Latest news with #Manila
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Authorities Searching Volcanic Lake for 34 Missing Gamblers as Suspect Hints it Contains Over 100 Bodies
Authorities in the Philippines are searching for 34 missing men, who were accused of cheating while betting on livestreamed cockfights during the COVID pandemic It's believed that the men were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake called Taal Lake by a group of six security guards One of the suspects has come forward to give an interview, claiming that they killed and disposed of more than 100 bodiesAuthorities are searching for 34 men who have gone missing amid allegations that they cheated while betting on cockfights in Manila, Philippines. The search is pointing toward Taal Lake, a volcanic lake, where it is believed that the men's bodies might have been disposed of, according to reporting by the BBC. Now, a suspect involved in the case is hinting that authorities will find even more victims. Per local outlet Philstar, the men went missing between April 2021 and January 2022. The outlet noted that "at least 10" of the missing men were last seen at the Manila Arena, where a group of six security guards that have become chief suspects worked. It's claimed that the men took part in fixing livestreamed cockfights, known as e-sabong, which became popular during the COVID pandemic. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Cockfighting is legal in the Philippines. While some industries suffered amid the pandemic, the BBC reported that turning online to livestream fights opened up an even greater revenue source in the business. Amid news of the disappearing gamblers, the livestreamed version of cockfighting has since been banned. Six security guards have been accused of kidnapping the men, with one of them coming forward to speak out, according to local outlet The suspect, identified under the alias "Totoy," implied the men were strangled to death with a wire before they were disposed of during a recent interview on GMA News, per the outlet. 'How can they survive when they were already buried in Taal Lake?' Totoy asked during the interview, which was conducted in Filipino. 'All of them. If we dig them up, it's just bones. How can we recognize them?" Totoy hinted that authorities would uncover the bodies of more than 100 victims if they searched, saying, "And it's not just missing cockfighting enthusiasts who are being thrown there, even drug lords." The suspect, who came forward amid alleged threats against him and other loved ones, vowed to "cooperate" with "the mothers and relatives" of the missing, saying that he would help in "the pursuit of justice." Per the outlet, he alleged that the men were bound after they were taken. He said he was responsible for talking to people who were accused of cheating. After that, "another group of persons" took charge. Totoy expressed surprise at how many men they were targeting in a brief period of time, alleging that he expressed concerns about the speed. Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told the press on Thursday, June 19 that divers would be deployed in the Taal Lake, which encompasses an active volcano, to search for human remains, according to the BBC. "We can't just let it pass and just let it go. We have to be responsible enough to seek the truth especially in cases like this," he said. Following the revelation, Remulla also said that they would search for additional witnesses who might be able to corroborate the allegations. Philstar reported that five witnesses had already been spoken to. Philippine Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos told the press on Friday, June 20, per Philstar, that the organization was "ready to help any agency of the government for the safety and welfare of Filipinos." However, he added that the navy has not yet been drawn into the seach. "Likely, once there's a notice from other government agencies in this particular case, we will refer this to the Naval Special Operations Command because that's where we have our technical divers," he said. PEOPLE has contacted the Philippine National Police and Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla for comment. Read the original article on People
Reuters
4 hours ago
- Reuters
Philippines accuses China coast guard of aggressive manoeuvres against its fisheries vessels
MANILA, June 20 (Reuters) - The Philippines accused Chinese Coast Guard ships on Friday of carrying out aggressive manoeuvres and targeting its fisheries vessels with water canons while they were delivering supplies to Filipino fishermen at the disputed Scarborough Shoal on Friday. One of the four Philippine fisheries vessels involved in the mission was briefly struck by a water cannon, while another evaded being hit, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.
Malay Mail
4 hours ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
The VinFast VF 6 Passes the Wife Test with Room to Spare
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 June 2025 -Women usually play an important role in family car-buying decisions, and the VinFast VF 6, recently launched in the Philippines, meets the key priorities of many women old stereotype paints a familiar picture: men kick tires, debate horsepower, and make the final call on family cars. Reality tells a different story. According to CDK Global, women influence 85% of all car insight means that women play an important, sometimes deciding, role in buying a car. It's essential for automakers to understand what women actually look for in a numbers reveal how women approach car buying. Women spend more time researching their options. On average, they take 75 days to make a decision, compared to 63 days for men. This suggests that they usually do more thorough research to build knowledge prior to the priorities are also different from men's when shopping for cars. An survey of over 500,000 car inquiries showed that women focus on price, affordability, and practical features, while performance specs and brand prestige rank lower. The cars men wanted cost three times more on average than what satisfied women kind of thinking reflects the many roles women juggle every day: caregivers, professionals, and budget managers, often all at once. A MasterCard study across 16 Asian countries found women managing household finances in half the markets surveyed. In Indonesia and the Philippines, over 56% of women control domestic spending decisions.A more recent survey by Women's World Car of the Year gave a further breakdown. Safety ranks as the single most important feature women seek. Practicality, performance, and space tie for second place. But safety isn't just about crash want backup cameras, blind spot monitoring, and multiple airbags. They value high seating positions for better visibility. Storage pockets, cupholders, and intuitive technology matter for daily convenience. Many also weigh emissions and fuel efficiency, choosing greener options when the situation VinFast VF 6, a compact SUV recently launched in the Philippines, happens to tick all the boxes that matter most to women car buyers. It's a fully electric SUV in the popular B-segment, combining safety, practicality, and smart technology in a package built for real-world the Philippines, the VF 6 is available in two trims: Eco and Plus, with MSRPs of 1,419,000 PHP and 1,610,000 PHP "Natural Opposites" design, created with Torino Design, balances function and form. But looks aren't the selling point. It's the way the VF 6 fits into everyday a 2,730 mm wheelbase, the VF 6 remains compact enough for narrow city streets while offering interior space comparable to many larger gas-powered cars in the C-segment. Its 423-liter cargo capacity fits around 10 standard carry-on suitcases. Folding down the rear seats makes room for larger items such as bicycles or camping the VF 6 features a 12.9-inch infotainment screen, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and an 8-way power driver's seat. Voice commands operate smoothly. Utility modes cater to daily needs, including Pet Mode, which keeps the cabin cool for animals when the driver steps away. The 360-degree camera view also makes parking in tight spots safety, the VF 6 includes up to 8 airbags and offers up to 19 advanced driver assistance features in the Plus version. These include blind spot detection, rear parking assist, and 360-degree camera views, making driving easier for newer VF 6's practicality extends to finances. Owners get free charging at V-GREEN operated stations until May 1st, 2027, which eliminates fuel costs entirely. The 7-year warranty and 90% buyback guarantee provide long-term anxiety disappears with up to 480 kilometers per charge, handling both daily commutes and weekend trips without compromise."Women hold up half the sky", so it's only natural that they should shape what families drive on the road. And the VF 6 happens to align perfectly with this shift toward practical this era, automakers can't rely on dated assumptions. They need to meet people where they are, starting with the ones making the decisions. The VF 6 offers practical features, safety, and financial sense. That's what many buyers want, and that's how trust is #VinFast The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Zawya
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Zawya
The VinFast VF 6 Passes the Wife Test with Room to Spare
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - Media OutReach Newswire - 20 June 2025 - Women usually play an important role in family car-buying decisions, and the VinFast VF 6, recently launched in the Philippines, meets the key priorities of many women buyers. The old stereotype paints a familiar picture: men kick tires, debate horsepower, and make the final call on family cars. Reality tells a different story. According to CDK Global, women influence 85% of all car purchases. This insight means that women play an important, sometimes deciding, role in buying a car. It's essential for automakers to understand what women actually look for in a vehicle. The way women make decisions The numbers reveal how women approach car buying. Women spend more time researching their options. On average, they take 75 days to make a decision, compared to 63 days for men. This suggests that they usually do more thorough research to build knowledge prior to the purchase. Their priorities are also different from men's when shopping for cars. An survey of over 500,000 car inquiries showed that women focus on price, affordability, and practical features, while performance specs and brand prestige rank lower. The cars men wanted cost three times more on average than what satisfied women buyers. This kind of thinking reflects the many roles women juggle every day: caregivers, professionals, and budget managers, often all at once. A MasterCard study across 16 Asian countries found women managing household finances in half the markets surveyed. In Indonesia and the Philippines, over 56% of women control domestic spending decisions. A more recent survey by Women's World Car of the Year gave a further breakdown. Safety ranks as the single most important feature women seek. Practicality, performance, and space tie for second place. But safety isn't just about crash ratings. Women want backup cameras, blind spot monitoring, and multiple airbags. They value high seating positions for better visibility. Storage pockets, cupholders, and intuitive technology matter for daily convenience. Many also weigh emissions and fuel efficiency, choosing greener options when the situation allows. VinFast VF 6 ticks all the boxes The VinFast VF 6, a compact SUV recently launched in the Philippines, happens to tick all the boxes that matter most to women car buyers. It's a fully electric SUV in the popular B-segment, combining safety, practicality, and smart technology in a package built for real-world use. In the Philippines, the VF 6 is available in two trims: Eco and Plus, with MSRPs of 1,419,000 PHP and 1,610,000 PHP respectively. The "Natural Opposites" design, created with Torino Design, balances function and form. But looks aren't the selling point. It's the way the VF 6 fits into everyday life. With a 2,730 mm wheelbase, the VF 6 remains compact enough for narrow city streets while offering interior space comparable to many larger gas-powered cars in the C-segment. Its 423-liter cargo capacity fits around 10 standard carry-on suitcases. Folding down the rear seats makes room for larger items such as bicycles or camping gear. Inside, the VF 6 features a 12.9-inch infotainment screen, dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers, and an 8-way power driver's seat. Voice commands operate smoothly. Utility modes cater to daily needs, including Pet Mode, which keeps the cabin cool for animals when the driver steps away. The 360-degree camera view also makes parking in tight spots easier. For safety, the VF 6 includes up to 8 airbags and offers up to 19 advanced driver assistance features in the Plus version. These include blind spot detection, rear parking assist, and 360-degree camera views, making driving easier for newer drivers. The VF 6's practicality extends to finances. Owners get free charging at V-GREEN operated stations until May 1st, 2027, which eliminates fuel costs entirely. The 7-year warranty and 90% buyback guarantee provide long-term security. Range anxiety disappears with up to 480 kilometers per charge, handling both daily commutes and weekend trips without compromise. "Women hold up half the sky", so it's only natural that they should shape what families drive on the road. And the VF 6 happens to align perfectly with this shift toward practical buyers. In this era, automakers can't rely on dated assumptions. They need to meet people where they are, starting with the ones making the decisions. The VF 6 offers practical features, safety, and financial sense. That's what many buyers want, and that's how trust is earned. Hashtag: #VinFast The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VinFast
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Billionaire Lance Gokongwei's Robinsons Land Sells $536 Million Of Malls To REIT
Philippine billionaire Lance Gokongwei is hiving off about 30.7 billion pesos ($536 million) worth of shopping malls into his family's RL Commercial REIT that will help the group's diversified property arm Robinsons Land Corp. raise funds to bankroll its expansion plans. Robinsons Land—a developer of offices, residences and hotels controlled by the Gokongwei family's JG Summit—will sell nine shopping malls to RL Commercial in exchange for 3.85 billion shares, priced at 8 pesos each, according to a Philippine Stock Exchange filing. The latest infusion of 324,108 square meters (sqm) of mall space to RL Commercial will boost the REIT's portfolio by 39.2% to about 1.2 million sqm of shopping malls and office buildings. The deal comes a year after Robinsons Land sold 34 billion pesos of properties into the REIT. The transaction provides Robinsons Land, the second-largest developer of shopping malls in the country, with RL Commercial shares it can sell to help fund a five-year expansion plan that will entail investments of as much as 125 billion pesos ($2.2 billion). Robinsons Land and rivals Ayala Land and SM Prime are stepping up expansion plans amid a consumption boom in the country. Spearheaded by Robinsons Land CEO Mybelle Aragon GoBio, the first non-family to take the helm at the 45-year old developer, the company will boost its mall and office space by 50%, increase hotel room keys by 25% and double its logistics capacity. Robinsons Land aims to have 69 malls with 2.45 million sqm of gross leasable area by 2030, up from the existing 55 malls with a combined GLA of 1.7 million sqm. Its leasable office space will increase to 1.2 million sqm from 793,000 sqm in the same period. JG Summit also has interests in airlines, food and beverage, banking, petrochemicals and utilities. The business was founded by the late billionaire John Gokongwei in 1954 as a corn starch factory. After Gokongwei passed away in 2019, his six children—Lance, Robina, Lisa, Faith, Hope and Marcia—inherited his fortune. The siblings had a combined net worth of $3 billion, placing them at No. 7 on the list of the Philippines' 50 Richest when it was last published in August last year.
