Bam Alegre

Kim Chiu’s Van Riddled with Bullets in Katipunan

CCTV footage captured the moments right after Kim Chiu’s van leaves La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City. Unfortunately, the camera didn’t record the actual shooting incident. The police are investigating a trailing motorcycle with two riders that may have been waiting for the vehicle to emerge from the subdivision. They are investigating all possible motives…

Chinese Gunmen and a Chinese Gunned Down — CCTV Footage of Escape

Five Chinese men entered the VIP section of a hot pot restaurant in Makati on Thursday night, February 27, 2020. Only three of the men emerged after a few minutes, CCTV cameras showed. They were running with all their might, despite the attempts of a woman to prevent them from escaping. But these were all…

Skinned Injustice: Christine Silawan, Rest in Peace

It was a viral news story that gripped the entire nation. Last March 12, the authorities discovered the corpse of 16 year old Christine Lee Silawan in a vacant lot in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Bangkal, Lapu-Lapu, City Cebu. Her undergarments were missing. She had around thirty stab wounds. Half of her face has been skinned….

Distance

With each waking moment of your student life, the stressful hardships co-exist with the sublime happiness of spending time with people that matter. Difficult, yes, but you could endure together. And then it suddenly stops. Not that you want it, sometimes it has to. Everything will be a memory: something you can forget or something you…

The UP Shopping Center Fire

While not the most glamorous of UP Diliman icons, the UP Shopping Center has an unquestionable place in the hearts of the community. It was always there to lessen the burden of students when it comes to photocopying readings or binding their thesis outputs. It was a one-stop shop for any imaginable need. Today, many…

The Disappearance of Carl Angelo Arnaiz and Kulot de Guzman

The mysterious turn of events started in this particular place in West Bank, Cainta, Rizal on August 18, 2017. At around past 12 o’clock midnight, 19-year-old Carl Angelo Arnaiz was in his home tending to his sari-sari store by this window. Three of his neighbors were idly spending time here. Gelo, as his family would…

Farewell

I hope this message finds you well. The world calls you millennials — and with your diverse skills, the possibilities are endless. Yet understandably, it is also a time of uncertainty since you are about to leave the comfort zone of the classroom. If you may have entertained doubts, everything is still alright. We live in a time when…

Magnetic Hill: The Bus Tragedy of Tanay, Rizal

For millennials, a selfie is not special anymore. Every waking moment usually has a corresponding picture. Most uploaded images in Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook even disappear after 24 hours. But here is a particular selfie that will not be forgotten anytime soon. For some of them, it was their last. Aftermath of the Accident The students…

Memories of Miriam

When I visited the home of Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in 2012, I was wearing an Iron Man shirt. I only just realized today that it described her well. She was the Iron Lady of Asia, after all. Yet after decades of public service, she had no need for nicknames. Her name was enough to sow fear in her…

Scarborough Shoal: Close Encounters with China

Technically, the place is merely a collection of rocks and reefs. But its numerous names mirror the tension that has engulfed its waters. China believes it is Huangyan Dao based on their historical claims. Filipino fishermen from Zambales refer to it as Kalburo or Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal — a safe haven against storms. But…

Summary Execution at Temple Drive

On September 10, 2016, at around 1:55am, witnesses said they saw a silver Toyota Fortuner come to a complete stop in a sidewalk along Temple Drive in Barangay Ugong Norte, Quezon City. Afterwards, they heard multiple gunshots. Then the vehicle sped away in the direction of White Plains Subdivision. In a matter of split seconds,…

Pokémon Go: Philippine Edition Vol. 1

Here are places where you may probably find these cute critters — if they were in the Philippines. We’ll focus first on the the first 152 Pokémon so that we won’t disorient the millennials of the 90’s who have loved them before and then forgot about them after puberty arrived. [Note: All animated GIFs sourced from…

Their Last Moments on Earth

After dusk, when darkness sprawls over the metro — thieves, murderers and drug personalities find their most opportune time to do business. And where these hooligans leave a bloody mess, that’s where my duty as a graveyard reporter begins. The dirty job takes some getting used to. But I’ve never thought that my graveyard shift will…

The Winds of Winter: Seven Scenes from the Game of Thrones Finale for Filipinos

Warning: Spoilers are coming. All images courtesy of HBO. After toying with my emotions for weeks, HBO’s epic television series Game of Thrones ended its sixth season with “The Winds of Winter.” I’m still trying to recover from all the stress in the Seven Kingdoms. But I’m not alone; many of my friends are also enduring Westerosi…

Inside the Barracks of the PNP Special Action Force

Heroes are not born; they emerge because of certain circumstances, often through hard work and sheer courage. Fate may have chosen the brave 44 commandos of the PNP Special Action Force when they offered their lives for the country last year. But their training inside Fort Santo Domingo in Santa Rosa, Laguna has already prepared them for the worst….

Trial by Fire

We don’t even have to wait for March to talk about fire prevention. We can have this discussion during the first day of every New Year. Instead of enjoying Media Noche with their families, our firefighters are busy babysitting reckless people who are literally playing with fire through firecrackers. Some say it’s our custom. Some say it’s tradition….

The Road to Paris: Dingdong Dantes and A.G. Sano

Mention Paris, France and most people will think about the recent terror attacks that dominated global headlines and social media timelines a few weeks ago. But Paris is now tackling a larger terror that also requires the attention of the entire world: climate change and how it can cause a literal hell on Earth if…

AlDub and the APEC Summit

Forget YouTube for a while if you’re tired of watching AlDub replays. Chances are, you can watch Eat Bulaga at home for a few days. Thank the long weekend courtesy of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit. But if the APEC Summit seems like an alien concept to you or if it may sound…

The Wonder Vendors: Mudjur Clemente and Gladys dela Cruz

Thankfully, we now have Facebook to remind us of days like our birthdays. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between people who really remembered your birthday or those who just saw a notification. But hey, it’s the thought that counts. It’s a good feeling to have most of your family, friends and acquaintances fill your timeline…

Separation of Decency and Cyberbullying

I woke up to my Facebook timeline with all sorts of opinions, arguments and analysis about the gathering of Iglesia ni Cristo members in EDSA. In social media, everything has something to say. If I’m reading it right, many have become overnight experts as well. This should be a healthy indication of democracy, right? But…