KAKAMMPI News

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has advised Filipinos in Saudi Arabia to remain calm amid reports of worsening conflict between the Kingdom and Syria. In a  short statement  on Wednesday, the embassy said there is "currently no reason to be concerned about the safety and security of Filipinos in Saudi Arabia." "The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh advises the Filipino community to remain calm," it said as it vowed to "provide regular updates on the situation in Saudi Arabia as the need arises." The embassy issued the statement after several pro-OFW groups appealed to the government to prepare in case the security situation in the Middle East worsens due to the Saudi Arabia-Syria conflict. Susan Ople of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-profit organization that helps distressed OFWs, said the embassy should open a hotline for OFWs worried that the conflict would lead to war . Saudi-based OFW leader John Monterona said the reported plan by the Sa...

A 22-year-old Filipino died after falling onto a ship's deck while exiting the vessel's engine room on Monday, Malaysian news site The Star reported on Tuesday. The  report , quoting Manjung OCPD Asst Comm Tengku Mohd Zailan Tengku Ahmad, said the Filipino fell on the deck of MV Necklace at around 2:45 p.m. The incident happened eight nautical miles northeast of Pulau Pangkor, it added. The report said that the Filipino, who has yet to be identified, died from severe spinal fracture and internal bleeding in the brain due to the fall. The report said the vessel was travelling from Singapore to Lumut, Malaysia when the incident happened.  — Rie Takumi /ALG, GMA News

Filipino-American Antonio Taguba, a retired Major General in the US Army, is among the honorees to the 2016 Asian Hall of Fame given by the Robert Chinn Foundation. Aside from Taguba, those who will be inducted on May 14 at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle are television journalist Connie Chung, martial artist Bruce Lee, and Olympic Gold Medalist in figure skating Kristi Yamaguchi. The Asian Hall of Fame is a national recognition event for Asian Pacific Americans, celebrating culture and achievement during Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month in May. Honoree Bruce Lee will be represented by the Bruce Lee Foundation, which will accept his posthumous award. Taguba, who served 34 years with the Army, retired in 2007. He led a 2004 team that investigated reports of human rights violations of detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The now-famous Taguba Report confirmed the torture and abuse of prisoners and denounced the Bush administration for “committing war crimes.” Born ...

The Commission on Elections is considering issuing ballot receipts to overseas absentee voters, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said on Wednesday. The poll body, however, remains firm in doing away with the ballot receipt for local voters due to time constraints. "Isa sa pinag-usapan namin ay 'yung posibilidad na magkaroon ng resibo for overseas voters. Bakit? Dahil 30 days ang kanilang pagboto, at mas kaunti ang boboto," Bautista old reporters. More than 1.1 million Filipinos abroad will take part in overseas absentee voting, which will last for a month, starting April 9. Bautista acknowledged that the receipt will be good in aid of transparency, but it will be difficult to accommodate in a one-day synchronized national and local elections. In an earlier interview, Bautista said issuing receipts would mean an additional five to seven hours in the election process. Bautista also reiterated concerns over how the receipts could be used for vote-buying or even ...

A 26-year-old Filipina from Negros Occidental was found dead in her home in Dubai on Feb. 18, a report on Unang Balita on Wednesday said. She was identified as Maria Lenlie Oliverio. The victim was found with many stab wounds in her body. Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes said police in Dubai are still investigating the incident.  Authorities are still trying to determine who may have killed the victim and what the motive was. Meanwhile, Oliverio's Facebook account revealed she has a boyfriend who is an Indian national and who allegedly is a jealous lover. Meanwhile, the Consulate said it is ready to provide assistance so the victim's remains can be brought back to the Philippines.  —KG, GMA News

An alleged illegal recruiter and his accomplice were arrested Tuesday in an entrapment operation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2, a report by John Consulta on "24 Oras" said. Daniyala Radcala, a visa checker at the airport, and his accomplice Melba Portugal were arrested by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents upon receiving the marked money from the victims, the report said. Citing the NBI, the report said the suspects would let the victims pass the airport's screening section using fake documents. According to the victim, he applied for a job as a driver in Saudi Arabia, but the Overseas Employment Certificate given to him by the suspects listed his occupation as electrician. The suspects, meanwhile, denied the accusation. "Hindi totoo 'yan. Visa check lang ako. Chini-check ko lang 'yung mga visa. Wala kaming tinatanggap na pera," said Radcala. Portugal, on the other hand, said she was just asked to acc...

A migrants' rights advocate on Tuesday called on Philippine officials in Saudi Arabia to open a hotline for Filipino workers worried about the supposed World War III breaking in the region given the rising tensions in Syria. In a statement, Susan Ople said her group, the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, has been receiving queries from OFWs concerned about their safety in case war breaks out between the Saudi Arabia-led coalition and Syria. "All eyes are now on the Middle East, specifically on joint efforts by both the United States and Russia to defuse tensions in Syria so that military soldiers from Gulf countries no longer need to set foot in that war-torn country," Ople said. "It can’t be helped that some of our OFWs are looking at such developments and are trying to decipher what the immediate future holds for their families," she added. Ople is a former labor undersecretary and a senatorial candidate in the May elections. Her group is a non-profit organ...