Latest news with #Remulla
GMA Network
4 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
PHIVOLCS: 1 phreatomagmatic eruption, 6 volcanic quakes in Taal Volcano
Photo of the minor phreatomagmatic eruptive events recorded at the Taal Main Crater on Thursday, July 17, 2025. PHIVOLCS A phreatomagmatic eruption event and six volcanic earthquakes, including five volcanic tremors, have been recorded in Taal Volcano on Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) said Friday. In its bulletin, PHIVOLCS said the phreatomagmatic eruption event lasted up to 12 minutes, while the volcanic earthquakes lasted two to six minutes. A weak emission of plumes reaching up to 400 meters tall was also observed from Taal Volcano, drifting southeast. Also, a long-term deflation of the Taal Caldera and short-term inflation of the southeastern flank of the Taal Volcano Island were observed. Taal Volcano emitted 504 tonnes of sulfur dioxide gas on Tuesday. The temperature in the Main Crater Lake was at 68.7 degrees Celsius as of April 15, while the acidity level in the same area was at 0.3 as of February 19. Missing sabungeros Taal Volcano had an eruption on Thursday amid the continuing search and retrieval operations at Taal Lake for the remains of missing cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros. In a press conference, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said authorities will heed PHIVOLCS' advisory on whether or not it is safe to proceed with the search. Asked if the search operations will be halted due to the minor phreatic eruption at the Taal Volcano, Remulla said, "Well, pag hindi healthy—kung ito ay magiging balakid sa health ng tao tigil muna. PHIVOLCS will advise us kung ano, kung safe or hindi," he said. (Well, if it's not healthy—if this will be detrimental to people's health—then we stop for now. PHIVOLCS will advise us on what to do, whether it's safe or not.) —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
DILG's Remulla urges LGUs to pass ordinances vs. 911 prank callers
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla called on local government units (LGUs) Thursday to enact ordinances penalizing prank callers on the national emergency hotline or 911. "Dapat may ordinance ang lahat ng LGUs na may monetary fine, jail time basta prank call," Remulla said in a statement. (All LGUs should have an ordinance providing monetary fines and jail time for prank callers.) The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the E911 National Office reported that in 2024, close to 12 million calls were received and 60% were identified as "fraudulent, hoax, or prank calls." Citing the Presidential Decree 1727, the DILG said individuals who maliciously spread false information may face imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to P40,000, or both. Remulla warned the public that the new system will have tracking capabilities to quickly identify prank callers. "May geofence at geo data kasi ang lahat ng tatawag. So kung tumawag ka at prank call ka, within five minutes, mahuhuli ka nila," Remulla said. (Everyone who calls has a geofence and geo data. So if you call and it's a prank call, within five minutes, they'll catch you.) Among the additional features of the national emergency hotline system are language-sensitive capabilities and push-to-talk over cellular technologies, which allow real-time coordination with over 1,000 police officers nationwide. "Despite the technology we are using, we are doing very well. Pero sa bagong sistema natin, I think the PNP will have better response time, better quality of response," Remulla said. Despite the technology we are using, we are doing very well. But with our new system, I think the PNP will have better response time, better quality of response.) "Ngayon, 34 ang LGU na may sariling 911. Tapos may sarili ang Crame. Ang gagawin natin, magkakaroon tayo ng unified system sa buong Pilipinas," he added. (Now, 34 LGUs have their own 911. Then Camp Crame has its own. What we will do is have a unified system throughout the Philippines.) Last Wednesday, PNP chief General Nicolas Torre III witnessed a simulation exercise of a 911 call, but the activity turned out to be a real-life police response to an emergency situation. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
3 bodies exhumed in search of missing sabungeros —Remulla
Authorities are now digging up at least three bodies in Batangas who may be connected to e-sabong or the drug war amid the ongoing search for the missing sabungeros, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Wednesday. Remulla said authorities are looking into locations that may have been used not only for e-sabong but also the drug war. 'There were some victims found in 2020 that were just buried by the police because nobody claimed them in the punerarya (funeral parlor). We're exhuming them now as we speak because we have to find out who these people are,' he said in an ambush interview. 'We're setting up the DNA bank that we need to set up precisely because of those people who are missing. 'Yung mga disappearances ng mga tao dapat ma-solve 'yan,' he added. Meanwhile, Remulla said authorities are looking into locations that may have been used not only for e-sabong but also the drug war. Asked if this means authorities are now investigating drug war killings, Remulla said their focus remains on the missing sabungeros. However, he said that authorities have no choice but to include everything due to a supposed intersection in the two cases. Remulla previously said that some people who may be involved in drug war killings may also be involved in the deaths related to e-sabong. 'Yung ano eh, yung actors eh, yung mga taong involved sa what we call enforced disappearances. parang nagkaka— nagkatugma na isang grupo ginamit pareho. They were part of the drug war and they were part of the disposition dito sa e-sabong,' he said. (The thing is, the actors, the people involved in what we call enforced disappearances, it seems like— it matches that one group was used for both. They were part of the drug war and they were part of the disposition here in e-sabong.) However, Remulla declined to comment on Vice President Sara Duterte's statement that former President Rodrigo Duterte found the alleged link between the drug war and the missing sabungeros preposterous. 'I have no comment on that. I have no response to that,' he said. Last week, authorities started searching Taal Lake for the remains of the missing sabungeros. This came after whistleblower Julie 'Dondon' Patidongan claimed that more than 100 sabungeros were abducted, killed, and then dumped at Taal Lake. Earlier, members of the Japanese Embassy visited the Department of Justice. Remulla said they relayed the Philippine government's request for equipment and assistance with the DNA analysis. 'Although we have a very competent crime lab, a police crime lab, and an NBI crime lab capable of looking at DNA, we're looking at the best possible persons who can help us also. Kasi, this is not an easy task. We need all the help we can get,' he said. He said that the request is being processed. On Tuesday, the Philippine National Police said authorities recovered what may be a human hip bone with a length of eight inches among the more than 90 bone fragments retrieved. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- GMA Network
PH Navy ready to help in search for missing sabungeros in Taal Lake
The Philippine Navy is willing to help in the search for missing cockfighting enthusiasts or sabungeros in Taal Lake, according to its spokesperson on Tuesday. 'We are still waiting for the official request or for assistance from the Department of Justice. The Naval Special Operations Command is an elite unit of the Philippine Navy. They can be dispatched anytime, anywhere, any place,' Philippine Navy spokesperson Captain John Percie Alcos said at a press briefing. 'That will depend upon the initial inspection of the area but normally, as mentioned by [Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad], who is a Navy Seal, normally, three teams are dispatched for technical diving operations,' he added. A team is normally composed of four personnel, according to Alcos. On Monday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said authorities are looking to start searching Taal Lake this week for the bodies of the missing sabungeros. 'We want to map it out and look at the condition so we can plan how to go about it,' he said. Asked if the authorities had specific locations in mind, Remulla said, 'Merong fishpond lease ang isang suspect na ano natin, tinutukoy natin. Bali 'yun ang ating ano... ground zero natin." (A suspect has a fishpond lease, which we are referring to. That's our ground zero.) The Philippine government has requested technical assistance from Japan. Remulla said the Philippine government is expecting a reply from Japan any time this week. Over the weekend, the Department of Science and Technology offered to lend its expertise and equipment in the search. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) likewise said it is ready to lend its forensic expertise. A total of 34 cockfighting enthusiasts have been reported missing from 2021 to 2022. According to the police, the missing personalities were kidnapped allegedly due to match fixing or cheating in the cockfighting games. A whistleblower, who is also one of the accused, said the victims were already buried in Taal Lake. He named businessman Atong Ang as a mastermind in the case and also linked actress Gretchen Barretto to the disappearances. Both have denied the allegations. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News
Filipino Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
DOJ to launch Taal Lake search for missing sabungeros this week
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin 'Boying' Remulla said the government is pushing to begin the search for the bodies of the missing sabungeros or cockfighting enthusiasts in Taal Lake within the week. Remulla said the operation would initially focus on a fishpond lease by one of the suspects. 'We're asking them to start this week. Our basic plan is to map it out and assess the condition so we can plan how to go about it,' he said. He did not specify which agency would lead the operation, but the secretary earlier said the Philippine Coast Guard and Philippine Navy could be tapped for technical diving operations. The search follows whistleblower Julie 'Dondon' Patidongan's claim that the bodies of the missing individuals were dumped in the lake. Remulla added that he is still waiting for a response from the Japanese government after seeking their assistance last week. Patidongan named businessman Atong Ang as the mastermind in the case. He also linked actress Gretchen Barretto to the disappearances.
