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13 years and 3 warrants: Gerry Ortega murder moves to new court
The Supreme Court moves the trial to Quezon City due to 'limited resources' to secure suspect and former Palawan governor Joel Reyes in court. Reyes is still at large......»»
US Supreme Court rejects ex-cop Chauvin’s appeal in George Floyd murder
The justices turn away Derek Chauvin's appeal that he filed after a Minnesota appellate court upheld his 2021 murder conviction and rejected his request for a new trial.....»»
Advancing OFWs’ welfare, protecting Filipinos abroad
Overseas Filipino Workers, or OFWs, are indeed modern-day heroes. They help boost our economy, but more importantly, they help uplift the lives of their families to give them a better future and also showcase Filipinos' talents, skills, and work ethic to the world. I was in London, United Kingdom last week for an official trip upon the invitation of the British Group Inter-Parliament Union. Led by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and co-head of delegation Senator Grace Poe, we embarked on several meetings aimed at strengthening relations of the Philippine Senate with our counterparts in the UK parliament to exchange best practices in policymaking while enhancing bilateral relations, fostering economic security, exploring areas of cooperation between the two countries, and promoting the welfare of Filipinos working there. As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, I also expressed my gratitude to the UK for donating vaccines during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, we thanked them for other development assistance extended by the UK to the Philippines and for their help in strengthening the Bangsamoro Region. As vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, I also maximized the visit to highlight efforts in promoting the welfare of more than 200,000 OFWs in the UK, particularly the more or less 40,000 Filipino nurses working there. We were able to raise to the UK policymakers the concerns of Filipino nurses regarding their rights to proper benefits, just compensation, and a safe working environment. We should be proud of Filipino medical frontliners in the UK, particularly nurses who are among the world’s finest. Take, for example, May Parsons, a Filipina-British nurse who became known globally for administering the first COVID-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial and receiving the UK's George Cross Award. I have co-sponsored a Senate resolution earlier recognizing and commending her achievement. After our official meetings, I met with a group of OFWs, some of them were fellow Dabawenyos, Filipino Muslims, Ilonggos, and Ilocanos, among others. The stories they shared were proof of how resilient our OFWs are. Despite their sacrifices, homesickness, and worries about their families in their hometowns, they maintain their cheerfulness and positive outlook. I brought some good news to our OFWs by informing them about the establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) through Republic Act No. 11641, a legislation for which I am proud to be one of the authors and co-sponsors in the Senate. This measure streamlines the organization and functions of all government agencies related to overseas employment and migration to better address the needs and concerns of migrant workers. I have also filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 2297 to institutionalize the OFW Hospital and ensure its continuous operation in San Fernando City, Pampanga, primarily intended for OFWs and eligible dependents. More importantly, a Malasakit Center is operational there to help reduce their out-of-pocket expenses. The establishment of the DMW, the OFW Hospital, and its own Malasakit Center are just a few of our dreams that are now realities for Filipinos to benefit from. These are testaments of our commitment to promote the welfare of migrant workers and their dependents. However, we acknowledge that there is more work to be done. That is why we continue to listen to their concerns, serve them to the best of our abilities, and pursue initiatives to further their cause. I have also filed SBN 2414, which seeks to establish OFW wards in Department of Health (DOH) hospitals if enacted into law. While our efforts continue to safeguard the welfare of Filipinos abroad, our commitment to serve Filipinos facing challenges in their communities remains unwavering. This week, we had groundbreaking ceremonies for Super Health Centers in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte; Brgy. Labangon in Cebu City; Pitogo, Zamboanga del Sur; and in Tigbauan, Iloilo. Through the collective efforts of DOH, LGUs, and fellow lawmakers, we continue to advocate for establishing more community health facilities to help bring public health services closer to those needing medical attention. We have also assisted 1,000 indigents in Llanera, Nueva Ecija, with the office of Cong. Jose Padiernos; 500 members from various sectors in Barangay Mintal, Davao City; 1,900 in Caloocan City, with the office of Congresswoman Mitch Cajayon-Uy. In Cebu City, we also distributed aid to 1,700 residents of the South District with Congressman Edu Rama; 450 in Nagcarlan, Laguna, with Mayor Elmor Vita and Councilor Rey Comendador; and 333 in Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, in collaboration with the Malasakit@Bayanihan group. We also aided 1,000 United Senior Citizens Association members of Quezon City, with Congresswoman Mila Magsaysay, Senator Robin Padilla, and private sector volunteer organizations. My office also extended additional aid to 93 displaced workers in Lumban, Laguna; 210 in Pilar; 217 in Carmen and Batuan in Bohol. DOLE also gave qualified beneficiaries temporary employment. We also supported 200 scholars during their TESDA Orientation in Daet, Camarines Norte. There are also 43 residents of Davao City and nine in La Paz, Agusan del Sur, who were victims of fires and 32 victims of flooding in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat. They were provided separate assistance and the livelihood kits they received through the DTI program, which we advocated for before and continue to support. We also supported 283 victims of past fires in Cagayan de Oro City by giving separate aid in addition to the emergency housing assistance received from the NHA through a program we pushed for so that they could buy materials like nails, roofing, and other necessities for home repairs. My office also provided immediate help to victims of recent fires, such as 50 families in Baseco, Manila City, and 11 families in Brgy. Alabang, Muntinlupa City. No one is exempt from facing life’s hardships. However, our OFWs have shown us how resilient Filipinos can be. Let us learn from them and, more importantly, do our part in uplifting their lives by advocating for their welfare, promoting their rights, protecting their families, and providing the genuine public service they deserve. The post Advancing OFWs’ welfare, protecting Filipinos abroad appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 wanted persons arrested in Pasay
Members of the Pasay City police warrant and subpoena section on Friday arrested three wanted persons, one of them a woman, for pending cases. Pasay City police chief Col. Froilan Uy identified the suspects as certain George, Melanie and Frederick. George, tagged as the number one wanted person under station level and district level for a murder case, was arrested in Don Carlos, Barangay 190, Pasay City. Uy said the suspect was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Marjury Almojera Madrid-Songgadan of Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 117 on 26 September without bail. Police arrested Melanie arrested at around 8 p.m. on F. B. Harrison Street in Barangay 70, Pasay City for light threats. Judge Jose Cordero Jr. of Manila Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 11 recommended a bail of P3,000 for her temporary liberty. Uy said suspect Frederick who is facing a robbery case was nabbed at around 8:50 p.m. in Don Carlos Village, Barangay 190, Pasay City. The suspect was arrested by virtue of warrant issued by Judge Edilwasif T. Baddiri of Pasay City RTC Branch 115 on 14 July 2023. The post 3 wanted persons arrested in Pasay appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
England, Wales grapple with growing teen knife violence
Elianne Andam was headed to school like any other teenager in London last month when she was stabbed to death, becoming the latest victim of rising knife crime in England and Wales. The 15-year-old suffered a "brutal attack" in Croydon, south London, shortly after she and her friends had stepped off a public bus on a Wednesday morning, prosecutors have said. A 17-year-old boy arrested nearby just over an hour later will stand trial for her murder next April. One of the latest tragic cases of teen-on-teen violence in the British capital, it has become an increasingly common problem nationwide over recent decades. A few days after Andam's death, 16-year-old Taye Faik died in Edmonton, north London, following another knife attack. He was the 14th teenager to be killed with a blade in the city this year. The UK government, and mayors in some of its biggest cities and regions, have repeatedly vowed to tackle the persistent scourge of youth violence, but appear to be failing. Between 2012 and 2022, the number of knife and offensive weapon offences amongst children aged 10-17 increased by 19 percent across England and Wales, according to the Ministry of Justice. That compared with an eight percent increase among adults. 'Social issue' With the sale of guns strictly controlled in Britain, teenagers intent on violence typically turn to blades, including machetes and so-called "zombie" knives. Inspired by horror films, they often have one smooth blade and one serrated edge, and feature graphics or text on the blade or handle glorifying violence. Possessing them has been illegal since 2016, but some manufacturers have managed to evade this quasi-ban by altering their design. The government unveiled plans in August to outlaw them entirely and give police more powers to seize the weapons, which it said "seem to be designed to look menacing with no practical purpose". The new legislation will also increase the maximum penalty for their "importation, manufacturing, possession and sale" from six months to two years. However, machetes and zombie-style knives can be bought with relative ease for less than £50 ($60) on social media platforms like TikTok or Snapchat, circumventing online age restrictions, according to anti-knife crime campaigners. They urge more focus on the roots of the problem. "Knife crime isn't just a law-and-order issue, it's a social issue," Patrick Green, president of the Ben Kinsella Trust, told AFP. The anti-knife crime charity is named after a London teenager murdered in 2008. "When you start to unpick knife crime, you start to look at social deprivation, poverty, the lack of social mobility, mental health probation for young people," Green said. 'Awful weapons' Youth knife violence is more prevalent in Britain than many other European countries, he noted. "It's difficult to determine why exactly," Green added. London mayor Sadiq Khan's office blamed the austerity policies of successive Tory governments in power since 2010, which it argued have "decimated youth services" in the capital and beyond. As many as 130 centers offering sports and arts activities in the city have closed over that period, its statement noted. The pandemic and the country's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation, driven by decades-high inflation, are also seen as contributing to the problem. Following the recent knife crime deaths in the capital, the Labour mayor urged the Conservative government in a letter "to speed up the legislation so we can ban these awful weapons as soon as possible". "The proposals also need to be toughened up to close the loopholes that could still allow the sale of these weapons," Khan added. He also wrote this month to London's 500 secondary schools reiterating that wand metal detectors to screen pupils for weapons were available, as well as police officers to deliver knife crime prevention talks. His opposition Labour party -- well ahead in polls for over a year -- has pledged to spend up to £100 million if it wins power in an election expected next year on a "Young Futures" program. It would fund new youth mentors and mental health hubs in every community, youth workers in schools set up for troubled students and hospitals, alongside wide-ranging public sector reforms. The post England, Wales grapple with growing teen knife violence appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 police in Navotas teen slay surrender
The six dismissed police officers implicated in the death of 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar in a case of mistaken identity have voluntarily surrendered to the authorities in Quezon province, Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said yesterday. Caramat said that six dismissed cops namely Executive Master Sgt. Roberto Dioso, Cpl. Edmard Blanco, Pat. Benedict Mangada, and Staff Sgts. Gerry Maliban, Antonio Bugayong, Jr., and Nikko Esquillon, all formerly assigned to the Navotas City police station, voluntarily surrendered around 5 p.m. Wednesday at CIDG Quezon Provincial Field Unit, Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena City, Quezon. Caramat said the suspects who voluntarily surrendered themselves in CIDG Quezon PFU are now undergoing the booking process and documentation for proper disposition as all accused are not entitled to bail. The Navotas City Regional Trial Court has ordered the arrest of six dismissed police officers implicated in the death of Baltazar in a case of mistaken identity last August In an order dated 3 October and made public Wednesday, RTC Branch 286 Judge Pedro Dabu Jr. said the court found probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against Executive Master Sgt. Roberto Dioso, Cpl. Edmard Blanco, Pat. Benedict Mangada, and Staff Sgts. Gerry Maliban, Antonio Bugayong Jr. and Nikko Esquillon. “Considering that the accused stand charged with murder, they are not entitled to bail as a matter of course,” the order added. Navotas City prosecutors filed the murder complaint against the suspects on 15 September. The National Capital Region Police Office earlier approved the Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service’s recommendation to dismiss the respondents from the service over the killing of Baltazar. On 2 August, the police officers launched a pursuit operation against a murder suspect when they chanced upon Baltazar, who was then onboard a boat. They then commanded Baltazar and his companion to surrender. However, the victim jumped into the river, prompting law enforcers to fire resulting in his death. The police officers later admitted that Baltazar was not the suspect they were looking for but a certain Reynaldo Bolivar. The post 6 police in Navotas teen slay surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 cops in teenage slay ordered arrested
The Regional Trial Court of Navotas City has ordered the arrest of six policemen charged with a non-bailable case of murder for the killing of teenager Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar last 2 August. The order was issued last Tuesday, 3 Oct. by Judge Pedro T. Dabu Jr. of RTC Branch 286. Ordered arrested were PSSg. Gerry S. Maliban, PSSg. Antonio B. Bugayong Jr., PEMS. Roberto D. Balais Jr., PSSg. Nikko PInes C. Esquillon, PCpl. Edmar Jade S. Blanco and Pat. Benedict D. Mangada — all members of the Navotas City police station. Judge Dabu in his order said “the Court finds probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against all the above-named accused to place them under the custody of the law in order not to frustrate the ends of justice.” “Considering that the accused stand charged with murder, they are not entitled to bail as a matter of course,” the judge also said. The Department of Justice filed the murder charges before the RTC last Monday, 2 October. Record showed that Baltazar was fishing when he was shot dead last 2 August in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran in Navotas City. In fending off responsibilities, the policemen claimed that they were conducting follow-up operations against robbers when they mistook the victim as one of the suspects. The post 6 cops in teenage slay ordered arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 cops in Jemboy’s death ordered arrested
A Navotas court orders the arrest of six cops involved in the killing of 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar. Those ordered arrested by virtue of a warrant issued by Navotas City Regional Trial Court Branch 286 were Police Executive Master Sergeant Roberto Balais Jr., Police Staff Sergeant Gerry Maliban, Police Staff Sergeant Antonio Bugayong, Police Staff Sergeant Nikko Esquilon, Police Corporal Edmark Jake Blanco, and Patrolman Benedict Mangada. No bail is recommended as the six suspects are facing murder charges. Baltazar died on 2 August 2023 when he was mistakenly killed in a police operation in Barangay North Bay Boulevard South Kaunlaran. The post 6 cops in Jemboy’s death ordered arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Murder suspect nabbed at QC checkpoint
A security guard wanted for murder in Caloocan City was nabbed by operatives of the Quezon City Police District, Novaliches Police Station (PS 4) at a checkpoint Sunday night. QCPD PS-4 commander, P/Lt.Col. Jerry Castillo, identified the suspect as Romnick Abayon Perote, 34 years old, a Security Guard at Parkview Executive Village, and a resident of Brgy. Bagumbong, Caloocan City. Castillo said they have received information regarding a shooting incident that transpired at 8:20 p.m. on 1 October 2023 at Parkview Heights Exclusive Village in Brgy. Bagumbong, Caloocan City. He immediately ordered the conduct of a checkpoint, Oplan Kandado, along Susano Road corner Austria St., in Brgy. Nova Proper, Novaliches, for the possible escape route of the fleeing suspect and intercept him. Fortunately, they were able to intercept the suspect onboard a passenger jeepney, which resulted in his arrest. Confiscated from Perote's possession was one caliber .38 Armscor 202 loaded with five live ammunition. The suspect was properly turned over to Caloocan Police Station (PS9) for further investigation and proper disposition to face the murder case and violation of Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. "I commend the dedication of PS 4 personnel for their swift conduct of checkpoints, which led to the arrest of the suspect. This proves that checkpoint operations are really crucial for deterring criminal activity and maintaining the well-being of our citizens,” Maranan commended Castillo and his men. The post Murder suspect nabbed at QC checkpoint appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 wanted suspects fall in Rizal sting
Three wanted persons were arrested in separate manhunt operations on Tuesday, the Rizal police provincial office said Wednesday. Rizal police provincial director P/Col. Rainerio de Chavez said the three individuals were nabbed for various cases in the towns of Rodriguez and Tanay, and Antipolo City. In Rodriguez, the 42-year-old accused, identified only as alias Zaldy, was arrested by operatives of the Rodriguez Municipal Police Station by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the crime of frustrated murder. It can be recalled that the accused was allegedly tagged behind the stabbing incident against alias Ryan who miraculously survived the attack after he was rushed to a nearby hospital. In Antipolo, rape suspect alias Junior was nabbed by the police by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Jose Bayani Usman of Puerto Princesa City Regional Trial Court Branch 50 (Family Court) for the crime of two counts of rape, acts of lasciviousness, and violation under Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law. The post 3 wanted suspects fall in Rizal sting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
French rapper MHD faces verdict over youth’s murder
Acclaimed French rapper MHD was on Saturday awaiting with eight co-accused a verdict in the trial over the murder of a young man in Paris in 2018. MHD, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, once again insisted on his innocence as he made his final statements before the court retired to render the verdict after three weeks of proceedings. "From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence," he told the packed court. The prosecutor has asked for an 18-year prison sentence for the rapper, acquittals for two of the accused, and jail sentences of 13-20 years for the others. The verdict is due to be delivered later in the day. His seven co-accused present in court -- an eighth is being tried in absentia -- have also insisted they were not involved in the violent attack on Loic K. in July 2018 that resulted in his death. The death of the 23-year-old man has been portrayed by investigators as a settling of scores between rival gangs. MHD, who rose to fame with a distinctive blend of West African sounds with US-style hip-hop, was charged with homicide in January 2019 and imprisoned. He has denied taking part in the assault, which saw the victim rammed by a black Mercedes and then beaten up and stabbed by around a dozen people in a gritty part of the capital's 10th arrondissement. But a local resident filmed the incident from his window, and the Mercedes was quickly identified as belonging to MHD. Other witnesses identified the rapper by his haircut or a Puma sweatshirt, for which he was a brand ambassador, according to investigative reports seen by AFP. The incident concerns the Cite des Chaufourniers, a low-income estate in the area that the former pizza delivery driver continued to frequent despite his fame. He was released in the summer of 2020 after a year and a half in custody as the investigations continued and released a new album. MHD is seen as a pioneer of afro-trap, which mixes hip-hop and African traditions. The football-mad performer, who was born in France to Guinean and Senegalese parents, is best known for "Afro Trap Part 3 (Champions League)", a song in praise of the Paris Saint-Germain football club. The post French rapper MHD faces verdict over youth’s murder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
British nurse jailed for killing seven babies lodges appeal
A British nurse jailed for life for murdering seven newborn babies and attempting to kill six others has lodged a legal bid to appeal her conviction, court officials said Friday. Staff at the Court of Appeal of England and Wales, confirmed an application had been received from Lucy Letby for permission to appeal against all her convictions. Applications for permission to appeal against a lower crown court decision are typically considered by a judge without a hearing. If this is refused, permission can still be sought at a full court hearing before two or three judges. Letby, 33, was convicted last month of killing five baby boys and two baby girls, making her the UK's most prolific child serial killer in modern history. She was arrested following a string of deaths at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. She consistently denied all the charges. The jury in Letby's months-long trial cleared her of two counts of attempted murder and were unable to reach decisions on six other counts. Prosecutors are expected to confirm whether or not they will seek a re-trial on those charges next week. The government has announced an independent inquiry into her shocking case to examine how the concerns of clinicians were dealt with by the Chester hospital managers. The post British nurse jailed for killing seven babies lodges appeal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC’s 2 most wanted collared
Quezon City Police District Director, P/Brig. Gen. Redrico A Maranan, reported on Saturday the arrest of nine wanted persons including two most wanted persons by virtue of warrants of Arrest. Maranan said a joint operation conducted by the Project 4 Police Station under P/Lt. Col. Leoben Ong, Criminal Investigation and Detection and Group Rizal, Morong Municipal Police Station, Police Regional Office 4A, Naval Intelligence Security Group, National Capital Region, the No. 3 Regional Level MWP of PRO 4A identified as Jonald Mago, 39 years old and a resident of No. 1105 Feliciano Street, Sitio Pulong Kumunoy, Barangay Lagundi, Morong, Rizal was arrested at 3:30 p.m. of 8 September in his residence. Mago has a pending warrants of arrest for murder and attempted Murder issued by Hon. Marie Lynn J. Laborte-Andal, the Presiding Judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 139, Antipolo City, Rizal. Another joint operation was conducted by the Holy Spirit PS 14 under P/Lt. Col. May Genio, the District Special Operations Unit under P/Maj. Jun Fortunato, PRO 6, Antique Police Provincial Office, and Tibiao MPS which led to the arrest of the No. 8 Regional Level MWP of PRO 6, No. 1 Provincial Level MWP of Antique PPO, No. 3. Municipal Level MWP of Tibiao MPS, and No. 8 Station Level MWP of PS 14 at 3:30 p.m. of 8 September at Barangay Culiat, Quezon City. Maranan identified the suspect as James Lou Antonio, 32 years old and a resident of No. 15 Area 7A, Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City. Antonio has a pending Warrant of Arrest for violation of R A 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 issued by Hon. Roslyn M. Rabara-Tria, the Acting Presiding Judge of RTC Branch 86, Quezon City. The post QC’s 2 most wanted collared appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBI files another murder rap vs Bantag
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said another murder complaint has been filed against former Bureau of Corrections director general Gerald Q. Bantag for the death in 2020 of a person deprived of liberty at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. Aside from Bantag, six other persons were named in the complaint filed by the National Bureau of Investigation for the death of PDL Hegel Laping Samson. Remulla said Samson, who succumbed to asphyxiation due to a plastic bag placed over his head, was the "Leon Bilibid" who had been narrating on social media the mysterious happenings inside the Bilibid. Also named in the murder complaint were former BuCor deputy security officer Ricardo S. Zulueta, Victor Erick L. Pascua, and Bilibid PDLs Rolando Villaver, Mark Angelo Lampera, Charlie Dacuyan and Wendell Sualog. Remulla said the four PDLs have admitted their participation in the killing of Samson, who was pronounced dead on arrival at the NBP Hospital on 7 November 2020. At the Las Pinas City Regional Trial Court , Bantag and Zulueta were earlier charged for the death of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” M. Mabasa, while before the Muntinlupa City RTC, they were charged with the killing of PDL Cristito Villamor Palana, the alleged middleman who contacted the killer of Mabasa. Warrants of arrests against Bantag and Zulueta were issues by the trial courts, but both remain at-large. The DOJ and the NBI have offered a P2-million reward for information that would lead to Bantag’s arrest, and a reward of P1 million for Zulueta. The post NBI files another murder rap vs Bantag appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Teves, cohorts facing charges for Degamo slay; warrants out soon
Criminal charges have been filed against suspended Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. and four of his cohorts for the killing of Governor Roel Degamo and nine others in an ambush attack in March. This was confirmed by Department of Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano in a news forum in Quezon City on Saturday. Clavano said murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder cases were filed before the Manila Regional Trial Court on 18 August while the warrant of arrest against Teves is expected to be out “in the next few days.” Teves was tagged as the mastermind of the crime against Degamo. “‘Yung Degamo case po ay na-i-file na rin po sa Manila. ‘Yun po ay nasa korte na rin at hinihintay na lang po natin ang (The Degamo case has already been filed in Manila. It’s in the court already and we are awaiting the issuance of a) warrant of arrest,” Clavano said, noting that similar criminal cases were already filed against eleven other suspects last July. In 2019, criminal charges were also filed before the Bayawan City RTC Branch against Teves and others due to the number of social injustices and killing incidents in Negros Oriental. Following the investigation of the brutal attack against Degamo and nine others in his residence in Pamplona town as well as other political killings in the province, the Anti-Terrorism Council recently designated Teves and 12 others as “terrorists.” Clavano said the DoJ is requesting the transfer of the trial venue in Manila. “Gusto natin na neutral ground ang magiging venue para sa kaso (We want the venue for the case to be in a neutral ground),” he said. The post Teves, cohorts facing charges for Degamo slay; warrants out soon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘We are afraid’: Violence-hit Ecuador votes under heavy security
Heavily-armed security officers kept watch Sunday as Ecuadorans voted in a presidential election marked by the murder of a top candidate and despair over the lawlessness that has engulfed the once-peaceful nation. Polls closed after a tense day, with soldiers and police searching voters at the entry to polling stations, while some of the eight presidential candidates wore helmets and bulletproof vests to cast their ballots. The small South American country has in recent years become a staging for foreign drug mafias seeking to export cocaine, stirring up a brutal war between local gangs. The murder of serious presidential contender Fernando Villavicencio on the campaign trail less than two weeks before the vote underscored the challenges facing the country. "The most serious problem is insecurity," said voter Eva Hurtado, 40, as she left a polling station north of the capital Quito on Sunday morning. "So many crimes, assassinations, disappearances. We are afraid." "Security, above all the security of our families, of our people, must be improved," said public worker Luis Veloso, 52. Villavicencio's killing has reshuffled the electoral cards, with none of the eight contenders expected to get an absolute majority -- likely forcing a runoff on October 15. Ecuadorans voted for a successor to conservative leader Guillermo Lasso, who called a snap election to avoid an impeachment trial just two years after coming to power. - Lawyer, reporter, sniper - Leading the polls before Villavicencio's murder was Luisa Gonzalez, 45, a lawyer from the leftist party of former president Rafael Correa. Villavicencio, who was polling second before his murder, was replaced at the last last minute by a close friend, another journalist, Christian Zurita, who witnessed his gunning down. Hours ahead of the vote, Zurita said he was receiving death threats on social media. "The threats against my life and my team will not stop us, but they are forcing us to take greater security protocols," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding that his party had alerted authorities and election observers. Political analysts say the candidate who has seen the biggest boost to his popularity is 40-year-old right-wing businessman Jan Topic. Nicknamed "Rambo," the former paratrooper and sniper with the French Foreign Legion has vowed to wipe out criminal gangs and build more prisons, emulating El Salvador's Nayib Bukele. While casting his ballot, Topic urged voters to elect "the candidate who has the experience, the will, and the plan to eradicate violence in the country." Other leading candidates are right-wing former vice president Otto Sonnenholzner and leftist Indigenous attorney Yaku Perez. In one of the world's most biodiverse countries, two key referendums are taking place on Sunday alongside the election. One will ask voters to choose whether to continue oil drilling in an Amazon reserve that is home to home to three of the world's last uncontacted Indigenous populations. Another focuses on whether to forbid mining activities in the Choco Andino forest. "I feel bad voting in favor of oil exploitation, but Ecuador lives off this oil," said electrician Magdalena Maurisaca. - Brutal gang war - Ecuador was once seen as a haven of peace wedged between cocaine-producing nations Colombia and Peru. The small country straddles the Andes and the Amazon, and was best known as the world's top exporter of bananas and home to the biodiverse Galapagos Islands, where British scientist Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution. However, in the past five years its large ports, lax security and corruption have lured foreign cartels that have come under increased pressure from the war on drugs in Mexico and Colombia. A struggle for power between local gangs has mostly played out in prisons, where 430 have been killed since 2021, leaving a trail of dismembered and burned bodies. "Ecuadorans are going to vote with three feelings: fear of insecurity... pessimism regarding the economic situation and distrust of the political class," political scientist Santiago Cahuasqui of the SEK International University told AFP. In 2022, the country hit a record of 26 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, higher than the rate in Colombia, Mexico or Brazil. Voters will also elect members of the 137-seat parliament. Initial results are expected to trickle in late Sunday, with a final tally expected in 10 days. To win in the first round a candidate must capture 40 percent of the vote or come 10 points ahead of their nearest competitor. The new president will take office on October 26 and will serve only the remainder of Lasso's term, a year and a half. bur-fb/dw © Agence France-Presse The post ‘We are afraid’: Violence-hit Ecuador votes under heavy security appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jury finds ‘baby serial killer’ guilty
A jury’s guilty verdict on a British nurse accused of murdering seven newborn babies at a hospital where she worked was released on Friday. The verdict reached by the jury on 8 August after 22 days of deliveration, but embargoed by a court order, also found Lucy Letby, 33, guilty of attempted murder of six other babies at the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England. Letby had been on trial since October last year, accused of either injecting her sick or premature young victims with air, overfeeding them with milk or poisoning them with insulin. Letby fought back tears in the dock after the initial verdicts were read out. She was not in court Friday to hear the jurors’ final determinations. They eventually acquitted her of two counts, and could not reach decisions on six others. Prosecutors have asked for 28 days to consider whether to seek a retrial on those charges. The victims’ families said in a joint statement read outside Manchester Crown Court in northern England said: “Justice has been served.” Letby will be sentenced on Monday and has reportedly told her lawyers she will not attend court to hear her fate but she faces the prospect of never being released from prison. The nurse was arrested following a string of deaths at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016. The court was told that colleagues raised concerns after noticing that Letby was on shift when each of the babies collapsed, with some of the newborns attacked just as their parents left their cots. The prosecution said Letby “gaslighted” her colleagues into believing the string of deaths were “just a run of bad luck.” Letby’s final victims were two triplet boys, referred to in court as babies O and P. Child O died shortly after Letby returned from a holiday in Ibiza in June 2016, while child P died a day after their sibling. Letby was also said to have attacked another baby boy, child Q, shortly after but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the charge. WITH AFP The post Jury finds ‘baby serial killer’ guilty appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protect (not) their own
Enterprising journalists always insist on getting the so-called “spot reports” that cops responding to calls for police assistance immediately send to their superiors to inform them of actions taken. While the grammar is usually horrendous, the 5W and 1H reports (Who, what, when, where, why, and how) are oftentimes good enough for breaking news despite being sketchy, as in lacking in details. Then some reports are “sketchy” in the sense that the narrative appears dubious, and the storyline implausible because, just to cite one red flag, the actions cited by the cops run against normal human reactions. But then again, when it comes to crimes, logic cannot always explain the violent tendencies of men and women experiencing a wide gamut of emotions — pain, anger, desperation, jealousy, etc. — that throw them off the edge of sanity. For crimes of passion and even road rage, for example, we have a term for that, “Nagdilim ang paningin,” a phrase that roughly (not literally) translates to someone descending into the dark enough recesses of the human mind to commit a crime in an instant. If one blinded by anger kills without premeditation, he or she is charged with homicide if successful, but if the killing was planned or was attended by treachery and the use of overwhelming force, then murder would be. During olden times in the Philippines, a husband who stumbled upon his wife in bed with another man and killed one or both would have just merited the punishment of “destierro.” A legal reference defined destierro as a “mere banishment, rather than a punishment, one that serves to protect the killer or attacker from retaliation from the family members of the deceased.” How about that: Protecting the killer or killers? The intent of destierro, based on that definition, clearly elucidates the point that there are crimes that sometimes do not rise to the level of imputing criminal liability on the perpetrator. The same could be said of actions taken in self-defense. The point here is that even before suspects in criminal cases are brought before the prosecutors for inquest, or before the courts for trial, the police have always exercised control over information pertaining to crimes that are imbued with public interest and so must be ventilated by the media. Cops routinely release mug shots of those arrested in small-time drug busts, but their officials cry foul when members of the media report on incidents that may involve men in uniform, leading to the perception, right or wrong, of whitewashing or cover-up. Take that fatal shooting of “Jemboy” in what the Navotas police claimed to be a case of mistaken identity and of a couple of the warning shots (fired by all six responding policemen, mind you) finding their way into the teen’s head and hand. No spot report that contained the names of the cops that had since been restricted to quarters was released to reporters, while those few who had gotten the names from external sources were prevailed upon to withhold the names of the suspects. A case of double standard, would you say? The sacked Navotas police chief had it coming when he decided to withhold the names of the six cops who, after all, had already been subjected to inquest. Court reporters should have gotten the suspects’ names, too, but again the lid put on their identities was so tight in the few days after the shooting that the public started thinking something was being cooked. More so since the six were only charged with “reckless imprudence resulting in homicide” instead of homicide, as suggested by forensic investigator Raquel Fortun; or murder, as this Contrarian raised in a previous column. A lawyer of Jemboy’s family had said they are pushing for a charge of murder against the six cops. With what little we know of the case, that seems to be a fair enough course of action. Again, the National Bureau of Investigation should step into the picture if we are going to have a credible investigation and prosecution of this case. Out with the sanitized narrative of how Jemboy wound up in the murky depths of a Navotas river, with blood oozing from his head. The post Protect (not) their own appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court jury finds British nurse guilty of murdering 7 babies
A British nurse was on Friday found guilty of murdering seven newborn babies and trying to murder six others at the hospital neonatal unit where she worked with sick and premature infants. Lucy Letby, 33, who has been on trial since last October, was accused of injecting her young victims with air, overfeeding them with milk, and poisoning them with insulin. The jury at Manchester Crown Court in northern England reached its verdict after deliberating for 22 days. Letby was arrested following a string of baby deaths at the neonatal unit of the Countess of Chester Hospital in northwest England between June 2015 and June 2016. Described by the prosecution as a "calculating" woman who used methods of killing that "didn't leave much of a trace", Letby had repeatedly denied harming the children. The court heard that colleagues raised concerns after noticing that Letby was on shift when each of the babies collapsed, with some of the newborns attacked just as their parents left their cot sides. Prosecutor Nick Johnson said Letby "gaslighted" her colleagues into believing the string of deaths was "just a run of bad luck". Letby's final victims were two triplet boys, referred to in court as babies O and P. Child O died after Letby's return from a holiday in Ibiza in June 2016 while child P died a day after their sibling. Letby was also said to have attempted to kill the third triplet, child Q, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the charge. The post Court jury finds British nurse guilty of murdering 7 babies appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New Zealand court finds mum guilty of murdering 3 daughters
A New Zealand court on Wednesday found a woman guilty of murdering her three young daughters after a harrowing month-long trial. Lauren Dickason was accused of strangling and suffocating her twins Maya and Karla, aged two, and first daughter Liane, six, while her husband was out to dinner with colleagues, according to local media reports. Dickason admitted killing the girls, but had argued a defense of insanity and infanticide. Under New Zealand law, infanticide is a defense for a mother who causes the death of her child when, "at the time of the offence, the balance of her mind was disturbed". The girls were killed at their home in the South Island city of Timaru soon after the family arrived in New Zealand from South Africa. A jury at Christchurch High Court found Dickason guilty of all three charges of murder. As the verdict was handed down, Dickason's lawyer looked on in shock. In New Zealand, murder carries a prison sentence of at least 10 years. Following the verdict, Detective Inspector Scott Anderson said in a statement that police extended their "sympathies to the families who will never get to see Liane, Maya, and Karla grow up". "Words cannot begin to express the tragic circumstances of this investigation," he added. During an emotional trial, the prosecution and defense lawyers had agreed Dickason was mentally unwell when she killed her children. However, they differed as to whether her mental state was such that she was not fully aware of what she was doing. In court, crown prosecutor Andrew McRae told the jury that anger had driven Dickason to murder her children. But Dickason's lawyer Kerryn Beaton had argued that the girls deaths were not due to anger and resentment, but were the result of a "severe mental illness". The post New Zealand court finds mum guilty of murdering 3 daughters appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»