Saturday, July 25, 2026


Your Daily News Update About CALABARZON and Beyond.
ISSN 2799-1911

Home Blog Page 564

Killer ng barangay kagawad sa Quezon, nasakote

0

CANDELARIA, Quezon. Naaresto na ng pulisya ang isa sa tatlong suspek sa pagpatay sa isang barangay kagawad sa Bgy, Cabay, Tiaong, Quezon noong Miyerkules.

Ayon kay Lt. Col. Marlon Cabataña, hepe ng Tiaong Municipal Police Station, pansamantalang hindi muna nila ibinunyag ang pangalan ng gunman dahil sa kasalukuyang pagtutukoy at paghahanap pa rin sa dalawang kasama nito.

Sinabi ni Cabataña na ang pagkakakilanlan sa suspek ay naging posible sa tulong ng video footage ng CCTV camera na nakakabit sa lugar ng krimen, pati na rin sa mga testigo na nakakilala sa gunman. Bukod dito, isinagawa rin ang tamang koordinasyon sa LTO Office upang matunton ang lokasyon ng suspek.

Narekober ang isa sa mga motorsiklong ginamit sa pag-atake mula sa nasakoteng gunman. Ang mga ebidensya na ito ay maglalarawan sa mga detalye ng insidente.

Ayon sa ulat ng Tiaong Police, ang biktima na kinilalang si Ricky Ambita Galangga, 44 anyos na kagawad ng Brgy. Cabay, ay nasawi habang ginagamot sa ospital dahil sa mga tama ng bala sa dibdib.

Nagaganap ang pamamaril habang ang biktima at iba pang opisyal ng barangay ay nagpulong sa barangay hall sa Sitio Ilaya, Brgy. Cabay, Tiaong noong Miyerkules bandang alas-5:10 ng hapon.

Sa mga nasaksihang pangyayari, lumapit ang dalawang motorsiklo na sinasakyan ng tatlong lalaki sa harap ng Barangay Hall. Ang isa sa mga suspek ay bumaba mula sa motorsiklo at walang pasabi na binaril ang biktima na si Galangga. Matapos ang krimen, agad na tumakas ang mga suspek patungong direksyon ng San Juan, Batangas.

Pitong basyo ng bala mula sa isang 9mm pistol ang narekober sa lugar ng krimen. Ito ang magiging mahalagang ebidensya para sa kaso upang matiyak ang pananagutan ng mga sangkot.

Tuluy-tuloy pa rin ang imbestigasyon ng pulisya upang matukoy ang mga motibo at mga iba pang detalye ng insidente. 

Ang pagkakaaresto sa isa sa mga suspek ay nagbibigay ng pag-asa sa mga kaanak at taga suporta ng biktima na magkaroon ng hustisya.

Patuloy ang pagsisikap ng awtoridad na maibigay ang nararapat na parusa sa mga salarin at mabigyan ng kapayapaan ang pamilya ng nasawing barangay kagawad.

Hinatulan ng Sandiganbayan ang dating mayor sa Palawan dahil sa hindi pagsasauli ng mga riple

Kinondena ng Sandiganbayan nitong Biyernes ang isang dating alkalde ng Puerto Princesa sa Palawan dahil sa malversation matapos hindi maibalik ang labing-apat na assault rifle sa kahalili niya sa puwesto.

Sa 48-pahinang desisyon na may petsang Hunyo 30 na isinulat ni Associate Justice Ronald B. Moreno, hinatulan ng anti-graft court ang dating alkalde ng Puerto Princesa na si Edward Hagedorn na makulong ng hanggang pitong taon at pinagbawalan ng habambuhay sa paghawak ng pampublikong tungkulin. Bukod pa rito, pinatawan din siya ng multang PHP490,000.

Ang reklamo laban kay Hagedorn ay isinampa ng kanyang kahaliling alkalde na si Mayor Lucio R. Bayron, na nag-akusa na hindi isinauli ni Hagedorn ang labing-apat sa dalawampung assault rifle na pag-aari ng lokal na pamahalaan matapos ang kanyang termino bilang alkalde noong 2013.

Sinabi ng korte na ang mga baril na ibinalik ni Hagedorn ay may mga sinalaulang serial number at hindi ito ang mga orihinal na ipinagkaloob sa kanya.

“(T)he prosecution was able to prove by moral certainty that the accused Hagedorn misappropriated the subject firearms. Aside from the fact that he was able to gain possession, custody, or control of the said firearms, the prosecution was able to prove that one of the subject firearms remains unaccounted for and nine have tampered serial numbers,” ayon sa  korte.

“(T)he court finds that not all of the subject firearms were turned over by accused Hagedorn,” dagdag pa nito.

Bawas presyo sa petroleum products sa susunod na linggo

Nagresulta sa pagkabahala ng mga motorista ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo. Ngunit ayon sa mga eksperto, may magandang balita na darating sa mga motorista.

Inaasahang magkakaroon ng rollback sa presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo sa susunod na linggo.

Sa inaasahang bawas sa presyo, bababa ang gasolina ng P0.70 hanggang P0.95. Samantala, ang mga motorista na gumagamit ng diesel ay magkakaroon ng pagkakataon na makatipid dahil inaasahang babawasan ng P0.70 hanggang P0.85 ang presyo ng bawat litro ng diesel. Para naman sa mga gumagamit ng kerosene, inaasahang mababawasan ito ng P0.70 hanggang P0.95 kada litro.

Karaniwang nagpapalabas ng abiso sa price adjustment ang mga kumpanya ng langis tuwing Lunes, at ipinapatupad ito sa susunod na araw. 

Kaugnay nito, noong nakaraang linggo, nagpatupad ng taas-presyo ang mga kompanya ng langis.

Ang rollback sa presyo ng mga produktong petrolyo sa susunod na linggo ay inaasahan na magdadala ng ginhawa sa mga motorista.

UN nuclear agency chief to visit Fukushima plant to see final preparations for release of wastewater

TOKYO. The chief of the U.N. nuclear agency will visit Japan next week to meet with Japanese leaders and see final preparations for the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean, officials said Friday.

Japan’s government hopes the visit by International Atomic Energy Agency head Rafael Mariano Grossi will add credibility to the discharge plan. It has been strongly opposed by local fishing groups and by neighboring South Korea, China and some Pacific Island nations over safety concerns.

Grossi will visit Japan July 4-7, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said. He is expected to meet with Hayashi, Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and visit the Fukushima plant, which was damaged by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

“Japan attaches great importance to the efforts of the IAEA, which serves an important role in promoting nuclear nonproliferation and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. We hope to further strengthen ties between Japan and the IAEA through this visit,” Hayashi said.

The plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, has completed construction of the equipment needed for the planned release, and Japanese regulators were finishing their final inspection on Friday. If everything goes well, TEPCO is expected to receive a permit in about a week to begin the discharge, though the starting date is still undecided, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

Environmental activists in Seoul, South Korea, protested on Friday outside the Japanese Embassy against the plan.

To ease overseas concerns, Grossi is expected to visit South Korea, New Zealand and the Cook Islands after his visit to Japan, during which the IAEA is expected to release its final report on the wastewater release plan.

Japan has sought support from the IAEA to gain credibility for the plan and ensure that safety measures meet international standards. IAEA has dispatched several missions to Japan since early 2022.

All of its interim evaluation reports have been positive and similar results are expected in its final report. The organization has said it has no power to make any decision for the Japanese government, including stopping the wastewater release.

Kishida told Cabinet ministers at a meeting Friday about the water discharge that they should continue efforts to ensure safety and counteract any negative rumors by releasing full explanations, Hayashi said.

Government and utility officials say the wastewater, stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant, must be removed to prevent accidental leaks and to make room for the plant’s decommissioning. They say the treated but still slightly radioactive water will be diluted to levels safer than international standards and will be released gradually into the ocean over decades, making it harmless to people and marine life.

Some scientists say the impact of long-term, low-dose exposure to radionuclides is unknown and the release should be delayed or contained in cement for use in construction materials. Others say the release plan is safe but call for more transparency in sampling and monitoring of the release.

The government says some false documents have been circulated, including one alleging that Japan pressured the IAEA to remove negative information from its final report.

“The IAEA is aware of the existence of the forged documents,” Hayashi said. “The IAEA’s comprehensive final report is a document prepared under the responsibility of the IAEA, and the Japanese government is not in a position to manipulate its contents,” he said. “I would like to stress that we are firmly opposed to any attempt to undermine the independence and neutrality of the IAEA with false information.”

Woman’s leg amputated after being trapped under moving walkway at Thai airport

0

BANGKOK. A woman had her leg amputated at a Thai airport after it became trapped in a movable walkway on Thursday, according to officials.

The incident occurred at Terminal 2 of Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, where a 57-year-old Thai passenger was preparing to board a morning flight to Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. Unfortunately, her leg got caught in the walkway, and the airport’s officials reported that a medical team had to amputate her left leg above the knee.

During a press conference, Don Mueang Airport Director Karun Thanakuljeerapat expressed his condolences on behalf of the airport and stated, “I’d like to insist that we will ensure that no such accident will happen again.” He assured that the airport would take full responsibility for the woman’s medical expenses and would be open to negotiating further compensations.

Karun mentioned that the woman was initially taken to a hospital where the medical team concluded that her leg could not be reattached. However, at her request, she was transferred to another hospital to explore the possibility.

Images circulated online showing the lower part of the woman’s leg trapped beneath the belt at the end of the walkway, with airport staff providing assistance. A nearby suitcase was missing two wheels, and broken yellow comb-like plates were seen near the edge of the belt where the walkway terminates.

Karun explained that the suitcase wheels were found underneath the belt, but it was unclear how they were related to the accident. He stated that the airport conducts daily inspections of the walkways, with an additional monthly check. The walkway involved in the incident has been closed, and a team of engineers is conducting an investigation to determine the cause.

The airport director mentioned that the walkway was manufactured by the Japanese company Hitachi and was installed in 1996. He added that there are plans to request a budget to replace it with a newer model in 2025.

This is not the first time an incident has occurred with the airport’s walkways. In 2019, a passenger’s shoe was damaged after getting caught in a moving walkway at Terminal 1. The airport promptly repaired the faulty walkway, and it was reopened within an hour, as stated in a subsequent official statement.

A female passenger lost her leg after getting caught in a moving walkway at the Bangkok Airport in Thailand. (Viral Press)

Associated Press contributed to this report.

PAGASA: 3 bagyo manghahagupit sa Hulyo

Hindi bababa sa tatlong tropical cyclone ang inaasahang papasok sa lugar ng pagbabantay sa panahon ng bansa ngayong buwan ng Hulyo, ayon sa ulat ng Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), nitong Huwebes.

Sa isang mensahe, sinabi ni PAGASA weather specialist Benison Estareja na posibleng magkaroon ng tatlo hanggang apat na bagyo sa loob ng Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) sa Hulyo. Sinabi rin niya na maaaring mag-landfall sa mainland Luzon o Eastern Visayas ang mga bagyo, na magpapalakas din sa southwest monsoon o habagat sa kanlurang bahagi ng bansa.

Sa kasalukuyan, ayon sa PAGASA, hindi pa inaasahan ang pagpasok ng anumang tropical cyclone hanggang sa katapusan ng linggo. Gayunpaman, patuloy na magpapaulan ang habagat sa karamihan ng mga lugar sa bansa.

Sa Metro Manila, Gitnang Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, at Pangasinan, inaasahan ang mahina hanggang katamtamang pag-ulan at pagkidlat-pagkulog dahil sa kasalukuyang sistema ng panahon. Sinabi rin ni Estareja na may mataas na posibilidad ng pag-ulan sa karamihan ng mga lugar sa Visayas.

Sa Mindanao, inaasahan rin ang pag-ulan, ngunit maaaring magkaroon ng mainit at mahalumigmig na panahon sa hapon sa ilang lugar tulad ng General Santos City, Zamboanga City, at Davao City. Dagdag pa niya, inaasahan ang temperatura na umabot sa 32°C.

Ang PAGASA ay nananawagan sa publiko na manatiling handa at maging alisto sa mga posibleng epekto ng mga bagyo at habagat. Mahalagang sundin ang mga abiso at paalala mula sa mga lokal na pamahalaan at ahensya ng pagbabantay sa panahon upang mapangalagaan ang kaligtasan ng lahat.

Samantala, patuloy pa rin ang pagmamanman ng PAGASA sa mga susunod na update tungkol sa mga bagyo at iba pang kaganapan sa panahon. Panatilihing nakatutok sa mga opisyal na balita at anunsyo upang maging handa sa mga posibleng pagbabago sa panahon sa mga susunod na araw.

A Helsinki vice mayor is under fire after being caught red-handed spray-painting graffiti

0

HELSINKI. The deputy mayor of Finland’s capital is facing possible legal action, and calls for him to pay compensation for damages and to resign, after he was caught red-handed spray-painting graffiti in a railway tunnel last weekend.

The Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency told public broadcaster YLE on Wednesday that cleaning up graffiti illegally painted by Paavo Arhinmäki, one of the four deputy mayors of Helsinki, cost the city around 3,500 euros ($3,830).

Arhinmäki, 46, and a friend were caught by guards in a rail tunnel in eastern Helsinki on Friday just after they had completed graffiti, which Finnish street art experts said looked partly inspired by works seen in New York City in the 1970s.

Finland’s largest newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat, published a photo of the large-scale graffiti in a tweet.

In a Facebook posting on Sunday, Arhinmäki, who is known as a strong supporter of street art and as a creator of graffiti in his youth, apologized for his “stupid fooling around.” He is a former lawmaker and chairman of the Left Alliance, and served as a minister for culture and sports in 2011-2014.

Police are investigating the act as vandalism and interference with rail traffic, which had to be temporarily halted because of the incident. The rail tunnel is used by cargo trains running to and from a Helsinki port.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Arhinmäki would face legal charges.

“I have committed a crime and bear full responsibility for it,” Arhinmäki told YLE on Monday, but has refused to resign from his post and the Helsinki City Council where his Left Alliance party is backing him.

The case has caused uproar and debate among Helsinki citizens in social media with a majority condemning — but some also fiercely supporting — the actions of the deputy mayor who is in charge of culture and leisure affairs in Helsinki, a city of 650,000 inhabitants.

The Finnish capital spends an estimated 650,000 euros ($710,000) annually to remove illegal graffiti throughout the city, and is currently seeking to establish additional sanctioned sites for street art.

Arhinmäki, 46, and a friend were caught by guards in a rail tunnel in eastern Helsinki on Friday just after they had completed graffiti, which Finnish street art experts said looked partly inspired by works seen in New York City in the 1970s.

Pekeng travel agent sa Laguna, arestado sa 13 kaso ng rape

0

Biñan City, Laguna. Madaling araw ng Martes, nadakip ng mga operatiba ng Biñan City Police Station (CPS) ang isang 32 anyos na lalaki na itinuturong responsable sa panggagahasa sa 13 kababaihan mula sa Cavite at Metro Manila.

Ayon sa ulat na ipinasa ni Police Col. Virgilio Jopia, hepe ng pulisya sa Binan CPS kay Police BGeneral Carlito Gaces, direktor ng Police Regional Office Calabarzon, kinilala ang suspek na si Raymund Paguiragan, isang residente ng Poblacion sa nasabing lungsod.

Sinabi ni Col. Jopia na ang modus operandi ng suspek ay magpanggap bilang may-ari ng mga travel agency at direktor ng isang kumpanya na naghahanap ng mga modelo para sa mga komersyal na produkto.

Sa oras na mapapaniwala ni Paguiragan ang mga biktima, iniimbitahan umano nito ang mga babae, papakainin sa mamahaling restawran, at yayayain sa isang hotel para sa isang pictorial.

Dito na umano isinasagawa ng suspek ang panggagahasa, kung saan ninanakawan pa niya ang mga biktima at kinunan pa ng video ang kanilang sekswal na aktibidad.

Ayon sa mga pulis, hindi makapag reklamo ang mga biktima ni Paguirigan dahil sinasabihan niya ang mga ito na ipapakalat ang video sa Facebook sakaling magsumbong sila sa pulisya.

Kahapon.

Ngunit noong Miyerkules, nagsumbong sa pulisya ang isang 26-anyos na bagong biktima ni Paguirigan matapos siyang halayin at pinagnakawan ng suspek sa isang motel sa Binan City.

Ayon sa nagsumbong na biktima, nakilala niya si Paguiragan sa pamamagitan ng isang kaibigan na nagsabi sa kanya na nangangailangan ito ng mga modelo.

Nagkita umano sila sa isang restaurant at pinakain pa umano siya ng suspek bago sila pumunta sa isang motel para sa pictorial.

Nang malaman ni Manel na may ibang layunin ang suspek sa kanya, sinubukan umano niyang lumabas ng kwarto, ngunit tinakot ni Paguirigan hanggang sa mawala ang kanyang pagkababae.

Bukod sa panggagahasa, ninakaw pa umano ng suspek ang kaniyang cellphone at perang dalawang libong piso.

Dinala pa umano ni Paguirigan si Manel sa isang lugar sa Calamba City at doon siya ibinaba, kasabay ng pananakot na huwag magsusumbong sa pulisya.

Sa halip na matakot, agad na nagtungo ang biktima sa istasyon ng pulisya at humingi ng tulong.

Agad namang natukoy ang tahanan ng suspek dahil sa calling card na ibinigay nito sa biktima.

Nakakulong na ngayon si Paguirigan sa Binan City Police Station, kung saan nagdagsaan ang iba pang mga nabiktima nito.

South Koreans grow younger overnight as the country changes how it counts people’s ages

SEOUL, South Korea. As South Korea campaigns to retire an old and odd age-counting method that makes people a year or two older than they really are, children are among the few who seem most eager to stick with the past.

“I turned 6 and then became 5 again,” Kim Da-in said when a TV reporter asked her about a new law that went into effect Wednesday that formalizes the international age-counting method in administrative and civil laws and encourages people to tally their own ages accordingly.

South Korea’s traditional age-counting custom considers every person 1 year old at birth and adds another year when the calendar hits Jan. 1, meaning a child born on Dec. 31 turns 2 the next day.

While the new law is the country’s latest attempt to retire that method and standardize international ages based on the passing of birthdays, it’s not immediately clear what will actually change — putting aside the minor frustrations of children like Da-in waiting for their birthdays.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has described standardizing international ages as a key goal of his government, citing a need to reduce “social and administrative confusion” and disputes. But officials in South Korea’s Ministry of Government Legislation acknowledge the new law won’t meaningfully change how the country’s public services are done, as most are already based on international ages.

International ages are the standard in most South Korean laws and official and legal documents, and define when a person goes to school, becomes eligible to drive and vote, and receives a pension.

Still, the law was welcomed by Choi Eun-young, a 49-year-old resident of the capital, Seoul, who no longer feels the need to describe herself as being in her 50s.

“The law doesn’t make you biologically younger and there are no real benefits other than feeling good about being called a year younger than before,” she admitted. “But if that’s the international standard, there’s nothing bad in following it.”

Oh Seung-youl, another Seoul resident, agreed.

“It’s always good to be younger,” Oh said with a laugh, praising the new law for turning him 61 from 63.

“My birthday is Dec. 16 and I became 2 years old less than a month after I was born,” said Oh. “That’s why (the old counting method) doesn’t make sense.”

But 21-year-old Kim Si-eun was already missing the old counting method, which felt simpler to her.

“Korean-style age was actually easier to count,” she said. “With everybody now going with international age, the changed ages feel awkward.”

While the new law states that a person’s age must be counted by the passing of birthdays for most public services, it does not affect other age-related regulations that are based on yearly rules.

Staying the same is the country’s legal age for drinking and smoking, which are allowed from Jan. 1 of the year a person turns 19 in their international age, regardless of whether their birthday has passed.

The new law doesn’t affect when South Korean males become eligible to serve their mandatory military duty, which is from Jan. 1 of the year they turn 18 in international age.

Changing those age regulations would require revisions of the country’s youth protection and military service laws, the government legislation ministry said.

Lee Wan-kyu, the government legislation minister, said the new law is mostly aimed at reducing confusion in daily life and inspiring a change in “social perception” toward a more rational way of counting ages.

Promoting international age as a social standard could be important in areas like healthcare. For example, a child could be at risk if his or her parents see a cough syrup instruction that reads “20 ml for 12 years and older” and think it means the “Korean age,” the ministry said in a statement.

There have also been instances in which public transport users demanded refunds after paying for their children’s fares, thinking the free rides given to children under 6 meant their Korean age.

Differing age interpretations inspired a major dispute in 2004 at a dairy company, Namyang, after unionists and management disagreed over the terms of their collective bargaining agreement that allowed the company to gradually reduce the salaries of employees aged 56 or older.

Following a yearslong court battle over whether 56 meant the Korean age or international age, the Supreme Court in 2022 ruled that the agreement should be interpreted as 55 years in international age, citing communication records between unionists.

Choi Duck-sang, a 56-year-old office worker, said being younger is not always a benefit in a conservative society where age goes a long way in defining hierarchy.

“You are losing as much as two years!” he said. “Still, I think this is a change that should have been made much earlier. It’s a good thing -– the entire nation got younger together.”

Netherlands euthanizing autistic and intellectually handicapped people, researcher finds

0

Intellectual disability played a significant role in the suffering of 21% of those euthanized

Netherlands programs have euthanized otherwise healthy individuals with autism and intellectual handicaps in recent years, researchers have found. 

Five individuals under the age of 30, who cited autism as a factor in their decision to seek legal euthanasia, are among the cases reviewed by specialists at the U.K.’s Kingston University. 

“Factors directly associated with intellectual disability and/or ASD were the sole cause of suffering described in 21% of cases and a major contributing factor in a further 42% of cases,” Kingston University’s report on the issue found. 

The study noted that in many cases, doctors determined there was “no prospect of improvement” for intellectually challenged individuals because there is no treatment for their handicap.

“Reasons for the EAS [euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide] request included social isolation and loneliness (77%), lack of resilience or coping strategies (56%), lack of flexibility (rigid thinking or difficulty adapting to change) (44%) and oversensitivity to stimuli (26%). In one-third of cases, physicians noted there was ‘no prospect of improvement’ as ASD and intellectual disability are not treatable,” the study reads.

Palliative care specialist Irene Tuffrey-Wijne — one of the lead authors of the Kingston University report — found Dutch doctors were legally killing patients who sought their own euthanasia because their intellectual disability or mental condition prevented them from leading a normal life, according to The Associated Press.

One record includes the case of a Dutch woman in her 30s with autism and borderline personality disorder. Doctors determined her afflictions prevented her from maintaining relationships and made forming connections with others “too difficult.”

“There’s no doubt in my mind these people were suffering,” Tuffrey-Wijne said. “But is society really OK with sending this message, that there’s no other way to help them, and it’s just better to be dead?”

Dutch psychologist Dr. Bram Sizoo expressed horror at the trend of autistic youths seeking assisted suicide and euthanasia’s expanding acceptance.

“Some of them are almost excited at the prospect of death,” Sizoo said. “They think this will be the end of their problems and the end of their family’s problems.”

The Royal Dutch Medical Association has left the decision of who qualifies for assisted suicide up to medical professionals with few hard guidelines or rules.

Dutch designer Alexander Bannink, right, explains how the “Sarco” euthanasia pod works as a woman experiences sitting in the device by wearing virtual reality glasses at the Amsterdam Funeral Expo. (JAN HENNOP/AFP via Getty Images)