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Coincidence? Student group claims that they received death threats but it turns out that it comes from their official hotline

A student group did an ‘oopsie’ after claiming that they received a threat from a troll.

However, it was discovered that the number used by the sender of the threat coincidentally same with the official hotline number of the group.

On Monday, DefendUPLB posted a screenshot of a text message claiming that they were being threatened by someone amid the proliferation of dummy accounts on Facebook.

“M*m*tay ka na!” the sender texted.

However, netizen Carlo Navasero noticed that the number used by the sender was the same as the contact information posted by the said group in the past.

The conversation was screen captured by Noel Landero Sarifa.

Defend UPLB admitted that the number was once theirs, however, they explained that they already disposed of it after one of their members dumped the sim card or the phone to the junk shop.

“According to our member, it was thrown away and got transferred to a junk shop,” Defend UPLB said.

“The hotline we used in our previous activities and publicity materials were already disposed of last April, however, the alliance had lapses to include it in our posts until June. We apologized for the confusion, rest assured that the alliance will resolve its error, and at the same time will remain vigilant,” they added.

One UP alumnus also questioned why the number used by the intimidator and the group were the same.

In another statement, UPLB explained their decision on why they decided to delete the thread, telling their followers that they’re avoiding ‘any possible misunderstanding’.

“DefendUPLB has always been committed in safeguarding the rights of UPLB constituents and the Filipino people at large. That is why, the campaign alliance takes any form of grave threats seriously. All cases that have the consent of the victims were posted publicly to raise awareness and to condemn the instigators of fear,” the group statement read.

“With this, we deeply apologize that such incident happened in this time when our growing unity must be forwards. Let this not divide us for there are more relevant issues to pay attention to, and greater battles to be won,” they added.

They vowed to investigate the case.

Sarifa on a Facebook post said that he was not convinced by the explanation of the group.

He claimed that some groups claimed that they were intimidated then blame it on the government.

“So tinapon daw nila yong sim, tapos alam nilang napunta sa junkshop at hindi sa landfill. May tracker ang sim card, at alam ng nakapulot sino may ari, para sila ang ithreat. Gawagawa ng kalokohan official number panginamit, k*t*ng*han. Magaling gumawa ng story pang MMK,” Sarifa said.

A few days ago, several Facebook users, most of them were critics of the government claimed that someone duplicated their social media accounts for still unknown reasons.

The Philippine government and Facebook already investigated the said accounts.

 

Balik gobyerno na! 71 people consisting of NPA members and supporters withdrew their support to the communist group

Amid the anti-terror bill issue, 71 people consisted of members of the New People’s Army and their supporters expressed their desire to pledge allegiance to the Philippine government.

According to the 6th Infantry Division, the surrenderees were affiliated to the  West Daguma Front of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) of Sultan Kudarat.

Most of them are members of an Indigenous group who were only recruited by the communist group.

Photo courtesy Kalinaw News

Surenderees said that they were recruited by Leon Tacduro also known as Paeng who was the head of Regional Peasant Bureau of Far South Mindanao Region and education head of Sub-Regional Command (SRC)-Daguma.

“The IPs were totally unaware of Paeng’s true nature when they were blindly recruited to be part of the politico-military-structure of NPA in Lebak until they were alarmed after his arrest. This is the very reason for their voluntary withdrawal of support from the group and sworn their allegiance to the government for them to live normally and peacefully,” said 6th IB Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Clairemont Pinpin.

“This attest that the apprehension of Paeng greatly affected the operations of the SRC-Daguma as their mass supporters were redirected and their plans on establishing mass bases were revealed and hampered,” Lt. Col. Pinpin added.

Lebak, Sultan Kudarat Mayor Frederick Celestial praised the surrenderees for deciding to leave NPA.

“You just made a great decision to abandon the NPA for the good of your families. There’s no future in joining in their organization and that living in peace and harmony is still the best of all,” Mayor Celestial said.

The government vowed to provide them assistance so they could start a new life.

Journalist claims Gabby Lopez handles ABS-CBN as American for decades: “Hindi niya naman talaga gustong maging Pilipino!”

A journalist insisted that ABS-CBN committed a violation after their Chairman Emeritus Gabby Lopez held dual citizenship while handling the network for more than three decades.

Mike Abe of SMNI News Channel said that Lopez’ was facing big trouble because of his citizenship issue and even accused the latter that he’s not really planning to become a Filipino.

“Hindi niya naman talaga gustong maging Pilipino eh, ngayon lang na lately ay nagkabukuhan na gusto niyang maging Pilipino,” Abe said.

“Alam niyo kung bakit? Sa ilalim ng batas ng America, pag ikaw ay citizen sa America dahil doon ka pinanganak automatic American citizen ka, pero pag dating ng 18 years old or 21 years old, mamimili ka, tatanungin ka ng US government kung ipagpapatuloy mo ang American citizen o ikaw ay babalik sa bansa kung saan ka nangaling,” he added.

Abe also claimed that Lopez only decided to be a Filipino citizenship after 48 years.

The journalist explained that the law required mass media in the Philippines to be owned only by 100% Filipinos because it could affect the national security of the country.

“Ang broadcast company, ang media entity, dahil napakalaki ng impluwensiya sa tao… Alam niyo ba na pwedeng maging security threat ng buong gobyerno ang isang media company kapag hindi 100% Filipino ang may ari dahil pwede silang magbagsak ng gobyerno,” he said.

He claimed that ABS-CBN controlled the politics in the Philippines for decades, saying that local or national officials were afraid of the Kapamilya network.

Abe also said that he’s not earning money from criticizing ABS-CBN and only pushing his advocacy that no one should be above the law.

According to the U.S Bureau of Consular Affairs, “U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one nationality or another. A U.S. citizen may naturalize in a foreign state without any risk to his or her U.S. citizenship. However, persons who acquire a foreign nationality after age 18 by applying for it may relinquish their U.S. nationality if they wish to do so. In order to relinquish U.S. nationality by virtue of naturalization as a citizen of a foreign state, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign nationality voluntarily and with the intention to relinquish U.S. nationality. The intent may be shown by the person’s statements and conduct.”

During the hearing, Lopez insisted that he’s Filipino-at-heart, but admitted that he voted in the 2016 U.S election.

Lopez also denied that he pledge allegiance to America.

“I stand by my record over the last 35 years. I have been committed to the people of this country. This is a trust that have been passed on to me by my father and his father before him,” Lopez said.

Pinky Amador slams people recording her while yelling at hotel staff: ” Sa mga nasaktan ko, I am truly sorry, pero ipinaglaban ko lang ang karapatan natin”

Actress Pinky Amador finally released a statement after she has gone viral on social media after her video while yelling at cursing at hotel staff was uploaded.

In a statement, Amador explained the reason why she’s furious to the hotel staff, saying that she’s only trying to protect her safety and her neighbors living in the said condo-hotel in Makati City.

“I have uttered harsh words and become very emotional in a video that has been circulating. There is no excuse for that behavior. Please understand, however, that my emotion was the product of countless minutes of worrying for my safety and that of my neighbors, following up with building administration, and talking to my very emotional neighbors and friends,” the veteran actress said.

She narrated that the condo-tel where she was living for months already accepted 59 repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) “without informing” them.

“Of note is the fact that these returning Filipinos neither had the proper documentation with them upon entry, nor any indication that they were tested, or when their test results were arriving. The residents wouldn’t have known of their arrival, if not for the witnesses who had seen them enter the premises of our Condo-tel,” she said.

“The residents were not notified about the designation, not the influx of these returning Filipinos, and that was a cause for alarm not just for me but for all the residents,” she added.

Amador claimed that she interacted with two guests in an elevator and unsure about their identity.

In the video, she told the staff that she exposed to a Person Under Monitoring (PUM) because of the negligence of the hotel management.

“After that encounter, I have started fearing for my safety in my home, which should not be the case. Since I am not the only resident here, I was not the only one to witness the influx of new guests. Some of my neighbors were very upset, even in tears, when recounting their encounter with new guests in the hotel premises, as some of them take care of elderly parents or grandparents, or have children with them. That is what fueled my ire when that video was taken, since some tenants have been calling me, in tears, with fear for their health, and that of their family members,” she stated.

The actress mentioned that one of her neighbors already complained about the negligence of the said hotel last month and even published the complaint in one news website.

According to her, she only wanted the hotel to be honest with their long-time guest and avoid ignoring their questions like what they did to her many times.

“We simply wanted them to be transparent with us about the goings-on in the building, and to inform us about any systems they have in place. I cannot count the number of times I have tried to communicate this. My other neighbors also tried to do so, to no avail. That was utterly frustrating,” she said.

“This is not just about me, or the other tenants but also for the staff and employees as well. It is troubling to watch them at administration behave as if Covid19 is not a serious matter, or that our lives do not matter,” she added.

The actress also criticized the people who recorded the video and uploaded it on the internet, saying that it’s a violation to the ‘anti-wire tapping act’.

“Taking a video without my knowledge in a private property, and deliberately ignoring me (so as to inflame me further) with the intention to leak online, is to me, malicious, vengeful and a violation of the anti-wire tapping act,” she stated.

Before ending her statement, she apologized to the people affected by her yelling and cursing, but she insisted that she’s only fighting for her safety.

“Since I have started living in this building, I have made friends with my neighbors who have included me in this building’s community. It is a community which includes the administration and something the administration has neglected, repeatedly. What the administration fails to understand is that their actions have an impact not just on their health, but that of the residents’ too. Being responsible means being responsible for everyone, not just yourself, but also others,” she said.

“I am not perfect, far from it. Under these stressful times, when pushed to the limit, how far will you go to protect your loved ones? Sa mga nasaktan ko, I am truly sorry, pero ipinaglaban ko lang ang karapatan natin mabuhay ng ligtas sa sakit.” she added.

A few days ago, a video featuring Amador has been circulated on social media.

“[You are] accepting OFWs here with no testing results. Sino? P——–mo! Gawin mo ngayon ‘yan, hindi ako aalis dito! P——–mo, pag ako nagkasakit, babayaran mo ba pang-ospital ko? Tagalan mo pa, p——–mo, kakaladkarin kita dito!” Amador said in the video.

San Juan Mayor Zamora apologizes, explains that his wife need to take a rest in Baguio City

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora apologized for his visit to Baguio City, saying that he only accompanied his wife, who’s recovering from cancer.

In his statement, Zamora apologized to Mayor Benjamin Magalong and to the people of Baguio, saying that they’re didn’t intend to ignore “any checkpoint or quarantine protocols of the LGU”.

Zamora was reportedly told Magalong that he was sleeping during the time when his 6-vehicle convoy passed the quarantine checkpoint in Baguio.

“We had no intention of breaking any checkpoint or quarantine protocols of the LGU. I have personally called Mayor Magalong earlier today to convey my apologies and to explain that this was a miscommunication in the checkpoint area,” Zamora said.

“As we arrived in our hotel, the management informed us that we would have to undergo a triage which we all fully and immediately complied with,” he added.

The Mayor then proceeded to explain the reason why he traveled to Baguio.

According to him, they went to Baguio because it’s the perfect place for his wife to take a rest.

“My wife is a stage 3 breast cancer patient and is still undergoing active treatment. Her doctor advised her to take a very needed rest which combined with her medical treatment protocols would help her achieve full recovery. We decided to go to Baguio because her family has an old house there,” Zamora narrated.

“She was going to stay there for a few weeks to rest and recover. In fact, we brought some of her personal belongings and some furniture so we could fix the house over the weekend since the house hasn’t been stayed in for quite some time. I was going to go back home to San Juan today. Her sister was going to go up this afternoon stay with her for the duration of her rest and active treatment,” he added.

The news angered the people of Baguio and even started a petition to declare Zamora as persona non grata in their city.

“By ignoring protocols and initiatives of the City of Baguio, one of the cities in the country that serves as a model in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 thanks to the discipline and genuine concern of its citizens and the city’s current leadership, San Juan City Mayor Zamora, arrogantly and selfishly, spat in the face of every Baguio citizen who’s sacrificed so much to keep the city safer,” the petition read.

 

Nag bakasyon? People of Baguio wants San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora ‘persona non grata’ in their city

San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora was facing criticisms from the Igorots after the latter was reportedly traveled to Baguio City together with more than 30 people, allegedly disregarding health protocols.

According to some news reports, Zamora visited the Baguio Country Club (BCC) and to accompany her wife who’s told by the doctor to take a rest.

They were asked the present a health certificate as part of the safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but unable to do so.

The news was confirmed by Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Sunday, saying that the group of Zamora ignored the checkpoints.

“When his group was flagged down for inspection, the driver of the lead vehicle just slowed down a bit, and merely told the checkpoint personnel that he was part of a convoy, pointing out the vehicles tailing his police car, then forthwith sped off with the Mayor’s entourage in tow,” Magalong said.

Furious residents of Baguio used their social media accounts to express disappointment over the action of Zamora.

“Paki sabi sa pu#@@$*na na ito na bumalik na sa San Juan. We do not need your feeling privileged group in our city,” netizen Peter Wasing said.

Some people even launched a campaign to urge Baguio City to declare Zamora as persona non grata.

“By ignoring protocols and initiatives of the City of Baguio, one of the cities in the country that serves as a model in the fight against the spread of Covid-19 thanks to the discipline and genuine concern of its citizens and the city’s current leadership, San Juan City Mayor Zamora, arrogantly and selfishly, spat in the face of every Baguio citizen who’s sacrificed so much to keep the city safer,” the petition read.

Meanwhile, Zamora apologized to Magalong for what he did, saying that he’s sleeping during the time when his convoy passed the checkpoints in Baguio.

“He profusely expressed deep regrets that while asleep in his car at the time, the PNP escort leading his convoy mindlessly took it on his own to ignore what has long been a standard border protection measure prescribed not only in his but our own city,” Magalong said.

Magalong assured the people that they’re going to punish the people who breach the quarantine protocols.

People admired Baguio City during the COVID-19 pandemic because of its effective way of containing the virus.

 

Mumurahin kita dahil buhay ko nakasalalay dito! Actress Pinky Amador spotted cursing, yelling at hotel staff

Actress Pinky Amador has gone viral on social media after she was video recorded yelling and cursing at the staff of a still unknown hotel.

Several netizens uploaded the said video on June 5, showing Amador, who’s wearing a mask, making a commotion while telling them that her life was in danger and accused the hotel management of negligence.

It seems that Amador was furious at the hotel management because they’re still not giving the document she requested.

According to some news reports, Amador was asking a circular of the hotel that they’re accepting repatriated Overseas Filipino Workers  (OFWs) who were people under monitoring (PUM) of COVID-19.

PUMs are people not showing any COVID-19 symptoms but there’s a travel history in countries with recorded cases of the virus.

They’re still required to undergo 14-day quarantine and take the COVID-19 test to ensure that they’re not a carrier of the virus.

The actress said that the hotel put her life in danger and claimed that she was possibly exposed to COVID-19 because she’s unaware that the establishment accepted PUMs.

She told the staff that she interacted with two PUMs during her stay in the hotel.

“[You are] accepting OFWs here with no testing results. Sino? P——–mo! Gawin mo ngayon ‘yan, hindi ako aalis dito! P——–mo, pag ako nagkasakit, babayaran mo ba pang-ospital ko? Tagalan mo pa, p——–mo, kakaladkarin kita dito!” Amador said in the video.

When the staff told Amador that they’re only following orders, the actress told them that they should release the circular to prove it.

“Sandali, you let me speak! You piece of sh*t! What I am asking for is the circular that you emailed me, stating that you let the 59 OFWs inside here. You emailed that to me twice. And twice ako sumagot sa inyo, ‘Isabit niyo sa elevator.’ Yun ang usapan namin ni Architect… Ngayon, i-print mo na agad. Gawin mo na ngayon!” she said.

They also urged Amador to relax and stop cursing them, however, the actress’ emotion was uncontrollable already.

“Mumurahin kita dahil buhay ko ang nakasalalay dito! Mga sinungaling kayo!”

The actress also almost broke the computer being used by the hotel staff after she pushed it due to anger.

Amador’s action received mixed reactions on social media.

“Naging staff din aq at maraming beses naka encounter ng irrate cx..oo grabe xa magmura at magwala but thats how she is eeeeh…may maling ginawa..ang lakas p ng loob magvideo ng babae kitang kita ung monitor nya n ng ffb xa..tapos 3weeks n ndi ng rreply sa request ni cx…buhay ang nakasalalay ngaun girl..in a second pwede xa ma expose sa virus..kaya maging lesson sana sa lahat,” netizen Alina Forte commented.

“I do understand her reaction. She stayed at the hotel expecting that it is safe. Expecting that the management will take care of them. But sadly, there is negligence. I understand the fear and action. By the grace of God, I hope the Lord will not allow me to say the words that came out in her mouth but I do understand why. It is not fair to judge the actress. Watch the whole video before you react. Again I do not agree with the words that she used, by the grace of God, I hope I will not be put in that kind of situation. But for me, I can’t blame her,” netizen ريان هيرناندو remarked.

As of writing the one of the reuploaded videos already reached 4-M views on social media.

Netizen addresses Catriona Gray: You work a lot in the slums of Tondo but not much in the mountains where CPP-NPA operates

A netizen wrote a post addressed to Miss Universe Philippines 2018 Catriona Gray after the latter joined the calls to junk the anti-terror bill.

Netizen Jan Marie on June 5 made a message to the beauty queen by using some parts from Gray’s unforgettable answer during the Q&A portion of the Miss Universe two years ago.

According to Marie, while the beauty queen said that she worked with the poor people living in Tondo Manila, the latter didn’t experience living in places where the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing New People’s Army were operating.

The netizen mentioned the alleged illegal actions made by the NPA in remote areas.

“Sadly Cat you work a lot in the slums of Tondo Manila but not much in the mountains and in some provinces where life there is poor and sad because of the harssments done by the CPP-NPA, where people are forced to give their earnings from farming, where cellphone signal towers are burned down, ambush uniformed men delivering service to the community, hrrassed small businessmen who dare not to gave them revolutionary tax, these and all the crime they’ve committed to humanity,” he said.

“Our lawmakers stand up to stand the future of our children coz someone believes we can put an end to terrorism and we owes it to believe in them!” he added.

The post already reached 2,100 shares as of writing.

On her Instagram post, Gray quoted the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines that opposed the anti-terror bill being pushed by lawmakers.

“There is so much happening in the world and in our nation right now, and I know a lot of us want to just tune out because it all gets a bit overwhelming. But please, don’t allow that to be the reason we revert into silence and turn a blind eye,” Gray said.

“We need to stay engaged because this is where our voices count. So let’s help each other by creating spaces that help us keep each other informed and help us understand what’s going on. I’ve taken the time to research and digest information and come to my own conclusions and I implore you all to do the same. I’ve created an IG story highlight with some resources. I’m not here to influence you to think a certain way, but I hope I can influence you to think for yourself. #JunkTerrorBill,” she added.

However, Gray clarified that she’s not completely against to the controversial measure and only wanted to revise it.

 

Maastricht University lecturer slams Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach: “Stop using your title to MISINFORM people!”

A lecturer of one of the top European universities and a political blogger couldn’t hide her disappointment over the statement of Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach about the anti-terror bill.

In a statement, Wurtzbach made a rare comment about politics and expressed opposition over the said controversial measure, saying that

“I’ll be honest, I never really liked commenting about politics simply cos I felt like I [didn’t] know enough. I [wasn’t] confident enough to speak up… I also was never really a fan of tweeting (Im barely online here) but I realized that I need my voice back…and I need to use it… Sa lahat ng nangyayari ngayon sa Pilipinas at sa mundo.. overwhelming. Diba? Parang di mo alam kung maiiyak ka o magagalit. Parang pakiramdam mo minsan powerless ka. Parang sasabog yung puso mo. Yung feeling na parang may gusto kang sabihin. May kailangan kang sabihin,” the beauty queen said.

“Pero narealize ko na hindi ako powerless… kasi hindi ako nagiisa. #JunkTerrorBill #MassTestingNowPH #ActivismIsNotTerrorism,” she added.

The said statements of Wurtzbach disappointed political blogger Sass Rogando Sasot, who accused the beauty queen of spreading misinformation about the bill.

“Pia Wurtzbach please stop using your Miss Universe title to MISINFORM people. There’s nothing in the anti-terrorism bill that says that activism is terrorism. There’s nothing in that bill that can even be interpreted by any sane person to mean that activism is terrorism,” Sasot said.

She even called the attention of the Miss Universe organization.

“Dear Miss Universe: What can you say about Miss Universe 2015 spreading misinformation about a Philippine law that aims to combat terrorism? Ms Pia Wurtzbach has been promoting the idea that the the law will make activism terrorism, which is not the case at all,” she posted.

The lecturer also mentioned some sponsors of Wurtzbach, informing them about the ‘irresponsible’ statement of the beauty queen.

Aside from Wurtzbach, Sasot also mentioned Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, beauty queen Patch Magtanong and actress Heart Evangelista.

 

Kim Chiu on the critics of her ‘Bawal Lumabas’ wish performance: “Atleast pinanood nila!”

Actress Kim Chiu reacted to the negative reactions she received after radio station Wish 107.5 featured her song ‘Bawal Lumabas’ on their Youtube channel.

As of writing, the video of Chiu already received 454,000 dislikes on Youtube and already considered by some as the most disliked Youtube video uploaded by a Filipino channel within 24 hours.

Chiu surpassed the dislike got by Iisang Dagat music video and one of Raffy Tulfo’s episode about a teacher.

However, Chiu seems not affected by the tremendous amount of criticisms she received on social media.

In her Twitter page, Chiu retweeted several posts from her fans like a tweet about on how the actress infuriate her bashers in a positive way.

Chiu also shared some memes from her supporters who also defended Wish’s decision to feature the actress.

“Wish 107.5 has been the most accommodating and unbiased media platform for all the popular and aspiring singers/artists regardless of their respective music labels. It’s not right to take it against with the channel that gives equal opportunity,” netizen @uniqlhou said.

When one of Chiu’s fans, blamed the critics of the actress for making her Wish performance trending, the actress still tried to respond in a positive way.

“Okay lang atleast pinanood nila!!!” she said.

Wish said that Chiu’s song was a testament that a “seemingly unfortunate experience in life can be turned into something positive”

Last month, the actress made a confusing statement while defending ABS-CBN to the critics.

“Sa classroom may batas, bawal lumabas, oh bawal lumabas. Pero ‘pag sinabi, ‘pag nag-comply ka na bawal na lumabas pero may ginawa ka sa pinagbabawal nila, inayos mo ‘yong law ng classroom niyo at sinubmit mo ulit ay pwede na pala ikaw lumabas.” Chiu said.

 

Chiu apologized after it received criticisms from the netizens, admitting that her statement was really hard to understand.

The statement has gone viral on social media and even imitated by several government officials like Harry Roque.

After a few days, Chiu surprised the netizens after she made a song based on her statement and even launched merchandise to help charities.