Shocking Photo of a Malnourished Child Taken from a Government-Run Shelter in Manila

A government-run institution in Manila that serves as a shelter for people who have nowhere else to go is currently getting a lot of flak after a photo of a naked and malnourished child supposedly taken within the confines of the institution circulated online. The institution in question is the Reception and Action Center (commonly referred to as RAC) which is located along Arroceros Street in Malate, Manila.

The photo of the malnourished child was posted by Bahay Tuluyan on its Facebook page on October 23, 2014. According to the same post, the photo was taken on October 12, 2014. It showed a severely malnourished boy lying naked on the pavement. Also in the photo is what looks like another child but the camera shot didn't fully reveal his body.

Bahay Tuluyan is a non-government organization working with children in need of special protection. It seeks to "promote, fulfill, respect and protect children's rights." You can find out more about the work that they do on their website here.

Bahay Tuluyan has sent the photo accompanied by a letter to the President of the Philippines, Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, the Secretary of the Department of Justice, the Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights. The letter calls for an immediate upgrade or closing of the RAC. You can read Bahay Tuluyan's letter here.

Bahay Tuluyan has also penned a petition on change.org titled Upgrade or Close RAC. The online petition is directed to Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada. As of this writing, the petition was able to gather 1,218 signatures.

On an update on their Facebook page timestamped on October 28, Bahay Tuluyan stated that they are yet to receive a response from the City of Manila, DSWD, DOJ, and CHR a week after they sent the letters.

The photo has also reached the attention of the Asian Human Rights Commission. In a statement posted in their website, AHRC said that it "strongly condemns the Manila City government for its apparent outright neglect to improve conditions at the Reception and Action Center (RAC)".

According to Bahay Tuluyan, the child in the photo is now in good hands after their intervention. The kid is now in the care of an "excellent institution working with sick children".

Thief In Marikina City Who Uses Jackfruit Sap To Steal Money From Teller Machines Arrested By The Police

Thieves often target automated teller machines for an easy payday. Some make use of complicated gadgets and technology to siphon off funds from unsuspecting card holders. Some who are lacking in technical know-how do it the hard way by physically tearing off the machine off the wall/ground and opening it somewhere else. And then there's the man from Marikina City who was caught trying to steal cash from a machine using an aluminum plate covered with jackfruit sap.

Vivencio Cruel was trying to steal money from a bank ATM in Marikina when he was apprehended and then arrested by the Marikina City Police. Through a CCTV camera installed alongside the machine, employees of the bank saw Cruel doing his unique modus operandi. The employees called the police who quickly responded and arrested the man. Cruel was brought to the Marikina City Police Station and is currently being kept at a cell there.

According to police investigation, Cruel and his companion who has been identified as Erwin Bantolome  make use of a strip of aluminum covered with jackfruit sap in their modus operandi. They would measure the cash dispenser of a teller machine, cut a strip of aluminum of the right length and width, and stick it somewhere within the cash dispenser. If an unsuspecting person withdraws money, the sticky sap will catch the cash that's supposed to go out of the dispenser. The account of the person will register a withdrawal but nothing will come out of the dispenser.

The bank launched their own investigation after receiving several complaints from their customers that cash aren't being dispensed by the teller machine although their accounts are credited with their withdrawals. That's when they saw Cruel and his modus operandi.

Arestado si Vivencio Cruel matapos makita sa CCTV ng mga bangko na gumagamit ng dagta ng langka sa pagnanakaw sa ATM pic.twitter.com/S0aMWPN62M
— Dennis Cabral Datu (@dennis_datu) October 6, 2014

Police investigation further showed that Cruel and his companion would sometimes leave the strip of aluminum in a teller machine for days before returning to collect their take. Jackfruit sap can retain their stickiness for long periods of time. They don't dry out that quickly so that's probably why it's the sap of choice for the two thieves.

With that said, always be careful and vigilant when withdrawing money from any teller machine. If money doesn't come out of the dispenser, get the attention of the bank immediately. Get the attention of the security and if no security is around, call the bank's support hotline.

CCTV Camera Exposes The Modus Operandi Of Two Snatchers Who Escaped On A Motorcycle

A three-minute video showing female students being robbed by two men has gone viral after being posted on Facebook. The video showed how two men easily and quickly snatched an electronic gadget from their victim then sped away in a motorcycle. The whole snatching incident happened in just a few seconds. A closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed nearby captured the incident.

In the beginning of the video, four girls can be seen standing and talking on the sidewalk near a street intersection. Moments later, a man in a motorcycle followed by another man on foot pass the girls. At first glance, the two men seem not to know each other. The man in the motorcycle stopped at the intersection and idled there while the other man walked to the right, disappearing from view.

The man on foot  returned, approached the other man in the motorcycle and seemed to ask him a question. The man then walked back to where they two originally came from. Several seconds later, the man returned and when he was a few feet away from the girls on the sidewalk, he pounced one of the girls, pinned her on a nearby wall, snatched the gadget she had in her hand, ran to where the other man in the motorcycle was waiting and they immediately sped away. Taken by surprise, the other three girls watched in shock as the snatching transpired.

It's unclear where in the Philippines the robbery occurred. Two of the girls seem to be wearing school uniforms so they could either be high school or college students. Shocked by the incident, they weren't able to do anything or shout for help before the two men escaped.

Crimes involving motorcycles have been on the rise in the Philippines. Not only are bikes accessible, they are also much easier for criminals to use when trying to escape their victims and evade the authorities. This has prompted some cities in the country to come up with ordinances prohibiting men riding in tandem on motorcycles.

SM Store Draws Outrage For Selling A T-Shirt That Promotes Rape Culture

The largest shopping mall chain in the country seems to have a system that's lacking in rigor when it comes to approving what gets to be sold on their store shelves. Just last month, the shopping mall draw flak for selling a bag with an imprinted design that was used without permission from the original artist.

Now, SM incited another round of outrage when the photo of a shirt they are selling that contains the phrase "It's not rape. It's a snuggle with a struggle." circulated online.

The photo was taken by Karen Kunawicz (writer, poet, editor) on the third floor of the SM Department Store at SM Megamall. According to Kunawicz, she snapped the photo at the store's boys t-shirt section. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to take note of the shirt's brand so unless SM goes out of their way and divulge such information, it will be difficult to trace the source of said shirt.

SM doesn't have any other choice but to pull out the shirt. The big question now is how did the shirt make it to their shelves? Does the chain have some sort of a control system in identifying which designs should be sold and which designs shouldn't be allowed to even make it to the door? This is likely an honest error but this doesn't take away the fact that it has hurt the feelings of a lot of people.

The shirt being sold in SM Megamall. Photo by Karen Kunawicz.

The Binay Speech: Full Transcript Of The Vice President's Answer To Alleged Overpriced Makati Building

Vice President Jejomar Binay delivered a speech today to address the issues concerning the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building 2. The embattled politician delivered his 21-minute speech at a conference room at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in front of a huge crowd composed mostly of supporters, family members and people from the media.

However, critics of Binay were not at all impressed by his speech. A common reaction from netizens is that Binay campaigned instead of answering the allegations against him. He spent the early part of his speech detailing his rise from a poor family to the second most powerful man in the Philippines.

Binay did address the Makati City Hall Building 2 issue but the general reaction from those who watched is that he didn't address the issue enough. Binay spent the rest of his speech telling the crowd how he can help the country battle poverty. Below is a full transcript of the speech.

Image Of Jesus Christ Purportedly Appeared In The Trunk Of A Banana Plant In Nueva Vizcaya

Some residents of barangay Comon in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya believe that they've received something that is akin to a sign from God. An image has appeared in the trunk of a banana tree there. The image, the residents say, possesses a striking resemblance to Jesus Christ. People has since been flocking to the banana patch to look at the image.

The image first gained attention when a youthful resident named Nathaniel A. Cordero took a photo of it and posted it on Facebook with a caption that says, "I just captured an image of papa Jesus on a banana tree. Grabe kinilabutan ako dito."The photo quickly piqued the interest of a lot of people.

A few days later, Cordero posted an update. This time, it's a video showing the image with water seemingly flowing like tears from its eyes. Part of Cordero's caption for the video goes, "Please share this video if you believe in God."

From there, the image went viral as hundreds of people shared the video. Some people shared the video with hashtags such as #keepthefaith, #miracle and #amen. That's when people started flocking to where the banana tree is located.

In another video update by Cordero, several people can be seen taking pictures of the image with their tablets and cellphones. Others approached and touched the image, probably hoping for something divine to flow back to them.

Our Take

There is this thing called pareidolia. This is a psychological phenomenon wherein a person perceives some random image or sound as something significant. When you look at the clouds and and you see an image of a rabbit. When you look at the water stains in your bathroom floor and see the image of a cat. When you look at the veins of a dead leaf and see an image of a bearded face. These are instances of pareidolia. This phenomenon can be used to explain what Cordero and the residents of Aritao have seen in the banana tree.

To state the obvious, the image on the banana tree can resemble anyone who has a beard. Charles Darwin, Charles Manson, Rasputin, Aragorn, Jon Snow, etc. Why do people always quickly go with Jesus Christ or God? If I am to take a photo of the same image and proclaim that it resembles Charles Darwin, people will probably laugh or mock me. Some will say I'm stupid. The point here is that if it's Jesus Christ, the image is a miracle. If it's somebody else, the claimant is tagged a moron.

And then there's the question that a lot of religious people ignore. This question is "Why?" Why would Jesus go around putting his likeness in the trunks of banana plants, in toasted bread, in water stains, etc.? Why confuse your believers with such cheap tricks? Why not just show an exact image of yourself to erase any doubts? Plaster yourself on the wall - head, feet, everything - and people will believe.

Seeing a random image in a banana plant that slightly resembles a bearded guy, claiming it to be the likeness of Jesus, and taking it as a sign that he is real is wishful thinking. It's illogical.

An "Aswang" Was Allegedly Caught In Lucena City But Released By Barangay Officials

The story and photos of an aswang allegedly caught in Lucena City are spreading online. Netizen Mae Marcelo posted nine photos of a woman with a caption implying that the woman was brought to an outpost of barangay Mayao Crossing in Lucena City in the province of Quezon because she was suspected to be an aswang. Marcelo added that the woman was brought to the outpost by people from Bestland Subdivision in the same barangay who claim to have seen her transform from a huge black bird.

Here's Marcelo's caption of the photos: "Eto po yung nahuling aswang sa Mayao Crossing na dinala sa outpost. Mga taga-Bestland ang nakakita na ito'y nagpalit anyo galing sa pagiging malaking ibon. Pinakawalan ito ng Kapitan ng Crossing sapagkat nag-banta ito. Nahuli din ang isa nitong kasamang lalake sa Marketview ngunit nakatakas ito. Kaya mag-ingat po kayo dahil hindi ito isang biro."

In the photos, the woman who is yet to be identified, is seen sitting and being interviewed by who looks like a barangay official. According to Marcelo, she was released by the barangay officials after she allegedly threatened them that she'll harm their families if they don't let her go.

Our take on the story

There's zero evidence proving that aswangs exist. Aswangs belong on a shelf of mythical creatures that include tianaks, tikbalangs, and duwendes. As far as the evidence is concerned, they are not real. They are creations of the imagination. With that said, this aswang story coming out of Lucena City is shady at best. There are several possibilities here:

1) Mae Marcelo may be lying and this whole thing is a sick hoax. The woman may exist, she may have been truly brought to the barangay outpost, and she may have been released by the authorities. However, the circumstances leading to such a predicament might have been something entirely different from being an "aswang suspect". She could've been a homeless person. Or one with mental problems. Or she could be going through some other issues.

2) Mae Marcelo and the barangay officials who released her truly believe that she is an aswang. In this case, there's nothing we can say but suggest that these same people read more science books.

3) The woman may have mental problems and she may have directly admitted that she is an aswang. The people (including Mae Marcelo and the barangay officials) then bought her story.

The woman tagged as an aswang being questioned at a barangay outpost. Photo by Mae Marcelo via Facebook.

These are all just speculations, of course, but at these times, it's best to be skeptical and not believe everything that you read online no matter how popular it becomes. The woman in the photos may be in need of help. If she is not a local resident of Lucena City, it's unlikely that she has relatives in the area to help her out. In this case, the Department of Social Welfare and Development should be brought in to do their jobs.

Bulacan River Tragedy: Eerie Photos Of The Drowning Incident At The Madlum River

Eerie photos of the recent drowning tragedy in Bulacan which caused the death of seven tourism students have surfaced online. The photos, most of which were posted on the social networking site Facebook, show the exact moment when the students were swept away by the strong currents of the Madlum River in Sibul, San Miguel, Bulacan. The photos were taken by other students who were participants in an educational field trip by the Bulacan State University (BSU).

In one photo, the students can be seen clinging on to each other as the muddy waters rushed past them. The other photos show them being dispersed as the currents carried them down the river.

Last Tuesday, 181 students along with three teachers and 10 tourist guides were in a field trip in the area where Madlum Cave and Madlum River are located in barangay Sibul. According to the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the group was crossing Madlum River when the current suddenly surged without warning. That's when eight of the students were swept away.

Four bodies of the victims were recovered an hour after the tragedy. Two bodies were recovered on Wednesday. And the seventh and last fatality was recovered on Thursday. The fatalities were identified as Elena Marie Marcelo, Sean Rodney Alejo, Mikhail Alcantara, Michelle Anne Rose Bonzo, Mary Magdalene Navarro, Jeanette Rivera, and Maico Eleva Bartolome.

Photo: Diolo Santos via Facebook

Photo: Diolo Santos via Facebook

Photo: Darlene Palma via Facebook

Bulacan State University might face civil, criminal, and administrative charges because of the tragedy. On a radio interview on dzBB, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) executive director Julito Vitriolo said that the parents of the students can file criminal and civil cases against the state university.

SM Allegedly Selling Bags With Designs Stolen And Used Without Permission From The Original Artists

An SM Department Store is getting a lot of flak online when a shopper found out that a bag being sold in the store has a design very similar to the work of a 21-year old designer/illustrator named Risa Rodil. The design was allegedly used without permission from the artist. In other words, the design was stolen.

Shopper Ralph Cifra brought attention to the alleged design theft by posting a photo of Ms. Rodil's design alongside the bag on Facebook. As of this writing, the post has been shared over a thousand times. The bag in question is a "Grab" brand. It's still unknown if Grab is an SM brand or an outside brand.

The original artwork by Ms. Rodil features a quote ("A book is a dream you hold in your hands.") by the well-known author Neil Gaiman done in lettering art.  The original artwork also contained a watermark by the artist. In the design that was imprinted into the bag being sold by SM, the watermark by the artist has been removed.

Ms. Rodil left a comment on the post saying "We're trying to put the word out there so we can educate more people about this. As artists, we wouldn't want to compromise the quality of our work just because "Internet is Internet". So if there's something we can do to at least educate a small chunk of the Internet, why not. The point of this post is not to cry over spilled milk, but to raise awareness. Para hindi na lang lagi artists ang kelangan mag-adjust."

Photo by Ralph Cifra

Ms. Rodil also stated that they had already talked to the SM Store manager and they were given instructions on where they can file a complaint report.

A netizen also commented that this isn't the only design stolen by Grab. According to him, many of the designs of Grab bags were used without permission from their original creators. He however didn't elaborate nor provide additional details about these other designs that were allegedly stolen by Grab.

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Plane Crashes in South China Sea Off Vietnam With 239 Passengers

Malaysia Airlines has confirmed that a plane of theirs carrying 239 people has gone missing. The jet took off from Kuala Lumpur and bound for Beijing. The 239 people on board is comprised of 227 passengers and 12 crew members. Among the passengers are two infants.

The passengers were of 14 different nationalities. Most of them are Chinese (153), Malaysians (38), and Indonesians (12). The other passengers are from Australia, France, United States of America, New Zealand, Ukraine, Canada, Russia, Italy, Taiwan, the Netherlands, and Austria.

Reuters has reported that the pane has crashed on the South China Sea off Vietnam. "A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew crashed in the South China Sea on Saturday, Vietnamese state media said, quoting a senior naval official." Reuters reported.

Here are the latest updates from Malaysia Airlines:

Post by Malaysia Airlines.

Post by Malaysia Airlines.

A news report about the missing plane on Anderson Cooper 360: