Latest news with #PhilippineStar
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bogus disqualification claims target Philippine political party ahead of vote
"The COMELEC has disqualified the BAYAN MUNA Party-list from participating in the 2025 midterm elections," reads a Facebook post shared May 10. It featured screenshots of Comelec's supposed ruling on a disqualification case filed by a petitioner named Angela O. Aguilar against Bayan Muna which is seeking a seat in Congress in the upcoming mid-term vote (archived link). The resolution -- apparently docketed "SPA No. 24-059" -- says the party-list group was disqualified for having links to a communist rebel group (archived link). Another Facebook post purports to show a Comelec press announcement quoting its spokesman John Rex Laudiangco as saying: "Votes cast for the BAYAN MUNA PARTYLIST will be considered null and void." Screenshots claiming to show news reports announcing Bayan Muna's disqualification also surfaced but were dismissed by The Philippine Star, Inquirer,ABS-CBN News and Rappler (archived here, here, here and here). "The Commission En Banc has not released a resolution disqualifying the Bayan Muna Party-list during this elections," Comelec said in a post on its official Facebook page on May 10 (archived link). "They are still officially included in the list of candidates for party-list groups for the election on Monday (May 12, 2025)." The circulating resolution and press announcement are bogus. A search through Comelec's notices on special action cases found "SPA No. 24-059" refers to an unrelated petition involving Jose Bunilla who was declared a "nuisance candidate" by the election body (archived link). A petitioner named Angela O. Aguilar, who claimed to be a secretary-general of a nongovernment organisation for underprivileged women, sought to disqualify Bayan Muna in 2019 (archived link). But her petition was dismissed in 2020, according to several Philippine news reports (archived here, here, here). Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna said in a post on the group's Facebook page on May 10: "There is no reason to disqualify the group and the Comelec knows this. We are a legitimate party-list group joining in the exercise of the elections (archived link)." AFP has debunked similar false disqualification claims targeting the party during the 2022 and 2019 elections.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Yahoo
Driver plows through crowd in Vancouver, killing at least 9
April 27 (UPI) -- A driver plowed through a crowd at a street festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver late Saturday night, killing at least nine people, police said. "As of now, we can confirm nine people have died after a man drove through a crowd at last night's Lapu Lapu Festival," the Vancouver Police Department said in a statement on social media. "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident." The driver, a 30-year-old man who has not been officially named, drove through the Lapu Lapu Festival around 8 p.m. on Saturday and was taken into custody. "At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism," police said in an earlier statement Sunday. The Lapu Lapu Festival is a Filipino block party that honors Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain who led native forces in the defeat of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan in 1521, marking the first act of Filipino resistance to colonization. The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver has set up a hotline for affected nationals and called the incident "horrific" while it was awaiting more information on what occurred. Phillipine President Ferdinand "Bongbong Marcos expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims of the incident and the "thriving Filipino community in Canada," according to the Philippine Star newspaper. "We are one with the families of the victims and the Filipino community in Vancouver during this difficult time," he said. With terrorism ruled out, the cause of the incident remains unclear. It was not immediately known Sunday what charges the driver may face.
Express Tribune
28-02-2025
- Express Tribune
Brutal shark attack and strong currents claim lives of two Russian divers in the Philippines
In a harrowing incident off the coast of Batangas, Philippines, two Russian tourists met tragic ends during a diving expedition. Ilia Peregudin, 29, and Maksim Melekhov, 39, were part of a group that was swept away by strong undercurrents while diving near Verde Island—a popular spot known for its vibrant marine life. The coast guard reported that while two divers and their Filipino instructor managed to return safely, Peregudin and Melekhov were less fortunate. Coast guard district chief Airland Lapitan disclosed the grim details of the search and rescue operation. "The first man was found floating in the water and unfortunately, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital," Lapitan stated. The second man's fate was even more dire; he was discovered amidst a brutal shark attack. "It took rescuers over half an hour to free him from the sharks. Tragically, he lost his right arm and sustained severe injuries," Lapitan added. Members of Coast Guard Batangas recover the bodies of two Russian nationals after they died during a diving session near Verde Island, Batangas City on Thursday. According to reports, one of the victims was immediately brought to St. Patrick Hospital in Batangas City but was… — The Philippine Star (@PhilippineStar) February 28, 2025 Despite valiant efforts to save him, the severity of the injuries proved too great. The local authorities noted, "The bodies were recovered and have been turned over to their families." An investigation has been launched to understand the full circumstances of the tragedy and to discuss preventative measures for future divers in the region. Shark attacks are notably rare in the Philippines, with this being the first such incident recorded in over a year. This tragedy has prompted local officials to reevaluate safety protocols to prevent such incidents in the future.
