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8 PROC VESSELS GANG UP ON LONE BFAR SHIP IN WPS By Vince Lopez THE National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) condemned the latest aggression by China’s maritime forces after they rammed and fired water cannons at another Filipino vessel in Escoda Shoal on Sunday.
A Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel was reportedly conducting a humanitarian mission for Filipino fishermen in the area when a mixture of Chinese Coast Guard, People's Liberation ArmyNavy, and Maritime Militia ships ganged up upon it. Next page
VOL. XXXVIII • NO. 192• 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •MONDAY, AUGUST 26, 2024 •
EXCESSIVE FORCE. Chinese coast guard vessels (inset photo), backed by militia and navy ships, ganged up on BRP Datu Sandaya, a ship of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), rammed and blasted it with water cannon as it was on its way to deliver supplies to Filipino fishermen off Escoda shoal.
Quiboloy urged to give up for the sake of followers
PNP equipment detects life signs beneath KOJC compound
By Vince Lopez and Maimona Wanda Lao
OLICE personnel combing through the sprawling Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) compound in Davao City believe they are closing in on the elusive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy after their sophisticated sonar equipment detected apparent signs of life underground.
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Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III, director of the Philippine National Police Regional Office 11 (PNP-PRO11, on Sunday expressed “high confidence” that by following the faint sound of a heartbeat, they will soon be able to pin-
point the precise location of Quiboloy. The fugitive religious leader is believed to be hiding somewhere in a labyrinth of tunnels below the surface of the 30-hectare compound in Barangay Buhangin.
"He's definitely there. They're trying to sneak him out," Torre said. The regional police chief also ordered that police officers maintain round-the-clock presence outside the compound in case the religious leader tried to make a quick getaway. He reiterated that the search has only covered about one-fourth of the compound. "We have informants inside. We just haven't been able to find him due to their well-planned movements within the compound,” Torre said. "With the size of the place and the numerous exits, even we are getting lost and separated," he added. It was explained that there are a total
of 42 buildings inside the KOJC compound. Torre appealed to Quiboloy to simply surrender and spare his followers the inconvenience by continuing to evade the law. "I hope he surrenders... he will make his supporters suffer even more. Don't do it. Spare your supporters from this heartache and just get out and surrender yourself," he said. The police general also assured the safety of civilians inside the compound despite the ongoing police operation. "As long as they don't interfere with what the police are doing, we don't have a problem," he noted. Next page
Solons slam Dutertes for defending wanted pastor By Rio N. Araja SEVERAL members of the House of Representatives called out former President Rodrigo Duterte, his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte and their close associates for their steadfast support for accused human trafficker Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante on Sunday took a swipe at Duterte for his outspoken defense of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader, who continues to evade arrest. “It is ironic that today former President Rodrigo Duterte is speaking out in defense of the rights of his friend, when he attached very little value to human rights during his administration’s war on illegal drugs,” the lawmaker said. Next page
2nd mpox case reported in Northern Samar By Ronald O. Reyes TACLOBAN City health officials said it recorded its first case of suspected Mpox (formerly monkeypox) at a gov't-run hospital in northern Samar yesterday. The case involved a 24-year-old male who has been suffering from fever, body weakness, and vesicular rashes in the past two weeks. “He is currently receiving care at Northern Samar Provincial Hospital, where he is isolated and undergoing confirmatory testing for Monkeypox,” the Northern Samar provincial health office said in a statement. It said that the patient has no travel history.
Pope calls for more help for mpox victims NEWS / A2 Contract tracing efforts have also been launched by the Catarman Municipal Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Unit (MESU). “Rest assured, our surveillance systems are fully operational, allowing us to closely monitor the situation and safeguard our community from potential health risks,” the provincial health office added. Next page
Money laundering syndicate tagged in escape of Guos By Macon Ramos-Araneta and Vince Lopez SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has raised concerns that a well-entrenched criminal syndicate involved in money laundering may have facilitated the escape of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Leal Guo (also known as Guo Hua Ping) and her sister Sheila.
Gatchalian told DWIZ in an interview last Saturday that the sisters have ties to a significant money laundering case in Singapore. He said this was established based on documents they obtained concerning Baofu Land Development, Inc., where the ousted mayor held a 50-percent stake. Documents submitted by Baofu Land to the Securities and Exchange Next page
BALISONG OF BATANGAS. Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, fourth from left, receives a balisong, the famous butterfly knife made by Batangas craftsmen, as a token of appreciation from Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, extreme left, following the successful launch of Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF) at Lipa City, Batangas last Saturday. Also in photo are Batangas House members, namely 4th District Rep. Lianda Bolilla, 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, Ryan Christian Recto, 5th District Rep. Mario Victorio Mariño, 3rd District Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes and 1st District Rep. Eric Buhain (Story on Business, B4).Ver Noveno
House leader eyes conspiracy in killings of Chinese drug lords By Rio N. Araja A RANKING House leader said Sunday that apart from the three Chinese killed by two convicts allegedly on orders of former President Rodrigo Duterte, 29 other Chinese drug suspects
died in various detention centers. “I believe that this is a great conspiracy, it’s a grand conspiracy coming from the top to the bottom,” Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said during the Quad committee hearing last Friday.
“This just shows, Mr. Chair, that there was really a pattern, systematic killing of Chinese drug lords in different detention centers," he said. Leopoldo Tan Jr., one of two selfconfessed hitmen, claimed that Duterte Next page