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Here are today’s headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:

- Key Quiboloy associate strikes plea deal, admits role in US fraud scheme 
- ‘This ruined our lives’: Bamban POGO ‘ghost’ owner surrenders
- Thousands flee Hurricane Milton, causing traffic jams and fuel shortages 
- EJ Obiena says rumored rift with Carlos Yulo all ‘false drama’
- BINI among Best Asia Act nominees in 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards


https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/october-9-2024/

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News
Transcript
00:00A key associate of doomsday preacher Apollo Kibuloy strikes a plea deal and admits to
00:18scheming to defraud the U.S. government.
00:21An alleged ghost owner of Bamban Pogo, Hong Sheng, surrenders.
00:25The mayor of Tampa, Florida, tells people in areas designated for evacuation,
00:30If you choose to stay, you're going to die.
00:33E.J. Obiena belies rumors pitting him against Carlos Yulo as fabricated, false drama.
00:39And P-POP group Beanie is nominated for the Best Asia Act at the MTV EMAs.
00:47One of doomsday preacher Apollo Kibuloy's key associates in the United States breaks
00:51ranks.
00:52Marissa Duenas, a trusted administrator of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, pleads guilty
00:57to charges that she conspired with Kibuloy's group to defraud the U.S. government.
01:02Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Staple signs the plea agreement on Tuesday, October 8.
01:07The plea deal might spare Duenas a harsher penalty.
01:10Duenas is one of several Kibuloy associates in the U.S. indicted in late 2021 by a federal
01:16jury in California for various criminal offenses including sex trafficking, fraud, and money
01:22laundering.
01:23She has been identified as an administrator of KOJC's operations and a human resources
01:28manager in the U.S.
01:30These are the other Kibuloy associates and co-accused who either surrendered or posted
01:34bail in the U.S.
01:36The group was charged with crimes that include sex trafficking of children, marriage fraud,
01:41fraud and misuse of visas, bulk cash smuggling, and money laundering.
01:47Alleged Hongsheng Pogo Inc.
01:49Merly Joy Castro surrenders to the National Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday, October
01:549.
01:55She and 15 others are charged with qualified human trafficking over illegal pogo operations
02:05in Bamban.
02:06Castro first appeared before the Senate on June 26, claiming she is a vendor-turned-BPO
02:12worker from Concepcion, Tarlac, who knows nothing about pogos.
02:16That same hearing, a Bureau of Internal Revenue representative said the tax identification
02:21number used for Castro's Hongsheng Inc. doesn't exist.
02:25But the Justice Department still charged Castro and three others, claiming it has evidence
02:30they received payments in exchange for Hongsheng to use their names.
02:34The evidence, however, is not included in the DOJ indictment nor in the Pasig Court
02:38resolution ordering their arrest.
02:43Tampa, Florida, Mayor Jane Castor warns people against riding out Hurricane Milton, calling
02:48Hurricane Helene a mere wake-up call.
02:50She tells residents, if you choose to stay in one of those evacuation areas, you're
02:55going to die.
02:56More than a dozen coastal counties issue mandatory evacuation orders.
03:01Mobile homes, nursing homes, and assisted-living facilities also face mandatory evacuation.
03:07Motorists wait in long lines to fill their tanks, only to find out that fuel had run
03:12out.
03:13Milton packs maximum sustained winds of 165 miles per hour, or 270 kilometers per hour.
03:19The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Milton will make landfall as a Category 4 hurricane,
03:24a step down from the previous day's Category 5.
03:28Forecasts show the hurricane roughly doubling in size by the time it makes landfall late
03:32Wednesday or early Thursday.
03:35Six states are still reeling from Hurricane Helene, which killed more than 200 people.
03:41There's no animosity between popular Philippine sports champions EJ Obiena and Carlos Yulo.
03:47The pole vault star says all the stories of his rumored rift with the Olympic gymnastics
03:52champion are fabricated and misleading.
03:54He writes on social media,
03:56I don't compete with my friend Kaloy, and I deeply respect him.
04:00I am proud of him.
04:01Obiena's reaction comes after online rumors continue to pit the two current faces of Philippine
04:06sports against each other, from their private lives to sporting careers to brand endorsements.
04:11The two made headlines beyond their sporting feats over the years.
04:15Obiena on his messy rift with his National Sports Association and doping accusations,
04:20Yulo on his strained family relations, controversial love life, and split with his longtime Japanese
04:25coach.
04:26Obiena hopes fans would just, quote, "...focus on cheering our athletes on instead of creating
04:31false drama."
04:34P-pop group Beanie is nominated for the Best Asia Act at the 2024 MTV Europe Music Awards
04:40or EMAs.
04:41MTV released the list of nominees on Tuesday, October 8.
04:46The eight-piece act will be competing against four other nominees.
04:50This marks Beanie's first nomination in the MTV EMAs.
04:54It is also the lone Filipino act to be nominated.
04:57Fans can vote for Beanie on MTV EMA's website until November 6.
05:02Beanie rose to fame with Pantropico, Salamin Salamin, and Cherry on Top.
05:07In August, the group bagged the Voices of Asia Award alongside SB19 at Billboard Korea's
05:12K-Power 100 event.
05:14Joanna, Maloy, Stacey, Aya, Colette, Gwen, Mika, and Sheena are set to stage their Grand
05:22Beanieverse concert at the Araneta Coliseum on November 16-18.
05:26And that's today's Wrap.
05:29I'm Michelle Abad, thank you for watching.
05:32Click the link below for the full story.
05:34Follow us on Rappler's YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.

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