Recently in the City of Valenzuela, local police officers arrested a woman who was engaged in the selling of fake government identification cards (including driver’s licenses), according to a Manila Bulletin news report. In its official online update, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) confirmed that the authorities seized from the suspect a mobile phone, a UMID identification card, cash bills, boodle money, and fake ID cards as evidence. The LTO stated that the suspect was also involved in the manufacturing of fake IDs.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The Valenzuela City Police, led by station chief Col. Nixon Cayaban, arrested a woman for selling fake government IDs on Wednesday, May 14.
The suspect, identified as “Tere”, 29, a resident of Barangay Gen. T. De Leon, was caught in an entrapment operation conducted by the Valenzuela City Police Station (VCPS) and the Northern Police District Anti-Cybercrime Team. Authorities said the suspect was selling fake driver’s licenses and PWD IDs in the city.
Col. Cayaban urged the public to remain cautious, especially when dealing with suspicious online offers, and to report illegal activities to the proper authorities.
Mayor Wes Gatchalian issued a warning to scammers.
“Bawal ang manloloko sa Valenzuela (Scammers are not welcome in Valenzuela).”
“Nawa’y magsilbing babala ito sa lahat ng nagbabalak na manloko sa kapwa ko Valenzuelano. Bawal ang manloloko sa Valenzuela City at sinuman ang magtatangkang gumawa ng krimen kagaya ng pagbebenta ng pekeng government ID ay titiyakin nating mananagot sa batas (May this serve as a warning to anyone planning to deceive my fellow Valenzuelanos. Scammers have no place in Valenzuela City, and anyone who attempts to commit crimes such as selling fake government IDs will be held accountable under the law),” Gatchalian added.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Are you aware that the government lost more than P88 billion worth of taxes in 2023 because of fake Persons with Disabilities (PWD) ID cards? Do you think someone in your local community is engaging in the making or selling of fake ID cards? Are there any members of your local community searching for sellers of fake IDs?
Recently in Parañaque City, local police officers armed with a warrant of arrest apprehended a working student for the crime of child abuse, according to a Manila Bulletin news report. It turns out the suspect is a wanted person at the station level.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A working student, listed as the No. 7 most wanted person at the station level for the crime of child abuse, was arrested by members of the Parañaque City Police Warrant and Subpoena Section (WSS) on May 8.
The Southern Police District (SPD) identified the suspect as alias “Rowen,” 28. He was nabbed on De Lourdes St., Parañaque City.
Authorities said Rowen was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrested issued by Judge Mildred Jacinto-Marquez of the Las Piñas Family Court, Branch 10.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could be more child abusers living secretly in your local community?
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
As far as the Nomura Global Markets Research is concerned, the economic growth of the Philippines will for 2025 and 2026 will end up weaker than previously expected, according to a BusinessWorld news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…
NOMURA GLOBAL Markets Research has trimmed its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecasts for the Philippines for this year and 2026 following the weak first-quarter expansion.
Nomura cut its Philippine economic growth forecast to 5.3% for this year from 5.9% previously, it said in a report dated May 9. It also slashed its 2026 projection to 5.6% from 6.1%.
Both projections are well below the Development Budget Coordination Committee’s 6-8% growth target for 2025 until 2028.
“Our 2025-26 GDP forecast revisions take into account the disappointing first-quarter outturn, which only rose slightly to 5.4% year on year from 5.3% in fourth quarter 2024, despite election-related spending,” Nomura analysts Euben Paracuelles and Nabila Amani said in the report.
“Escalating global trade and geopolitical tensions are the main downside risks to growth. A faster rollout of infrastructure projects and lower oil prices are upside risks.”
The Philippine economy expanded by 5.4% in the first quarter, the government reported last week. This was a tad faster than the revised 5.3% in the previous quarter but sharply slower from the 5.9% growth in the same period in 2024.
Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Undersecretary for Policy and Planning Group Rosemarie G. Edillon said that GDP would need to grow by 6.2% for the rest of the year to reach the lower end of the 6-8% goal.
Based on its forecasts, Nomura expects the Philippines to post below-6% GDP growth for the rest of the year. Broken down, it sees GDP growth of 5.3% in the second quarter, 5.4% in the third quarter, and just 5% in the fourth quarter.
In 2024, the economy expanded by 6.5% in the second quarter, 5.2% in the third quarter, and 5.3% in the fourth quarter.
“A key source of the downside surprise [in the first quarter] was investment spending growth, which we believe suggests businesses have already turned cautious amid surging global trade uncertainty, even in a less open economy,” Nomura said.
“We expect a moderate pickup in real GDP growth in 2026, led by the government’s strong push for more progress on infrastructure projects.”
It added that it expects the country to post a current account deficit of 4.1% of GDP this year and 4.4% of GDP next year, wider than the 3.8% ratio in 2024, driven by an increase in capital goods imports amid the government’s infrastructure push and weaker exports due to the US’ tariffs.
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 can still grow stronger than what Nomura predicts in 2025 and 2026? Do you think the national government should make new economic moves to stimulate the national economy while also attracting new foreign investors?
Recently in Parañaque City, agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) successfully pulled-off a buy-bust operation that resulted in the seizure of almost two hundred million worth of illegal drugs and the apprehension of two suspects, 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 Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), with the Philippine National Police, seized P197.2 million worth of drugs in a buy-bust operation in Parañaque City on Saturday.
According to a statement, the buy-bust occurred at an exclusive subdivision around 5 p.m. and led to the arrest of two individuals.
The suspects allegedly took advantage of the subdivision’s strict security protocols to avoid surveillance and intelligence operations by Philippine authorities.
Along with the suspects, police seized 29 aluminum packets weighing an estimated 29 kilograms, labelled “Freeze-dried Durian” in Chinese characters.
The packets contained white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu worth P197,200,000. Authorities also confiscated mobile phones, buy-bust money, and a pink paper bag used in the transaction.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could still be more crooks carrying or distributing illegal substances within residential communities?
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 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 videos I found.
#1 Reactions and retro review of Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter – If you have seen at least a majority of the many Friday The 13th movies, which one do you think is the best of them all? For me, it is the fourth movie Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter and you can read my retro movie review of it by clicking here. Already there are many movie reaction and retro review videos about the 1984 film on YouTube, and I selected the entertaining ones for you to see below.
#2 The failure of BuzzFeed – I never relied on BuzzFeed for updates nor entertainment stuff. As I was browsing YouTube, I noticed this video by It’s Blanko focused on BuzzFeed which has been in trouble for some time now (click here, here and here). Recently, BuzzFeed, Inc. tapped into AI (artificial intelligence) for audience engagement and growth. The video below is quite comprehensive with its examination of BuzzFeed’s culture, business practices and how it struggled years later.
#3 PatmanQC examines the history of Atari’s Star Wars arcade game – Now on to retro gaming! Way back in 1989 in a Las Vegas hotel, I played the Star Wars arcade game produced by Atari. It was an enjoyable experience as the game design was pretty immersive, fun and responsive. It was also one of the early first-person view games that I experienced as a gamer. Storywise, the game was set during the Rebels’ attack on the Death Star. To find out more about the history and making of the arcade classic, watch PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.
#4 Retrospective on Parasite Eve – Back in 1998, Square released Parasite Eve, a role-playing game (RPG) that emphasized horror over fantasy, and a story that had some grittiness related with its police story concept. I finished the game on PlayStation and ultimately I was not too impressed with the game nor was there any incentive for me to replay it. While it was commercially successful enough to spawn two sequels, Parasite Eve has been pretty much forgotten by the public and Square Enix showed no signs of reviving its franchise. That being said, I found a retrospective that should interest both Parasite Eve fans and younger gamers who are interested in the 1998 game.
#5 The Denver Nuggets’ memorable 1994 elimination of the Seattle Supersonics – If you are fond of basketball and if you are interested to discover a great upset in the history of the NBA Playoffs, you should check out the shocking fall of the Seattle Supersonics to the Denver Nuggets in the elimination round of the 1994 NBA Playoffs. Back then, Seattle was #1 in the Western Conference while the Nuggets were at #8. Dikembe Mutombo led the Nuggets and their team was fortunate to have talented supporting players to help them outclass Shawn Kemp and the Sonics. To learn all the details, watch the video below.
With the 2025 local election results of Parañaque City recorded, the local board of canvassers officially proclaimed yesterday former City Councilor Benjo Bernabe as the incoming Vice Mayor, and you can watch the proclamation itself entirely by clicking https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1HQLW9d7kY/
Social media post confirming Bernabe’s victory for Vice Mayor. (source – Benjo Bernabe Official Facebook page)
Benjo Bernabe proclaimed as the next Vice Mayor of Parañaque. At rightmost is his father former Mayor Jun Bernabe. (source – Benjo Bernabe Official Facebook page)
The 129,213 votes Bernabe gathered is the largest ever in his career as an elected public servant of Parañaque. That being said, it is not surprising that there were rounds of cheers of “Bernabe! Bernabe! Bernabe!” during the proclamation. Given the fact that Team Pag-Asa was pretty small in terms of candidates, Bernabe’s victory is clearly a tremendous achievement.
For the newcomers reading this, Bernabe previously served as City Councilor (District 2) from 2010 to 2013. He ran for Mayor in 2013 but ended up short. Bernabe is the son of Florencio “Jun” Bernabe who was Parañaque’s Vice Mayor from 1998 to 2004, and was the Mayor from 2004 to 2013. It is clear that Benjo Bernabe’s victory is a strong political comeback for the Bernabe family.
Small team, big victories
Bernabe’s Team Pag-Asa teammates also scored notable victories as well. Partylist Representative Brian Yamsuan was proclaimed as the new Representative of Parañaque’s 2nd district after defeating incumbent Representative Gus Tambunting by a score of 81,999 to 72,077 votes as of this writing. Former City Councilors Tess de Asis and Binky Favis got re-elected with huge scores of 111,737 and 103,800 votes respectively in District 2. De Asis is #2 and Favis #3 among all District 2 candidates for the City Council.
Another Team Pag-Asa teammate, Shannin Olivarez, was hanging at the #8 slot in District 1 with 42,188 votes as of this writing. Only the Top 8 vote gatherers per district will serve in the City Council from mid-2025 to mid-2028.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, did many voters in your local community vote straight for Team Pag-Asa candidates during the May 12 elections? What do you hope to see from Vice Mayor-elect Bernabe, Congressman-elect Yamsuan, and incoming City Councilors De Asis, Favis and Olivarez once their terms of service take effect?
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 Parañaque City, a man who has been wanted in Makati for many counts of qualified theft was apprehended by the local police who were armed with an arrest warrant, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
A 27-year-old man wanted for 16 counts of qualified theft in Makati was arrested by members of the Parañaque City Police Warrant and Subpoena Section (WSS) on May 7.
The accused, Ryan Christian, listed by the police as the No. 8 most wanted person (station level) was arrested at around 2:40 p.m. at his residence in Sitio Sto. Nino, San Martin de Porres, Parañaque City.
Ryan Christian was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Rainald Cajurao Paggao, of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 142, with a recommended bail of P456,000.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What do you think about this recent development? If you are a resident of Parañaque, are you concerned that there could still be more wanted people from other cities or provinces hiding in Parañaque’s local communities??
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
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 science fiction enthusiasts, 20th century pop culture enthusiasts, Star Wars fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the year 1996 to examine the 2nd tale of a notable Star Wars storyline that took place between the films The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi…Shadows of the Empire!
For the newcomers reading this, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire was a huge multimedia Star Wars event launched in the mid-1990s without a movie. Apart from exploring what happened in between the 1980 and 1983 classic Star Wars movies, Shadows of the Empire expands the lore by introducing new characters, Luke Skywalker’s gradual recovery from what he suffered from in The Empire Strikes Back, and the Galactic Empire’s ties with criminals who turned out to be resourceful. Back then, Star Wars was still fully under the control of George Lucas and his businesses. I already reviewed the first issue and enjoyed it.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2, published in 1996 by Dark Horse Comics with a story written by John Wagner and drawn by Kilian Plunkett. This is the 2nd chapter of a 6-issue mini-series.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with Darth Vader in the middle of a lightsaber sparring session with a droid. As he makes his fighting moves, he issues instructions to a thug named Jix who was standing and watching. Vader tells him that the bounty hunter Boba Fett still has not yet delivered the captured Han Solo (in carbonite) to Jabba the Hutt in Tatooine, and he anticipates that Luke Skywalker will make an attempt to rescue him. Vader wants Jix to insinuate himself into Jabba’s swoop gang.
On another part of the galaxy, several Rebel X-Wing fighters (led by Luke Skywalker), the Millennium Falcon (with Princess Leia, Chewbacca, C3PO and Lando Calrissian) and the Outrider (Dash Rendar) travel together approaching the planet Gall with different objectives: the Rogue Squadrom will go draw out the imperial fighters while both the Falcon and the Outrider will sneak in to find the damaged Slave-1 (Boba Fett) and rescue Han Solo…
Quality
The Millennium Falcon and Slave-1 in the same encounter.
When compared to its predecessor, this comic book has a lot of plot developments moving forward. It is in this story where you will see Leia, Lando and Chewbacca really pull off their first-ever attempt to rescue Han Solo and the way it was presented by the creative duo Wagner-Plunkett was worth the anticipation. Even though the odds are against them, Prince Leia is clearly determined to get Han back not for her love for him but for the Rebel Alliance’s need.
With Darth Vader having lesser spotlight and none of Emperor Palpatine, the creative team was able to shift more of the spotlight on the galactic criminals. The introduction of Jabba’s Swoop Gang was nicely done and the portrayal of them as a rowdy and very sinister bunch is very notable.
Anyone who enjoyed playing the Shadows of the Empire video game on Nintendo 64 (N64) will be pleased to see Dash Rendar and his Outrider space ship here even though the spotlight lasted only briefly. As expected, Dash is creatively a smuggler-type substitute for Han Solo and I have the feeling that he will re-appear in the remaining issues of this mini-series.
As for the famous hero Luke Skywalker, you won’t see him wielding his lightsaber nor see him using his Jedi powers. Instead, you will see him taking action as an X-Wing Fighter pilot and you will see even more of his ability to lead his Rogue Squadron teammates. The way Luke was portrayed here was pretty accurate compared to his cinematic portrayal which proves the writing done was really solid.
In fact, the writing by Wagner remained consistently high in quality particularly with dramatizing Princess Leia, Lando, C3PO, R2D2 and Darth Vader. It is through Dash Rendar, Jix and the Swoop Gang where you will see Wagner push his creativity as he expands the lore of Star Wars to emphasize the galactic crime world and smugglers.
Lastly, Wagner really went all-in in developing the iconic bad guy Boba Fett in this comic book. You will really see how Boba Fett uses violence not just to overwhelm any opposition but also to protect the high bounty with the frozen Han Solo who is easily wanted by other bounty hunters and scum. When it comes to the visuals, expect to see similar quality Plunkett delivered in the first issue right here. Plunkett is very good with visualizing space ship battles, space travel, machines and locations, but showed weakness on drawing the humans. In fairness, Plunkett came up with very original styles and designs for the Swoop Gang and Jix, making them look really distinct.
Conclusion
Darth Vader and the thug named Jix.
Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2 (1996) is a solid follow-up to issue #1 and it managed to have the main plot and sub-plots move forward significantly. The storytelling is consistently good and the engagement was pretty strong. I can say I am convinced to look forward to finding out more in the next issue.
Overall, Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire #2 (1996) is recommended.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that the economy of the Philippines grew by 5.4% in the first quarter of this year, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the news report of GMA Network. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine economy expanded faster in the first three months of 2025 amid the growth seen in services, industry, and agriculture sectors, 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 faster by 5.4% in the first quarter of 2025, higher than the upwardly revised growth rate of 5.3% in the last quarter of 2024, PSA chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported at a press conference in Quezon City on Thursday.
This was also the fastest GDP growth rate seen since the third quarter of 2024, albeit slower than the 5.9% growth recorded in the first quarter of 2024.
At constant prices, the economy reached a value of P5.477 trillion during the period, up 5.4% from P5.196-trillion GDP seen in the same quarter last year.
Department of Economy, Planning and Development Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said the country’s GDP needs to increase by 6.2% in the remaining quarters of 2025 to hit at least the lower-end of the. government’s growth target of 6% to 7% for the year.
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 can still grow by 6% by the end of the year? Do you think election spending will add a lot to economic growth?
Recently in Parañaque City, local police officers apprehended two suspects who allegedly were involved in the killing of a used car dealer, according to a Malaya Business Insight news report. They have since been charged with murder and there were witnesses who positively identified them.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Malaya Business Insight news report. Some parts in boldface…
OPERATIVES of the Paranaque police have arrested two suspects in the killing of a second-hand car dealer in the city during a meet-up arranged via Facebook.
Southern Police District Acting Director Brig. General Joseph Arguelles said the two suspects were apprehended 24 hours after the killing in a pursuit operation by the Paranaque police in Bernardo Compound, Barangay Don Bosco.
Information provided by the SPD showed that two individuals posing as buyers shot and killed the 32-year-old victim when they met at around 11:50 p.m. last May 4 in front of the South Super Hi-way Medical Center in Barangay Marcelo Green Village. The victim was supposed to show them a car that they said they were interested in buying.
Arguelles said that after shooting the victim at close range, the suspects fled the scene, one riding off with the victim’s gray Nissan Terra sports utility vehicle, while his companion used a motorcycle.
“Investigators quickly gathered leads through digital backtracking and witness accounts,” Arguelles said, adding police later recovered the abandoned Nissan Terra and the getaway motorcycle in Barangay Don Bosco.
In the same area where the victim’s vehicle and the motorcycle were found, police operatives discovered three individuals engaged in a pot session and seized from them a caliber 45 pistol and illegal drugs.
“During custodial interrogation, the three revealed the identities of the gunmen as alias Jovillo and alias Ryan,” Arguelles said, adding they were arrested at “exactly 11:50 in the evening of May 5 after the killing.”
Police seized two unlicensed firearms and around 15 grams of suspected shabu with a street value of P102,000.
“Witnesses also positively identified the two as the perpetrators of the shooting and robbery,” the SPD chief 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, are you concerned that there could still be more public killings waiting to happen?
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
Author Carlo Carrasco 