A 59-year-old American fugitive wanted for child molestation charges in the United States was arrested by operatives of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) in Pangasinan as part of the government’s intensified #ShieldKids campaign against foreign sex offenders. Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the fugitive as Matthew Cole Calhoun, a U.S. citizen who was apprehended by members of the BI Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) during an operation conducted on the evening of

The Department of Homeland Security announced a sweeping crackdown on alleged asylum fraud, warning that immigration attorneys who file false claims for illegal migrants could now face tougher enforcement actions from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under a new DHS directive, ICE attorneys are being granted expanded authority to pursue violations of federal document fraud laws, including possible penalties against lawyers accused of submitting fraudulent asylum appl

NEW YORK — Several Filipino military officers and cadets brought pride to the Philippines after earning honors and completing training in prestigious military institutions in the United States. Three Philippine Army officers received top distinctions after completing the Public Affairs Course for International Students 010-2026 conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense at the Defense Information School in Fort George G. Meade, Maryland. The international training program wa

NEW YORK - Thousands of faithful devotees gathered at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in prayer and thanksgiving to commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the Canonical Coronation of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag. The sacred celebration marked 100 years of deep Marian devotion, unwavering faith, and countless testimonies of grace associated with the beloved image of Our Lady of Manaoag, one of the most venerated Marian icons in the Philippines. Dev

OFFICE OF PROSECUTING ATTORNEY A 43-year-old Filipino man in Hawaii is facing multiple criminal charges following an alleged armed standoff with police in Captain Cook, Hawai‘i. According to Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen, Earl-Lewis Camacho was arrested after the incident on May 19, 2026 at a residence along Mamalahoa Highway. Authorities said officers recovered three rifles a Winchester .22 Magnum rifle, a Marlin Firearms Co. .22 caliber rifle, and a Stevens Model 325-

The Catholic faithful in the United States and the Philippines are offering prayers and gratitude after Pope Leo XIV officially accepted the retirement of Filipino Auxiliary Bishop Alejandro Aclan of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The announcement was made by the Holy See on May 22, marking the end of Aclan’s active episcopal ministry after decades of dedicated service to the Church. Aclan, one of only six Filipino bishops serving in the United States, submitted his resignat

A horrifying scandal has rocked Phoenix after a 31-year-old man was accused of breaking into the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office and sexually abusing multiple corpses inside the facility. Authorities identified the suspect as Fenris Lu, who allegedly used a crowbar to force his way into the building before carrying out the disturbing acts during the early hours of May 20. According to the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, surveillance cameras allegedly captured Lu b

A Filipino mother and daughter were sent to prison in the United States after authorities uncovered a brazen “ghost purchase” scam that allegedly stole more than half a million dollars meant for students in the Northern Mariana Islands. Judge Ramona Manglona of the District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands sentenced Clarissa Adlawan, 55, to four years in prison, while her daughter, Giselle Butalid, 34, was sentenced to one and a half years behind bars after both admitte

NEW YORK - Thousands of lawful permanent residents or green card holders across the United States are now under closer scrutiny as the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement expand immigration enforcement operations targeting deportable immigrants including longtime permanent residents. Immigration lawyers warned that many Filipinos with old criminal records, unresolved legal problems, or questionable immigration histories could now

NEW YORK - Federal agents arrested a Filipino American former New York City Public Advocate candidate over an alleged scheme to illegally obtain $1 million in taxpayer-funded campaign money. Fil-Am Angela Aquino was charged by federal prosecutors in Brooklyn with wire fraud after authorities accused her of manipulating campaign finance records to qualify for New York City’s public matching funds program. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New

The Senate formally received the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday evening, marking a major development in the impeachment proceedings against the country’s second-highest official. Senate Secretary Mark Llandro “Dong” L. Mendoza and Deputy Secretary for Legislation Atty. Marivic Laurel Garcia received the impeachment documents from House Secretary General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil at the Senate at around 7:22 p.m. The transmittal include

The dramatic return of Ronald dela Rosa to the Senate after more than six months of absence amid an alleged International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant has become one of the key developments surrounding the rise of Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate president. Dela Rosa resurfaced at the Senate on May 11 after reportedly going into hiding following reports that the ICC had issued a warrant against him over his alleged role in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody

The University of the Philippines Broadcasting Association (UPBA) has issued a strongly worded statement against Senator Loren Legarda after she joined the newly formed Senate majority bloc that installed Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President amid the looming impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte. In its statement titled “A Challenge to Our Alumna, Senator Legarda,” the organization accused the Senate of being reorganized to potentially weaken or derai

Days after the dramatic arrest of Franco Mabanta and four associates, the Peanut Gallery Media Network fought back by releasing a bombshell episode titled “MartinLooterFund,” denying allegations that they attempted to extort former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. PGMN described the operation as a “malicious entrapment” and claimed Mabanta was allegedly lured into the situation. “Franco was the one who was repeatedly approached, courted for two weeks, consistently lied to, and

Instead of a warm welcome home, a 66-year-old Filipino-Canadian national was met by police officers and handcuffs after landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 from Vancouver, Canada on May 6, 2026. The elderly passenger was immediately arrested in a coordinated law enforcement operation after authorities discovered he was allegedly wanted for rape. Personnel from the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group (PNP AVSEGROUP), Bureau of Immigra

Franco Mabanta, founder of Peanut Gallery Media Network and a prominent social media personality known for his political commentaries online, was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation over an alleged extortion case involving former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. NBI Director Melvin Matibag confirmed Mabanta’s arrest on Wednesday. Authorities said Mabanta was apprehended during an entrapment operation allegedly linked to a ₱350-million extortion complaint. Reports

CANVA LOS ANGELES - Filipinos are among the 144 caregivers who stand to receive compensation after California labor authorities penalized a home care agency more than $4.4 million for labor violations involving worker misclassification. The California Labor Commissioner’s Office (LCO) cited Hart Placement Agency Inc., based in Canoga Park, along with its owners Annie Ghaw and Hartmann Ghaw, for misclassifying caregivers as independent contractors. Of the total $4,423,450 in p

A Filipino police officer is now facing a storm of serious allegations after being arrested over multiple sexual assault charges allegedly committed while on duty. Christopher John Oallesma, 26, a five-year member of the Honolulu Police Department, was taken into custody on April 28 after a Hawaii grand jury indicted him on eight counts of sexual assault. He is also facing charges of official misconduct, obstruction of justice, and use of a computer in the commission of a cri

An American fugitive accused of serious crimes back home has been tracked down and arrested in Danao City, Cebu, immigration authorities confirmed. The 44-year-old foreign national was collared on April 29 in a joint operation by the Bureau of Immigration’s Fugitive Search Unit (FSU), local police, and U.S. authorities. Authorities said the American is wanted in Texas for allegedly threatening to release intimate visual material and for attempted aggravated assault with a dea

LEGASPI CITY - Residents in several communities surrounding Mayon Volcano experienced ash fall on Saturday afternoon following a lava flow collapse that generated a pyroclastic density current (PDC) along the volcano’s southwestern slopes. The event occurred at approximately 5:38 PM and was captured by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Quick Response Team. According to PHIVOLCS, the PDC was produced by the collapse of advancing lava flows, send