Philippine School Cancels Classes Over Psychic Email Hoax
I am so glad I only heard about this now. That means my friends aren’t morons who forward dumb emails. Gerry Alanguilan reminds us that there are still too many n00bs in the Philippines, even among its so-called “educators”:
My dad called me up to say that he won’t be teaching tomorrow at a local school, a Catholic school, may I add, because classes were suspended because someone predicted that there will be an 8.1 Magnitude earthquake in the Philippines tomorrow, and that thousands will die.
My dad doesn’t believe it, and neither do I.
The rumor stems from an email that had originated from a Brazilian psychic named Juseleeno Nobulega DaRoose, and apparently people say he has credibility because he predicted 9-11, the Indonesia Tsunami, the death of Princess Diana, etc.
Yes, folks, a Philippine school is canceling classes over a forwarded psychic email hoax. A simple Google search on this “DaRoose” fellow — actually Jucelino Nobrega da Luz — reveals him to be a fraud.
His trick is to write letters about things that happened in the past, then forge a postmark on the envelope to make is appear as if he had written the letter before the event took place. He has been exposed for this fraud in the past.
If nothing else, superstitious Filipinos should at least learn to use Google! If they really want something to lose sleep over, try the Large Hadron Collider.
You know what the sad part is? July 18 will come and go without incident, and superstitious Filipinos will attribute their safety to fervent prayer instead of common sense. Even as more Filipinos learn to to forward email, the Philippines remains a nation in the grip of ignorance and fear.
I thought my BF was just trying to make me laugh when he told me about the cancellation… XD And pinoys must realize too that there’s more to the internet than just YM and Friendster… hehe…
I still find it ridiculous how easily people buy into these text and email hoaxes.
dude you should rewrite this article for tech side up!
If the earthquake doesn’t happen on July 18, Sir Mike, I would FALCON PUNCH the guy who predicted it.
Those who believe these predictions are too superstitious that they’ve lost logic. Such a shame.
WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wooh! Sumakit tiyan ko sa katatawa. Earthquake? Baka EARTHQUAKE DRILL! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Weytaminit, dapat pala sa inutil na nag-predict niyan eh isang RIDER KICK! HYAAAAAH!!
One thing I can say for sure: The internet has made me more cynical. Which I really am thankful for.
Ignorance should be criminalized.
The sky is falling! The sky is falling!!!
dyan ako natatakot sa Hadron Collider.
Black hole = Goodbye Universe.
Nah, Jayvee, this is just too stupid for Tech Side Up’s international audience. Why should the global techie crowd care about superstitious Filipinos misusing something as simple as email?
Hell, this sort of story makes me glad I don’t have to cover Philippine affairs. If I had to write about this kind of provincial nonsense day in and day out, my brain would melt.
Here’s another blog post about Jucelino’s shenanigans. (Via Bukas Palad.)
Sir Mike - Let’s put it this way, sir. This guy’s got some extreme boredom issues, either that or he’s asking for someone to beat him up.
RAstaMONch - Sa susunod naman, si Kamen Rider Stronger naman ang gamitin mo, please?
What’s also strange is that this is a Catholic school. To my knowledge, Catholicism forbids soothsaying.
Philippine Catholicism is clearly a more superstitious animal.
We need to know the name of this school. We need to know where not to send our kids.
I have to agree with you on that, Sir Mike. Hell, my parents sent me to a “Baptist” school in hopes of making me a better person. What did I find out? The teachers there are hypocrites, slave-drivers, gold-diggers, and leeches. Not to mention, the pastor who owns the school is an old, Bible-manipulating lecher. Worse of all, those people are worse hypocrites than the Catholic teachers I’ve tangled with in the past.
That hoaxster deserves a Shaider Blue Flash on the throat!
@ Rasta: Gomen ne, because I use one of your DA images for this post on my Multiply: Clickie
@Lusanto - Walang problema. Para sa Katarungan at Katotohanan mo naman ginamit.
Siguro napasobra ng hinithit na cocaine yung nag-predict. Alam niyo naman, maraming cocaine diyan sa South America.
Hehe, gusto ko nga sana. Kaso napamahal na sa puso natin ang orig na Kamen Rider. Pero huwag kang mag-alala, pareng Alfred. Gagawa ako ng bago sometime ngayong weekend.
Pag magkaproblema sa pambayad, tawagin si…
JANPERSON!
Abangan.
It’s the end of that dumb psychic’s career.
WARNING: The Philippines is not affected by the normal flow-of-time. All Psychics will… (as gamers call it) have an EPIC FAILURE!!
There’s still time. It’s still July 18 in Brazil.
Lol Mike. scary :p good point there - timezone difference.
Well, timezone difference or not, he’s no Psycho Mantis.
I-RIDER KICK na nga iyan!
Pasabay! I-FALCON PUNCH na nga ang mga yan!
July 18 just passed in Brazil. If I hear anyone attribute their safety to “prayer”, I’m going to smack them.
“Prayer” only works for wishes from deep within the human hearts, giving thanks, and supplications, not just because a disaster didn’t happen. So, you DO have ALL the reasons to smack them, Sir Mike.
The failure of the almight psychic from Brazil who successfully predicted 9/11, Tsunami, etc. should be headlines by now.
“Psychic who predicted 9/11, Tsunami, starting to lose his powers? EPIC FAILURE in his prediction of the Philippine 8.1 quake!!”
Hehe, mukhang si Psycho-Fail Guy yung natakot sa mga banta natin.
Yup, pareng RAstaMONch! Psycho-Fail Guy is sure to be afraid, sa RIDER KICK mo at sa FALCON PUNCH ko! WAHAHAHA!!!
Dapat lang siyang matakot, nanloko siya ng kapwa eh. Law of karma, ika nga.
Yup. It might bring not just an 8.1 magnitude earthquake into his life, Karma might bring a 10.8 earthquake to his life.
Simulan na ang pamamaslang!
this just shows also how much of a dumbass the Philippine Catholic Church is.
It’s Folk Catholicism mixed with KBL Catholics. Here’s a couplet to show what I mean.
Kasal, Binyag, Libing
Kasi may pagkain.
Here’s my message to “Folk Catholicism”.
Pag ako’y namatay
Huwag nang makiramay
Alam ko ang pakay
Kape at tinapay.