Latest news with #GilbertCruz
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The Best Books of the Year (So Far)
We're halfway through 2025, and we at the Book Review have already written about hundreds of books. Some of those titles are good. Some are very good. And then there are the ones that just won't let us go. On this week's episode of the podcast, Gilbert Cruz and Joumana Khatib talk about some of the best books of the year so far. (Check out our full accounting of the best books of the year so far and save the titles that interest you most to your reading list.) Here are the books discussed in this week's episode: 'King of Ashes,' by S.A. Cosby 'The Director,' by Daniel Kehlmann 'A Marriage at Sea,' by Sophie Elmhirst 'Careless People,' by Sarah Wynn-Williams 'Isola,' by Allegra Goodman 'The Catch,' by Yrsa Daley-Ward 'Daughters of the Bamboo Grove,' by Barbara Demick 'The Sisters,' by Jonas Hassen Khemiri 'The Buffalo Hunter Hunter,' by Stephen Graham Jones 'Wild Thing: A Life of Paul Gauguin,' by Sue Prideaux 'Raising Hare,' by Chloe Dalton 'To Smithereens,' by Rosalyn Drexler 'The Fate of the Day,' by Rick Atkinson 'Flesh,' by David Szalay 'Things in Nature Merely Grow,' by Yiyun Li 'These Summer Storms,' by Sarah MacLean We would love to hear your thoughts about this episode, and about the Book Review's podcast in general. You can send them to books@
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Superman Is Not Cool. And That's Great.
Produced by Luke Vander Ploeg Edited by Wendy Dorr Engineered by Efim Shapiro Hosted by Gilbert Cruz With Alissa Wilkinson and Kyle Buchanan 'Superman,' the latest film directed by James Gunn starring David Corenswet as the man of steel himself, Rachel Brosnahan as Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor, just landed in theaters. On today's episode, the culture and books editor Gilbert Cruz talks with the movie critic Alissa Wilkinson and Kyle Buchanan, a pop culture reporter for The New York Times, about why they all loved this movie so much, what it says about the future of superhero storytelling, and why Krypto the Superdog might be the best dog ever. Gilbert Cruz is the editor of The New York Times Book Review. Alissa Wilkinson is a Times movie critic. She's been writing about movies since 2005. Kyle Buchanan is a pop culture reporter and also serves as The Projectionist, the awards season columnist for The Times. Read Alissa's review of 'Superman.' Read Kyle's profile of the 'Superman' star David Corenswet. The New York Times Audio app is home to journalism and storytelling, and provides news, depth and serendipity. If you haven't already, download it here — available to Times news subscribers on iOS — and sign up for our weekly newsletter.
GMA Network
15-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Online lending app company in Pasig raided for alleged harassment
Authorities arrested 168 employees of an online lending app for alleged harassment in a raid of its office at Ortigas Center in Pasig City. According to John Consulta's Tuesday report on '24 Oras,' authorities caught the employees engaging in their online lending operations, while some were registering new SIM cards under different names. The operatives also found the mother server and other equipment used for text blasts and collecting loan payments. 'Sa online site namin nasa 15,000 ang complaints. Sa amin pa lang yung. Meron din yung sa NBI at sa PNP. Gumawa kami ng one-stop shop na kasama natin yung NBI, yung PNP. Kasama natin ang SEC para mag cater doon sa mga complaints,' said Gilbert Cruz said, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director. (We received 15,000 complaints in our online site. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) also received reports. The three agencies, along with the Securities and Exchange Office, created a one-stop shop to cater to the complaints.) 'Kawawa yung mga kababayan natin na nangangailangan, kumakapit sa patalim, uutang sa kanila. Bukod sa napakataas na ng interest, kung makapaningil, mumurahin, tatakutin ang ating mga kababayan. So, nakita namin na meron talagang namumuno na foreigner. Kailangan managot sila sa ginagawa nila,' NBI Director Jaime Santiago said. (It's sad that our fellow countrymen who are in need are forced to take desperate measures and borrow money from these lenders. Not only are the interest rates high, but the way they collect payments is also abusive, as they curse and threaten. We found that a foreigner is the head. They need to be held accountable for their actions.) According to the NBI and PAOCC, the raided online lending company has the most complaints. Meanwhile, the company's supervisor denied the harassment allegations. 'We don't, hundred percent, we don't directly. We have a policy. We terminate people if there's an identified case,' the supervisor said. However, a search of the premises revealed the scripts used by the company and the pleas of their supposed victims. A former employee reported debtors experienced abuse and harassment from the lending company. 'Pag nangutang ng P1,000, makukuha lang nila P600. Minsan yung P1,000 umaabot ng P5,000,' the former employee said. (When they borrow P1,000, they only receive P600. Sometimes, P1,000 increased to P5,000.) Sometimes, the victims were told they are worthless or they should sell their children to pay off their debts. Authorities confiscated all of the company's equipment that included computers and cellphones. The arrested Filipino employees are facing charges of violating the Data Privacy Act, Cybercrime Prevention Act, and Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act. — Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
The Star
15-07-2025
- The Star
Cops raid online lending company in Pasig City, nab 168 employees
Authorities raiding the offices of an online lending company in Pasig City on July 15, 2025. - Photo from the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission MANILA: Authorities raided the offices of an online lending company for allegedly harassing borrowers, apprehending 168 employees in Pasig City on Tuesday (July 15) afternoon, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) announced. This was the result of an operation stemming from a warrant to search, seize, and examine computer data issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 46 in Manila. Operatives confiscated 'hundreds of pre-registered SIM (subscriber identity module) cards, text blasters and harassment scripts' from the offices, the PAOCC detailed in a statement on Tuesday evening. 'The supervisor there mentioned a certain Chinese individual, alias Jason… We already got one of his travel documents,' PAOCC Executive Director Gilbert Cruz said in a phone interview with According to the task force, the foreigner most recently arrived in the Philippines last June 8 and left the country last July 10 on a 9G visa, or a pre-arranged employment visa. 'The raid follows months of surveillance and investigation, aided by the testimony of a former employee who came forward to expose how the company misled and harassed borrowers,' the PAOCC further explained. 'Some victims were directed to send payments to personal GCash or bank accounts under the guise of clearing their loans, only to be contacted again by collectors despite having paid,' it added. The task force further cited a July 4 incident in which a Valenzuela City man 'took his own life after suffering ongoing harassment' from individuals connected to the online lending application. PAOCC said the company was now being reviewed by the Securities and Exchange Commission since 'its operations appear to have exploited the system while falsely claiming legitimacy.' According to the PAOCC, the individuals apprehended may face charges in connection with Republic Act 3765 or the Truth in Lending Act; RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act; and RA 11765 or the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- GMA Network
PAOCC: 15,000 complaints filed vs. online lending apps
Some 15,000 complaints have been filed against abusive online lending apps with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), with numerous victims reporting severe harassment and mental anguish when they struggle to repay their loans. During a public briefing on Wednesday, PAOCC Executive Director Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz reported the figure as he assured that the government is intensifying its crackdown against online financial platforms that violate data privacy and human dignity. "So far, nasa 15,000 na po ang complaints [sa PAOCC]. What we're looking at is may 156,000 na complaints every month na nare-receive po ng law enforcement agencies," Cruz said. (So far, there are already 15,000 formal complaints filed with the PAOCC. Law enforcement agencies are now receiving as many as 156,000 complaints each month.) According to Cruz, victims are often low-income Filipinos who turned to online lending apps for emergency cash to pay for rent, medical bills, or tuition. Instead of receiving help, many fall into a cycle of intimidation and abuse. "Karamihan ng mga nakakausap namin, they're being harassed whenever nagkakaroon ng singilan," he said. (Most of the victims we've spoken with say they are being harassed whenever they are asked to pay.) After users agree to the loan terms, Cruz said, some apps would use personal information— including photos, contacts, and online profiles—against them. "Sinisingil ka nila with the interest na talagang umaabot ng 35% to 40%, wala kang magawa. Papadala nila ng mga kung anu-anong pananakot sa social media mo... may mga picture na edited," Cruz said. (They charge interest that reaches 35% to 40%, and users have no choice but to pay. They send threats on social media and even use edited pictures to shame victims.) Cruz said the psychological toll has become alarming, forcing some to resign from their jobs while others suffer mental illnesses. Some online lenders resort to messaging co-workers and relatives with obscene or defamatory messages, the PAOCC chief said, forcing many victims into isolation and silence. "Ang mga office workers nila... pinadadala ng kung ano-anong malalaswang messages. Dapat tandaan natin, iba 'yung obligasyon mo na nangutang ka, iba rin 'yung kaso 'pag ikaw naman hina-harass," he added. (Their office co-workers receive obscene messages. We must remember: owing money is one thing, but harassment is a separate issue.) To support victims, the PAOCC has launched a one-stop shop for complainants, providing free legal advice, support through the Department of Justice (DOJ), and even assistance with transportation and meals. Cruz urged the public to verify lenders with banks, the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT), or the PAOCC before using online platforms. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
