DOTA 2 TEAM RAVE, Why offload Team Rave?

Senator Bam Aquino: ‘They have traveled several times to South Korea using the same documents they presented in the past without any hitch. Suddenly, they were barred from leaving without any valid reason.’

Senator Benigno Aquino IV has asked the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to explain why they kept 3 members of Team Rave – an e-sports team – from leaving for South Korea to train and join international competitions.

Team Rave's Mark "Cast" Pilar, Djardel "Chrissy" Mampusti, and Ryo "ryOyr" Hasegawa were barred from flying to Seoul due to an alleged lack of proper travel documents.

Aquino, however, pointed out that the reason given by the immigration and overseas employment agencies were unusual.

"They have traveled several times to South Korea using the same documents they presented in the past without any hitch. Suddenly, they were barred from leaving without any valid reason," he said in a statement Monday, April 6.

"Worse, the offloading happened during a crucial time where they were scheduled to train for several big international competitions," the senator said.

According to Aquino, the offloading of Team Rave also kept them from additional chances to join further tournaments in Bucharest.

Team Rave was earlier in the news for earning 6th place in the DOTA 2 Asian Championships, taking home $150,000 for their hard work.

Senator Aquino remined the agencies of government's role in fostering athletes: "Government should be able to provide an environment where our athletes, online or offline, will be able to hone their skills, compete in world class competitions, and give honor and pride to our country."

Aquino, whose office had helped Team Rave in the past, added: "We will continue helping them in any way we can because we believe in their potential in bringing honor to our country."

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Mich Liggayu and Neo Domingo Issue

Mich Liggayu, other half of popular duo JAMICH is still keeping her silence regarding her rumored relationship with Neo Domingo despite the demands of her supporters not to remain silent regarding the issue.

Mich Liggayu received negative reactions from the netizens that are waiting for her soon to be released statement because one of the Facebook users has uploaded a video of herself singing with a friend inside the hospital room of the late Jam Sebastian, her boyfriend of seven years.

When you watch the video, you will notice that Jam’s mother, Maricar Fernando Sebastian was instructing Mich and her friends to stop singing, but unfortunately, they just ignored Maricar. Just hours after it circulated on social media, Today In Manila immediately defended Mich Liggayu.

According to the website, said incident happened because Mich and her friends were allegedly instructed by Jam himself who was fighting for his life to do it. Today In Manila added that said video was edited and it was uploaded on YouTube and Facebook just to ruin the credibility of Mich Liggayu.

To protect not only her image but her family as well, Philippine Entertainment Portal or PEP contacted the YouTube sensation who reportedly wanted to pursue her showbiz career, but despite the Portal’s efforts to get her side of the story, Jam Sebastian’s former girlfriend refused to comment on the issue. Mich only said she had already laid all the issues and intrigues that continue to make waves online to the lord.

On the other hand, Maricar Sebastian who is still grieving for the lost of her son is also not giving her statement regarding the issue, but like what she said during her interview in StarTalk, she will release it in due time.

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EMOGOLDEX Pyramiding 'SCAM'

Emgoldex banned in US, 4 other countries.

MANILA - People who illegally sell securities or financial products without registration in the Philippines face a P5-million fine and a 21-year prison term, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned Tuesday.

This, amid the furor regarding the Emgoldex pyramiding scheme that promises to make anyone rich.

Emgoldex recruiters claim that an investment of P1,000 will yield P5,000 to P10,000, while an investment of P35,000 can turn into P180,000 to P360,000.

Investors are also urged to recruit at least two more people into the scheme.

The SEC said this is clearly a pyramiding scheme that can collapse at any time.

Emgoldex is also not a registered corporation or partnership in the Philippines, and is not legally allowed to collect investments from the public.

"Ito po sa pyramiding kung susuriin investment style, nire-require mag-recruit tapos may bonus," said SEC spokesman Atty. Gerard Lukban. "Kung sa pag-recruit ang payout kinukuha sa baba pag nag-collapse mawawalan ng kita."

Lukban said the law requires any business to register in the Philippines if it will operate here.

"Kaya po natin pinare-rehistro ang mga kumpanya para makita natin, unang una, sino mga tao behind them," he explained. "Kung hindi po natin makita sa database, medyo mahihirapan po tayong habulin."

The National Bureau of Investigation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Department of Trade and Industry are also investigating Emgoldex's pyramid scheme.

A cease and desist order had been imposed on Emgoldex in Massachusetts, US, and it has been banned in Finland, Colombia, Estonia, and Panama.

People who try to recruit "investors" in Emgoldex claim that the company is registered in Europe, but a complaint filed by Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin showed that it is registered in the Seychelles, an island nation off Africa.

ABS-CBN News called Emgoldex's alleged administrative office in the Seychelles to get its side but no one wanted to talk.

Emails sent to addresses on its website have also yet to get replies.

In the last 20 years, people have lost more than P80 billion to investment scams in the country.

These scams include Bancap in 1994 (P900 million); Multitel (P25 billion) and Mateo Management Group in 2002 (P4.3 billion); Tibayan Group in 2003 (P2 billion); Francswiss (P1 billion); Performance Investment Products Corp ($250 million) in 2007; and Legacy Group (P30 billion) and Royal Manchester Five Trading Corp. (P2 billion) in 2008; and Aman Futures Group in 2012 (P12 billion). Source @abs-cbnnews.com

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