Warm welcome to those who just joined this chat channel @e. @juanitab @Nikki @TylerDurden @Donavie @Visas International @Nyc and @jas. I'm Chay Hofileña, Rappler investigative editor, working very closely with @Lian Buan @Jairo Bolledo and @Jodesz Gavilan. ICYMI this was the latest episode of Inside Track on the Pharmally executives who purchased super expensive real estate properties in Dubai: https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/podcasts-videos/video-inside-track-pharmally-executives-bought-properties-dubai/. There's another one coming up very, very soon! Watch out for it. And if may inside stories to share, let us know too! You can email investigative@rappler.com.

Island Cove closed down today. Star-studded, heavily covered. They're out to prove that Island Cove is not untouchable. We traced the ownership of the companies. Remullas owned it before the children of junket operator Kim Wong. The company official on the ground tried to conceal this fact, later revealed by documents. Read more: https://www.rappler.com/philippines/island-cove-pogo-hub-owners-closed-down/

Aside from familiar big names like Duterte, the House of Reps also recommended charges vs Aedy Yang and Willie Ong of Empire 999 linked to the smuggled shabu in Mexico, Pampanga. Who are they? They are involved in Fil-Chi charity works, like Michael Yang, and are linked to him too via layers of companies.

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/who-are-empire-999-chinese-group-members-linked-pampanga-smuggled-drugs/

Hi everyone, happy new year. ICYMI: Here's the latest tea on that very bad 2025 budget. https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/podcasts-videos/watch-inside-track-marcos-2025-national-budget-so-bad/

Another one in the menu of Trump 2.0 changes that will impact the world, particularly the campaign for ICC justice in the drug war https://www.rappler.com/philippines/usa-sanctions-bill-international-criminal-court-effects-duterte-drug-war-investigation/ one in

If you're following BARMM news, possible elections postponement is not the only urgent issue there. There's been an alarming increase in killings of non Moro IPs. Read our story here:

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/non-moro-indigenous-peoples-killing-barmm/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1yxtzY_cKsXR1AgrY7R9lEmXJsdLXpmOylg89rlfKV2obpMykzeaaVlC0_aem_seQvC3K_eZrY4EPFXuhodA

I mourn for BARMM; it became close to me with my former job. Peace has always been a precarious thing in the region (which led to the BTA and the BOL in the first place), but without resolving the violence caused by land ownership (tale as old as time), it will remain so. Some may opine that the Moros are, to paraphrase, exacting revenge against the Lumad, but that's unfair on both sides. Can the rido violence be used as an argument to postpone BARMM elections? It shouldn't be. Denying suffrage for every violent event forms even more resentment.