Quiboloy cohort admits to US fraud scheme | The wRap

2 months ago

Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:

- Key Quiboloy associate strikes plea deal, admits role in US fraud scheme
- ‘This ruined our lives’: Bamban POGO ‘ghost’ owner surrenders
- Thousands flee Hurricane Milton, causing traffic jams and fuel shortages
- EJ Obiena says rumored rift with Carlos Yulo all ‘false drama’
- BINI among Best Asia Act nominees in 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards

https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/october-9-2024/

Transcript

00:00A key associate of doomsday preacher Apollo Kibuloy strikes a plea deal and admits to

00:18scheming to defraud the U.S. government.

00:21An alleged ghost owner of Bamban Pogo, Hong Sheng, surrenders.

00:25The mayor of Tampa, Florida, tells people in areas designated for evacuation,

00:30If you choose to stay, you're going to die.

00:33E.J. Obiena belies rumors pitting him against Carlos Yulo as fabricated, false drama.

00:39And P-POP group Beanie is nominated for the Best Asia Act at the MTV EMAs.

00:47One of doomsday preacher Apollo Kibuloy's key associates in the United States breaks

00:51ranks.

00:52Marissa Duenas, a trusted administrator of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, pleads guilty

00:57to charges that she conspired with Kibuloy's group to defraud the U.S. government.

01:02Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Staple signs the plea agreement on Tuesday, October 8.

01:07The plea deal might spare Duenas a harsher penalty.

01:10Duenas is one of several Kibuloy associates in the U.S. indicted in late 2021 by a federal

01:16jury in California for various criminal offenses including sex trafficking, fraud, and money

01:22laundering.

01:23She has been identified as an administrator of KOJC's operations and a human resources

01:28manager in the U.S.

01:30These are the other Kibuloy associates and co-accused who either surrendered or posted

01:34bail in the U.S.

01:36The group was charged with crimes that include sex trafficking of children, marriage fraud,

01:41fraud and misuse of visas, bulk cash smuggling, and money laundering.

01:47Alleged Hongsheng Pogo Inc.

01:49Merly Joy Castro surrenders to the National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday, October

01:549.

01:55She and 15 others are charged with qualified human trafficking over illegal pogo operations

02:05in Bamban.

02:06Castro first appeared before the Senate on June 26, claiming she is a vendor-turned-BPO

02:12worker from Concepcion, Tarlac, who knows nothing about pogos.

02:16That same hearing, a Bureau of Internal Revenue representative said the tax identification

02:21number used for Castro's Hongsheng Inc. doesn't exist.

02:25But the Justice Department still charged Castro and three others, claiming it has evidence

02:30they received payments in exchange for Hongsheng to use their names.

02:34The evidence, however, is not included in the DOJ indictment nor in the Pasig Court

02:38resolution ordering their arrest.

02:43Tampa, Florida, Mayor Jane Castor warns people against riding out Hurricane Milton, calling

02:48Hurricane Helene a mere wake-up call.

02:50She tells residents, if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're

02:55going to die.

02:56More than a dozen coastal counties issue mandatory evacuation orders.

03:01Mobile homes, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities also face mandatory evacuation.

03:07Motorists wait in long lines to fill their tanks, only to find out that fuel had run

03:12out.

03:13Milton packs maximum sustained winds of 165 miles per hour, or 270 kilometers per hour.

03:19The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Milton will make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane,

03:24a step down from the previous day's Category 5.

03:28Forecasts show the hurricane roughly doubling in size by the time it makes landfall late

03:32Wednesday or early Thursday.

03:35Six states are still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people.

03:41There's no animosity between popular Philippine sports champions EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo.

03:47The pole vault star says all the stories of his rumored rift with the Olympic gymnastics

03:52champion are fabricated and misleading.

03:54He writes on social media,

03:56I don't compete with my friend Kaloy, and I deeply respect him.

04:00I am proud of him.

04:01Obiena's reaction comes after online rumors continue to pit the two current faces of Philippine

04:06sports against each other, from their private lives to sporting careers to brand endorsements.

04:11The two made headlines beyond their sporting feats over the years.

04:15Obiena on his messy rift with his National Sports Association and doping accusations,

04:20Yulo on his strained family relations, controversial love life, and split with his longtime Japanese

04:25coach.

04:26Obiena hopes fans would just, quote, "...focus on cheering our athletes on instead of creating

04:31false drama."

04:34P-pop group Beanie is nominated for the Best Asia Act at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards

04:40or EMAs.

04:41MTV released the list of nominees on Tuesday, October 8.

04:46The eight-piece act will be competing against four other nominees.

04:50This marks Beanie's first nomination in the MTV EMAs.

04:54It is also the lone Filipino act to be nominated.

04:57Fans can vote for Beanie on MTV EMA's website until November 6.

05:02Beanie rose to fame with Pantropico, Salamin Salamin, and Cherry on Top.

05:07In August, the group bagged the Voices of Asia Award alongside SB19 at Billboard Korea's

05:12K-Power 100 event.

05:14Joanna, Maloy, Stacey, Aya, Colette, Gwen, Mika, and Sheena are set to stage their Grand

05:22Beanieverse concert at the Araneta Coliseum on November 16-18.

05:26And that's today's Wrap.

05:29I'm Michelle Abad, thank you for watching.

05:32Click the link below for the full story.

05:34Follow us on Rappler's YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

Quiboloy cohort admits to US fraud scheme | The wRap

Category

Transcript

Recommended