An 84-year-old businesswoman from Floridablanca, Pampanga, passed away after her former employee was found to be hooked on an illegal substance, ended her life, and took advantage of her body.
According to Floridablanca PNP, the victim was an elderly stroke patient who was already bedridden when the incident happened.
The investigation found that the suspect, Alex Banez, 26 years old, was a former employee of the victim’s hardware.
At first, Banez only planned to take the belongings of the victim, but he suddenly decided to do more vile things as he saw the bedridden old woman.
The authorities recovered two mobile phones, wallets, and the knife used by the suspect on the victim.
Meanwhile, Banez said that he was not aware of what he did.
“Hindi ko na po alam ‘yung gagawin ko, tapos may sumigaw pang mga tao na ‘magnanakaw.'” said Banez. “Sana mapatawad po niya ako,”
The suspect was facing multiple serious charges that may put him behind bars permanently.
Comedian Vic Sotto was reportedly filing charges against director Darryl Yap on January 9, 2024, after his name was mentioned in the upcoming movie about late actress Pepsi Paloma.
According to the report published by News 5, Vic would file the charges before the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court.
It can be recalled that Darryl opened the possibility of apologizing to Vic, but he was still unsure about it.
The comedian has yet to give his official statement on the issue.
Vic’s name was mentioned in the movie trailer, where the character portrayed by Gina Alajar confronted Pepsi, who Rhed Bustamante portrayed.
“About Sir Vic Sotto, I’m not sure whether to offer an apology for his name being mentioned in the film. The truth, after all, is unapologetic,” he said.
“As a public figure tied to a public story, I believe there’s an understanding that stories like this will inevitably resurface.” My role as a filmmaker isn’t to pass judgment or provoke—it’s to tell the story as it happened, with honesty and respect for the facts,” he added.
It can be recalled that Pepsi filed charges against Vic, Joey de Leon, and Richie D’Horsie in 1982, saying that the said individual took advantage of her.
LGBTQIA+ writer Jude Bacalso may be put under the custody of the authorities anytime soon as the court already issued a warrant against her.
According to the report of CDN, the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC), Branch 6 issued a warrant against Bacalso on January 7, 2025, several months after the waiter, ‘RJay’ filed charges against the writer for allegedly forcing him to listen to her lecture for hours while he was standing.
Bacalso was facing Unjust Vexation, Grave Scandal, Grave Coercion, Grave Threats, and Slight Illegal Detention.
RJay’s lawyer, Ron Ivan Gingoyon, said that after the incident, his client experienced mental health problems, which prompted him to stop working and deactivate his social media pages.
The court also set the bail at P18,000 to give Bacalso a chance to have temporary freedom.
Bacalso’s case was set for the arraignment and pre-trial on January 23, 2025.
It can be recalled that Bacalso tried to justify his actions and insisted that he was misgendered by the waiter.
“I had a valid complaint. I was misgendered three times. My standard response is always humor, but inclusivity is crucial, especially in public-facing industries,” said Bacalso.
“I never intended for this to be public. I wanted it handled quietly,” she added.
Kapamilya newscaster Gretchen Fullido became a topic on social media after she was linked to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary and former Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla.
The rumors started when a social media user saw Fullido and Remulla together in a lounge at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 five months ago.
“Saw them together in the private room of the Marhaba Lounge at NAIA terminal 1. Mga around 10am today. Anong meron?” the netizen said.
Both were spotted several times attending the same events, including the match between the University of the Philippines and the University of the East during Season 87 of the UAAP last September.
On January 6, 2024, several vloggers published a blind item about a newscaster who received a luxury car, diamond earrings, and a bag worth P4-M from a Caviteno politician.
Following the blind item, another content creator posted a photo of Fulido and Remulla.
Some netizens couldn’t stop themselves from giving their reaction to the rumors.
“Gov don’t forget na ikaw yung ng-initiates at nagpromote ng responsible parenthood among couples hehehe wag naman sana biglang liko kayo hahaha,” netizen Constant said.
As of this writing, Fullido and Remulla have yet to comment on the rumors about their relationship.
The tricycle driver who went viral on social media after dragging a stray cat for several meters defended himself from the criticism he received.
A motorcycle rider captured a video of the incident and quickly informed the driver, June Mendoza, 71, that a cat was bound to his tricycle.
According to Mendoza, he was not aware of the cat’s presence.
He also said that he didn’t notice the cat because of his impaired hearing due to old age.
“Ako si June Mendoza 71 years old, ako po yong driver na nag viral kahapon na may nakataling pusa ng hindi ko alam. Kung sino ang nagtali na maaring mga bata na posibleng ang nagtali,” he said.
“Humihingi ako ng paumanhin, dahil sa kahinaan ng aking pandinig, ng hindi ko alam na may pusang nakatali sa likod ng aking tricycle. Wala akong intensyon na saktan, o parusahan ang pusa, noong may sumisigaw sa aking likuran, ay agad kung itinabi ang aking tricycle at agad kong pinakawalan ang pusa na nakatali sa aking tricycle,” he stated.
However, several netizens who watched the video claimed that Mendoza intended to bound the cat on his tricycle as he planned to abandon it.
It’s still unknown if Mendoza would still face charges following his apology.
The cat survived the incident and currently being treated.
Gabby Concepcion used his social media page to take a swipe against an individual who was manipulating their children to hate their father.
In his Instagram reel, Gabby shared a quote describing the action as the ‘most evil thing a human can do.’
“Manipulating a kid to make them hate their Dad is one of the most evil things a human can do,” the quote read.
Netizens were uncertain who was the individual Gabby was referring to since he had four children from different mothers.
“Parang hindi ito si Sharon-KC kasi KC has a relationship with Gabby now. & she even is good with her half sisters. Not Grace din ata?” a netizen said.
“Yes, I specifically remember Shawie saying in an interview a long time ago that the one thing she didn’t do was say anything bad about the dad to KC, para hindi ma-taint yung perception nung daughter sa dad niya. And to be fair, I think totoo naman yun. Kaya walang skewed view si KC pagdating diyan, and she is able to have a good relationship with her dad and half sisters,” netizen Olive remarked.
Gabby has five children: KC Concepcion, who’s his daughter to Sharon Cuneta; Garie Concepcion, who’s his daughter to Maria Grace Amagna Ibuna; Cloie Helena Syquia-Skarne, who’s his daughter to Jenny Syquia; Samantha Alexis Concepcion and Savannah Concepcion who’s his children to Genevieve Yatco Gonzales.
As of this writing, Gabby has yet to reveal whether he has had any feuds with his children.
House Deputy Majority Leader and senatorial candidate Erwin Tulfo couldn’t hide his emotions while defending himself from the people who were questioning his credibility following the doubts about his citizenship.
During his radio program Punto Asintado on Monday, January 6, 2025, Tulfo admitted that he stayed undocumented in the United States to work, saying it was his only choice to support his family.
It can be recalled that a document allegedly from US Embassy in Manila circulated on social media, showing that Tulfo used the identity ‘Erich Sylvestre Tulfo’ to maintain his US Citizenship for 20 years.
As a response, Tulfo insisted that he was a law-abiding citizen, both in the Philippines and the United States.
He didn’t specify if he really was a US citizen during his stay abroad, and he said that he was only an undocumented worker.
“Kung pagiging TNT ko ho, kung pagiging undocumented alien ko po eh bawal po ako magsilbi, bawal na po ako magtrabaho sa ating bayan, na ginawa ko lang naman ‘yon para mapakain ‘yung mga anak ko. eh kung kasalanan ho ‘yon sa tingin ninyo, then guilty po ako,” said Tulfo.
“Pero ito lang masasabi ko: Wala po akong nilabag na batas dito sa ating bayan. Wala po akong nilokong tao, ni isang Pilipino. Maging sa Amerika no’ng nandoon po ako. Wala po akong ini-estafa. Wala po akong in-scam na mga Pilipino, maging na mga Amerikano. Wala po akong niloko,” he added.
Tulfo also said that he had no choice but to work abroad to support his family, like other Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
“Kung may pera ako, I wouldn’t have gone. I wouldn’t have left. Kahit sino po yan, mga OFW na yan, kung may pera ho yan, aalis ba yan? Hindi,” he stated.
“Eh bakit mo tinago for 20 years? Hindi po ipinangangalandakan ng mga ‘ika nga undocumented alien, ng mga TNT, pero hindi ko rin ikinahihiya na once upon a time, nag-TNT ako, na once upon a time, illegal alien ako,” he added.
The online community erupted in celebration as chess prodigy Bince Rafael Operiano emerged victorious at the 6th Eastern Asia Youth Chess Championship held in Thailand.
However, beneath the surface of this remarkable achievement lies a tale of perseverance and struggle that many were unaware of. It was a journey marked by hardships that Bince endured even before he set foot in Thailand to compete against 20 other talented players from various countries.
Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando Cabredo took to Facebook to shed light on the challenges faced by the nine-year-old Bince. He revealed that due to uncertainties surrounding his plane ticket, the young prodigy was forced to spend three days sleeping at Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Finally, when the ticket did arrive, Bince embarked on the journey to Thailand alone, spending the initial day of the competition without the presence of his father.
“Due to limited funds and while waiting for the plane ticket sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Bince and his father spent three nights at the airport with those benches as their bed,” Cabredo stated. “The little boy had to travel first to Thailand without his father, Mr. Ben Operiano,” Cabrero said.
The absence of his father had a noticeable impact on Bince’s performance during the initial day in Thailand, as he struggled to adjust to traveling without his usual support system.
Fortunately, on the second day, Bince’s father arrived, and with his presence, the young prodigy regained his confidence, ultimately defeating his competitors.
In an interview, Mr. Operiano revealed that he had made the decision to give up his job to support his son’s budding career. However, this sacrifice came with its own set of difficulties, primarily due to financial constraints.
Mr. Operiano further shared that he is actively seeking sponsors to help fulfill Bince’s dreams.
“Even though we face hardships, let us not give up simply because we lack support,” said. Mr. Operiano. “We must gather the courage to persist and support our children’s aspirations in life,”
The Philippine Sports Commission has not provided an explanation as to why it took three days for them to provide Bince with his ticket, nor have they clarified why they did not cover the accommodation expenses for the young chess prodigy during his stay at NAIA while awaiting his departure.
Talent manager and veteran showbiz columnist Lolit Solis went viral last month after she announced her retirement by writing social media columns starting in 2025.
In her last Instagram post, Lolit said she would stop posting social media columns on December 31, stating that she was already mentally tired.
“Mentally tired na ako talaga at parang ayaw ko na talaga muna sagarin ang utak ko at savor my semi retired position. No need to prove anything or be transparent on how I feel. Para ngang kung minsan sawsawera pa ang dating ko,” said Lolit.
However, Lolit started to post again on January 3, 2025 and expressed that she was thankful to the people who became part of her showbiz journey.
She also started to write columns again about celebrities and showbiz issues.
Lolit didn’t explain what pushed her to postpone her retirement.
“I cannot complain or regret anything. GOD is so good, na kahit meron akong mga nagawang kagagahan, tinutulungan parin niya akong bumangon. I have good and reliable friends, very few, pero dependable. Kaya naman laging malakas ang loob ko. Dahil I know people, good people are watching my back. Moving forward this year, na sana much better pa sa nakaraan 2024. Love you 2025, make us happy, healthier, stronger. Para bonggang bongga,” said Lolit.
