The Philippine Vampire Mystery

The Philippine Vampire Mystery

From True Crime Reports by Al Jazeera

June 15, 2025 · 28 min · Season 1 · Episode 12

About this episode

This episode explores the 1950s vampire rumors in the Philippines alongside CIA operations against communist rebels.

In the 1950s, fear gripped the Philippines as rumors of a blood-drinking vampire spread across the countryside. One chilling death sparked widespread panic, leaving villagers to wonder if a supernatural predator was lurking in the shadows. At the same time, the CIA was locked in a brutal struggle against communist Huk rebels, deploying a mysterious operative named Edward Lansdale to lead covert operations. But how far did Lansdale go to crush the rebellion? In this episode:  Michael Pante( @Michael_Pante ), historian Allan Derain ( @LBC3871 ), folklorist Episode credits:  This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez. Production Managers: Bronte Baskin. Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin. Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan. Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman. Audio editing by Alan Leer. Music composition by Tom Biddle. Music Editor: Ivan Eastley  Video Editor and Graphics: Omar Al-Ashi, Blu Posner Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik. Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and…

People in this episode

Host: Halla Mohieddeen

Guests: Michael Pante, Allan Derain

Topics covered

  • vampires
  • Philippines
  • CIA
  • Huk rebels
  • supernatural
  • history

Keywords

  • vampire
  • Philippines
  • CIA
  • Huk rebels
  • Edward Lansdale
  • supernatural
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Al Jazeera

Places: Philippines

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