Latest news with #JonvicRemulla
GMA Network
10 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
21 PH gov't officials stranded in Israel arrive in PH
The 21 Filipino government officials who got stranded in Israel amid tensions with Iran arrived in Manila on Saturday morning. The officials — 17 local government officials who attended an agricultural technology training and four dairy industry specialists of the Department of Agriculture — were met at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 by Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla. Of the 17 officials, two were congressmen, nine mayors, four vice mayors, and two regional directors. It was an emotional homecoming for the stranded officials, as seen in a video taken by GMA Integrated News reporter Bea Pinlac. Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss earlier said the 21 Filipinos were attended to by the Israeli government. "All of them have been taken care of by the Israeli government, and we are also looking for ways to send them back to the Philippines. This is our responsibility and our commitment… I can tell you that they are getting fed, lodging, and whatever they need. We are catering for, and I know that they are doing fine. Of course, it's not a pleasant situation,' Fluss said. Agriculture Secretary Francisco "Kiko" Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier said the stranded Filipinos were fearful as their hotels were bombed. The officials took a land trip to Jordan, then went to Dubai for the flight back to Manila. —KG, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
7 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
DILG to buy patrol vehicles for PNP's '5-minute response' policy
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will shoulder the purchase of patrol vehicles to improve police mobility and visibility, as it expressed its full support of the Five-Minute Response Time Strategy. This was announced by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla during the PNP Command Conference held Friday at the PNP Multi-Purpose Center, the PNP said in a statement. Police Regional Offices also presented their operational plans in response to the directive of PNP Chief Police General Nicolas Torre III to execute reforms leading to reshaping frontline policing. Meanwhile, Police Major General Anthony Aberin, National Capital Region Police Office Regional Director, bared a comprehensive plan which includes the full implementation of the 5-minute response strategy, the increase of logistical readiness, regular training for personnel, and the conduct of simulation (SIMEX), communication (COMEX), and capability (CAPEX) exercises. As part of the transition to a fully mobile police force, Aberin also underscored the eight hours duty per shift to ensure constant operational presence, the intensification of Red Team operations, and the deactivation of Police Community Precincts (PCPs), substations, and police boxes. According to the PNP, the 5-Minute Response Time Strategy serves as a major departure from traditional precinct-based policing, making the police presence a more mobile, proactive, and people-centered approach. The program shall also ensure that calls for help are answered swiftly, professionally, and at any hour. 'This transformation goes beyond patrol deployment. It's about rebuilding trust through swift action, professionalism, and accountability—while remaining firmly anchored on the rule of law, human rights, and due process,' Torre said. Torre also called for the agency to enhance its internal communication, particularly among station commanders, underscoring that seamless coordination saves people's lives. The Kalasag 911—the PNP's integrated support system for the national 911 emergency response program — was also highlighted during the event. The state-of-the-art facility integrates real-time data, geolocation tracking, and inter-agency coordination to ensure that the 5-minute response goal becomes a reality across the country. —Jamil Santos/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
Saudi Gazette
27-02-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Philippine police rescue a Chinese student whose finger was cut off by kidnappers
MANILA — A Chinese student who was kidnapped by a gang, which killed his driver and cut off the student's finger in a bid to force his parents to pay a huge ransom, was rescued by Philippine police, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the parents rejected the ransom demand but the kidnappers, who included former Filipino police officers and soldiers, abandoned the 14-year-old student Tuesday night in the middle of a busy street in metropolitan Manila when police closed in on their vehicle. The Feb. 20 kidnapping of the student after attending classes at a British school in Manila set off alarms due to its brazenness and brutality. Remulla told reporters that the student's family and the Chinese leader of the kidnappers allegedly were former operators of lucrative online gambling outfits, which flourished under former President Rodrigo Duterte but were ordered shut last year by his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The online gambling outfits, which operated in the Philippines, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, have catered to large numbers of clients in China, where gambling is prohibited. 'We know that this crime involved a Chinese against a Chinese,' Remulla said, adding that the student's family and the kidnappers communicated in Chinese via the WeChat app. After the closure of illegal gambling outfits in the Philippines, some turned to other crimes, including kidnapping, Remulla said. Officials said online cryptocurrency sites, love and investment scams remained a threat. In a bid to pressure the student's family to pay a ransom of $20 million, which was later reduced to $1 million, the kidnappers cut off the tip of the small finger in the victim's right hand and sent a video of the gruesome act to his parents, Remulla said. The student's driver was killed and later found in an abandoned vehicle, where crucial evidence, including cellphone numbers, were found. The suspects apparently tried to leave the vehicle in a haste, Remulla said. The kidnappers have been identified and were being hunted, Remulla and police officials said. — CNN
The Independent
27-02-2025
- The Independent
Philippine police rescue kidnapped Chinese student after grisly ransom ordeal
Philippine authorities have successfully rescued a 14-year-old Chinese student who was abducted by a criminal gang led by Chinese nationals. The gang had brutally murdered his driver and severed a part of his finger to pressure his family into paying a hefty ransom, officials reported on Wednesday. According to interior secretary Jonvic Remulla, the student's parents refused to comply with the kidnappers' demands. As law enforcement closed in on their getaway vehicle, the gang panicked and abandoned the teenager on a busy street in metropolitan Manila on Tuesday night. Some of the kidnappers were identified as former Filipino police officers and soldiers. The abduction of the student on 20 February, shortly after he left his British school in Manila, caused widespread alarm due to its violence. Mr Remulla told reporters that both the student's family and the Chinese mastermind behind the kidnapping were reportedly involved in highly profitable online gambling operations, which thrived under former president Rodrigo Duterte but were shut down last year by his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The online gambling outfits, which operated in the Philippines, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, have catered to large numbers of clients in China, where gambling is prohibited. "We know that this crime involved a Chinese against a Chinese,' Mr Remulla said, adding that the student's family and the kidnappers communicated in Chinese via the WeChat app. After the closure of illegal gambling outfits in the Philippines, some turned to other crimes, including kidnapping, Mr Remulla said. Officials said online cryptocurrency sites, love and investment scams remained a threat. In a bid to pressure the student's family to pay a ransom of $20m, which was later reduced to $1m, the kidnappers cut off the tip of the small finger in the victim's right hand and sent a video of the gruesome act to his parents, Mr Remulla said. The student's driver was killed and later found in an abandoned vehicle, where crucial evidence, including cellphone numbers, were found. The suspects apparently tried to leave the vehicle in a haste, Mr Remulla said. The kidnappers have been identified and were being hunted, Mr Remulla and police officials said.
CNN
26-02-2025
- CNN
Philippine police rescue a Chinese student whose finger was cut off by kidnappers
MANILA (AP) — Philippine police safely recovered a Chinese student who was kidnapped by a Chinese-led gang, which killed his driver and cut off the student's finger in a bid to force his parents to pay a huge ransom, officials said Wednesday. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the parents rejected the ransom demand but the kidnappers, who included former Filipino police officers and soldiers, abandoned the 14-year-old student Tuesday night in the middle of a busy street in metropolitan Manila when police closed in on their vehicle. The Feb. 20 kidnapping of the student after attending classes at a British school in Manila set off alarms due to its brazenness and brutality. Remulla told reporters that the student's family and the Chinese leader of the kidnappers allegedly were former operators of lucrative online gambling outfits, which flourished under former President Rodrigo Duterte but were ordered shut last year by his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The online gambling outfits, which operated in the Philippines, Cambodia and other Southeast Asian countries, have catered to large numbers of clients in China, where gambling is prohibited. 'We know that this crime involved a Chinese against a Chinese,' Remulla said, adding that the student's family and the kidnappers communicated in Chinese via the WeChat app. After the closure of illegal gambling outfits in the Philippines, some turned to other crimes, including kidnapping, Remulla said. Officials said online cryptocurrency sites, love and investment scams remained a threat. In a bid to pressure the student's family to pay a ransom of $20 million, which was later reduced to $1 million, the kidnappers cut off the tip of the small finger in the victim's right hand and sent a video of the gruesome act to his parents, Remulla said. The student's driver was killed and later found in an abandoned vehicle, where crucial evidence, including cellphone numbers, were found. The suspects apparently tried to leave the vehicle in a haste, Remulla said. The kidnappers have been identified and were being hunted, Remulla and police officials said.
