Latest news with #JohnConsulta
GMA Network
22-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
Cavite declares state of calamity due to Crising, Habagat impact
The Cavite local government unit on Tuesday declared a state of calamity following amid the impacts of Severe Tropical Storm Crising and Southwest Monsoon (Habagat). 'Ang deklarasyong ito ay layuning mapabilis ang pagkilos ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno sa pagbibigay ng agarang tulong, pagsasaayos ng mga nasalanta, at paggamit ng mga pondo para sa kalamidad upang masigurong ligtas at protektado ang bawat Caviteño,' Cavite Governor Francisco Gabriel Remulla said in a social media post. (The declaration aims to expedite the response of government agencies in providing immediate assistance, organizing disaster relief, and utilizing disaster funds to ensure the safety and protection of every Caviteño.) According to John Consulta's '24 Oras' report, small vehicles were unable to pass through some roads in Kawit, Cavite, since almost all of its 23 barangays were flooded. In Barangay Panamitan, a river overflowed due to the downpour and high tide. The flood also entered some houses, which caused residents to put their belongings on higher ground. Despite the flood, a band pushed through with their parade to celebrate Kawit's fiesta. In Noveleta, Cavite, vehicles were parked on a higher part of the road to avoid submerging in the flood. About 600 individuals in low-lying areas were also evacuated. 'Yung rainfall lang po ang naging problema natin dahil sa nakaraang dalawang araw natin ay parang pang dalawang linggo ang binagsak na rainfall,' Noveleta Mayor Davey Reyes Chua said. (The only problem we had was the rainfall, because in the past two days, the amount of rainfall was like what we'd usually get in two weeks.) — Mariel Celine Serquiña/BM, GMA Integrated News
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
GMA Network
08-07-2025
- GMA Network
TNVS robbed, killed by passengers picked up in Parañaque
A driver of a transportation network vehicle service was allegedly robbed and killed by his passengers, whom he had fetched before at an establishment in Parañaque on May 18. According to John Consulta's report on "24 Oras," the car didn't reach its destination in Molino town and instead was driven around in the province. Audio from the car's dashcam indicated that the victim, Raymond Cabrera, was no longer driving the car. The sounds also showed that he was being stabbed. The NBI later retrieved CCTV footage showing two of the suspects disembarking the stolen vehicle in the afternoon of May 18 in Valenzuela. 'Nakita natin sa CCTV yung mga taong nagdala. Kung san pagbaba nila sa convenient store, lumabas sila, sumakay ng pedicab, at later on, sumakay pa sa isa pang sasakyan,' said Atty Joseph Martinez, NBI agent on case. (We saw the suspects in the CCTV footage. Upon arriving at a convenience store, they rode a pedicab and another vehicle.) 'Masakit kasi hindi niya deserve mangyari sa kanya yun, yung mga dinanas niya sa mga taong walang awa. Patas siyang lumalaban sa buhay. Hindi siya nanloloko ng tao,' the victim's wife said. (It hurts because he doesn't deserve what happened to him, the things he went through with suspects. He fights fairly in life. He did not deceive anyone.) The NBI has identified the suspects, but the victim's body has yet to be found. Meanwhile, the victim's son said their family wants to find his body to give him a proper funeral. They are offering a P100,000 reward for information about the victim as they urge the public to reach out to them for any details. The suspects are facing carnapping and robbery with homicide charges. –Mariel Celine Serquiña/NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
17-06-2025
- GMA Network
Arrest turns violent after Chinese man attacks NBI agents
Three agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were physically attacked by a Chinese man during an entrapment operation in Paranaque City. In John Consulta's exclusive report on '24 Oras' on Tuesday, the incident occurred against members of the NBI Criminal Intelligence Division inside a building in Parañaque City. Video showed one NBI agent backing away after he was punched in the face by one of the Chinese men. Authorities had difficulty in arresting the Chinese man after his violent outburst after his companion was being arrested. 'Nagulat kami. Lumaban. Nanakit ng mga agents natin. Very bothering yung ginagawa nung isang suspect na lumaban sa mga otoridad kasi parang hindi na niya kinakatakutan ang local authorities. Hindi na sila natakot kahit alam nila otoridad,' said Noel Bocaling, NBI Intelligence Service assistant director. (We were caught off guard because he fought back and hurt our agents. What he did was very bothering because it seemed like he was not afraid of local authorities.) 'It took at least three men to subdue the said person pero kung unarmed, you will practice maximum tolerance din pagdating sa ganyan. Huliin mo talaga kaya tatlong agents dyan ang nasaktan,' he added. (It took at least three men to subdue the said person, but he was unarmed, [so] you will practice maximum tolerance in this case. You need to arrest them, but in the process three of our agents got hurt.) According to the NBI, one of the Chinese men is facing a complaint for allegedly keeping the complainant's passport as ransom. 'Passport na ayaw isuli and the passport will be returned for a fee kaya pumunta kami doon in an entrapment operation. Naghanda kami ng pera, ng marked money, para ibayad and then after dun, ang plano huliin,' Bocaling said. (The suspect will only return the complainant's passport if he pays the fee, so we prepared marked money for the entrapment operation and the plan was to capture him.) The two Chinese men refused to comment on the matter. Both are facing robbery-extortion charges plus direct assault. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
06-06-2025
- GMA Network
5 nabbed in Pangasinan for using fake land title in P4-M loan
Five individuals were arrested in Calasiao, Pangasinan, for using a fake land title to obtain a loan worth P4 million. According to a ''24 Oras'' report by John Consulta on Friday, the five suspects were arrested in an entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation–Dagupan. Based on NBI's investigation, the five suspects applied for a loan and received millions in exchange for a property in Bayambang, Pangasinan. However, the Registry of Deeds said the land title was fake. 'Nagsabwatan ng limang subjects para makakuha ng loan muna sa complainant gamit isang titulong peke. Nakakuha sila ng apat na milyon na loan muna sa complainant, at hindi pa sila nakontento, at humingi ng karagdagan isang milyon mula sa complainant. Dahil dito ay nagkasa po tayo ng entrapment operation para mahuli itong limang subjects,' said NBI Dagupan agent-in-charge Mert Tello. (The five subjects have conspired to file for a loan with the complainant using a fake title. They received P4 million worth of loan from the complainant, and they still weren't content so they asked for another P1 million from the complainant. Because of this, we have conducted an entrapment operation to arrest these five suspects.) 'Kinasuhan natin ang limang subjects ng estafa through falsification of public document, at ang kaso na ating sinampa ay sinustain naman ng provincial prosecutor,' Tello said. (We charged the five subjects with estafa through falsification of public document, and the case was sustained by the provincial prosecutor.) Other potential victims were also urged to cooperate with the NBI. GMA Integrated News has reached out to the suspects for comment. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News
