.

(There is evidence such as the fact that she applied the letter of no objection from the local government. Her involvement in the lesser company was also noted.)

“At kasama rin yung ibang ebidensya diyan katulad nung pangalan niya na lumulutang sa mga sabi-sabing document na nahanap sa POGO compound,” he added.

(There is also other evidence such as her name appearing in many documents in the POGO compound.)

Meanwhile, Prosecutor Benjamin Samson said authorities believe that Cunanan is part of a “grand conspiracy.”

“We discovered that the Zun Yuan operation actually started with one corporation which was Baofu, and then another corporation was created. All these three corporations, we believe that they are part of a grand conspiracy to commit labor trafficking,” Samson said.

“In one of the corporations, we found a document wherein the name of Mr. Dennis Cunanan appeared. After piecing together the pieces of evidence, we concluded and we decided that he is part of the grand conspiracy to commit labor trafficking,” he added.

Earlier, Senator Risa Hontiveros showed documents where Cunanan had introduced himself as the “authorized representative” for the Hong Sheng POGO in Bamban and the Lucky South POGO in Porac.

Other Complaints – According to Ty, the DOJ is now processing the Immigration Lookout Bulletin against Guo, which may be issued next week.

“Hindi naman natin matatanggi na kahit sinong makasuhan ng kriminal ay may flight risk, lalo na kung may resources ito mangibang bansa. Ngunit ito naman kay Mayor Guo, hopefully, no hindi naman siya lilipad dahil siya mismo at ang kanyang mga representatives ang nag sabi na nais niyang harapin ang mga alegasyon laban sa kanya,” he said.

(Anyone charged with a crime is a flight risk, especially if he they have resources to go abroad. Hopefully, she will not leave as her representatives said that he wants to face the allegations against him.)

Aside from this, Ty said Guo cannot travel without a travel authority as a public official.

Ty said that “there is a possibility” that other complaints may be filed against Guo and others.

POGO – Guo was placed under investigation for her alleged links to the 10-hectare POGO compound that was raided in March for alleged illegal activities that include crypto and love scams.

Earlier in June, the Department of the Interior and Local Government filed graft charges against Guo with the Office of the Ombudsman, prompting it to suspend her for up to six months.

Guo’s identity as a Filipino is also under question before the Senate.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has questioned whether Chinese passport holder Guo Hua Ping is Guo after he presented records from the Board of Investments of the Guo family’s application for a Special Investors Resident Visa.

The documents showed Guo Hua Ping entered the Philippines on January 12, 2003 when she was still 13 years old and her registered mother is Lin Wenyi, the same woman who was alleged to be the mayor’s mother.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think that the mayor of Bamban is indeed connected or responsible with the human trafficking that happened at the raided Bamban POGO? Are you concerned that there could be a POGO operating in your locality and criminal activities are being done secretly? If there is a POGO in your locality, did you notice a rise in crime incidents?

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

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

A Look Back at Amazing Spider-Man #257 (1984)

A Look Back at Amazing Spider-Man #257 (1984)

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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, 1980s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1984 to examine a small part of the Marvel Comics universe through a tale of the Amazing Spider-Man monthly series.

In my previous retro review, Puma was introduced and quickly made an impact on the plot that connects the Rose with Spider-Man (who foiled the Rose’s criminal operation with the help of Black Cat). Puma is not a one-dimensional villain as he is quite principled. Ultimately, issue #256 served as an entertaining build-up of the conflict between Spider-Man and Puma.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Amazing Spider-Man #257, published in 1984 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Ron Frenz.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins on top of a building in New York City. Puma grabs the head of the helpless Spider-Man (who just suffered the dislocation of his arm and endured the pain of shoving it back into place before eventually succumbing to the intense pain). He does not strike immediately as he finds the act of eliminating the webslinger almost too easy and he remembers the Rose promised him of a worthy foe.

Just as Puma starts his move to kill Spidey, Black Cat suddenly strikes him out of nowhere. Puma quickly recovers his balance and tells Black Cat to go away. Suddenly, Puma notices something in her. Using his heightened senses, he sees Black Cat’s aura then jumps at her. He quickly realizes he miscalculated with his movement and finds himself overshooting her. In a desperate attempt, Puma grabs  a pipe but it quickly broke and causes him to slide on the rooftop and hit the edge.  

As Puma picks himself up, the roof beneath him gives in and he falls down…

Quality

Spider-Man’s 2nd encounter with Puma is action-packed and fun to read. Pay close attention to the details.

There is no doubt that the story of this comic book is pretty much a big pay-off to the build-up of the previous issue. Not only that, the creative team continued to gradually develop Puma not only as a formidable foe of Spider-Man but also as a sensible and believable new addition to the Marvel Comics universe of the time.

Here, you will see Spider-Man in a truly vulnerable state which symbolically shows that wearing the alien costume has its limits when it comes to protecting and enhancing him. As seen in the final pages of issue #256, Spider-Man struggles a lot physically and, for the first time ever, struggles to command the symbiote (not realizing it is organic and has its own intelligence). With Spidey in a serious physical disadvantage, you will see Black Cat getting a nice share of the spotlight. Not only does she bravely face off with Puma, her concern for Spidey (note: she knows he is Peter Parker) intensifies in a very believable way. She still loves him but could not figure out why Peter prefers to live like a normal person when he could dedicate himself on being a hero every day as Spider-Man.

As for Puma, the creative team developed him even further both in his animalistic form and in his civilian identity as the head of Fireheart Enterprises. As the man Thomas Fireheart, he is a really intelligent man who analyzes a lot of details before making his next move. You will see more of his intellectual side as he deals with both his corporate affairs as well as his contracted service for the Rose (who in turn is serving the Kingpin).

The plot in this comic book is deeper and more elaborate. Without spoiling much, you will get to see the Puma-Rose-Kingpin connection and, more notably, you will see how complex and intense the situation becomes for Peter Parker when he encounters Puma for the 2nd time. The story is very good, you just have to read it.   

Conclusion

Spider-Man, Black Cat and the alien costume.

Like the previous issue, Amazing Spider-Man #257 (1984) is a great read but in the form of a great pay-off to the build-up that preceded it. The DeFalco-Frenz duo succeeded in developing the newcomer Puma into a significant Marvel Comics universe addition and their portrayal of an injured Spider-Man is very captivating. That being said, I encourage you all to pay close attention to the literary details revealed during the banter between Spidey and Puma which will resonate with you when you read the next issue.

Overall, Amazing Spider-Man #257 (1984) is highly recommended.

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

Gears of War: E-Day was the pleasant surprise of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

Gears of War: E-Day was the pleasant surprise of the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase

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Welcome back Xbox fans, geeks and gamers!

With the exception of a certain 3rd party games that turned out to be a creative misfires respectively, the 2024 Xbox Games Showcase (also referred to as Xbox Showcase) was clearly a powerful showcase of future games on the Xbox ecosystem and the 1st party games of Team Xbox displayed is the most exciting bunch yet!

As mentioned before, we are now living in the age of Microsoft-owned Activision, Blizzard, King and Bethesda, and Team Xbox has many game studios as a result. The 2024 Xbox Games Showcase is just the taste of many exciting and fun 1st party games coming out in the near future (including the Game Pass services for Xbox and PC) with titles like the Perfect Dark reboot, the Fable reboot, South of Midnight, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and more.

Among the many 1st party games showcased was Gears of War: E-Day which turned out to be the most pleasant surprise as many people heavily anticipated Gears of War 6 and the Marcus Fenix Collection. On my part, I anticipated GOW6 and a Gears Tactics sequel to be announced but what was unveiled officially was both intriguing and captivating. To find out more what Gears of War: E-Day is about, watch the official unveiling below…

Being made by The Coalition using the Unreal 5 engine (the same engine used in Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II), Gears of War: E-Day is the origin story that depicts the horror of Locust invasion on Emergence Day through the eyes of the iconic Marcus Fenix. For the newcomers reading this, Emergence Day refers to the event when the Locus Horde emerged from the depths of the planet Sera and started major assaults on human cities causing massive counts of deaths. Chronologically, Gears of War: E-Day is set fourteen years before the events of the original Gears of War game.

As seen in the above trailer, Marcus Fenix looks younger and you can see him struggling in what seems to be his first-ever personal and physical fight with one of the Locusts. There is also a subtle reference in the video that sends gamers a message – the MK1 Lancer is here and it is NOT the chainsaw-equipped gun that became the iconic weapon of choice in the Gears of War franchise. Again, the story of this upcoming game is set more than a decade before the first GOW and The Coalition developers have planned some changes that will impact not only the interactive experience but also the storytelling.

Do you recognize the eyes of Marcus Fenix in this image? The high level of detail of Unreal Engine 5 combined with the digital artistry of The Coalition make a great combination!

Gears of War: E-Day is looking like a very welcome addition to not only its franchise but also for future releases on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Windows PC, as well as for Game Pass subscribers among Xbox and PC gamers. I doubt that a version of the game will be released on aging Xbox One consoles. As to when will the new game be released, I am speculating it would be in November 2026 as that month would mark the 20th anniversary of the release of the original GOW. It is also possible that Microsoft will release the next-generation Xbox console on that same month as well.

Gears 5 was the last main Gears of War game I played during the final months of the existence of my old Xbox One console. I played Gears Tactics on my Xbox Series X a few years ago which was fun experience. That being said, Gears of War: E-Day is the next GOW game to look forward to.

I certainly hope that The Coalition will STOP implementing wokeness, identity politics and foolish feminism (present in Gears of War 4 and Gears 5) into the new game and just make Gears of War: E-Day be much more like the original Gears of War of 2006…a war story about a band of brothers (the grunts) who risked their lives to accomplish mission objectives. The original Gears of War had the vibe of 1980s Hollywood action cinema – specifically from Predator (1987) – and I want to see that implemented in the new game.

Here is hoping that this prequel will be released within two years’ time. Xbox fans have waited long for 1st party exclusive games to be released in this current console generation.

You can learn more about Gears of War: E-Day by clicking https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/06/09/gears-of-war-e-day-interview-details-xbox-games-showcase-2024/

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