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Martin Nievera is proud ‘Lilo’ to first apo
Martin Nievera is now a proud grandfather to baby Phineas Atlas, his and ex-wife Pops Fernandez’s first apo from their eldest son Robin and his non-showbiz partner......»»
President Marcos, wife feeling better, but still with symptoms
President Marcos and First Lady Liza Marcos are feeling better but still have flu-like symptoms, the Presidential Communications Office said yesterday......»»
Man killed, wife wounded in Antipolo gun attack
A man was killed while his wife was wounded in a shooting in Antipolo City, Rizal on Wednesday night......»»
Bodyguard of 4 kidnapped Chinese surrenders
The driver and bodyguard of four Chinese women who were kidnapped and robbed, reportedly by police officers, in Parañaque last year surrendered to House Deputy Majority Floor Leader Erwin Tulfo Thursday morning......»»
Driver-bodyguard ng suspek sa pagkawala ni Catherine Camilon, sumuko na
SUMUKO na sa Balayan, Batangas Police Office ang driver at bodyguard ng prime suspect sa pagkawala ng beauty queen na si Catherine Camilon. Base na rin sa inilabas na ulat ng TV Patrol noong Martes, January 9, sumuko na sa mga pulis si Jeffrey Magpantay na driver at bodyguard ng prime suspect sa kaso na.....»»
The 10-year-old fashion influencer
Taylen Biggs has close to 1.5 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and 15 fashion weeks under her belt -- and she's 10 years old. Taylen arrived at last week's Balmain show, one of the hottest tickets of Paris Fashion Week, in a luxurious white jacket-and-skirt combo by the French label, black boots and bag by Karl Lagerfeld and her favourite Vintage Frames shades. She was followed, as always, by her cameraman. Also keeping a discreet distance was her "bodyguard", as she calls him, who also happens to be her father. "I love fashion and I love meeting new people and interviewing them and seeing what they have to say," she told AFP, before getting down to business with her microphone. Taylen, who lives in Miami, has interviewed the likes of DJ Khaled, popstar Kali Uchis and American Football star Patrick Mahomes, as well as a huge number of models, designers and fellow fashionistas. She is practically a veteran of red carpets, appearing at everything from the MTV Music Awards to the Superbowl, a regular at New York and Miami fashion weeks, and all over Milan and Paris for the past fortnight. "I really miss my family a lot," she said. "And I miss Miami. But I don't miss the food from Miami. I'm in love with the food here." Influencers are now the fashion industry's favoured form of media -- a direct line to the public and happy to trade goodies for coverage -- and age is no obstacle. Taylen's father, Josh Biggs, says he has largely given up his job as a construction contractor in Miami to work full-time as his daughter's assistant. "I travel with her everywhere she goes, I am her shadow," he told AFP. Asked if his daughter has become a business, he says: "People see her through the camera lens... but in real life, she's a child first and foremost." 'No qualms' Taylen landed her first modelling gig when she was 18 months old after her fashion-loving mother, a Colombian who came to the United States when she was 13, posted pictures of her on social media that were spotted by an advertising agency. She now runs her daughter's social media accounts and oversees home-schooling for Taylen and her two younger brothers. "We take school very seriously, it's priority number one," said her father. They worked through the summer so that Taylen could take a long break during the back-to-back fashion weeks in Milan and Paris in September. Taylen's father -- who says he has little interest in fashion -- says there is no pressure on his daughter to continue if she gets bored. "If she's ready to change and pursue a different career, then it's up to her," he said. "We will leave the fashion world in a second. There's no qualms about it." But Taylen seems to enjoy her job. "I'm really good with anyone," she said. "I'm really good with kids. I loooove children! And I really love adults -- I don't even get annoyed." The post The 10-year-old fashion influencer appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Illegally detained Taiwanese nationals rescued
The National Bureau of Investigation on Sunday reported that its operatives from the NBI- Cebu District Office and NBI-Central Visayas Regional Office rescued eight Taiwanese nationals who were allegedly detained by their employer. NBI-CEBDO agent-in-charge Arnel Pura told DAILY TRIBUNE that the rescue operation was based on the complaint lodged by a certain Glendelle Grace Salvador Nerviol for illegal detention of Chong Yi Wei who sent pictures that he was physically harmed. Taiwanese national Dixon Zhang was identified as supervisor and one of the trusted men of their employer or “Boss,” reportedly a Taiwanese national, too. The rescued Taiwanese were identified Edison Lin; Yufeng Mountain; Wang Dongxin; Peter Wang; Zhang Ende, Wang Kai Cheng; Wan Tianhai and Chen Yee Chen. NBI-CEBDO Special Investigator IV Bienvenido Panican disclosed that the victims had been illegally detained since 5 September 2023, adding that the NBI received information from the live-in partner of one of the Taiwanese nationals who had been unlawfully held by his employer for over two weeks. Panican cited that NBI operatives conducted surveillance and finally rescued the detained Taiwanese nationals from a rented house at Paseo Eulala, Maria Luisa Park in Barangay Banilad, Cebu City. Reports disclosed that these individuals were involved in an online shopping scam, targeting victims in Taiwan and China. Cases for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code or serious illegal detention and violations of Republic Act 10591 or Illegal Possession of Firearms and Commission on Elections Resolution 10918 against Zhang and the Filipino driver-bodyguard identified as Ian Diabordo Naces. The post Illegally detained Taiwanese nationals rescued appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sinner, savior or both?: Trump woos evangelicals, women
Former US president Donald Trump courted evangelical Christians and women at two back-to-back Washington events on Friday -- voting blocks whose loyalties to him once seemed contradictory but have now become a well-established part of his base. The legal, moral, and sexual escapades of the scandal-plagued frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination have earned him indictments, impeachments, and public scorn in many quarters. But support among his devotees remains strong. "As a woman, I understand that he can be offensive," Joan Horswell, a 76-year-old retired nurse from Texas, told AFP. But "personally, I like him," she said at the "Pray Vote Stand" summit, put on by the conservative Christian group Family Research Council. Something of a rock star among white evangelical Protestants, 84 percent of whom voted for him in 2020, Trump also holds his own among women, having won 44 percent of their vote in the last election, according to the Pew Research Center. "This election will decide whether America will be ruled by Marxist, fascist, communist tyrants who want to smash the Judeo-Christian heritage," Trump, 77, said at the summit, "or whether America will be saved by God-fearing freedom-loving patriots like all of the people in this room." "Is he a flawed individual? Sure. But most Christians will say, we are all sinners. Jesus is not on the ballot," said William Wan, a 60-year-old Catholic engineer from Winter Garden, Florida who attended the summit. Still, Trump may strike many as offensive. He was found liable in a civil trial in May for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in 1996. He's also set to go on trial for allegedly paying election-eve hush money to a porn star. And he was heard boasting of groping women's genitals when the infamous "Access Hollywood" tape was published, just one month before the 2016 presidential election. But lots of conservative evangelicals believe he "is the perfect man for the job precisely because he does not reflect Christian values," Kristin Du Mez, a history professor at Calvin University, told AFP. Trump's supporters "certainly like what he's done for them. But I think that many are also very comfortable with how he's done it," Du Mez said. She points to his take-no-prisoners approach in getting conservative Christians what they wanted, from ending the federal right to an abortion to recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Her book "Jesus and John Wayne" chronicles the rise of rugged masculinity ideology within white evangelical Christianity. Penny Nance, CEO of conservative Christian women's group Concerned Women for America, echoed this dogma when she introduced Trump before he spoke across town at a leadership summit for her advocacy group on Friday. "Conservative women are not looking for a pastor or a husband for president, we are looking for a bodyguard," she told the audience to cheers. "Someone willing to stick the knife in his teeth and swim the moat to our rescue from those who threaten our safety and our freedom." Melissa Deckman, CEO of the nonpartisan Public Religion Research Institute, points out that while some political observers had initially been surprised by the number of women willing to vote for Trump, not all women see eye-to-eye on issues of sex and sexism. "American women are far from monolithic when it comes to attitudes about gender dynamics," she told AFP in an interview. Much stronger man Trump's former vice president Mike Pence -- who is also running for the Republican 2024 nomination and spoke at the "Pray Vote Stand" summit -- brandishes authentic evangelical bona fides as a deeply religious long-time churchgoer who has described himself as "a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order." Yet only five percent of surveyed white, evangelical potential Republican primary voters said they would choose him as their nominee. Trump meanwhile would receive 56 percent of their vote, according to a July 2023 New York Times/Siena Poll. "He is the clearest kind of white evangelical poster boy out there," said Du Mez. "They might want (Pence) as a Sunday school teacher; that's not who they want in the Oval Office." Horswell, the retired nurse, thinks "Mike Pence is OK," but adds, "I think at this point in our government, we need a much stronger man." For conservative Christians, Trump's accomplishments as a "strong man" are many. He appointed three of the Supreme Court's nine justices, creating a bench that went on to overturn abortion rights. In 2020 he became the first sitting president to attend the annual anti-abortion March for Life rally in Washington. He has repeatedly expressed his opinion that gender is biological, siding against trans inclusion in women's sports and against gender-affirming care for minors. Any personality flaws take a back seat said Deckman: "The moral character, I think, matters less in some ways than what a candidate is willing to stand for and fight for." As Wan, the engineer from Florida, put it, "Many Christians would argue we're electing a president, we are not electing a chief theologian." The post Sinner, savior or both?: Trump woos evangelicals, women appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years for shooting Megan Thee Stallion
Canadian rapper Tory Lanez, convicted of shooting US artist Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during a drunken argument after a Hollywood party, was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in prison. A Los Angeles judge handed down the sentence after hearing how Lanez had ordered the hip-hop star to "Dance, bitch" as he shot at her several times while she stood on the road. The sentencing follows Lanez's conviction in December for assault with a semiautomatic firearm, discharging a firearm with gross negligence, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. Prosecutors had requested a 13-year sentence, claiming Lanez had caused physical and emotional scarring to the "WAP" performer. Lanez's attorneys had asked for him to be given probation or three years in prison, and mandatory rehab, including for alcohol addiction. In a protracted sentencing hearing that began Monday, Judge David Herriford said he had received more than 70 letters on Lanez's behalf, including from his celebrity friends. One was from musician Iggy Azalea, whom he said had requested a sentence that was "transformational, not life-destroying." Another came from Lanez's young son. But the judge ordered Lanez -- who has been in jail since his conviction -- to serve a decade behind bars. He said the prosecution had proven two aggravating factors, involving the use of weapon and a particularly vulnerable victim, but had not proven that the crime involved a high degree of cruelty, viciousness or callousness. Megan Thee Stallion -- whose real name is Megan Pete -- had been in a car with Lanez, his bodyguard and her friend Kelsey Harris after a party at Kylie Jenner's luxury home in July 2020. She and Lanez -- whose real name is Daystar Peterson -- had developed an intimate relationship in the months before the incident. Harris, who only learned of the sexual relationship that night, had a "crush" on Lanez, she told the court, and an argument then erupted in the car, with Megan Thee Stallion demanding to be let out of the vehicle. The "Savage" rapper said she saw Lanez pointing a gun at her and opening fire "after he said, 'Dance, bitch.'" Megan Thee Stallion told the court during the trial she felt she had "been turned into some kind of villain," in the wake of the shooting, with the male-dominated rap world frequently seeming to be against her. In a statement read in court Monday, she said she had not experienced "a single day of peace" since she was shot in July 2020. "He not only shot me. He made a mockery of my trauma," she said. The post Tory Lanez sentenced to 10 years for shooting Megan Thee Stallion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ATC tags Teves, 12 others as ‘terrorist’
The Anti-Terrorism Council designated Negros Oriental Third District Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. as a terrorist for allegedly masterminding the 4 March slaying of Gov. Roel Degamo and 9 others. Teves was also named by the ATC as the leader of the "Teves Terrorist Group." Aside from Teves the council also tagged 11 others as terrorists, including his younger brother and former governor Pryde Henry Teves, and his alleged bagman Marvin Miranda. The ATC also tagged as among those involved in the so-called terrorist group were Teves' former bodyguard Nigel Electona, Tomasino Aledro, Rogelio Antipolo, Hannah Mae Oray, Rommel Pattaguan, Winrich Isturis, John Louie Gonyon, Dahniel Lora, Eulogio Gonyon Jr., and Jomarie Catubay. The ATC in its three-page resolution dated 26 July, said Rep. Teves was the alleged leader and mastermind of the group, while his brother and Electona "provided material support." "Investigation also reveals that Hannah Mae Sumero Oray handles the operational funds for the killings while Marvin H. Miranda acts as organizer and recruiter of personnel for specific terrorist attacks," the ATC said. With the designation, it ended a months-long process for the ATC to brand Teves as an alleged terrorist. The designation of Teves and his cohorts as terrorists was first disclosed by Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla in April. Remulla said that Teves may be designated or proscribed as a terrorist. "In this case, the activities that led to the killing on 4 March all are covered under the anti-terror law: the recruitment, the financing, the purchase of firearms, the distribution of firearms," Remulla had said. The embattled Solon remains overseas and was last located in Timor-Leste, refusing to return to the Philippines due to purported threats to his life. He was suspended a second time due to his continued absence from his duties at the House of Representatives. The camp of Degamo had expressed support for the move to tag Teves as a terrorist, with lawyer Levito Baligod saying they had "concrete evidence" linking the embattled lawmaker to terror groups in Mindanao. The post ATC tags Teves, 12 others as ‘terrorist’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chosen son: Cambodia’s next PM Hun Manet to succeed father
Hun Manet has an economics degree from England and graduated from US military academy West Point, but there are few expectations he will uphold Western liberal ideals when he succeeds his father as Cambodia's prime minister. Groomed for years, the eldest son of Cambodia's iron-fisted ruler will take over next month in a dynastic transfer long in the making, which sees Hun Manet move from the premier's bodyguard unit to the seat of power in the capital Phnom Penh. After nearly four decades as Cambodian leader, Hun Sen on Wednesday announced his resignation in a televised speech, three days after claiming a landslide victory in a one-sided election that the ruling party was guaranteed to win after having silenced all viable opposition. Hun Manet, already a member of the ruling Cambodian People's Party's powerful permanent committee, has served as commander of the Royal Cambodian Army since 2018. Born on October 20, 1977, the princeling graduated from West Point in 1999 and has more recently met world leaders including President Xi Jinping of China -- Cambodia's main ally and benefactor. But the 45-year-old four-star general only contested a parliamentary seat for the first time in Sunday's election, a poll he has insisted was legitimate, while Western powers criticized it as neither free nor fair. 'After Hun Sen' While Hun Sen, one of the world's longest-serving rulers, has trailed the handover to his son for a year and a half, he has also made it clear that he intends to wield influence after he steps down, scotching the notion the country could change direction when Hun Manet assumes power. While Hun Sen's politics are shaped by his experiences of revolution and war as a young man during the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s, his son was raised in luxury and educated abroad. Hun Manet holds a PhD in economics from the University of Bristol in Britain, and was the first Cambodian to graduate from the prestigious US military academy. He has also served in leadership roles in the ruling CPP's youth movement, his father's bodyguard unit and the counterterrorism special forces. But a Western education is no guarantee of a more liberal approach, exiled politician Sam Rainsy, a longstanding foe of Hun Sen, told AFP this month -- pointing to Syria's brutal Assad dynasty. "Syria's Bashar al-Assad is more educated than Hafez al-Assad, but the son is politically worse than the father," he said. Sebastian Strangio, author of a book about Hun Sen's rule, told AFP that so far Hun Manet had shown "little evidence that he will introduce anything more than cosmetic reforms to the current political system". Without his father's backing, it is not clear Hun Manet would be able to make changes even if he wanted to. He remains untested in the political arena, analyst Ou Virak told AFP this month. "The problem is he's been spoon-fed, mostly with a golden spoon," Ou Virak said. Married with two daughters and a son, Hun Manet will assume the role of prime minister on 22 August. The post Chosen son: Cambodia’s next PM Hun Manet to succeed father appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
SC orders rearrest of ex-Palawan governor Reyes over Ortega murder
The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the rearrest of former Palawan governor Mario Joel Reyes due to the 2011 murder of environmentalist and broadcaster Dr. Gerry Ortega. This came after the high bench denied Reyes’ petition for review and affirmed the amended decision dated 28 November 2019, and resolution dated 24 February 2021, of the Court of Appeals (CA) Special Former Eleventh Division in CA-G.R. SP No. 132847. Also, the temporary restraining order dated 23 March 2022 has been lifted. The SC in its ruling stated, “Accordingly, the Regional Trial Court, Branch 52, Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, is hereby ordered to cause the immediate re-arrest and detention of petitioner Mario Joel T. Reyes; and continue with the proceedings in Criminal Case No. 26839 with utmost dispatch.” The SC also addressed Reyes’ claims of reversible error, stating, “Unfortunately for petitioner (Reyes), the record, thus far, shows that the RTC (regional trial court) acted well within its jurisdiction. This, in turn, belies petitioner’s claim that the CA committed reversible error in sustaining the trial court’s decision to proceed with the criminal trial.” On the morning of 24 January 2011, Ortega, a prominent broadcaster and environmentalist, was fatally shot. Known as an “environmental hero,” Ortega’s murder drew significant attention. Marlon Recamata, the gunman, was arrested and pleaded guilty to the murder in February 2011. Reyes was identified as the mastermind behind Ortega’s killing by his former bodyguard, Rodolfo Edrad. The former governor was criticized by Ortega for alleged environmental destruction in the province. Reyes’ brother, former Coron Mayor Mario Reyes, was also implicated in the crime. The SC ruling satisfied the Ortega family, who said, “The Ortega Family welcomes the latest development to rearrest former Governor Joel Reyes. Our family is thankful that the Supreme Court sided with truth and justice. We have long hoped and prayed for the trial to continue. This fair decision restores our faith that, one day, we will find justice.” The post SC orders rearrest of ex-Palawan governor Reyes over Ortega murder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ROMANTIC REVENGE DRAMA ‘RED SWAN’ EXCLUSIVELY ON DISNEY+
Former professional golfer and current Goodwill Ambassador Oh Wansoo has long been aware of her husband’s infidelity, but after narrowly avoiding a dangerous situation on the biggest night of her life, Wansoo will finally begin to reconsider their marriage after falling in love with the man who saved her, in Red Swan, coming exclusively to Disney+. [caption id="attachment_144663" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Kim Haneul[/caption] Starring Kim Haneul (A Gentleman’s Dignity, On Air) as golfing star and Goodwill Ambassador Oh Wansoo; Jeong Jihun (Ghost Doctor, Ninja Assasin) as Seo Doyoon, a bodyguard with an ulterior motive; Jeong Gyeoun (You Are Too Much, Sooni) as heir to the Hwain Group and serial adulterer, Kim Yongguk; and Seo Isug (Rookie Cops, Hypnosis) as Park Miran, the CEO of the Hwain Group; Red Swan is written by Choi Yoonjung (Only Love, Three Sisters) and directed by Park Hongkyun (A Korean Odyssey, Warm and Cozy). [caption id="attachment_144665" align="aligncenter" width="525"] PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF disney+Jeong Ji-hun[/caption] Fans of breathtaking Korean drama can sign up for Disney+ to enjoy access to hit Korean series including Big Bet starring legendary actor Choi Minsik as a serial entrepreneur who repeatedly crosses the line to help bolster his burgeoning casino business; Big Mouth, about a lawyer who is arrested as part of the murder case he is investigating; as well as an entire library of endless entertainment featuring local APAC originals and global tentpole movies and series available exclusively on Disney+. Stream Red Swan later this year exclusively on Disney+. The post ROMANTIC REVENGE DRAMA ‘RED SWAN’ EXCLUSIVELY ON DISNEY+ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dayan camp seeks judge’s inhibition on last drug case
Three of former Senator Leila de Lima’s co-accused in the drug case filed against them appealed for the inhibition of Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 256 Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura following the denial of their plea to be temporarily released from jail by virtue of bail last 7 June. The former lawmaker’s former bodyguard and co-accused Ronnie Dayan, former Bureau of Corrections chief Franklin Jesus Bucayu and Joenel Sanchez filed their motions for inhibition separately questioning the judge’s impartiality and neutrality in handling the case following his failure to disclose his relationship to Atty. Emmanuel S. Buenaventura. According to their motions, Emmanuel was the lawyer who assisted Dayan in the execution of his affidavit, which he claimed was given under duress. Dayan later on recanted his statements in the affidavit when he testified on the drug cases filed against him along with De Lima and several other individuals. The three accused also cited reports stating that the Emmanuel is the brother of Judge Buenaventura. They stressed that “there is clear case of conflict of interest” on the part of Judge Buenvantura in hearing the case. “Henceforth, the Presiding Judge committed gross negligence, if not gross misconduct, in not declaring that fact that he is the brother of Atty. Emmanuel S. Buenaventura,” the motions read. They added that the personal relationship of the judge to Emmanuel casts doubt on his duty to uphold the stringent standard of the ‘cold neutrality of an impartial judge’ in trying and deciding the case. The post Dayan camp seeks judge’s inhibition on last drug case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remulla sees conspiracy in recantation by Degamo suspects
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said a conspiracy could be behind the consecutive recantations of testimony by the accused in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo. "It just shows, it just proves our case further that the conspiracy sticks and is there,” Remulla said. Osmundo Rivero was the first to recant his statement on Monday last week. The suspect denied knowledge of the murder ploy and its alleged masterminds, suspended Negros Oriental Representative Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. and Teves' former bodyguard Marvin Miranda. The recantation of Rivero was followed by co-accused Dahniel Lora, Romel Pattaguan and Rogelio Antipolo Jr., and two days later by Joven Javier. Accused Winrich Isturis, Eulogia Gonyon Jr., John Louie Gonyon, Joric Labrador and Benjie Rodriguez recanted their testimonies on Tuesday this week. Remulla said the suspects talked about different things in their affidavits but which matched at many points. The Department of Justice will submit as evidence the affidavits first executed by the accused even though they have recanted, he stressed. Remulla also accused Miranda’s legal counsel, Atty. Reynante Orceo, and the legal counsel of Lora, Pattaguan, Antipolo and Javier, Atty. Danny Villanueva, as behind the recantations of the accused. Miranda was previously accused by Remulla of supposedly "directing" other suspects to recant their testimonies. He warned that "we will ask the IBP [ Integrated Bar of the Philippines] to look into the matter." Remulla, though, said he would order an investigation into the suspects claim that they were tortured to implicate Teves in the crime. The DOJ Secretary also said a recent video of Teves reflected his state of mind and showed his lack of respect for the country and its institutions. Teves in the video said that Remulla had turned “crazy" and that the Justice Secretary should have applied for the movie industry and not the government. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives imposed another 60-day suspension without pay on Teves for his continued absence from the chamber. The solon has refused to fly back to the country, expressing fear for his safety. Degamo and nine others were killed on 4 March while several others were injured after an attack on the late governor’s home in Negros Oriental. The death toll later climbed to 10 when one of the seriously injured died at the hospital. Teves has repeatedly denied involvement in the killing. The post Remulla sees conspiracy in recantation by Degamo suspects appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Reverse Leila acquittal, court told
Government prosecutors have asked the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court to reverse its acquittal of former senator Leila de Lima on drug-related charges. The Department of Justice panel of prosecutors headed by Ramoncito Ocampo Jr. submitted to the court a 91-page motion for reconsideration anchored on questioning the motives of those who recanted their statements against De Lima. In dismissing the second of three drug cases against De Lima, the court afforded the former senator “reasonable doubt” on account of former Bureau of Corrections chief Rafael Ragos taking back his statement that he gave De Lima P10 million. The case stemmed from the alleged actions of De Lima as DoJ secretary overseeing the New Bilibid Prison. She purportedly received money from drug lords detained at NBP in exchange for allowing them to remotely control their drug empires behind bars. The prosecution noted that Ragos’ recantation came eight days before the 2022 presidential election, at the time that De Lima was seeking reelection as a senator. “This clearly raises doubt as to the motive behind the sudden retraction,” part of the motion read. Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 Presiding Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara, in his 13 May 2013 ruling, said the case against De Lima had lost its legs with the recantation. Without Ragos’s statement, the trial court said: “The crucial link to establish conspiracy is shrouded with reasonable doubt.” On 5 September 2016, Ragos executed an affidavit claiming that in November 2012, as BuCor OIC and together with aide Jovencio Ablen, he delivered a black bag containing P5 million to De Lima and her bodyguard, Ronnie Dayan, at the former’s residence in Parañaque City. Ragos claimed they made another delivery of P5 million in a plastic bag in December 2012 to De Lima and Dayan. The money, according to Ragos, came from the proceeds of the drug operations of several high-profile inmates inside the NBP. But Ragos retracted his statements against De Lima in May 2022. The panel of prosecutors insisted that Ragos’ recantation did not debunk his original testimony given in open court and that there were other pieces of evidence on record to prove De Lima’s guilt. The panel also cited numerous rulings of the Supreme Court which held that recantations of testimonies are viewed with suspicion and hardly given much weight. “While recantation may give rise to suspicion, such suspicion, however strong, cannot solely serve as a gauge for determining the probative value of the recantation,” the DoJ panel said. The prosecution pointed out that Ragos “extensively” testified before the court, the Senate, and the House of Representatives on his original testimony linking De Lima to the illegal drug trade inside the NBP. It also questioned the court’s failure to consider the weight of the “corroborative and uncontroverted” testimony of Ablen, who testified that he accompanied Ragos in delivering the alleged drug money to De Lima’s residence. The panel also noted that Ragos failed to show evidence to back his claim that he was coerced into executing his initial affidavits and testifying before the court against the former senator. “With his stature and if Ragos indeed lived by his office creed, no amount of coercion could have swayed him. His empty claim of coercion could not have sacrificed his honor and the honor of his office by asserting untruthful statements which are not expected of a high officer of the premier investigatory arm of the government,” the DoJ panel said. The post Reverse Leila acquittal, court told appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOJ prosecutors ask Muntinlupa court to reverse De Lima acquittal
The Department of Justice has asked the Regional Trial Court of Muntinlupa City to reverse the acquittal of former senator Leila de Lima on the charge of conspiring to commit illegal drug trading inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. The panel of prosecutors headed by Provincial Prosecutor Ramoncito Ocampo Jr. in a 91-page motion for reconsideration, questioned the motive behind the recantation of its main witness, former officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Corrections Rafael Ragos, which became the basis for the trial court’s dismissal of the drug case against De Lima. The prosecution noted that Ragos’ recantation came eight days before the 2022 presidential election, where De Lima was seeking reelection as senator. “This clearly raises doubt as to the motive behind the sudden retraction,” the MR stated. “Verily, the precipitous recantation of NBI Deputy Director Rafael Marcos Z. Ragos is coming off as highly suspect and should not be the sole barometer and guiding threshold in rendering the assailed judgment,” it added. Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 Presiding Judge Abraham Joseph Alcantara, in his 13 May 2013 ruling, gave weight to Ragos’ recantation in acquitting De Lima and bodyguard Ronnie Dayan. Without Ragos’ statement, the trial court said, “ the crucial link to establish conspiracy is shrouded with reasonable doubt.” The retraction it said “created reasonable doubt which warrants the acquittal of both accused.” On 5 September 2016, Ragos executed an affidavit claiming that in November 2012, as BuCor OIC and together with aide Jovencio Ablen, they delivered a black bag containing P5 million to De Lima and her bodyguard Ronnie Dayan at the former’s residence in Paranaque. Ragos said they made another delivery of the amount of P5 million contained in a plastic bag in December 2012 to De Lima and Dayan. The money, according to Ragos, came from the proceeds of the drug operations of several high-profile inmates inside the NBP. But the statements were recanted by Ragos in his affidavit executed in May 2022. The panel of prosecutors insisted that Ragos’ recantation was not able to debunk his original testimony given in open court and that there are other pieces of evidence on record to prove De Lima’s guilt. The panel also cited numerous rulings of the Supreme Court which held that recantations of testimonies are viewed with suspicion and hardly given much weight. “While recantation may give rise to suspicion, such suspicion, however strong, cannot solely serve as a gauge for determining the probative value of the recantation,” the DOJ panel said. The prosecution pointed out that Ragos “extensively” testified before the court, the Senate and House of Representatives on his original testimony linking De Lima to the illegal drug trade inside the NBP. It also questioned the court’s failure to consider the weight of the “corroborative and uncontroverted" testimony of Ablen, who testified that he accompanied Ragos in delivering the alleged drug money to De Lima’s residence in Paranaque City. The panel also noted that Ragos failed to show evidence to back his claim that he was coerced to execute his initial affidavits and to testify before the court against the former senator. “With his stature and if Ragos indeed lived by his office creed, no amount of coercion could have swayed him. His empty claim of coercion could not have sacrificed his honor and the honor of his office by asserting untruthful statements which are not expected of a high officer of the premier investigatory arm of the government,” the DOJ said. The post DOJ prosecutors ask Muntinlupa court to reverse De Lima acquittal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rain stars as bodyguard with ulterior motive in romantic revenge drama Red Swan
Rain brings in the romance and suspense as a bodyguard to a chaebol wife in his upcoming drama titled "Red Swan." .....»»
Teves hand in retraction ‘possible,’ says Clavano
A Department of Justice official did not discount the possibility the camp of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. had something to do with suspects in the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo recanting their statements. “It’s very possible. We’re looking at many angles here, that’s why we need to be very careful with our witnesses,” DoJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano said. Clavano cited the alleged attempt of a former DoJ undersecretary to talk to the witnesses at the National Bureau of Investigation. Levito Baligod, the counsel of the Degamo family, disclosed that the former official tried to bribe detained suspects to clam up. Clavano said they are eyeing the transfer of the suspects to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. He said there is no current official of the DoJ involved in the alleged manipulation of suspects in the slaying of Degamo and nine others on 4 March. The DoJ official also denied the allegation of Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo that “someone at the agency” may be manipulating the suspects into recanting their extra-judicial confessions in connection with the killing of her husband. In an interview with reporters via Zoom, Clavano assured that the police officers and agents of the NBI assigned in the case build-up are among “the best of the best.” “I think the statement of Mayor Degamo was out of emotion and we hope that the credibility of the DoJ is preserved in this case and for the country,” Clavano said. On Monday, Osmundo Rivero, one of the suspects in the Degamo slay case, recanted his affidavits tagging Teves Jr. and his former bodyguard Marvin Miranda as the masterminds. Rivero claimed that police investigators tortured and coerced him into admitting his participation in the crime. Through his counsel, Danny Villanueva, Rivero also filed a petition for a writ of habeas corpus before the Regional Trial Court of Manila seeking to compel Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and NBI director Medardo de Lemos to present his wife Queenie Rivero, his two-year-old son Jophiel and 15-year-old stepson Christian. Rivero said he received information that his wife and two sons were taken from their house by a team of soldiers from the Philippine Army together with members of the Municipal Police Station of Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur. He claimed his family was taken to the Office of the Provincial Police in Camp Aberlon, Pagadian City before they were turned over to the NBI. But the DoJ said Rivero’s family has been placed under the Witness Protection Program after he initially agreed to cooperate with authorities. Villanueva, on the other hand, said three more suspects identified as Rommel Pattaguan, Rogelio Antipolo Jr., and Dahniel Lora have recanted their previous statements linking Teves to the gruesome crime. Clavano denied the torture claims made by the suspects. “As far as our intelligence goes, no such thing happened. We are very careful in handling these suspects because we believe they are also victims in this case,” he said. The post Teves hand in retraction ‘possible,’ says Clavano appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Remulla to De Lima: ‘Good luck’ on case promulgation
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday wished detained former Senator Leila De Lima good luck on the promulgation of her two remaining drug cases pending at the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court. The Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 is set to promulgate tomorrow the two remaining drug cases against the former lawmaker for allegedly benefiting from the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison when she was still Justice secretary. “Good luck to her. I don’t even know the judge, I don’t talk with the prosecutors about it. It has been ongoing for the past six years, so good luck,” said Remulla when asked for comment on the impending promulgation. “I cannot weigh in on that. I cannot interfere with the way of the court,” Remulla added. The promulgation, scheduled at around 8:30 a.m. tomorrow, 12 May, is expected to be attended by de Lima, who has been in jail since 2017. Should she be cleared by Muntinlupa Branch 204 Presiding Judge Joseph Abrahan Alcantara, her acquittal will not pave the way for her immediate release from detention as she still has another pending drug case before the Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256, which earlier deferred its ruling on De Lima’s petition for bail. The drug case to be promulgated tomorrow stemmed from the affidavit executed on 5 September 2016 by former officer-in-charge of the Bureau of Corrections Rafael Ragos, who claimed that in November 2012, as BuCor OIC and together with aide Jovencio Ablen, he delivered a black bag containing P5 million to De Lima and her bodyguard Ronnie Dayan at the former’s residence in Paranaque. He added that they made another delivery of money contained in a plastic bag in December 2012 to De Lima and Dayan. Ragos said the money came from drug lords inside the NBP, to support De Lima's senatorial bid in 2013. But in May 2022, Ragos recanted his statements and accused former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre of coercing him to execute an affidavit that implicated De Lima in the NBP drug trade. The post Remulla to De Lima: ‘Good luck’ on case promulgation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»