Author: INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP ACG) on Friday said it recorded fewer online scams so far in 2025 but maintained that it was monitoring possible scams ahead of the holiday season.

PNP ACG logged 7,081 cases of online scams in the entire year of 2024, while only 3,941 cases have been reported so far in 2025, spokesperson Lt. Wallen Mae Arancillo said in an interview on DZMM.

“It decreased compared to last year since many of our fellow citizens have become more knowledgeable about what to do and what not to do during our social media interactions and online transactions,” Arancillo explained in Filipino.

“Though, we’ve seen that online scams done by cyber criminals usually really increase during the Ber months compared to the previous months… That’s what we’re monitoring,” she added.

Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. previously ordered the law enforcement agency to crack down on online scams ahead of this year’s holiday season.

Among the most frequent scams the PNP recorded so far this year were online selling scams (1,630 cases); investment or task scams (589 cases); vishing scams (431 cases); hijacked profile or identification scams (326 cases); and loan or lending scams (251 cases), the agency previously said in a statement last Tuesday. /mr

MANILA, Philippines — A low-pressure area is “highly likely” to form in the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) in the coming days and may start affecting the country by Sunday, Nov. 23, the state weather bureau said in its latest tropical cyclone threat potential forecast.

In the forecast bulletin on Friday afternoon, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said a tropical cyclone-like vortex (TCLV) may form in the southeastern part of the PAR between Nov. 21 and 27.

“It now has a higher chance of becoming a low-pressure area,” Pagasa specialist John Manalo further explained in the agency’s weather forecast later on Friday.

“The earliest it can affect the country, especially the northeastern part of Mindanao as well as Eastern Visayas, is by Sunday afternoon. It will be felt the most starting Monday and in the days afterward,” he added.

If the TCLV develops into a tropical cyclone inside PAR, it will be given the local name Verbena.

Pagasa added that the TCLV may cross through the country and emerge over the West Philippine Sea by the week of Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, by which point a second TCLV may form in the eastern part of the state weather agency’s monitoring domain.

However, the second TCLV has a “low chance” of developing into a tropical cyclone, Manalo noted. /mr

MANILA, Philippines — The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Friday said it has received the arrest warrants against resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and 15 others in connection with an anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.

Late Friday afternoon, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that arrest warrants had been issued against Co and 15 others in the Department of Public Works and Highways and construction firm Sunwest Corporation.

Asked whether their unit already received the warrants, in a message to reporters, CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II answered in the affirmative.

Earlier, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said it had already deployed police tracker teams to go after Co and his co-accused.

Co is linked to Sunwest Corporation and was formerly the House appropriations committee chair who oversaw the congressional deliberations of the 2025 national budget.

Last Tuesday, the first set of charges against Co and 17 others over an alleged anomalous P289.5-million road dike project in Oriental Mindoro was raffled off by the Sandiganbayan.

Co has since denied the allegations against him and instead pointed to Marcos as the mastermind behind the kickbacks.

The PNP previously said it was ready to enforce arrest warrants against personalities allegedly involved in corruption of flood control and other infrastructure projects. /mr

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur—One person was killed while two others were wounded in a gunfight that was triggered by an ambush in Dinas town, Zamboanga del Sur on Friday afternoon, police said.

According to a police spot report obtained by the Inquirer, three men ambushed a sedan as it passed through Purok Banagan of Barangay Benuatan at 12:50 p.m. on Friday.

As gunshots rang, directed toward the vehicle, some of those inside managed to return fire.

When personnel from the Dinas municipal police station arrived at the scene, after being alerted by concerned residents, one person was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The fatality was later established to be one of the suspects in the ambush.

Of the four passengers of the sedan, two were hurt while the two others were unharmed.

Col. Bonifacio Arañas, Zamboanga del Sur police director, ordered a hut pursuit against the remaining two suspects in the ambush, mobilizing the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, aided by soldiers from the Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion.

Police investigators are looking at a personal grudge as a possible motive for the ambush.

“The community’s assistance is crucial. Anyone with knowledge of this crime is strongly encouraged to report their information to the nearest police station,” Arañas appealed.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Ten poultry workers were displaced after a fire gutted a building inside a poultry farm in Purok 4, Barangay Lunas, Asturias, on Thursday evening, November 20.

In an interview with CDN Digital on Friday, November 21, Fire Officer Jacky Colegado of the Asturias Fire Station said the workers were staying in the same building when flames erupted, forcing them to evacuate as the fire spread quickly.

Fire personnel arrived at the scene at around 6:56 p.m. and immediately raised the response to a second alarm due to the scale of the blaze and the limited capacity of their responding truck.

READ: Cebu City fires: Families told to practice ‘EDITH’ to save lives

Colegado said the workers, all assigned to the affected poultry facility, have since been temporarily relocated to another farm while authorities assess the damage and secure the area.

Cause still unclear

The farm owner’s wife, who reported the incident, told firefighters that they heard an explosion near the building’s ventilation system shortly before the fire broke out. However, Colegado said investigators still need to verify this detail.

“Under investigation pa ni kay ang giingon sa tag-iya gyud nga naa’y nibuto didto dapit sa ilahang blower pero amo pa ning balikon,” he said.

(Translation: “This is still under investigation because the owner said something exploded near their blower, but we still need to verify it.”)

Only one structure — the building that housed the poultry — was affected. A separate building beside it was saved after firefighters prevented the flames from spreading.

Fire responders were able to place the blaze under control at 8:01 p.m. and declared it fire out at 8:16 p.m.

Colegado said they still need to measure the affected area to determine the total cost of damage — initially estimated at around 2,700 square meters but subject to re-evaluation.

Follow-up inspections and interviews continued on Friday as authorities work to establish the cause of the fire and provide assistance to the displaced workers.

ALSO READ: Fire forces evacuation at UN climate talks

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MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has ordered the development of multiple Sabo dams in Cebu’s mountain rivers, a major intervention aimed at slowing down destructive floodwaters that have repeatedly inundated Metro Cebu.

Marcos, during the launch of Oplan Kontra Baha in Metro Cebu on Friday, Nov. 21, said the government intends to build small Sabo dams to control the flow of water coming from the mountains, noting that rapid water movement has contributed to severe flooding in the province.

“Pagkatapos malinis ito [rivers], meron tayong gagawin na Sabo dam, maliliit na dam mula sa bundok na nagsisimula at kinokontrol ang takbo ng tubig kasi minsan yung damage sa Cebu dahil ang bilis ng takbo ng tubig. ‘Yan ang hiningi natin ngayon na ilagay sa budget para magkaroon ng pondo,” Marcos said.

(After these rivers are cleared, we will build Sabo dams—small dams in the mountains that control the water flow because Cebu often suffers damage from the speed of rushing water. We requested that these be included in the budget so there will be funding.)

“Sana makarating tayo sa panahon na kahit umulan ng malakas, hindi natin inaalala na may babaha sa ating mga bahay, sa ating mga tirahan.”

(I hope we reach a time when even during heavy rains, we no longer worry about flooding our homes and communities.)

“This is what we are trying to do and attempting to start now,” he added.

READ: Refocusing the Bicol River Basin Development Program

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bureau of Equipment Director Toribio Noel Ilao confirmed that Sabo dams, though smaller than full-scale storage dams, play a crucial role in controlling water flow and debris during intense rainfall.

Ilao explained that these structures are designed to trap silt, reduce water speed, and lessen the force of sudden surges that trigger flash floods.

“Itatrap niya yung silt, pababagalin ang tubig, lalo na pag may flash flood,” he said.

(It will trap silt and slow down the water, especially during flash floods.)

“Series ang ilalagay habang bumababa ang tubig para hindi mabilis ang ragasa.”

(They will be installed in series along the river so the water’s force weakens as it flows down.)

The proposed Sabo dams will be built in the upper portions of the Mananga, Cotcot, and Butuanon rivers.

These upland interventions are expected to reduce flood impacts downstream in Cebu City, Talisay City, Mandaue City, and the nearby towns of Consolacion and Liloan.

Two weeks ago, during the onslaught of Typhoon Tino on Nov. 4, Metro Cebu experienced massive flooding as several rivers overflowed, damaging thousands of houses and resulting in multiple deaths.

The Department of Public Works and Highways said the project cannot proceed without further technical and environmental studies to ensure that downstream communities will not be adversely affected.

Ilao noted that while funding was initially a challenge, President Marcos has committed to securing a budget allocation for the construction of the Sabo dams.

READ: Marcos launches Oplan Kontra Baha to tackle Metro Cebu flooding

The planned structures form part of the long-term strategy supporting the national government’s broader flood-control program.

Earlier, Marcos launched Oplan Kontra Baha, a nine-month dredging and waterway clearing campaign to remove silt, garbage, and obstructions in more than 160 kilometers of rivers and creeks across Metro Cebu.

While Oplan Kontra Baha addresses existing obstructions and siltation, the Sabo dams are aimed at tackling the source of rapid water flow from the mountains, providing a more permanent layer of protection.

DPWH officials also urged the public to help reduce flood risks, emphasizing that improper waste disposal significantly worsens blockages in waterways.

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