News Roundup 29 April 2023
Apr 29, 2023 • 4 min Read
Viral documentary about fake PH gang garners 2.5M views, QCPD tracks actors | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — After a fake documentary about gangs in the Philippines went viral online, the Quezon City Police Department (QCPD) located the video’s actors and said that charges will be filed against the person who created the movie.
The documentary titled “No-Go Zones: Philippines Gangs” was posted on a Facebook page called “Free Documentary”, which was originally named “Amazon Prime Video”, said the QCPD. While the video has only been up since April 25, it has already garnered 2.3 million views, 64,000 reactions and 9,300 shares.
The video revolves around a fabricated gang called the “Batangas City Jail Gang,” and makes false claims such as drugs being punishable by death. This is easily debunked by the fact that the death penalty is not legal in the country.
The QCPD also fact-checked the statistics presented by the fake documentary, saying that the actual crime statistics in the city did not match up to what it said.
“Based on QCPD records regarding the crime incidents of Quezon City, the statistics presented in the viral video are incorrect and misleading people. Crime incidents in Quezon City had actually decreased this year as a result of the efficient public order and safety interventions of the city government and law enforcement agency,” the police department said.
Swindled actors
In the video, the actors were made to act as if they are part of rival gangs in a violent city full of crime.
The QCPD tracked down the actors in the video, who were identified as Jonathan Peralta, Allan Gelera, Ronnie Legarto, Ronnel Salinog, and Alvin Zaplan. They were interviewed by police, where it was found out they were swindled into acting in the video.
Full Story at: Viral documentary about fake PH gang garners 2.5M views, QCPD tracks actors | Inquirer News
PH, China trade blame for near-collision in WPS | INQUIRER.NET – The Philippines and China on Friday blamed each other for the near-collision of two of their coast guard ships near Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal a day after President Marcos held talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang.
Manila said a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship with bow number 5201 used “dangerous maneuvers” to block the much smaller 44-meter BRP Malapascua of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), which was sailing toward Ayungin, where the derelict Philippine Navy ship BRP Sierra Madre serves as one of the country’s outposts in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Teresita Daza, spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), on Friday said a report by the PCG was being studied and Manila would take “appropriate diplomatic action” if the CCG was found to have taken an “illegal action” in Philippine waters.
Full Story at: PH, China trade blame for near-collision in WPS | Global News (inquirer.net)
4 more BIFF experts in IED fabrication yield | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Four more members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters trained in fabrication of improvised explosive devices surrendered to the Army Friday.
They first turned in two .30 caliber Garand rifles, an M14 rifle, a bolt-action sniper rifle and explosives before they renounced their membership with the BIFF during a simple surrender rite at Camp Leono in Barangay Kalandagan in Tacurong City.
Major Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said Saturday the four men agreed to return to the fold of law through the intercession of the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade and local officials in central Mindanao’s adjoining Maguindanao del Sur and Sultan Kudarat provinces.
Full Story at: 4 more BIFF experts in IED fabrication yield | Philstar.com
Central Mindanao-Basilan shipping route opened | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Merchants in Basilan and Maguindanao del Norte were elated with the government’s having established a shipping route connecting both provinces, for them essential to the economic growth of the two areas.
Ronald Halid Dimacisil Torres, chairman of the Bangsamoro Business Council, said Saturday they are grateful to the Ministry of Transportation and Communication-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for setting up the Basilan-Maguindanao del Norte sea route.
The council has members in the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi and Lamitan, all inside BARMM’s core territory,
Senior public officials, among them Regional Minister Paisalin Tago of MOTC, Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulrauf Macacua and officials of BARMM’s Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) launched this week the maiden voyage of the roll-on, roll off vessel M/V Island Paradise from Polloc Port in nearby Parang town to Lamitan City in Basilan.
Full Story at: Central Mindanao-Basilan shipping route opened | Philstar.com
