Maniolas

SIMULTANEOUS RAIDS Policemen herd 34 alleged members of an international “sextortion” syndicate into a jeepney following a raid inNaga City of the establishment that fronted as an online perfume store (right photo). It was one of the seven areas where simultaneous raids were conducted by the Philippine National Policewith the assistance of the Interpol,Homeland Security and other multinational forces. PHOTOS BY JUANESCANDOR JR. NAGA CITY, Philippines—They were only selling perfumes and books online and earning commissions from it, protested the 84 workers and managers of Digital Minds, who were arrested when police swooped down on their company on Thursday. But the documentary evidence seized by investigators said otherwise. The evidence included remittances from Western Union and screen grabs of the fake identities allegedly used by the workers in extorting money from victims who were enticed to expose themselves or perform sexual acts in front of a webcam. Senior Supt. Elmo Francis Sarona, chief of staff of the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) at Camp Crame, said the company’s employees used Facebook to scan the Net for possible victims, zeroing in on those who seemed lonesome and away from home. Porn stars   They then set up fake Facebook accounts using images of porn stars as profile pictures to entice their mark to engage in a chat and later in private conversations through Skype that would eventually lead to cybersex sessions. Sarona said the victims were recorded without their knowledge while doing sexual acts before the webcam, and later harassed Read More …

INTERPOL Digital Crime Centre Director Sanjay Virmani, is interviewed by reporters following a news conference Friday, May 2, 2014 at the Philippine National Police Headquarters at suburban Quezon city northeast of Manila, Philippines. Philippine police, backed by Interpol, have arrested dozens of suspected members of an online extortion syndicate who duped hundreds of victims worldwide into exposing themselves in front of webcams or engaging in lewd chats, including a Scottish teenager who committed suicide after being blackmailed, officials said. AP MANILA, Philippines—The suicide of 17-year-old British mechanic Daniel Perry in July last year led police to an international cybercrime syndicate based in the Philippines, and the eventual arrest of 58 people  allegedly involved in “sextortion,” the Philippine National Police said on Friday. “The Police Scotland investigators conducted a digital forensic examination of Perry’s computers and found that he had been a victim of extortionists,” said Senior Supt. Gilbert Sosa of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG). “They were able to trace the IP (Internet Protocol) addresses of the online accounts of the syndicate members to the Philippines,” he added. The multination operation, dubbed “Strike Back,” was carried out with the assistance of the US Homeland Security and the police authorities of the United Kingdom, Scotland, Hong Kong and Singapore. In simultaneous raids on Wednesday, agents of the PNP and the International Police (Interpol) swooped down on the syndicate’s “call centers” located in the Bicol region, Laguna and Bulacan provinces and Taguig City, arrested 58 people, and seized more than 250 laptops, Read More …

Associated Press 8:58 pm | Tuesday, April 29th, 2014 BANGKOK — Thailand’s state anti-corruption body has indicted 36 senators for alleged misconduct in attempting to amend the constitution to make the Senate fully elected. National Anti-Corruption Commission head Sansern Poljiak said Tuesday it found the senators had misused their authority in violation of the constitution. They will be suspended from their jobs while the Senate decides whether to impeach them. Most, however, will be replaced by recently elected senators next month. The indicted senators were among 308 current and former lawmakers charged by the anti-graft body for voting last year for a bill that would have changed the composition of the 150-member Senate, about half of which is appointed. The Constitutional Court ruled in November that the amendment to make the Senate fully elected was unconstitutional. Follow Us Other Stories: US troops now enjoy access to PH bases Obama lauds 4 Navsog officers as first responders to ‘Yolanda’ crisis Trillanes says senators briefed about new military accord with US Obama joins singing at state dinner Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Global Nation , indictment , Politics , senators , Thailand Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or Read More …

President Barack Obama. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Four military officers, including a Filipino from the Naval Special Operations Group (Navsog), were given special mention by US President Obama on Tuesday as the main characters in “an incredible story that captures the strength” of the longstanding alliance of the Philippines and the United States. Navsog Captain Roy Trinidad, US Col. Mike Wylie and US Majors Leo Leibreich and George Apalisok were the first responders in Tacloban City, one of the areas devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) on Nov. 8, 2013. The heavily built Trinidad caught Obama’s attention and was the reason for a few laughs with the US President as the latter mingled with the four honorees. “I told him (Obama) ‘Your guys helped me a lot.’ But he answered, ‘No, no, no. You trained them,’” Trinidad told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in an interview. Then Leibreich told the President, “He (Trinidad) whipped us into shape.” To which Obama replied, “Yeah, look at his (Trinidad’s) chest and look at his guns,” referring to the officer’s biceps, which he playfully slapped. “I didn’t feel nervous …. I was more concerned that I represent the whole AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) at the event. There is the pride,” said Trinidad, whose rank is equivalent to a full colonel in the Army and is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1991. “But it could have been anyone else. There are many others doing more difficult jobs, the unsung heroes.” Read More …

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 9:45 pm | Friday, April 25th, 2014 Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Here’s good news for Filipinos wishing to work or permanently settle in Canada. The Canadian government is forging ahead with a new immigration system that will offer “express entry” to qualified immigrants, according to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz. Citing a report from Leonida Romulo of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Toronto, Canada, Baldoz said that Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander recently made an announcement regarding Canada’s active recruitment model for economic migration officially called “Express Entry,” formerly referred to as “Expression of Interest.” “This model is considered to be a major step forward in the transformation of Canada’s immigration system into one that is fast, flexible, and focused on meeting its economic and labor needs,” Baldoz said. Under the scheme, candidates who receive a valid job offer or nomination under Canada’s Provincial Nominee Program will be quickly invited to apply for permanent residency—a key distinction between Express Entry and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which is only used to fill temporary labor and skills shortages. The immigration system is to be launched in January 2015. On the other hand, Nova Scotia, one of Canada’s maritime provinces, recently introduced the New Nova Scotia Nominee Program—Regional Labor Market Demand Stream, aimed at selecting individuals who meet the labor market needs, wish to join the labor market with full-time and permanent positions, and wish to live in Nova Scotia. Read More …