Author: Izel Abanilla

MANILA, Philippines – Just over a week after the death of her husband, Regal Entertainment matriarch and showbiz industry pillar Lily Monteverde, famously known as Mother Lily, died at the age of 85. Her son, UP Fighting Maroons head coach Goldwin Monteverde confirmed. No cause for her death has been released yet by the family. Just last July 29, her husband, Leonardo “Remy” Monteverde, passed away at the age of 86. Born Lily Yu Chu, Mother Lily founded Regal Entertainment in 1962 serving as its president and CEO until her death. With 300 films under her name, Monteverde has produced…

MANILA, Philippines – SEN. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa will not yield to the International Criminal Court should it order for his arrest in connection with the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. Dela Rosa is among the main characters in the war on drugs according to former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, the staunchest critic of the former President and Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police Chief from July 2016 until April 2018. “Kung lalabas yung arrest warrant at ito’y isi-serve sa akin ng taga-Interpol, I will not submit to their jurisdiction…dahil alam kong wala silang jurisdiction sa atin,”…

MANILA, Philippines – WHEN no becomes no, but… THE Philippines will no longer block any arrest warrants the International Criminal Police Organization will issue in connection to the International Criminal Court’s probe on the brutal war on drugs of the Duterte administration. However, the ICC won’t get support from the government – a contrast to the country’s previous hardline stance of not letting external hand dip into local legal affairs. This is a tricky situation the Marcos administration cannot ignore, said Justice Secretary Boying Remulla Thursday. “We are not in the business of blocking any movement at Interpol unless a…

MANILA, Philippines – ACTOR Niño Muhlach said he would speak about the alleged sexual abuse to his son, Sparkle GMA Artist Center talent Sandro, once the family secures a criminal case against Jojo Nones and Richard Cruz, the independent contractors named by the network. “Tinatapos lang po namin i-file criminal case then I will talk,” Muhlach said in a text message as reported on “24 Oras” Thursday, August 1. Lawyer Maggie Abraham-Garduque, counsel for Nones and Cruz, said the allegations being thrown at them weren’t exactly what happened. “Our clients are deeply saddened by the serious allegations hurled against them…

MANILA, Philippines – A fact-finding investigation by the Commission on Elections revealed a matching result on the fingerprint analysis of suspended Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo obtained from her voting records with that of Chinese national Guo Hua Ping sourced from the National Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Immigration. This gave the Comelec basis to file a formal complaint against the mayor for allegedly committing material misrepresentation during the 2022 local and national elections echoing NBI’s initial findings presented to the Senate. Also because of her dishonesty in previous hearings, the mayor could possibly face a perjury case…

MANILA, Philippines – A fuming Diane Abby Tupaz, wife of former child actor Nino Muhlach, lashed out on social media over what seemed to be a sex scandal involving their child as victim. On Facebook, Tupaz made a furious post in all capital letters shortly after her husband posted an equally feisty line “inumpisahan nyo, tatapusin ko.” That scandal rocked showbiz, with reports coming in bits and pieces. First there was a report of young Kapuso talent who was allegedly sexually abused by two network executives after the recent GMA Gala at a luxury hotel in Taguig City. Netizens were…

MANILA, Philippines – The Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-aawit and OPM icon Cooky Chua have organized a fundraising concert to help folk-country singer Coritha who in real life is known as Socorro Avelino.The move came after broadcast journalist Julius Babao featured the singer Coritha in his vlog. Coritha is now bedridden after suffering from a stroke. In a social media post on Wednesday, Chua shared the poster of “Para Kay Coritha,” a benefit on August 5 to be held at the Hive Hotel in Quezon City. The OPM group also posted the same announcement on Facebook. Performing with Chua are…

MANILA, Philippines – The House of Representatives ordered the arrest of Michael Yang, economic adviser to former President Rodrigo Duterte after snubbing the committee on dangerous drugs conducting a probe on the September 2023 multi-billion peso drug bust in Mexico, Pampanga. Surigao del Norte Rep Ace Barbers, House committee on dangerous drugs chairperson, confirmed on Wednesday, July 31, that House Secretary General Reginald Velasco signed the arrest order. Yang was cited in contempt last July 10 for failing to appear before the hearings. Based on government records, Yang left for Dubai last May 12 but the lookout order puts the…

MANILA, Philippines – Former Miss Universe Philippines and now TV host-actress Rabiya Mateo on Wednesday shared a rather unusual dream business. Mateo said she wanted to start a funeral business because of her sleek taste in make-up. “Nag start kasi yan dati, hindi ko gusto ang mga make up ng mga patay. Masyado maputi, masyado manipis ang kilay. So sabi ko, ‘why not? Siyempre, last few days na lang nila na makikita sila ng pamilya nila so doon nag start ang idea,” she said in an interview. The former beauty queen said she did not fear being around cadavers since…

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s green light order on offshore gaming operators in the country was ill-advised, said Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile. In an ambush interview Wednesday, the former Senate President agreed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to ban all POGOs in the country. These were banned in other neighboring countries. Enrile questioned why it was allowed here. “It was ill advised. They did not study it well. My god, POGO was banned in Cambodia, banned by many countries in Central Asia and we adopted it here. Why is it that until now we…