In November 2021, a prominent teacher at the Philippine High School of Arts in Los Baños, Laguna died under vague circumstances. This was the start of an avalanche of revelations about this teacher's sexually abusive behaviour and the school that protected him all these years. His death was the catalyst that broke a seal of silence amongst former students of the Philippine High School of Arts who have been harbouring secrets and nightmarish trauma from their youth - trauma from being sexually abused by students, staffers and teachers who should have known better as adults with a duty of care ..read more

Mabuhay, LagimFam! Welcome to the first ever episode of Lagim: After Hours, a semi-regular bonus content series that I am embedding in the regular feed as well as on my YouTube feed. The episodes are mainly a more freestyle vodcast but I have extracted the audio for the podcat-only audience in case you do not want to watch a video. There are not a lot of SFX, bits and bobs, we just dive right into the topic and case and see where it leads us. After Hours will cover smaller cases, cases that are still rather new and developing, cases that do not have lots of info on them in order to make a ..read more

On the 2nd August 2023, Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar and his friend, Sonny Boy, planned a fishing trip to earn a couple of bucks. The boys set out to first clean their boats before sailing out but as they were minding their business, a group of police officers approached their area in Navotas and opened fire. Sonny Boy saw his friend fall into the water, only to never surface alive anymore. Another young soul taken by the very authorities tasked to protect and serve Filipinos. Jemboy's killing ignited discussions around the culture of corruption, violence and impunity within the PNP and how after ..read more

Overseas Filipino Workers or OFWs have long been dubbed as the Philippines' modern-day heroes. They leave family and friends, their comfort zones, their culture and homes behing to try their luck in foreign and far-flung countries, hoping to earn a better living than from the few opportunities offered back home. In July 2022, Jullebee Cabilis Ranara, a native of Las Piñas decided to try her luck again in Kuwait after a successful stint in Bahrain some years before. In the early days of her stay with her Kuwaiti employer, there had already been signs that Jullebee may not have been entirely sa ..read more

On the 4th March, a group of armed men in military gear entered the residence of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo. What looked to be a normal Saturday of meeting his constituents suddenly turned into a nightmare that his family is still living to this very day. In a matter of days, it became apparent that the killing of Degamo was not just an unfortunate incident. Signs and evidence point at a greater conspiracy to eliminate the governor who may have stood in the way of another family's political ambitions. Listen now to learn more about this story. Link to sources is here. Support me ..read more

Hi LagimFam! I am releasing this episode a week earlier as it is my birthday weekend and I want to fully be in the moment for the next weekend and the next couple of weeks as I go travelling again. So today, I am presenting the story of Blessie Gotingco, a Filipino expat in New Zealand who in 2014 met a cruel fate at the hands of someone who was not completely unknown to the authorities. This was a heartbreaking one for me to cover because at the very core of this case is the fact that this crime, Blessie's fate was avoidable. A maelstrom of bad decisions, lack of accountability and murderou ..read more

Hi LagimFam! This is the last instalment of the Martial Law Series for this season. In this episode, I look into the incredible life of Maria Lorena Barros, a remarkable Filipina activist and the founder of MAKIBAKA. From her early years to her pivotal role in the face of Martial Law, Lorena's story is a testament to the power of conviction and resilience. Join me as I honour her legacy and explore the impact of her tireless dedication to justice and equality. The link to my sources are here. Support me: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/juzewoba LAGIM is on social media, so make sure to chec ..read more

Hi LagimFam! I am finally back and with me is this season's first instalment of The Martial Law Series. In this episode, I delve into a somber chapter of Philippine history as we explore the Escalante Massacre of 1985. Join me as I give a brief history of sugar and as I uncover the events leading up to that fateful day in the town of Escalante, Negros Occidental, and the tragic consequences that unfolded. I briefly discuss the political climate of the time, the plight of sugar workers and activists, and the brutal crackdown on their peaceful protest. I also look into what happened to the per ..read more

In this Pride Month episode, I cover two cases involving a trans woman and a trans man, respectively. I talk about Jessa Remiendo from Pangasinan and Ebeng Mayor from Quezon City. I want to issue one of many trigger warnings at this point as some of the details in these cases are truly upsetting. *** For the past two years or so, I have refused to cover cases of our fellow Filipinos within the LGBTQIA community during this month because I thought I'd be doing more harm than good. But in the wake of so many recent killings of trans people in the Philippines and worldwide curtailing of rights ..read more

On 11th October 2011, some residents of Brgy Putho-Tuntungin in Los Baños, Laguna woke up to a horrible discovery in one of their canals. It was the body of a young woman who seemed to have been murdered only a few hours before. This discovery would send shockwaves all throughout the municipality of Los Baños, best known for the University of Los Baños, a top state university that sits in an open campus, embedded in the local community. Listen to this episode now to learn more about Given Grace Cebanico whose case became a case that made people think twice about student safety at higher educ ..read more