Author: INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — A 39-year-old man in Quezon Province was arrested for allegedly blackmailing a 16-year-old girl by threatening to expose a video of him appearing to rape her, the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) said on Friday.

The suspect—identified as “Noli,” who serves as a helper in his family’s thrift shop in Tayabas City—was arrested on Wednesday night in an entrapment operation, ACG Director Brig. Gen. Wilson Asueta said in an interview in Camp Crame.

According to Asueta, the suspect and the victim, a resident of Sariaya town, became acquainted last September through social media.

On Sept. 15, the suspect asked her to meet him at his apartment, also in that town, promising to give her P200 and “other gifts.”

“When she entered his apartment, she was threatened and taken advantage of. The young [girl] didn’t know she was being recorded on video,” Asueta said.

“The suspect told her he had a gun,” the police official said, but later noted that the police found no gun from Noli.

The victim did not immediately report the incident, according to Asueta.

When asked how P200 and “other gifts” were enough to lure the victim, he said,

“You know kids these days, even a small [sum], as long as they could use [that money]. There may also be some small items that the girl wanted to buy with P200, so she became encouraged.”

Asueta said the suspect resurfaced on Tuesday when he sent the video of the victim to one of her friends.

“He was forcing the victim to return to his home and have sex (makipagtalik) with him, or else he would spread her video,” the police official said.

MANILA, Philippines — Alice Guo may still be deported to China if she shows good behavior while doing time in a Philippine jail, a senator said, quoting the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Guo, the dismissed mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, was sentenced to life imprisonment after the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 167 found her guilty of qualified trafficking in connection with her ties to a Philippine offshore gaming operation (Pogo) hub in Bamban.

Earlier in June, a Manila court had established Guo to be a Chinese citizen. Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, citing the DOJ, said Guo could still reduce her sentence since she is eligible for good conduct time allowance.

Crime committed in PH

“Her sentence could be potentially shortened because if she shows good behavior, it may be reduced. That is the only basis on which we can say that she may be deported,” Gatchalian, who defended the DOJ’s proposed budget proposal for 2026, said in response to questions by Sen. Robinhood Padilla.

Since Guo had committed her crime in the Philippines,  she must also serve her time in a jail here, Gatchalian stressed.

Following its ruling, the Pasig court ordered Guo’s immediate transfer from the Pasig City Jail to the Correctional Institute for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.

Padilla had asked if Guo could still be extradited, considering that Branch 34 of the Manila Regional Trial Court had already ruled that she is “undoubtedly a Chinese citizen.”

Gatchalian noted that many people were asking the same question since Guo’s birth certificate had already been canceled, while her passport had also been revoked.

He also noted that the former mayor had been charged with a crime committed in the Philippines and was, in fact, sentenced to serve a life term for qualified human trafficking.

Padilla then compared Guo’s case to foreigners he met in jail while he was detained for illegal possession of firearms. It will be recalled that Padilla was sentenced in 1994 to eight years in prison but was granted a conditional pardon only after four years by then-President Fidel Ramos.

With the help of their embassies, jailed foreigners are eventually deported to their home countries, Padilla said.

Fully prepared

Meanwhile, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday said it is “fully prepared” to accept Guo and other individuals who may be ordered by the court to be transferred to its custody.

BuCor said enhanced security measures are in place at the CIW upon the directive of Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. All personnel have also been placed on on-call status since Thursday.

“CIW Corrections Technical Superintendent, Marjorie Ann Sanidad informed Catapang that they already deployed additional Corrections Emergency Response Team to ensure peace and order within the facilities,” BuCor said in a statement.

Upon Guo’s admission to the CIW, she will undergo verification of her documents and belongings before being placed under quarantine for five days at the Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC), during which she will be subject to a thorough medical examination.

Afterward, she will be transferred to the RDC regular dormitory for mandatory orientation, diagnostics and qualification.

“After completing the 60-day process at the RDC, she will be transferred to her assigned regular dormitory at the maximum security camp, considering that she is sentenced to life imprisonment,” Bucor said.

The two-month assessment period will help determine Guo’s psychological and physical needs, which will guide the CIW in creating an individualized treatment or rehabilitation program for her.

Guo, was found to be Chinese national named Guo Hua Ping and linked to criminal activities involving Pogos and sentenced to life imprisonment for organizing and directing a human trafficking network.

Compensation

In a 111-page decision, the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) found Guo guilty beyond reasonable doubt of qualified trafficking and ordered her and her coaccused to pay a P2-million fine each and compensate several trafficking victims who filed the complaints.

Also convicted were Jaimielyn Santos Cruz, Rachelle Malonzo Carreon and Walter Wong Rong for organizing trafficking activities inside the Baofu compound, where the raided Zun Yuan Technology Pogo hub was located. —WITH A REPORT FROM LUISA CABATO

The US government on Thursday released a new crash test dummy design that advocates believe will help make cars safer for women.

The Department of Transportation will consider using the dummy in the government’s vehicle crash test five star-ratings once a final rule is adopted, the agency said in a news release.

Women are 73-percent more likely to be injured in a head-on crash, and they are 17 percent more likely to be killed in a car crash, than men.

READ: Seoul begins self-driving shuttle service

The standard crash test dummy used in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration five-star vehicle testing was developed in 1978 and was modeled after a 175-centimeter (5-foot-9), 78-kilogram (171-pound) man. The female dummy is smaller and has a rubber jacket to represent breasts. It’s routinely tested in the passenger or back seat but seldom in the driver’s seat, even though the majority of licensed drivers are women.

The new female dummy endorsed by the department more accurately reflects differences between men and women, including the shape of the neck, collarbone, pelvis, and legs. It is outfitted with more than 150 sensors, the department said.

Some American automakers have been skeptical, arguing the new model may exaggerate injury risks and undercut the value of some safety features, such as seat belts and airbags.

Legislation

Lawmakers and transportation secretaries from the past two presidential administrations have expressed support for new crash test rules and safety requirements but developments have been slow.

US Senators Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, and Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, both released statements welcoming the female crash test dummy announcement.

“Any progress here is good because there’s simply no good reason why women are more likely to be injured or die in car crashes,” Duckworth said.

Fischer introduced legislation, the She Drives Act, that would require the most advanced testing devices available, including a female crash test dummy. Duckworth is a cosponsor.

“It’s far past time to make these testing standards permanent, which will help save thousands of lives and make America’s roads safer for all drivers,” Fischer said.

The department said the new specifications will be available for manufacturers to build models and for the automotive industry to begin testing them in vehicles.

BELEM, Brazil—A fire broke out and briefly spread through the pavilions being used here for UN climate talks on Thursday, as delegates from more than 190 countries entered the final hours of tense negotiations.

The fire triggered a chaotic evacuation that further stalled efforts to seal an agreement on climate finance, adaptation targets and the measures needed to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

At least 21 people were treated for smoke inhalation. There were no immediate reports of individuals sustaining burn injuries, according to a statement issued by the Brazilian Ministry of Health.

READ: Southeast Asia protesters at COP30 highlight regional vulnerability

Organizers said the fire was controlled in about six minutes. Fire officials ordered the evacuation of the entire site for the conference, known as COP30, and it wasn’t clear when the talks would resume.

Video showed huge flames in one of the pavilions, which are reinforced canvas or fabric structures that typically have three walls and a floor.

Para state Gov. Helder Barbalho told local news outlet G1 that a generator failure or a short circuit in a booth may have started the fire.

‘World is watching Belem’

Earlier on Thursday, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appealed to all countries to “show willingness and flexibility to deliver results” at COP30.

“We are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belem. Communities on the front lines are watching too, counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods and asking how much more must we suffer? They have heard enough excuses. They demand results,” Guterres said at a press conference.

“After decades of denial and delay by many, science tells us that a temporary overshoot above 1.5 degrees, starting at the latest in the early 2030s, has become inevitable,” he said.

A key sticking point is the implementation of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which obliges rich countries to fund emissions cuts and adaptation measures in poorer countries, and to mobilize at least $300 billion per year with an overall climate financing target to reach at least $1.3 trillion by 2035.

The Adaptation Fund Report launched by the UN Environment Programme at COP30 estimated that the adaptation finance needs of developing countries could reach $310 to $365 billion per year by 3045. However, it noted that international funding from rich countries fell from $28 billion in 2022 to $26 billion in 2023.

For the Philippine negotiators and civil society groups, it was important to keep the negotiations going.

“We urgently need a global shift from higher ambition to stronger implementation. If we are to achieve transformative change grounded in justice and equity, we must not renegotiate principles, we must implement commitments,” said Environment Assistant Secretary Noralene Uy, who who heads the Philippine delegation.

The country remains committed to a climate action plan “that is anchored on fairness, equity and the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities,” Uy said.

PH poised to benefit, but . . .

While the Philippine government has yet to submit its updated plans, Uy said, it has pledged a 70-percent cut in emissions by 2030, covering energy, transport, forestry, industry and waste management.

The target is conditional or would depend on adequate finance, capacity building and technology transfer.

“Rich countries that have more resources should help countries that are suffering from the impacts of climate change so that we will be able to also cope and adapt to this crisis, especially the indigenous peoples,” said Joan Carling, Executive Director of the Indigenous Peoples Rights International.

The Philippine team at COP30 should keep pushing strongly for a loss and damage fund to address the inevitable impacts of climate change, including non-economic losses, Carling said.

“The country is poised to benefit from the loss and damage fund. However, it must also hold itself to higher standards of accountability. If corruption persists, the funds intended to support vulnerable communities may never reach the people who need them most,’’ she added.

READ: COP30: Malawi, Singapore to collaborate on carbon credits

While more than $700 million has been pledged and received under the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, COP30 made way to operationalize the release of $250 million for proposals to support countries at the front lines of climate change.

Vicente Paolo Yu, who leads the negotiation on loss and damage for the G77 and China, said a top priority to scale up finance and ensure that the fund can be used rapidly, with all developing countries given direct access.

“That is our long-standing call. You need to increase the amount of money that is in the fund … But some developed countries are opposing it,’’ Yu said.

He stressed the need to send “a strong message on loss and damage to make sure that the knowledge and the funding to implement the technical assistance can address the needs of countries.”

More than 80 countries also demand a clear transition roadmap away from oil, gas and coal, a move backed by ministers and civic movements from Africa, Asia, Latin America, European Union, United Kingdom and the Pacific.

Avril De Torres, deputy executive director of the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, recalled that a historic decision was made during COP28 in Dubai in 2023 to move away from fossil fuels and triple renewables globally.

But continued reliance on fossil fuels still drove power sector emissions to an all-time high in 2024, De Torres said.

“Global leaders at COP30 cannot turn a blind eye to this fact, not when every second that coal, gas and oil keep burning takes away from meeting the 1.5-C goal and the very survival of vulnerable people across the world,” she said. —With a report from AP

MANILA, Philippines — Mexico is now tied with the Philippines as the fourth most successful country in the Miss Universe pageant with four wins each, after Mexican bet Fatima Bosch was crowned in ceremonies held in Thailand on Friday morning.

The new queen bested 119 other aspirants in the competition held at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok. She inherited the crown from Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig, who won last year’s contest held in Mexico.

Pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo represented the Philippines this year, and was proclaimed third runner-up. She was first runner-up in the 2018 Miss International pageant.

Finishing as first runner-up was host-delegate Praveenar Singh from Thailand, followed by Venezuela’s Stephany Abasali as second runner-up.

READ: ‘Miss UniReverse’: Ahtisa Manalo’s Miss Universe runner-up win draws mixed reactions

Crowd favorite and former Miss World second runner-up Olivia Yace from Cote d’Ivoire rounded up the winners’ circle as fourth runner-up.

Before Bosch, the Miss Universe crown was won by Mexican women Lupita Jones, Ximena Navarette, and Andrea Meza, who was a member of this year’s selection committee.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has Miss Universe winners Gloria Diaz, Margie Moran, Pia Wurtzbach, and Catriona Gray, who won in the 2018 competition held in Thailand.

Dramatic victory

It was a dramatic victory for Bosch, a 25-year-old at the center of the turbulent 74th staging of the popular beauty pageant, who stood up to public bullying from one of the hosts.

The bad vibes at this year’s event sprang from a sharp-tongued scolding of Bosch, which sparked a controversy marked by a walkout, feminist solidarity, and a teary melodramatic apology from the local organizer who set it all off.

At the livestreamed sashing ceremony for virtually all 120 contestants on Nov. 4, Thai national director Nawat Itsaragrisil hectored Bosch for allegedly not following his guidelines for taking part in local promotional activities. He called security when she spoke up to defend herself.

Bosch walked out of the room, joined by several others in a show of solidarity, including Theilvig.

“What your director did is not respectful: he called me dumb,” an unbowed Bosch told Thai reporters. “If it takes away your dignity, you need to go.”

The Miss Universe Organization president, Mexican businessman Raúl Rocha Cantú, released a statement condemning Nawat’s conduct as “public aggression” and “serious abuse.”

Even Mexico’s first woman president, Claudia Sheinbaum, piled on, saying at a news conference in her country’s capital that she wanted to give “recognition” to Miss Mexico for voicing her disagreement in a “dignified” way.

Nawat later made apologies for his actions, appearing both tearful and defiant at the same time.

During the final round, when asked how she would use the Miss Universe platform to empower young girls, Bosch responded: “Believe in the power of your authenticity. Believe in yourself. Your dreams matter, your heart matters, and no, never let anyone make you doubt about your worth, because [you’re] worth everything. And you are powerful, and your voice needs to be heard.”

For her part, Manalo responded: “I work with an organization called Alon Akademie, where we work with young people to provide them opportunities to make them realize that it doesn’t matter what your life circumstances are, it doesn’t define where you will go. And I want to continue working with Alon Akademie and a bigger platform like Miss Universe to pursue making sure that people who come from low-income backgrounds are given the same opportunities as everyone else.”

Bosch’s official Miss Universe biography says she studied fashion in Mexico and Italy and has focused on creating sustainable designs and working with discarded materials. It says she has volunteered with sick children, promoted environmental awareness, and supported migrants and mental health issues.

Organizers’ feud

This year’s competition also saw a report that two judges had quit, with one of them suggesting that there was an element of rigging to the contest. The allegation was denied.

Separately, Thai police investigated the alleged illegal promotion of online casinos as part of the event’s publicity, a turn of events that may have been connected with the organizers’ feud.

The United States remains the leading country in Miss Universe history with nine wins, followed by Venezuela with seven queens, and Puerto Rico with five.

This is the 74th edition of the international pageant, and the fourth time for Thailand to host. Next year’s competition will be held in Puerto Rico. —with a report from AP

MANILA, Philippines — Where is Cassandra Li Ong?

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who last year led the Senate scrutiny of Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), was shocked to learn on Friday that Ong, one of the key figures questioned and detained in the course of the inquiries, is no longer in government custody despite the criminal charges later filed against her.

Ong had been linked to a company that ran a Pogo hub in Pampanga and was reportedly a business partner of dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo, who was convicted of qualified human trafficking on Thursday. (See related story on Page A4)

During the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Hontiveros asked if Ong, an incorporator of Whirlwind Corp., remained under detention after she was cited for contempt by the House of Representatives during the 19th Congress.

But Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, the DOJ budget sponsor and who spoke on behalf of the agency, said Ong had already been released.

“Actually I was also shocked. Both of us are shocked because we are monitoring this case closely,” Gatchalian told Hontiveros in Filipino.

“[Ong] was detained in the House and then, because of the transition from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress, she was released. At that point, there was still no case filed against her. Now, there’s already a case and that’s qualified human trafficking. Unfortunately, because she was released and the case was filed late, she’s at large now,” he added.

In June 2024, following investigations focusing on Central Luzon Pogos involving Guo, authorities raided and closed down the Lucky South 99 Pogo hub in Porac, Pampanga, over allegations of torture, human trafficking and online scamming activities.

Ong, as an incorporator of Whirlwind Inc., the company that leased land to the Porac complex, was later summoned by the House quad committee regarding the allegations.

The hearings revealed that she represented Lucky South 99, along with former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a June 2023 meeting with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chair Al Tengco to discuss Lucky South 99’s arrears.

Pursuit

Roque was listed as Lucky South 99’s legal officer in the Pogo hub’s application to have its operating license renewed.

Gatchalian said the Bureau of Immigration was verifying if Ong had left the country and “escaped.”

“What we’re fearing is that she might also use the same backdoor route to leave the country, similar to what Alice Guo did. But right now, there’s already a warrant of arrest and the police and other enforcement agencies are after her,” the senator added.

On May 8 this year, the Angeles City Regional Trial Court Branch 118 in Pampanga ordered the arrest of Ong, Roque and 51 others for human trafficking in connection with the illegal operations of the Porac Pogo hub.

The court said it found probable cause to put them on trial for the non-bailable charge. Roque is in the Netherlands and had applied for political asylum in that country.

Then facing a House contempt order, Ong disappeared from public view last year but was later arrested in Indonesia in Aug. 20 together with Guo’s sister, Sheila. —WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH

This is the Daily Gospel for November 22, 2025, which is the Saturday of the Thirty-third week in Ordinary Time.

READ MORE:

Daily Gospel, November 21, 2025

Daily Gospel, November 20, 2025

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, according to Saint Luke 20, 27-40.

Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’

Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless.

Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.

Finally the woman also died.

Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.”

Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and remarry, but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

They can no longer die, for they are like angels, and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

Some of the scribes said in reply, “Teacher, you have answered well.”

And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

SOURCE: dailygospel.org

GENEVA, Switzerland — Swiss authorities searched Friday for two robbers who overpowered a security guard at a Roman-era museum in Lausanne, smashed a display case and made off with dozens of gold coins that had been displayed inside.

City police said late Thursday that the suspects had purchased tickets and waited until other visitors had left shortly before closing time, before assaulting and restraining the guard, and then breaking the display case.

READ: Louvre heist lays bare museum security complaints

The monetary value of the coins stolen in the heist Tuesday was not immediately revealed, but police said they had “archaeological value.”

The theft comes at a time when gold prices have soared in global markets — even if they have dropped off their highs lately — and a high-profile robbery at the Louvre in Paris exposed vulnerabilities and security lapses at museums.

Officials said the Lausanne museum employee, a 64-year-old Swiss national, was interviewed by investigators and that he was not injured in the incident. No other people — staff or visitors — were on hand at the time.

State prosecutors have opened an investigation. Lausanne city officials filed a legal complaint for damage to the museum, and the regional government — the owner of the gold coins — announced plans to file a criminal complaint.