It was New Year’s Eve 1999, and Arlene Stone was convinced the world was going to end. That’s what Stone said she and other members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ had been told by their spiritual leader, Apollo Quiboloy, known by his followers as the “Appointed Son of God” or “Owner of the Universe.” Ever since joining his group …
MANILA, Philippines — China should do more to battle the illegal online gambling and scam call centers run by Chinese criminal syndicates in Southeast Asian countries often using forced labor, a Philippine senator who led an investigation into the centers said Friday. The U.N. human rights office has said that such gangs have forced hundreds of thousands of people into …
National security has long been an issue that divides the Philippine public, especially as the country has always faced threats from domestic insurgencies, terrorism, and territorial disputes. For these reasons, some lawmakers are urging Marcos to shut down POGOs for good; Senator Risa Hontiveros, during a hearing tackling Guo’s alleged ties to the POGO in Bamban, urged the National Security …
