Latest news with #RodrigoDuterte
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Search for 34 missing cockfighting gamblers points to volcanic lake
Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men - who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches - disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting - where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to their feet - is a multi-million dollar industry in the Philippines. The men are accused of being involved in livestreamed cockfights, which were popularised during the Covid pandemic when in-person matches were forced to shut. But this made the industry even more lucrative, generating some 620 million pesos ($10.8m; £8m) a month in licence earnings for the government. A 2022 Senate investigation also revealed that daily bets on online cockfights ran up to 3 billion pesos ($52.4m; £38.8m). But after the disappearance of the men, the livestreamed fights - known locally as "e-sabong" - came under scrutiny and then president Rodrigo Duterte eventually banned them. Traditional cockfighting is still legal in the Philippines. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters that authorities would look into deploying divers to look for human remains under the lake. "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. Remulla also added that authorities would look into the new development, adding that they are looking into finding more witnesesses. Gambling is legal in predominantly Catholic Philippines even though church leaders are against it in all its forms. Some online gambling operations have also been linked to criminal operations. Last year, Filipino authorities uncovered massive scam centres and human trafficking rings hiding behind online casinos that serve mainland Chinese clients. This led President Ferdinand Marcos to outlaw the online casinos known as Pogos or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Search for 34 missing cockfighting gamblers points to volcanic lake
Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men - who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches - disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting - where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to their feet - is a multi-million dollar industry in the Philippines. The men are accused of being involved in livestreamed cockfights, which were popularised during the Covid pandemic when in-person matches were forced to shut. But this made the industry even more lucrative, generating some 620 million pesos ($10.8m; £8m) a month in licence earnings for the government. A 2022 Senate investigation also revealed that daily bets on online cockfights ran up to 3 billion pesos ($52.4m; £38.8m). But after the disappearance of the men, the livestreamed fights - known locally as "e-sabong" - came under scrutiny and then president Rodrigo Duterte eventually banned them. Traditional cockfighting is still legal in the Philippines. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters that authorities would look into deploying divers to look for human remains under the lake. "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. Remulla also added that authorities would look into the new development, adding that they are looking into finding more witnesesses. Gambling is legal in predominantly Catholic Philippines even though church leaders are against it in all its forms. Some online gambling operations have also been linked to criminal operations. Last year, Filipino authorities uncovered massive scam centres and human trafficking rings hiding behind online casinos that serve mainland Chinese clients. This led President Ferdinand Marcos to outlaw the online casinos known as Pogos or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Philippines cockfighting: Search for 34 missing gamblers points to Taal lake
Filipino authorities are investigating a claim that dozens of cockfighter enthusiasts who disappeared three years ago were killed and dumped in a volcanic lake. At least 34 men - who had been accused of fixing cockfighting matches - disappeared without a trace in the capital Manila and its surrounding provinces. Six suspects were later charged for kidnapping and on Thursday, one of them claimed in a TV interview that the victims were strangled to death and dumped into Taal Lake, which surrounds an active volcano. Cockfighting - where people bet on roosters battling to death using bladed spurs tied to their feet - is a multi-million dollar industry in the Philippines. The men are accused of being involved in livestreamed cockfights, which were popularised during the Covid pandemic when in-person matches were forced to shut. But this made the industry even more lucrative, generating some 620 million pesos ($10.8m; £8m) a month in licence earnings for the government. A 2022 Senate investigation also revealed that daily bets on online cockfights ran up to 3 billion pesos ($52.4m; £38.8m).But after the disappearance of the men, the livestreamed fights - known locally as "e-sabong" - came under scrutiny and then president Rodrigo Duterte eventually banned them. Traditional cockfighting is still legal in the Philippines. On Thursday, Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla told reporters that authorities would look into deploying divers to look for human remains under the lake. "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 also added that authorities would look into the new development, adding that they are looking into finding more witnesesses. Gambling is legal in predominantly Catholic Philippines even though church leaders are against it in all its online gambling operations have also been linked to criminal year, Filipino authorities uncovered massive scam centres and human trafficking rings hiding behind online casinos that serve mainland Chinese led President Ferdinand Marcos to outlaw the online casinos known as Pogos or Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
SBS Australia
11 hours ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
SBS Filipino Radio Program, Friday 20 June 2025
Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide are part of the top 10 world's most liveable cities, according to Economist Intelligence Unit's 2025 Global Liveability Index. Vice President Sara Duterte will not attend the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Bongbong Marcos on July 28. A large gathering is set to take place this Sunday at Parliament Gardens in Melbourne to show support for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. However, the event is also drawing criticism from several Filipino-Australian groups and human rights advocates who are voicing strong opposition to the attendance of the VP and Senator Imee Marcos. SBS Filipino 20/06/2025 41:28 📢 Where to Catch SBS Filipino
Filipino Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Filipino Times
ICC prosecution to respond to Duterte's request for interim release
The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecution is set to file its response to former President Rodrigo Duterte's request for interim release, which seeks to allow him to stay in a country that has reportedly agreed to receive him. In a statement, the Office of the Prosecutor confirmed that it will submit its position to Pre-Trial Chamber I, addressing the defense's application for Duterte's temporary release while facing crimes against humanity charges. 'The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will file before the Pre-Trial Chamber I a response to the defense's request for the interim release of Mr. Rodrigo Roa Duterte,' the prosecution said via email. Duterte, through his lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, is seeking interim release to an unnamed country—its identity redacted in the public version of the 16-page filing—which he says has agreed to accept him and enforce court-imposed conditions. The defense also claims that the prosecution has not objected to the proposed interim release, provided specific conditions laid out in a confidential annex are met. Kaufman argued that Duterte does not meet the threshold for continued detention under Article 58(1)(b) of the Rome Statute, citing no flight risk, no threat to the investigation, and no risk of committing further crimes. '[Redacted] has affirmed its principled willingness to cooperate with the court, and to accept Mr. Duterte onto its territory for the duration of his interim release and enforce conditions of release,' the defense stated. The ICC is currently conducting pre-trial proceedings against Duterte in connection with killings linked to his anti-drug campaign, both during his presidency and his term as mayor of Davao City. A ruling from the Pre-Trial Chamber on Duterte's interim release request is expected following the prosecution's response.
