BALANGA CITY, Bataan -The Bataan Police Provincial Office (BPPO) on Friday placed its whole unit in 11 towns and one city on full alert status in preparation for Typhoon Henry. Colonel Romell Velasco, Bataan police director, said the preparation was in line with the program of Lt. General Rodolfo Azurin, Jr., Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, dubbed "Malasakit + Kaayusan + Kapayapaan = Kaunlaran". Velasco said the BPPO has conducted the accounting of personnel and assigned search and rescue personnel with the necessary equipment on standby, ready to respond at any moment's notice. He said the entire Bataan police is ready to cooperate with other agencies to include the 12 local government units (LGUs) in the province to assure the safety of residents. Velasco said they have also appealed to the public to be ready and alert. "Inaabisuhan rin ang lahat ng mga mangingisda na huwag nang pumalaot gayon na din ang publiko na huwag nang maligo o pumunta sa baybaying d
The Inter-Agency Against Online Sexual Exploitation of Childrenpress conference held Tuesday (Aug. 23, 2022) in Malacanang. MANILA -Law enforcement agencies will intensify its campaign against cybercriminals, especially those engaged in child exploitation online who are usually foreigners in different parts of the world, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said on Tuesday. These deplorable acts, according to Abalos, violates Republic Act (RA) 9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009), and RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act). The DILG chief stressed that online sexual exploitation of children is primarily a "mere production for the purpose of online publication of sexual abuse or exploitation of a minor in exchange for compensation.'' He said his department in coordination with the local government units (LGUs), together with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the technology experts are the maj
(Photo courtesy of Pasay City Police) MANILA - Police investigators are now conducting a backtracking investigation on the shooting of a lawyer of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) who was hurt in a shooting incident along Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in Pasay City on April 4. In a statement on Wednesday evening, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said the investigation aims to identify the route where lawyer Joseph Samuel Zapata, 30, deputy chief of the BOC's Internal Inquiry Division, passed by for possible identification of the suspects and their getaway motorcycle. Interviewed relatives of the lawyer said they have no idea who could be behind the crime because they do not know anyone who has ill feelings towards the victim. Two still unidentified suspects opened fire on the victim's vehicle and fled the scene afterward. "It may be difficult to establish the motive if there is no concrete evidence directing to a possible suspect. The victim's te
(Photo courtesy of PNP) MANILA - A police officer assigned at the Police Regional Office (PRO)-4A (Calabarzon) is now facing administrative and criminal cases for acts due to his addiction to e-sabong (online cockfighting). Based on the reports reaching Camp Crame on Thursday, the police officer was identified as Lt. John Kevin Menes, 24, assigned at PNP Drug Enforcement Group - Special Operations Unit - 4 (DEG- SOU4), PRO-4A, who is facing raps for estafa and illegal gambling. Menes, a graduate of the PNP Academy, was first restricted at the headquarters of the PRO-4A in Laguna over the disappearance of some PHP500,000 in cash allocated to the DEG in Calabaron, which is being used as show money in buy-bust operations and other expenses of the local police anti-drug units. However, Menes escaped on March 27 and left the camp using a car that he borrowed from his subordinate, Pat. Melvin Bojocan Barbo. Menes refused to return the car, triggering a search and recovery operation. Two days
(File photo) MANILA - Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Thursday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the reported disappearance of sabungeros or cockfight aficionados in the past few weeks. Guevarra directed NBI Officer in Charge Eric Distor to look into "and if evidence warrants, to file the appropriate charges against all persons involved and found responsible." Close to 30 individuals have reportedly gone missing in groups in separate incidents since last month. On January 28, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has started investigating the disappearance of the cockfight enthusiasts. The CIDG, he said, is particularly investigating the case of 10 men who disappeared shortly after being seen in separate cockfighting areas in Laguna and Manila on January 13. Closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage from the arena showed that the vehicle used by the v