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(CNN Philippines) Metro Manila — The Office of the Ombudsman has indicted at least 40 individuals, mostly immigration officers, involved in the “pastillas” bribery scam.

Among those charged for violating of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act was former Immigration deputy commissioner Marc Red Mariñas, previously tagged as the mastermind of the scam.

In a document released to the media on Tuesday, the Ombudsman said the accused people “allowed the entry of foreign passengers into the country without going through regular and stringent profiling or screening processes in violation of existing immigration rules and procedures to the prejudice of the government and public interest.”

Uncovered in early 2020, the bribery scheme allegedly provided an advantage to foreign travelers, especially Chinese nationals, to enter the Philippines without conducting background checks in exchange for money—rolled up using bond paper, giving the scheme the name “pastillas”.

Based on the charge sheet, Chinese suppliers “acted as conduits between the travel agencies and the Immigration officers (IOs) manning the Immigration counters at NAIA Terminals 1 and 2.”

The document also disclosed the presence of Viber chat groups operated by immigration personnel, which were used to cascade client lists. Immigration officers would then check if the passengers who appeared before them “should be accorded seamless entry and/or VIP treatment.”.. Read More

(CNN Philippines) ⁠Metro Manila — Officials of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) led by its Director General Jeremiah Belgica on Monday filed a counter affidavit and motion for reconsideration over the preventive suspension ordered by the Office of the Ombudsman due to graft charges which stemmed from choosing a new telco player in the country.

“Gusto naming sabihin sa lahat na hindi kami korap. Ginagawa lang po namin ang aming trabaho,” Belgica said in a statement.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered the six month-suspension of Belgica, Deputy Director General Eduardo Bringas, Division Chief Sheryl Pura-Sumagui, Director Jedreck Ng, and Director Melamy Salvadora-Asperin, in an order dated May 24 but only made public on Sunday… Read More

(Manila Bulletin) The pageant is lovelier the second time around for Filipino-French Gwendolyne Bolivar Fourniol of Negros Occidental.

This after the 21-year-old beauty was crowned Miss World Philippines 2022 during a competition held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City early morning, Monday, June 6. She bested 35 other candidates for the coveted crown.

This beauty and brains will represent the Philippines at the Miss World 2022 stage.
Gwen, as she is fondly called, aced the pageant question-and-answer portion with her honest and spontaneous answer. During the final round, she was asked: “How do we cope with an education deficit accumulated due to the pandemic?

She answered: “As an advocate of education, I do agree that during the pandemic, we have suffered the most, but the children who have lacked access to education have suffered the greatest. Working hand in hand with ERDA Foundation to empower the marginalized Filipinos, I believe by uniting benefactors and encouraging our children, and allowing them to go back to school, especially during this pandemic, will make this world a better place because education is the greatest weapon against poverty.”.. Read More

(Interaksyon) Calls to protect health care workers subjected to violence in the Philippines were made in a correspondence published in an international journal.

The correspondence titled “Violence against health-care workers in the Philippines” was published in The Lancet, a peer-reviewed journal, on May 28.

Michelle Ann Eala, a doctor who co-wrote the report, shared it on Twitter.

“Since 2017, at least 10 doctors have been violently killed in the #Philippines. We call on our leaders to act with commensurate urgency in serving justice for our HCWs,” Eala said.

The Lancet also shared it on its Twitter account.

“@MichelleEalaMD and colleagues call for justice for Filipino health-care workers subjected to violence,” the tweet reads.

In the correspondence, Eala and the rest of the authors called the growing impunity and violence against health care workers, especially deaths in the country as “abhorrent and unacceptable.”

“All forms of harm maliciously inflicted upon health-care workers are abhorrent and unacceptable, especially when they result in the irreversible termination of a life,” they said.

“Beyond being seen as human resources, health-care workers deserve dignity, safety, and security; to only call them heroes or appeal to their patriotism is paltry lip service and simply does not do enough,” they added… Read More

(GMA News) Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez took to Instagram to share her look for Miss World Philippines 2022 Charity Gala.

A day before Miss World Philippines’ coronation night, Tracy was clad in a pink thigh-high slit gown by Mark Bumgarner for the pageant’s most recent gala in which the beauty queen took care of the hosting duties.

“Thank you so much to my fairy god mothers for making me look oh so queenly and beautiful during the @msworldphil Charity Gala and [of course] on my very first big hosting gig here in Manila,” Tracy wrote in the caption.

Tracy will pass the Miss World Philippines crown to her successor on Sunday night.

“Are you guys ready to meet her?” Tracy ended her post… Read More

(PR News Wire NY) SINGAPORE, June 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The highly anticipated new multi-channel reality show Good Game Asia launches to a worldwide audience on 10 June. Hosted by the husband-and-wife team of Singaporean music sensation Sezairi and gaming community lead Syaza Tan, the show will feature 15 international stars battling it out in a series of challenges for S$200,000 in cash and prizes, and the right to be crowned Asia’s next gaming entertainment superstar.

The TV show will air in English on Warner TV every Friday beginning on 10 June at 7.35pm SGT, as well as on Good Game Asia’s website, asia.gg featuring 1-hour pre- and post-show commentary and live streaming by the contestants and local hosts in-market.

Korean multi-hyphenate superstar Haha, known internationally for being one of the hosts of Running Man, will also be hosting weekly viewing parties through his own social media channels.

Good Game Asia will bring together a collection of seasoned veterans and new amateur gaming talent from all over Asia to Singapore, where gaming and esports are gaining tremendous momentum. Contestants will be placed in the ‘Good Game Arena’ where they will compete against themselves and each other in a series of challenges, both online, and offline around the garden city, aimed at identifying Asia’s next great gaming content superstar.

During their journey, contestants will make friends and enemies, win prizes, sponsorships, grow their fan base and drive to win a professional contract with Yup.gg. Good Game Asia pulls back the curtain on the gaming/esports industry, shows the real faces and tells the real story of what it takes to make it in the world’s largest and fastest growing entertainment category… Read More

(Daily Tribune) It doesn’t look as if oddsmakers are really convinced that Nonito Donaire is highly-capable of upsetting Japanese pride Naoya “Monster” Inoue in their three-belt world bantamweight clash on Tuesday night in Japan.

Betting stations all over the world have remained firm in installing Inoue as the solid favorite against the Filipino-American in their scheduled 12-rounder at the Saitama Super Arena.

In Las Vegas, the Mecca of gaming and gambling, Inoue is pegged at -600 and Donaire at +375.

In simpler terms, those cashing in on Inoue, holder of the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation straps, will have to shell out $600 just to win a mere $100.

And those rooting for Donaire, the World Boxing Council ruler, only have to part ways with a paltry $100 to win $375.

The first time they met in 2019, the odds were almost the same.

Donaire has been sensational in his last couple of fights, knocking out the previously undefeated Nordine Oubaali and mandatory challenger Reymart Gaballo.

But ringsiders remain unmoved in their belief that Inoue, who posted stoppage victories over Australian Jason Moloney, Filipino Michael Dasmariñas and Arian Dipaen of Thailand, in his last three assignments, will repeat against Donaire… Read More

(GMA News) Three former Miss World Philippines will take care of hosting duties for the coronation event of this year’s pageant.

Miss World Philippines announced on Instagram Friday that Katarina Rodriguez, Laura Lehmann, and Valerie Weigmann will play hosts for the coronation night of Miss World Philippines 2022, set to take place on June 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

All three have represented the country in the international tilt. Valerie was Miss World Philippines 2014, Laura Miss World Philippines 2017, while Katarina was Miss World Philippines 2018.

“Three Exceptionally Empowered Filipinas who already conquered the world,” the organization said.

The competition is surely heating up as we approach Sunday’s coronation. The organization earlier in the day announced the 10 finalists for the Top Model competition, after declaring the finalists for the National Costume and Beauty with the Purpose competitions. .. Read More