Residential Fires November, 2025

This is a reported list of residential fires in the Philippines for November, 2025. The Bureau of Fire Protection is on record saying the fire codes does not apply to residential areas which is why so many of them go up in flames during a fire. Being made of light materials all it takes is one spark to cause massive devastation. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/02/2-toddlers-killed-in-all-saints-day-fire

Two toddlers were killed in a fire that destroyed their house in Purok 5, Barangay Dalahican, this city, on All Saints’ Day. 

Police identified the victims as Francis, one-year-old, and brother Vladimir, two. 

The fire broke out at the house owned by their auntie Joyce, 26, at about 10 p.m. 

Neighbors joined hands to extinguish the fire until firefighters arrived and put out the blaze almost an hour later. 

Arson investigators said the fire was caused by an unattended improvised lamp. 

Firemen recovered the body of Francis while Vladimir was taken to Quezon Medical Center here where he was declared dead. 

Damage to property was estimated at P150,000. 

Follow-up investigation is ongoing.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2133196/fire-razes-homes-in-olongapo-city

A fire broke out in a residential area along Lindayag Street in Barangay Asinan, Olongapo City, on Sunday night.

According to a report from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, responders from the Bureau of Fire Protection, the city police, and other emergency teams immediately rushed to the area after receiving the alarm.

The blaze was contained within minutes and was declared out at 10:55 p.m.

No injuries were reported. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/06/22-houses-destroyed-in-bacolod-fires

Twenty-two houses were razed in two fires here on Wednesday night, Nov. 5, and Thursday morning, Nov. 6, amid a blackout caused by typhoon “Tino.”

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Bacolod said the first blaze broke out at 8:56 p.m. Wednesday in Purok Riverside, Barangay Banago, destroying 12 houses and partially damaging three others.

A total of 15 families, or about 30 individuals, were affected. No injuries were reported.

Fire out was declared at 9:16 p.m. Damage to property was estimated at P100,000.

Another fire erupted in Purok Paghidaet, Barangay Tangub at 12:38 a.m. Thursday.

Five houses were totally destroyed and two were partially damaged. Fourteen families or 30 individuals were displaced.

Fire out was declared at 1:01 a.m. Property damage was P75,000.

An overheated generator set triggered a fire in an inn in Barangay 26 here at 8:26 p.m., causing approximately P15,000 in damage.

Arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the Banago and Tangub fires.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2136071/fire-razes-house-in-olongapo-city

A  house caught fire along Upper Amagis Street in Barangay Mabayuan, Olongapo City, on Friday morning, Nov. 7.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) reported that the fire, which began at 7:57 p.m., was extinguished 20 minutes later.

The Bureau of Fire Protection, together with the CDRRMO Fire-Search and Rescue Team, is conducting a thorough inspection of the area to prevent flare-ups and assess the damage.

No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2136926/fire-razes-over-80-houses-5-establishments-in-leyte-during-uwan

Even as strong winds and heavy rains from Super Typhoon Uwan battered Eastern Visayas, a fire broke out early Saturday morning, Nov. 9, in Barangay Iniguihan of Bato town in Leyte, destroying more than 80 houses and five commercial establishments, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Eastern Visayas (BFP-8) reported.

The blaze, which occurred at around 4:30 a.m., spread rapidly through the community as powerful winds from Typhoon Uwan fanned the flames, making it difficult for firefighters to contain the fire immediately.

According to initial reports from Fire Senior Inspector Anos of the BFP-Bato Fire Station, the fire affected 106 families and destroyed an estimated 680 square meters of residential and commercial property.

The fire completely burned 82 residential houses and five commercial structures. No fatalities were reported, although one firefighter suffered an eye injury due to irritation while battling the blaze.

Responding units included firefighters from Bato, Matalom, Hilongos, Bontoc, Inopacan, Maasin City, Sogod, Hindang, Baybay, and Hilongos, who worked together to bring the fire under control amid the super typhoon..

The fire had gone up to a third alarm by 4:40 a.m. before it was declared under control at 6:30 a.m. It was fully extinguished by 6:45 a.m., according to the BFP report.

Authorities estimated the total damage at ₱1.6 million. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Officials noted that strong winds brought by Super Typhoon Uwan likely contributed to the rapid spread of the flames, complicating firefighting operations as the region continued to experience power outages and flooding from the typhoon. 

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/13/senior-citizen-1-other-dead-in-antipolo-fire

Two individuals, including a 68-year-old woman, died in a fire that broke out in a residential area in Antipolo City, Rizal, on Wednesday night, Nov. 12.

According to the Antipolo City Component Police Station (Antipolo CCPS), the victims were found lifeless inside the comfort room of their home.

Firefighters from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Antipolo City responded to the incident and discovered that the blaze had already spread to nearby houses at around 8 p.m. in Zone 10, Barangay San Roque.

They immediately worked to extinguish the fire, which was declared out at 10 p.m.

During an ocular investigation by personnel from the Investigation and Detective Management Section (IDMS) of the Antipolo CCPS, the victims, identified as “Marieta,” 68, and “Catherine,” 28, were found lying in the bathroom gutter and inside the comfort room.

Meanwhile, DRCG Fire and Rescue Volunteer–Antipolo City, one of the responders, said around 20 houses were affected.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

https://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/fire-guts-12-homes-in-buhangin/

A FIRE reached a second alarm in Barangay Buhangin on Thursday afternoon, Nov. 13, completely destroying 12 houses and partially damaging two others, displacing 20 families or 60 individuals.

The incident occurred at Purok San Nicholas, corner Snow White, Barangay Buhangin, with authorities reporting the fire started at 1:37 p.m.

According to the Davao City Fire District (DCFD), firefighters struggled with the narrow pathways in the densely populated residential area, which extended the time needed to fully extinguish the blaze.

The fire was declared under control at 3 p.m. and was finally declared a fire-out at 4:27 p.m. 

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

“As of now, the cause of the fire is still under investigation,” Fire Senior Inspector Frances Mae Sendrijas, spokesperson for the DCFD, told TIMES on Friday.

She confirmed the extended response time was due primarily to the tightly packed houses, which made overhauling—the process of ensuring the fire does not rekindle—more difficult.

She further elaborated on the access problems: “The paths in the area are extremely narrow, making it difficult for our large fire trucks to penetrate the immediate location of the fire. What happened was we needed to lay out long fire hoses to reach the location, and then our larger trucks and tankers had to feed water from the main highway.”

The DCFD confirmed the final tally of damages included 12 structures totally burned and two structures partially damaged.

The 20 affected families are currently receiving assistance from the city government and disaster response units. 

Meanwhile, she said the investigation into the exact cause of the fire is ongoing.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/17/fire-hits-homes-in-tondo-manila

Two women were injured after a fire broke out in a residential area along Inocencio Street corner Velasquez, Barangay 93, Capulong, Tondo, Manila, on Monday, Nov. 17. 

According to the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), a 19-year-old woman sustained a laceration on her right foot, while a 25-year-old woman suffered a laceration on her right leg. 

BFP said the fire started at 10:28 a.m. and reached the second alarm a minute later at 10:38 a.m. 

The blaze escalated to the third alarm at 10:53 a.m., and was declared under control at 12:21 p.m. 

It was extinguished at 1:53 p.m. 

Authorities said around 50 families, or about 150 individuals, were displaced. 

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2144604/fires-damage-multiple-homes-in-olongapo

Around 12 families were displaced after a residential area in Barangay Pag-asa, Olongapo City caught fire Friday night, November 21.

In a phone interview Saturday, November 22, Fire Officer 2 John Mark Simon of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Olongapo said they received a call  at around 9:37 p.m. about a fire that broke out along Natividad Street.

The blaze, which lasted for more than an hour, razed three separate rental units — a two-story structure and two single-level units. The fire was put out at around 10:46 p.m.

No injuries were reported, and investigations into the cause of the fire and the extent of the damage were ongoing.

Meanwhile, in the same barangay, another house along Tabacuhan Street also caught fire earlier that day at around 2:47 p.m., leaving one person injured.

The fire was quickly contained and declared out at 2:52 p.m.

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the first fire incident.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/23/toddler-killed-in-zamboanga-city-fire

A three-year-old boy was killed in a fire that destroyed his house here on Saturday, Nov. 22.

Police said Elvie Vulcan, the boy’s grandmother, was cooking and the victim was watching a video online on the second floor when the fire erupted inside his room.

Vulcan rushed outside and failed to save her grandson due to huge flames.

Firemen recovered the victim’s badly burned body during mopping-up operations.

Neighbors said the victim was allegedly playing with matches that triggered the fire. He was trapped and failed to get out.

Arson investigators are conducting follow-up investigation.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/26/139-families-lose-homes-in-surigao-city-fire

About 139 families or 519 individuals lost their homes in a fire in Barangay Taft, Surigao City on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), together with the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), have provided modular tents, family food packs, family kits, kitchen kits, hygiene kits, and sleeping kits for the victims.

They are staying at Nueva Gym with 80 families or 244 individuals; Taft National High School, 40 families, 201 individuals; and Mariano Espina Memorial CES, eight families, 33 individuals.

The Surigao City Police Station has extended assistance to relief operations.

Surigao City Mayor Pablo Yves L. Dumlao II has visited evacuees to determine their needs.

Arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire and damage to property.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/28/octogenarian-killed-in-kabankalan-city-fire

An 85-year-old woman was killed in a fire that destroyed her two-story house in Purok 6, Barangay Talubangi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday night, Nov. 26.

Fire Officer 3 Alfie Gravela, arson investigator of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Kabankalan, said the victim was trapped in her bedroom on the second floor and failed to get out due to her age.

The victim’s companions managed to flee as they were on the ground floor when the fire broke out at 8:40 p.m.

The house was completely destroyed as it was made of light materials.

Her family and neighbors tried to rescue her but failed due to the huge flames.

The fire was put out before midnight.

Damage to property was placed at P450,000.

Arson investigators have yet to determine the cause of the fire.

That is 13 reported incidents for November. Remember, these are only the major fires reported in the national media. Residential fires are up all across the nation and they do not all make the news. This is the tip of the iceberg concerning the real situation in the Philippines. 

Insurgency: Spy-Tagging Killings

Another NPA leader has been killed in an encounter with the AFP. Isn't funny how the APF claimed there were no more leaders in the NPA and leaders continue to be killed in encounters? How is that possible?

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/25/npa-leader-killed-in-kalinga-encounter

A leader of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed while a soldier was wounded in an encounter in Barangay Allaguia, Pinukpuk, Kalinga on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 23. 

Lt. Col. Melvin Asuncion, officer–in–charge of the Division Public Affairs Office of the 5th Infantry Division, identified the slain rebel as Vicente or Changli, vice team leader of the Platoon Dos of the ICRC operating in the area and a native of the Cordillera region. 

Asuncion said that Vicente’s body has been retrieved from the encounter site and they are reaching out to his family for burial. 

The wounded soldier, identified as Private First Class Lhemar Guimpatan of the Reconnaissance Company, is in stable condition. 

No civilians were involved during the crossfire. 

Soldiers first engaged communist rebels in the area on Nov. 21 following reports from residents about the presence of more or less 15 fully armed NPA rebels. 

Recovered from the encounter site were an M4 rifle, three high-powered guns, a chopped firearm, a grenade, backpacks and a cellphone. 

Major Gen.  Gulliver Señires, commander of the 5th ID, called on the remaining NPA rebels in the area to surrender for the sake of peace and development.

They say there was a reported 15 "fully armed NPA rebels." The death of this leader takes them down a notch to 14. 

A clash in Samar resulted not in the death of one rebel and in the surrender of another NPA rebel.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1264001

A wounded New People’s Army (NPA) rebel is currently receiving medical treatment after voluntarily surrendering to village officials following an encounter with government forces in Samar.

Lino Dacuma, alias “Sanya,” is now recovering at the Gandara District Hospital after he voluntarily surrendered on Tuesday to officials of Gereganan village in Gandara town.

The encounter took place in the hinterlands of Gereganan village.

“He (Dacuma) became separated from his group during the clash and, unable to continue evading due to his injuries, sought assistance from nearby residents,” the Philippine Army’s (PA) 801st Infantry Brigade said.

Residents brought Dacuma to the home of Liza Barocaboc, the village chief, where he expressed his intention to peacefully surrender and request help.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, village officials immediately coordinated with the nearest PA unit.

PA personnel promptly responded, facilitating Dacuma’s safe turnover and evacuation to the Gandara District Hospital for medical attention.

Clashes between soldiers and rebels started on Nov. 22, 2025, when government forces encountered 15 armed men belonging to Squad 2, Yakal Platoon, Sub-Regional Committee Browser of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

The clashes resulted in the death of a female rebel and the recovery of several high-powered firearms.

Brig. Gen. Arlino Sendaydiego, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade, issued a renewed appeal to remaining NPA members to lay down their arms.

“I call on the remaining members of the Communist Terrorist Group or NPA in the mountains: surrender and choose peace. We have no real victory if fellow Filipinos are fighting and hurting,” Sendaydiego said.

He only surrendered because he got separated from his comrades. 

The NTF-ELCAC has condemned the spate of killings by the NPA of so-called spies. These people were all civilians alleged to have ratted out the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1263703

A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Friday scored the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) for its renewed wave of "spy-tagging" killings, which have targeted civilians.

“Spy-tagging is the CPP-NPA’s most convenient weapon. It is not discipline. It is not revolution. It is murder," NTF-ELCAC executive director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr. said in a statement.

He described the practice as “a death sentence imposed without truth, trial, or humanity,” calling out groups that refuse to denounce the execution of unarmed civilians.

Torres also pointed out that the recent killings in Negros, where at least 15 farmers, barangay officials, and residents have been summarily executed since early 2024, expose the CPP-NPA's continuing pattern of terror and community control.

“These people were not combatants. They were fathers, mothers, youth, workers – ordinary community members whose only ‘crime’ was being arbitrarily labeled as ‘military assets’ by a terrorist organization desperate to maintain influence through fear," he added.

The NTF-ELCAC official also noted that the atrocities in Negros mirror the CPP-NPA’s infamous purge campaigns – Kampanyang Ahos, Operation Missing Link, Project Olympia, Oplan Zombie, and Kadena de Amor – where thousands were tortured and killed after being falsely accused of espionage.

Torres said the pattern remains unchanged and is still “accuse, isolate, and kill.”

He also criticized certain left-leaning organizations and the Makabayan bloc for refusing to condemn the killings.

“For groups that loudly claim to champion human rights, their silence on the executions in Negros is deafening,” Torres said. “Silence is complicity. Their refusal to denounce the killings of farmers, barangay officials, and indigenous peoples exposes the hypocrisy behind their constant calls for justice.”

These killings, he said, cannot be dismissed as internal matters of the communist movement.

“These are crimes against the Filipino people. No community should ever be forced to live under the shadow of communist violence," he pointed out.

He called on local governments, civil society organizations, youth groups, academe, religious institutions, and the media to collectively condemn the atrocities and resist efforts to normalize the CPP-NPA’s purge-style executions. 

Note that while the killings are condemned there is no denial these people were not spies. Funny how the NTF-ELCAC will engage in red-tagging and then act shocked when people are tagged as spies and are executed. Certainly the government has spies. But were these people spies or not?

The NTF-ELCAC has also condemned the Makabayan bloc for not speaking out against these killings. 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/11/27/news/national/rights-groups-criticized-for-silence-on-npa-killings/2232280

THE National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) on Wednesday criticized human rights advocates and members of the Makabayan bloc for what it described as their “persistent and troubling silence” following the New People’s Army’s (NPA) admission that it killed two civilians this month after branding them as government informants.

Prosecutor Chris Gonzales of the Joint Regional Task Force 6-Elcac said the executions of Jomy Pelarta on Nov. 6 and Raul Loterio on Nov. 13 form part of a long-running pattern of so-called “spy-tagging” attacks by the NPA’s Romeo Nanta Command.

He said the group has acknowledged at least 15 similar killings since 2024, and around 20 in previous years.

Addressing reporters at a FAQCheck press briefing, Gonzales described the killings as “nothing short of terrorism, masquerading as revolution.”

He criticized groups he said have been vocal in other human rights cases but are “silent when the perpetrators are the NPA.”

“Their silence is not just disappointing; it makes them complicit in perpetuating a climate of fear and impunity,” Gonzales said. “Are they so blinded by ideology that they cannot recognize the suffering of the very people they claim to represent?”

He said those he called “enablers” prioritize political agendas over the safety of communities in Negros, urging them to denounce “violence and terrorism in all its forms.”

Former NPA member Arian Jane Ramos, now part of Buklod Kapayapaan, echoed Gonzales’ statements.

Ramos said the NPA is shielded by “legal front organizations” that remain publicly silent on summary executions.

She said the silence of the Makabayan Bloc stems from a belief that NPA members are “revolutionary martyrs,” making accountability efforts difficult.

Ramos said her group is building evidence that could be used to isolate these organizations from their legal counterparts, though she noted that the process remains challenging without broader political will.

Gonzales urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to open motu proprio investigations into the killings, stressing that the Communist Party of the Philippines itself publishes statements on such operations.

He said the CHR’s mandate covers not only perpetrators but also those who “enable, support, or justify” abuses against civilians.

“The CHR has the power to help identify those who enable the killing of innocent civilians. Their action is critical,” he said.

Gonzales called on the public to hold accountable those he said have remained silent despite the NPA’s own admissions, urging community members to make their stance clear against armed attacks on civilians.

Captain Jun Ebalan of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division likewise appealed for a unified condemnation from all sectors.

“We call on LGUs, households, religious groups, and every Negrosanon to publicly denounce these acts of cowardly violence,” Ebalan said. “The CTG thrives when communities are silent — your condemnation is a moral duty.”

He called for vigilance, encouraging residents to report sightings and deny the group shelter.

“They are few, but they exploit fear. Report their movements, deny them refuge, and together we will end their reign of terror,” Ebalan said. 

This could be evidence to use against the Makabayn bloc for being CPP-NPA legal fronts but such evidence has been floating around for decades with no resulting banning of the bloc. The NTF-ELCAC wants the CHR to condemn the violence as well but their mandate is to monitor government abuses. 

The clock on amnesty is counting down. In Samar 116 rebels apples for amnesty recently. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1263720

A total of 116 former rebels (FRs) from Matuguinao, Samar have formally applied for amnesty after completely abandoning the communist ideology.

The former rebels filed for amnesty during a two-day orientation and intake activity organized by the Local Amnesty Board (LAB) – Catbalogan, in partnership with the 43rd Infantry Battalion and the local government of Matuguinao.

The activity that concluded in Barangay Mabuligon on Thursday was led by Mayor Aran Boller.

The LAB secretariat provided a comprehensive briefing on the government’s amnesty program, including step-by-step procedures from initial application to endorsement to the Office of the President.

The panel also clarified which offenses are covered by the amnesty proclamation and which are excluded.

On the first day alone, 82 FRs submitted their applications, with 34 more completing their intake activity the following day.

All applicants took their oath of allegiance before Public Attorney’s Office lawyers, who ensured that each participant fully understood the commitments associated with the amnesty program.

In a phone interview on Friday, Boller emphasized the significance of the initiative in sustaining peace gains in one of Samar’s previously insurgency-affected areas.

“The strong turnout is an encouraging indication of the former rebels’ determination to clear their names and reintegrate into mainstream society as productive, law-abiding citizens,” he said.

Boller said the initiative reflects the municipal government’s firm commitment to ending local insurgency and providing sustainable pathways for former rebels to rebuild their lives within their communities.

There are still thousands of potential amnesty applicants out there. 

Assassinated Citizens November, 2025

Assassination is normal in the Philippines not only for government officials but also for regular citizens. The most common method of assassination for both citizens and officials is a motorcycle duo riding up on the target and then blasting them away. This series will document the number of citizens assassinated on a monthly basis. These stories are to be distinguished from regular murder cases which happen on a daily basis. 

 https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/03/fisher-killed-2-hurt-in-cebu-city-gun-attack

A 44-year-old fisherman died while two others were wounded when they were shot while aboard a motor banca in Barangay Pasil here on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 2. 

Police identified the fatality as Efren Tancos, a native of Inabanga, Bohol province. 

Wounded were Marvin Duallo Moreno, 27, and Winston Cabigon Caparida, 25, who are also residents of Inabanga. 

Police said Caparida hired Tancos and Moreno to transport his family in Barangay Ermita here to Inabanga. The family planned to visit their departed loved ones for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. 

Police said the motor banca ferrying the victims was about to dock in Barangay Pasil when armed men peppered them with bullets. 

The gunmen fled after the attack. The victims were taken to the Cebu City Medical Center where Tancos died. 

Police Capt. Charisma Gonzales, information officer of the Cebu City Police Office, said initial investigation showed that at least five persons were involved in the attack. 

Gonzales said further investigation will be made to identify the culprits and the motive of the attack.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/11/11/game-fowl-breeder-gunned-down

A 48-year-old game fowl breeder was fatally shot in his game farm in Barangay Marcelo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, Nov. 11. 

Police Lt. Dwight Fajardo, deputy chief of the Calatrava Municipal Police Station, said the victim Max was checking his fighting cocks when three unidentified men arrived and shot him from behind. 

Fajardo said the victim sustained bullet wounds in the back and a slash wound in the nape.

The victim was taken to a hospital where he died. 

Recovered from the crime scene were a fired .45 caliber cartridge case and a fired 12-gauge shotgun shell. 

Police are probing the motive of the incident and checking the background of the victim.

https://www.mindanaotimes.com.ph/brazen-attack/

AN UNIDENTIFIED assailant gunned down a man along the Daang Maharlika Highway, Km. 18, Barangay Ilang, Bunawan District, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, around 3:10 p.m., prompting a hot pursuit operation by the police.

The victim was identified only as alias Nel, of legal age, single, jobless, and a resident of Purok Buhisan, Barangay Tibungco.

According to the Bunawan Police Station report, a concerned citizen notified authorities of the shooting at approximately 3:10 p.m. Investigators, led by PMSg Pantonial and PSSg Elmer P. Baliang Jr., immediately proceeded to the scene.

Initial investigation revealed that the victim was crossing the road in front of Specialist Primary Care Hospital toward Muslim Village when he was shot multiple times by the male perpetrator. 

The assailant used a firearm believed to be a caliber .45 pistol, the report added.

Nel sustained fatal gunshot wounds to the right side of the neck and the left chest and died on the spot. Reports said he was also hit on the right leg and the right side of the back. 

The suspect fled immediately after the incident toward an unknown direction.

The Regional Forensic Unit (RFU) XI Scene of the Crime Operative (SOCO) team, led by Capt Bernadine C. Magallanes, recovered two fired cartridge casings and two fired bullets.

They also recovered the victim’s bag, which contained two elongated transparent heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu (methamphetamine), an ice pick, a coin purse containing a broken watch, a cellphone keypad, one lighter, one cap, one broken tube, and one blade.

Personnel of Bunawan Police Station are investigating the case. The motive for the shooting remains to be determined.

In accordance with Muslim burial tradition, the victim’s body was brought to his residence in Purok 16, Buhisan, Barangay Tibungco, and is scheduled for burial within 24 hours.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/967597/man-shot-dead-while-buying-fish-in-dasmari-as-city-cavite/story/

A man was shot dead by a motorcycle-riding gunman as the victim was buying fish from a stall along Jose Abad Santos Avenue in Barangay Salawag in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Tuesday. 

According to Vonne Aquino’s report in “Saksi” on Wednesday, CCTV footage showed the gunman on his motorcycle passing in front of the store.

The suspect later returned to stop and shoot the victim.

Another customer was also shot and was seen running for his life until he fell on the ground.

One of the witnesses said they were shocked and hid after the suspect fired his gun several times. 

A police report from the Dasmariñas City police station showed that the victim suffered several gunshots in various parts of the body.

He was rushed to hospital but eventually succumbed to his wounds.

Meanwhile, the other customer was wounded in the right leg and is still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Authorities are conducting follow-up operations and are still reviewing the CCTV footages in the area. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1264277

Law enforcement authorities here have launched a manhunt to arrest the gunman behind the killing of an Egyptian national on Saturday evening.

Col. Fidel Fortaleza Jr., director of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO), said they mobilized personnel to track down where the gunmen had fled after the incident around 6:20 p.m. in the boundary of Barangays Lumbangan and Divisoria.

The victim was identified as Abdalrahman Elshawadfy Mohammed Elfaky based on the driver’s license the police recovered from the slain Egyptian’s possession at the crime scene.

“Investigation showed the victim was driving his vehicle when the motorcycle-riding attacker pulled up beside him, fatally shot him, and sped off,” Fortaleza said in a report Sunday.

Councilor Fredrick Atilano, chairperson of the City Council’s Committee on Peace and Order, said a thorough investigation is underway and the police are reviewing footage from the CCTV cameras in the area of the incident.

Atilano said the victim is temporarily staying in this city and is in charge of the Asia Academic School in Barangay Tetuan.

He urged those who might have vital information that could lead to the solution of the case to assist the police in the investigation.

Atilano said all information will be treated with utmost confidentiality.

The God Culture: The Silence of Ginés de Mafra

Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has a blog post titled "The Silence of Mafra- Magellan's Inner Circle and the Missing Lequios." The article purports to be about the testimony of Ginés de Mafra regarding Magellan's voyage around the world. Tim makes some very interesting comments about this document which require a closer look. 

https://thegodculturephilippines.com/the-silence-of-mafra--magellan-s-inner-circle-and-the-missing-lequios/

Yes, you're seeing it correctly—this is the entire Ginés de Mafra document: just two pages. Yet, a certain blogger attempted to equate this brief manuscript to Antonio Pigafetta’s detailed and official account, which spans 149 pages or more and was written for the King of Spain himself. That’s like comparing Elon Musk’s minimalist tiny house to the Empire State Building. One could attempt such a comparison, but it would only highlight a severe lack of discernment—or worse, a willful intent to mislead. When someone stoops to these levels, it reflects not scholarship, but desperation. Defamation thrives in the absence of logic. This short document, while valuable, is clearly not a navigational or ethnographic account in the league of Pigafetta’s. Let’s call it what it is: a footnote, not a chronicle.

First to note is that Tim claims Mafra's testimony is ONLY TWO PAGES and merely a footnote. But then he says Mafra's testimony is "rich in navigational detail and survival experience."

📅 Timing and Positioning Matter

By the time strategic decisions regarding Lequios, Ophir, or Cattigara were being executed or obscured, Mafra was either uninformed or not present for those inner-circle discussions. His testimony, rich in navigational detail and survival experience, does not reflect the planning stage of the voyage, where terms like Lequios and Ophir were actively used.

How can these two pages, which Tim dismisses as a footnote, be "rich in navigational detail and survival experience?" Two pages is so brief as to be nothing. Could anybody write a detailed testimony about the first voyage around the world in two pages? 

Next, Tim says Mafra has been misused by people weaponing his omissions.

🔹 The Colonial Misuse of Mafra

Modern critics, like those behind the "100 Lies" blog, weaponize Mafra’s omissions as if silence equals denial. This is bad historical method. Silence in a non-strategic witness confirms lack of access, not absence of truth.

It is I who am behind the "100 Lies The God Culture Teaches About the Philippines" video and blog series and I have never used the testimony of Ginés de Mafra. ChatGPT brought him up when I asked for a list of primary sources of Magellan's voyage but there were no citations. I have also never compared Mafra to Pigafetta. Tim is inventing a claim I never made and then “refuting” it to create the illusion of intellectual triumph. That is a called a straw man argument. This tactic, which Tim regularly employs, is deceptive and unworthy of serious scholarship.

Finally, Tim concludes thusly.

🔬 Conclusion

Ginés de Mafra’s silence on Lequios, Cipangu, or Ophir does not refute their role in Magellan’s plan. It strengthens the argument that Magellan's true objective was only known to a trusted few. The Smoking Quill here is not what Mafra says—but what he was never told.

This is how you hide a land of gold.

Tim talks a lot about Mafra's silence which must mean he is familiar with the contents of the book. After all, he has said to even suggest he is not familiar with his sources is to not be truthful. Yet, while Tim claims Mafra's testimony is a scant two pages it is actually 29 pages long!

https://archive.org/details/AX072/page/n5/mode/2up

The translation of the title is:

"Description of the kingdoms, coasts, ports, and islands from the Cape of Good Hope to the Lequios 

BY

FERNANDO DE MAGALLANES 

Portuguese pilot who saw and navigated all of it,

A book that deals with the discovery and beginning of the strait called Magellan's Strait 

BY

GINÉS DE MAFRA

who was present at all of it and saw it with his own eyes  

Description of part of Japan. (Anonymous.) 

Published by agreement of the Board of Directors of the Royal Geographical Society, by its perpetual librarian ANTONIO BLAZQUEZ Y DELGADO AGUILERA."

Mafra's testimony begins on page 183 and ends on page 212. 

This contradiction fatally undermines Tim's arguments about the text. Tim says Mafra's testimony is only 2 pages, presumes to tell his audience what is not in the book, and then it turns out the book is actually 29 pages long. He obviously doesn't know what he is talking about and has never read Ginés de Mafra's testimony. Nothing he says about this document, from the page count to the content, is credible in the slightest. 

It's not clear why Tim is focusing on Ginés de Mafra. There is a wealth of eyewitness testimony to Magellan's voyage which he continues to ignore. That includes volume 4 of the Colección de los viages y descubrimientos. One historian has this to say about that collection.

The Magellan historiographer must commence his research with Navarrete in whose Colección, especially the fourth volume, primary source material is contained in abundance. Hundreds of documents concerning discoveries by Spaniards in both the Atlantic and Pacific make this work absolutely indispensable, the very basis of modern historical writing on the discovery period.

https://read.dukeupress.edu/hahr/article/51/2/313/152610/Magellan-Historiography

Attacking and dismissing the testimony of Ginés de Mafra is not only a red herring, it's more evidence of poor scholarship on Tim's part. Ironically, the only thing being hidden here is the truth behind a veil of misinformation and rhetorical sleight of hand.

The God Culture: Fr. Gaspar de Cruz and Fr. Martin de Rada on the Lequios Islands

Here are two accounts from the 16th century regarding the Lequios Islands which Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture has overlooked. These two accounts are found in South China in the Sixteenth Century by Charles Boxer. 

This volume is available to peruse on Google Books. 

The first mention of the Lequios Islands is from Fr. Gaspar de Cruz.

And as to what he says about the Eastern Scythia ending in a point, it seems to me that both he and those from whom he took this are mistaken; and that this mistake arose from seeing it thus depicted in a world-map, which was for lack of true information. Because the point which they show as containing the country and people of the Liquos is not continued with the mainland, but it is an island which standeth in the sea of China, little more or less than thirty leagues from China itself. In this island live this people, which is a well-disposed people, more to the white than brown.

It is a cleanly and well attired people; they dress their hair like women, and tie it up on the side of their head, fastened with a silver bodkin. Their land is fresh and fertile, with many and good waters; and it is a people that sail very seldom although they are in the midst of the sea. They use weapons and wear very good short swords. They were in times past subject to the Chinas, with whom they had much communication, and therefore are they very like the Chinas.

Now this island lying in the China Sea, as we have said, the coast of China runneth winding from the province of Cantão and from its coast to the coast of the province of Namquim, whither the Portugals have sailed, the coast making never a point as the maps do make, the which may be seen well delineated in the seacards of the Portugals, and in the maps which they do make.

pg. 68

A footnote on this section says:

Liu-chiu (Ryūkyū) islands and their inhabitants. The forms Lequeos, Liquios, etc., occur in old Portuguese and Spanish texts.

Fr. Gaspar de Cruz says the Lequios Islands are 30 leagues east of China. That contradicts the distance of 175 leagues which is to be found in a single Spanish version of Barbosa's book. That proves whoever wrote 175 leagues, be it Barbosa or someone else, was wrong. That is understandable seeing as the book was written before the Portuguese knew of the Lequios Islands by firsthand rather than secondhand knowledge. It underscores that the textual variant of "175 leagues to the east," which is found in no other edition of Barbosa's book, is not reliable. Yet Tim calls this textual variant "the final blow" to prove the Lequios Islands are the Philippines. 

The second mention of the Lequios Islands is from Fr. Martin de Rada.

Besides these islands which lie near to the coast, there are a very large number of [other] great and populous islands; these I will describe as they are depicted in their draughts. Beginning at the extremity of the province of Canton, which we said lies in latitude 20°, from thence nearly forty leagues to seaward, they say lies the great and populous island of Cauchi which is tributary to China. Over against the province of Hocquien [Fukien] and beyond Tacao which we saw, as is related in our narrative, lies towards the north-east of it the island of Zuansin, and from thence towards the northeast, Lusin. To the east of this lies Siaugy, and from here towards the north-west lies the Lesser Leuquiu, the which lies to the east of Hocchiu [Foochow]. Then towards the north, lies the Greater Leuquiu. These islands are called Los Lequios in our maps. More towards the north is Humal, over against Chetcan. From thence to the northwards lies Gitpon, which peoples and nations which border on the land of Taybin, and therefore we near the strait at the entrance of the gulf of Santon [Shantung] is Tanhay we call the Japones, and further north than the Japones lies Tauçian. And and at the furthest extremity of Taybin is Halecan.

pg. 265

A footnote on this section says:

As on most Ming Chinese maps, the Lesser Liu-chiu are here identified with Western Formosa, and the Greater Liu-chiu with the modern island group of that name, better known nowadays as the Ryūkyū.

Fr. Martin de Rada describes "a very large number of [other] great and populous islands" near China. He then says the Lequios Islands are east of Foochow which is Fuzhou. It looks like this:

That's not the Philippines by any measure. 

These are two more 16th century primary sources describing the Lequios Islands which contradict Timothy Jay Schwab's thesis that the Philippines are the Lequios Islands. Tim's reliance on a single anomalous reading of 175 leagues from one Spanish version of Barbosa without examining the broader historical context or corroborating eyewitness testimony is not only methodologically weak, it is outright misleading. Likewise, his reliance on imprecise 16th century maps, as if they reveal a conspiracy to hide the real location of the Lequios Islands, is also disingenuously misleading as it ignores the broader historical context as recorded in 16th century texts. That Tim overlooks historically critical sources like these, or worse, dismisses them as being ambiguous in the original and flawed in translation, further discredits his claims and his ability as a researcher.