Breaking NEWS Angeles CITY: Foreigners arrested in Clark also into scams, money laundering (Developing Story)

The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has disclosed that the 1,316 Chinese nationals who were arrested last year near Clark Field in Pampanga were not only engaged in illegal online gambling but were also involved in a range of criminal activities including telephone scams aimed at victims in China and money laundering.

In a recent report, the Interpol, an intergovernmental organization facilitating international police cooperation, said the arrest of the Chinese nationals in Clark in November 24, 2016 was the result of an operation, dubbed Operation First Light 2016, which targeted multi-million dollar phone and email scams throughout the Asia Pacific.

The two-month operation targeted a variety of social engineering fraud scams – including telephone deception, romance scams and e-mail deception – and related financial crimes.

“Social engineering fraud” refers to scams which manipulate or trick people into giving out confidential or personal information which can then be used for financial gain by the criminals involved.

In a statement, Interpol’s Financial Crimes unit coordinator Makoto Tanase said by sharing information through Interpol, police can overcome the challenges in investigating international telephone fraud, such as criminals frequently changing locations or IP addresses, and build working relationships to prevent similar criminal activity in the future.

Interpol’s Financial Crimes unit, in conjunction with the Liaison Office in Bangkok, facilitated the exchange of information and coordinated the joint police action during the operation which took place between October 1 and November 30.

Korean, Thai, and Indian nationals were also among those arrested, with additional countries in Europe and the Americas contributing intelligence or providing investigative support. In addition to social engineering fraud, the suspects are also facing charges of payment card fraud and related financial crimes.

Countries participating in Operation First Light 2016 include Austria, China, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and the United States.

Last month, police in Spain arrested more than 200 Chinese nationals and shut down 13 call centers in Madrid, Barcelona based on intelligence exchanged in the framework of the operation, and in Alicante which scammed thousands of victims out of some 16 million Euros.

In this case, the suspects posed as law enforcement or justice officials, telling the victims in China that their bank accounts had been targeted by criminals and directing them to transfer a sum of money into a designated bank account in order to track the criminals.

Meanwhile, most of the 1,316 Chinese nationals who were arrested for allegedly working in Fontana Hot Spring Leisure Parks’ call center-like facilities suspected of running online gambling operations have finished relevant procedures for bail, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reported this week.

According to Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang, throughout the process of applying for bail, the Chinese government has been in close contact with the Philippine side asking them to “ensure the legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese citizens and accord them humanitarian treatment and assistance within their duties.”

Fontana is owned by Chinese gaming operator Jack Lam’s Jimei Group.

Lam was ordered arrested for allegedly trying to bribe Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre to secure the release of the Chinese nationals.

The gaming operator reportedly left the country before President Duterte ordered his arrest. Based on Bureau of Immigration (BI) travel records, a certain Lam Yi Lok, believed to be Lam’s real name, departed the country via a Cathay Pacific flight to Hong Kong last November 29 and has no record of return.

The Chinese government earlier said it is “highly concerned” with the move by the Philippine government to detain the undocumented Chinese nationals.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang said upon learning that BI authorities have detained a group of Chinese citizens on November 24 following operations launched against illegal online gambling, the Chinese embassy in Manila immediately dispatched representatives to ensure that Philippine government officials “properly settle the detained personnel, speed up the identity verification progress, release people who have legal identity with no delay, take concrete measures to protect the safety and provide humanitarian treatment to personnel involved, and handle the case in a timely and just manner according to law.”

The Chinese foreign ministry official emphasized that the Chinese government always requires its citizens abroad to live and work in accordance with local laws and regulations and not to participate or engage in activities that may impair their own rights and interests, such as gambling.

Vanilla Air starts first route to the Philippines

Vanilla Air waited until 25 December to launch its first new route of 2016 from its main base at Tokyo Narita (NRT). On that day the LCC (which is fully-owned by All Nippon Airways) began a daily service to Cebu (CEB) in the Philippines. Competition on the 3,277-kilometre route comes from Philippine Airlines (with double daily flights) and Cebu Pacific Air (with four times weekly flights). Vanilla Air has recently added two more 180-seat A320s to its fleet giving it a total of 11 of the type. From Tokyo Narita the airline now serves seven destinations with at least daily flights; three in Japan, two in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and now Cebu. With this new route, Vanilla Air becomes the eighth carrier to connect Japan and the Philippines. It has just under 3% of seat capacity between the two countries, well behind Philippine Airlines (52%) and Cebu Pacific Air (16%).

Philippine Airlines launches first international service from Clark Airport in Angeles City Pampanga Philippines to Seoul Incheon

Philippine Airlines has introduced its first international route from Clark (CRK) in the Philippines.
On 1 January the national carrier began daily flights to Seoul Incheon (ICN) using its 199-seat A321s. Competition on the 2,543-kilometre route comes from Asiana Airlines and Jin Air which both operate the airport pairing with daily flights. Philippine Airlines President Jamie Bautista said: “We will operate more flights outside of Manila not just to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) but mainly to offer convenience to passengers who do not need to travel to Manila for their desired flights.” Philippine Airlines already operates domestic flights to Caticlan from Clark with additional domestic routes being added in the coming weeks.

Fontana Casino and Resort ruled out as venue for Asean conference in Angeles City (Clark) Philippines

Organizers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting this year have abandoned plans to hold it at the Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino, a tourism official here said yesterday.

Chinese businessman Jack Lam, whom President Duterte had ordered arrested for bribery and economic sabotage but who has since fled to Macau, owns Fontana.

Government agents raided the casino resort hotel recently for illegal online gambling. On Dec. 2, state-owned Clark Development Corp. (CDC) ordered its closure.

Ronnie Tiotuico, director of the Department of Tourism in Central Luzon, said the National Organizing Committee (NOC) for the ASEAN meet is considering the Subic Freeport instead.


Subic hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 1996.

In February last year, Fontana constructed a new convention center to host one of the ministerial meetings of APEC.

Tiotuico said the NOC had initially chosen Clark, where Fontana is, as one of the venues for ministerial meetings during the ASEAN meet.

ASEAN member-countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Incoming US president Donald Trump might also attend the event in the Philippines later this year, as Budget Secretary

Benjamin Diokno said earlier the NOC was planning to also invite the heads of the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea and China for the ASEAN’s 50th anniversary.

“Because of what happened in Fontana, Subic is now being prepared for one of the ministerial meetings,” Tiotuico said, adding that the NOC would be able to finally decide on this by next month.

Tiotuico said the venue must be able to accommodate 4,000 people for the ASEAN summit.

“We have such a convention center in Subic, but the problem there is lack of (hotel) rooms, unlike here at Clark and surrounding areas,” he noted.

Tiotuico said the ASEAN guests could be shuttled between Clark, where there are enough hotels, and Subic, where the meetings could be held. The distance between the two free ports, he noted, is now less than an hour via the Subic-Clark-Tarlac expressway.

The tourism official said the NOC is now bidding out contracts for transport services for the ASEAN participants.

“There are those who might want to tour Central Luzon, so we are identifying areas we can recommend as tourism destinations,” he noted.

The Office of President had sought a P15-billion budget for hosting the 2017 ASEAN summit.

Diokno said a big chunk of the budget would be for car rentals for the dignitaries.

Diokno had also informed the senators that most of the allotted funds would be spent domestically – hotels, restaurants and local travel.

“We might even expand the number of visitors,” the budget chief said. “So there is the president of the US, (prime minister of) Canada and others.”

Foreign investment in Philippines pledges plunge 45%

Foreign investment pledges approved by the country’s seven investment promotion agencies (IPAs) fell 45 percent in the third quarter this year, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.

The IPAs include the Board of Investments (BOI), Clark Development Corp. (CDC), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), Authority of the Freeport Area of Bataan (AFAB), BOI-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BOI-ARMM), and Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).

Investments committed from July to September  totaled P26.7 billion, lower than the P48.6 billion pledged in the same period last year.

In the first nine months of the year, approved foreign investments dropped 12.4 percent to P93.3 billion from P106.6 billion in the same period in 2015.

Most of the foreign investments approved in the third quarter originated from South Korea, the US and Singapore.

South Korea committed P6.5 billion, corresponding to 24.3 percent of total, while the US and Singapore pledged P4.6 billion and P4.1 billion, respectively, corresponding to 17.2 percent and 15.3 percent of approved investments

By industry sector, 49.4 percent of the investment commitments were made in the electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply worth P13.2 billion. Manufacturing cornered total investments valued at P5.1 billion  (18.9 percent of total) while transportation and storage had total investments of P3.5 billion (13.2 percent of total).

By location, the bulk of foreign investment pledges approved in the third quarter of the year – P5.5. billion or 20.4 percent of the total – would finance projects in the National Capital Region. Other prominent investment destinations are: Soccsksargen (P4.7 billion, 17.7 percent of total) and Negros Island Region (P4.5 billion, 16.9 percent of total).

Combined investments of foreign and Filipino nationals in the third quarter reached P133.8 billion, down 20.4 percent from P168.2 billion in the same period last year.

All projects approved by the seven IPAs in the third quarter are expected to create 33, 590 jobs, out of which 83.2 percent would come from projects with foreign interest.

Foreign investments approved by the investment promotion agencies differ from actual investment inflows reported by the central bank.

Fields is becoming the place to be from mid afternoon to 10pm: After that the good girls are GONE!

Bar hopping in Angeles has changed quite dramatically in 2016 with the North Perimeter bars owned by Koreans such as Lipstick opening early around 12-1pm and empty at around 4pm with all girls gone and empty dance-floors until they close at around 7pm business has been really good there and girls are getting work life balance while still making their desired money.. this has caused an effect on Fields where Western owned bars used to open at 5pm and 7pm respectively until the early hours of the morning but now in a more Korean populated bar scene many bar owners on Walking Street have started to open their bars earlier and stockpile their roster with their best girls with the best time to visit being around 3pm.

The Key Bars to visit are now Arcadia (they have really raised the bar with an improved line up and girls who know how to treat all customers is a positive way resulting in many ladies drinks bought and richer girls as a result, but do check it out as there are many SMOKING HOT girls in there right now), Viking also despite the most uncomfortable stools in Angeles City is now full of their best girls in the Afternoon. The I heart color bar opens just after midday and has some of the best looking girls in town but most are gone by 2pm.

Aura which was the most in demand bar for Koreans due to an exceptional line up has slowed down with more options on Walking Street with competitor bars actually easier to find and competition at a very high level.

2016 has seen many new bars and other bars change their business model to remain competitive for some its worked very well and for others its not worked so well

ABC's new rooftop sensation Aqua Beach Club open and looking spectacular

ABC had their soft opening on Saturday 17th and it was a friendly event in somewhat spectacular settings especially compared to rival Hotels and Clubs, the Swimming pool with DJ Booth is quite impressive as is the well spaced out seated areas which makes me think this will eventually end up being more directed towards couples rather than being a place to pick up girls although I am sure the bar staff could potentially be obliging (although not confirmed)

Well done to businesses like ABC and Kandi for taking customer satisfaction to the next level in Angeles City and keeping up the motto "its more fun in the Philippines" when other places started to take the fun and excitement away.

Here are some photos of Aqua Beach Club for your review: