Latest news with #JesusCrispinRemulla
GMA Network
3 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
4 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
07-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
SC probing members of judiciary amid alleged case fixing —Remulla
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Supreme Court is now investigating members of the judiciary amid allegations of case fixing. The Supreme Court (SC) is now investigating members of the judiciary amid allegations of case fixing, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday. 'Actually, iniimbestigahan na siya ng SC (SC is already investigating it),' Remulla said in an ambush interview. He issued the remark when about allegations that a former judge allegedly helped fix cases for businessman Atong Ang, who was named by one of the accused as a mastermind in the disappearance of the sabungeros from 2021 to 2022. However, when asked about who are being investigated, Remulla said 'iba-iba.' GMA News Online has sought confirmation from the SC but has yet to receive a response as of posting time. Remulla previously warned that the possible mastermind in the case of the missing cockfight enthusiasts or sabungeros may have the money to infiltrate even Philippine courts. He had said he would talk with Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo regarding this. According to Remulla, he discussed the matter with a justice on Monday morning. 'Basta they're doing their job. Ano naman sila eh, hindi naman sila balat sibuyas eh. They're very sensitive about what should be done to improve our justice system,' he said. (As long as they're doing their job. They're not overly sensitive or thin-skinned. They're very aware of what needs to be done to improve our justice system.) 'And that's what we've been agreeing on since we started three years ago with the Justice Sector Coordinating Council. Kaya we're always in agreement with regards to how to improve the justice system,' he added. Last week, Patidongan named Ang as a mastermind in the case. He also linked actress Gretchen Barretto to the disappearance. The two have denied the allegations against them, with Ang saying that Patidongan threatened to link him to the disappearance if he refused to pay P300 million while Barretto said she received a similar threat.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
04-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
BI opens warden facility at NBP
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang, and Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado lead the opening of a new facility at NBP. (Photo from BI) The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Friday inaugurated its new warden facility inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, according to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). BuCor said the facility, which can accommodate 450 foreign nationals, will serve as another detention site for foreigners undergoing deportation proceedings. 'This facility arrives at a crucial time as we intensify deportation proceedings, especially against foreign nationals involved in illicit POGO operations,' Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado said in a statement. BuCor said the facility will be further expanded to accommodate 700 people. 'This milestone underscores our whole-of-government approach to border control and immigration enforcement,' he said. 'It is a concrete response to the President's call to protect our borders and safeguard our people from criminal elements, especially those abusing systems like the POGO scheme,' he added. Also present at the inauguration were Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla and BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
26-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Remulla: Mastermind in missing sabungeros case has money to infiltrate courts
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday warned that the possible mastermind in the missing sabungeros case may have the money to infiltrate even Philippine courts. 'Ang bigat ng kalaban dito kasi ang pera niyan makakapasok 'yan hanggang even sa judiciary. That's one thing that we might have to talk to the Chief Justice about,' Remulla said in an ambush interview. (The enemy here is powerful because that money can reach even the judiciary. That's one thing we might have to talk to the Chief Justice about.) 'Kasi mabigat. Mabigat ang pera ng e-sabong. Hindi ito basta-basta,' he added. (Because it's heavy. E-sabong money carries a lot of weight. This isn't something to take lightly.) GMA News Online reached out to the Supreme Court for comment and will publish it once available. Remulla refused to divulge the identity of the possible mastermind, saying authorities are still conducting case build up. Last week, four years after 34 sabungeros went missing in various parts of the Philippines, an accused claimed that the bodies have been buried in Taal Lake. According to Remulla, the government is seeking assistance from the Japanese government for equipment in retrieving the bodies of the missing sabungeros. He said that the retrieval operations have not yet started.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
