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Suspected Thai cyanide serial killer charged with 14 counts of murder
A Thai woman accused of a spate of poisonings has been charged with 14 counts of murder, police said Wednesday, in one of the kingdom's worst suspected serial killing cases. Sararat Rangsiwuthaporn is alleged to have swindled thousands of dollars out of her victims before poisoning them with cyanide. She was arrested last week over nine suspicious deaths that took place over several years, but the police swiftly widened their probe. Her husband, a high-ranking policeman, is also facing fraud and embezzlement charges related to the murders, deputy national police chief Surachate Hakparn said Wednesday. Surachate said Sararat lured 15 people -- one of whom survived -- to take poisoned "herb capsules". "She asked people she knows for money because she has a lot of credit card debt... and if they asked her for their money back she started killing them," Surachate told reporters. "We are investigating the amount of money that she got from victims." Last week, he indicated the sums involved in each case ran into hundreds of thousands of baht -- the equivalent of thousands of US dollars. Both Sararat and her husband deny the allegations against them. Sararat -- who is four months pregnant -- is facing 14 charges of premeditated murder and one of attempted murder, but police are investigating up to three other potentially linked cases. Last week, officers expanded the geographic area they were investigating to five provinces, most to the west of Bangkok. Police initially suspected the woman of murdering a friend in Ratchaburi province, west of Bangkok, in mid-April. Local media said the victim collapsed on the bank of the Mae Klong River after releasing fish as part of a Buddhist ritual. After questioning the suspect, investigators linked her to other cyanide poisoning cases. The post Suspected Thai cyanide serial killer charged with 14 counts of murder appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Probe ordered on fireman’s ‘promotion for sale’ scam
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Thursday ordered a thorough and deeper probe on a fireman who was accused of being involved in a “lateral promotion for sale” scam at the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP). The suspect, Fire Officer 1 Ramces Paul Benipayo of the Muntinlupa Fire Station, was collared by undercover operatives on Wednesday, 25 October, in an entrapment operation shortly after receiving P200,000 from his alleged victim. Policemen arrested Benipayo after accepting P200,000 in marked money from his classmate, a BFP firefighter from Western Visayas, whom he promised to assist in getting a promotion within the bureau in exchange for money. Benipayo’s modus is to convince his would-be victims to give him money in exchange for non-existent promotion which will allegedly be facilitated by his “contacts” in the BFP, which of course would never materialize. “I have been briefed on the case of FO1 Benipayo and I could say that what he did was unacceptable,” said Abalos. The BFP together with the Philippine National Police is an attached agency of the DILG. This, as Abalos also ordered a thorough probe on the case and background of Benipayo to determine if he has cohorts at the BFP who could be working with him. Abalos’ order came after BFP intelligence and investigation division director Chief Supt. Gilbert Dolot reported that three more complainants came forward and accused the suspect of also duping them using the same modus operandi. “We will not tolerate this kind of illegal activity. That’s why I’ve already ordered the PNP to work closely with the BFP to get to the bottom of this issue and prosecute everyone involved,” Abalos pointed out. “Walang puwang sa gobyerno natin at sa DILG or sa BFP for that matter ang mga katulad niya,” he continued. Benipayo had undergone inquest proceedings before the Muntinlupa Prosecutor’s Office and was slapped with complaints for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and estafa in relation to RA 10175, also known as the cybercrime prevention law. He is currently detained at the CIDG detention facility. The head of the CIDG’s anti-organized crime unit, Col. Reynaldo Lizardo, said Benipayo initially told them his cohort is with the BFP. . The post Probe ordered on fireman’s ‘promotion for sale’ scam appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 Koreans wanted for telecom, wire fraud arrested
Two fugitives were captured by the Bureau of Immigration (BI) after being sought by South Korea and the US for their involvement in fraud-related operations. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco confirmed the arrests of the two South Korean fugitives, who were identified as Kwon Junyoung, 38, and Seok Jongmin, 48. The two were arrested last Saturday in Brgy. Cuayan, Angeles City, Pampanga, by the BI Fugitive Search Unit (BI-FSU) operatives. Tansingco said that the operation was conducted in collaboration with the South Korean authorities, government intelligence groups, and the Angeles City Police Station. According to the South Korean authorities, Kwon is wanted for telecommunications fraud in South Korea, while Seok is wanted in Texas for engaging in wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft. The BI chief said that as the BI board of commissioners has already issued summary deportation orders against them, soon they will be deported to face the crime they committed. Tansingco added that their names were also placed on the bureau’s blacklist of undesirable aliens, so they are now banned from re-entering the Philippines, the BI chief added. According to information obtained from Interpol's National Central Bureau (NCB) in Manila, the Suwon District Court in Korea issued an arrest order for Kwon on 12 December 2019. Authorities claimed that Kwon was part of a telecom fraud syndicate operating in Dalian, China, that used voice phishing to call random victims. Based on reports, the callers impersonated investigators from the Seoul Central Prosecutor's Office in order to harass the victims and trick them into transferring money to the syndicate's accounts. In contrast, the NCB revealed that Seok is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the US district court in Western Texas. He is accused of conspiring to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiring to commit money laundering, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. Seok is accused of working with other suspects to gain access to the websites of the US Departments of Defence and Veterans Affairs using thousands of US military veterans' stolen personal identification information (PII), depriving the victims of their benefits. The BI-FSU also reported that Seok was arrested after posting bail at the Angeles City regional trial court, where he was charged with robbery and extortion, and will be transferred to the BI’s facility in Bicutan, Taguig. While Kwon will remain in the custody of the Angeles City police due to his ongoing local case, he will continue to be under the BI’s legal custody for deportation proceedings. The post 2 Koreans wanted for telecom, wire fraud arrested 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......»»
Prosecutors reject Trump claim of ‘absolute immunity’
Federal prosecutors on Thursday rejected Donald Trump's attempt to have election conspiracy charges dismissed on the grounds that he enjoys immunity for actions he took while in the White House. "No one in this country, not even the president, is above the law," special counsel Jack Smith's team wrote in a 54-page motion filed with the judge presiding over the landmark case. Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is to go on trial in Washington in March of next year for allegedly conspiring to subvert the results of the November 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden. The former president's lawyers, in a motion two weeks ago to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, argued that the charges should be thrown out because Trump is "absolutely immune from criminal prosecution." Prosecutors in the special counsel's office dismissed that argument and urged Chutkan to deny Trump's request. "He is subject to the federal criminal laws like more than 330 million other Americans," they said. "No court has ever alluded to the existence of absolute criminal immunity for former presidents. "The implications of the defendant's unbounded immunity theory are startling," they added. "It would grant absolute immunity from criminal prosecution to a president who accepts a bribe in exchange for a lucrative government contract for a family member," they said, or "a president who sells nuclear secrets to a foreign adversary." Trump's bid to invoke the presidential immunity defense is seen as a long shot by legal observers but it could result in a delay to the start of the trial as the argument potentially winds its way up to the conservative-dominated Supreme Court. Trump's attempts to use the "absolute immunity" defense in other cases have been rebuffed by judges, but the nation's highest court has never ruled directly on whether a former chief executive is immune from criminal prosecution. Trump is the first former US president to face criminal charges. 'Unsettled question' Trump's attorneys, citing a Supreme Court case involving former president Richard Nixon, said the law provides "absolute immunity" to the president "for acts within the 'outer perimeter' of his official responsibility." As chief executive, they argued, Trump had a responsibility to "ensure election integrity" and was within his rights to challenge the results of the 2020 vote. "As President Trump is absolutely immune from criminal prosecution for such acts, the Court should dismiss the indictment," they said. While making the argument that Trump cannot be prosecuted, his lawyers acknowledged the Nixon case they cited involved the civil liability of a former president and not alleged criminal conduct. "The question remains a 'serious and unsettled question' of law," they said. The case before Chutkan accuses Trump of conspiracy to defraud the United States and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding -- the January 6, 2021 joint session of Congress that was attacked by a mob of Trump supporters. Other criminal cases against Trump include racketeering charges in Georgia for allegedly conspiring to upend the election results in the southern state and a trial in Florida in May 2024 on charges of mishandling top-secret government documents. Trump and his two eldest sons are also currently involved in a civil fraud trial in New York for allegedly inflating the value of their real estate assets to receive more favorable bank loans and insurance terms. The post Prosecutors reject Trump claim of ‘absolute immunity’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philandering Quezon City cop nabbed
Members of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police have arrested an active Quezon City cop facing a charge of concubinage in Makati City last 30 September. In a belated report yesterday, Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon, chief of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, said the suspect, Master Sergeant Ledesma Mollenido, 36, assigned at the Quezon City Police District was nabbed at a room at Airobez Hotel in Makati located along 5487 Boyle Street. Mollenido was arested by virtue of a warrant issued by Cavite judge Antonio Oyao Del Val last 29 September for concubinage. A P30,000 bail was set for the policeman’s temporary liberty. De Leon said the case was filed by Mollenido’s wife after discovering that her husband was cohabiting with another woman. He said Mollenido was arrested based on a tip-off of the hotel’s supervisor. Mollenido is currently detained at the IMEG custodial facility in Camp Crame “for documentation prior to the return of an arrest warrant to the issuing court,” De Leon said in a statement. The post Philandering Quezon City cop nabbed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Officer of Malabon cop who killed 2 probed
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said Thursday that the commanding officer of the policeman who shot and killed two people and seriously wounded another in Malabon City Wednesday night could be charged. In an interview, Acorda said that the head of the National Capital Region Police Office, P/Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., had already briefed him about the incident. He said that investigations are ongoing and that there are witnesses to the crime, as well as forensic evidence. However, Acorda said he does not want to jump to the conclusion that the commanding officer is responsible until the probe is complete and it is determined whether the case is related to operations conducted by the suspect police officer. Earlier, the Malabon City Police Station arrested the suspect, Patrolman Zenjo del Rosario, who was implicated in the shooting incident in Barangay Acacia, Malabon City, at about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Investigations revealed that Del Rosario entered the house of the victim, Alexis Guitierez, and fired multiple shots. Three people were wounded. The post Officer of Malabon cop who killed 2 probed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Case of missing sabungeros getting clearer
The latest arrests on the six suspects in the case of missing sabungeros will give the Philippine National Police investigation a direction to its mastermind. This was how PNP Chief P/Gen. Benjamin Acorda viewed the latest development to an almost three-year case that somehow would lead to the identification of the mastermind and others responsible to the crime. “With this development, the investigation will have a direction and hopefully this will convince, or this would encourage other witnesses to come out and provide information,” Acorda said when he guested at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. Acorda was referring to the arrest of security guards Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion and Roberto Matillano Jr. in two safehouses in Parañaque City. He said they are also hopeful that the arrest of six suspects will convince, or encourage other witnesses to provide information. The chief PNP also hinted that some of the six arrested suspects are willing to divulge further information on the matter. Acorda said they are hoping that the suspects would cooperate in the investigation for the PNP to finally identify and file charges against the mastermind and other suspects. “The most effective way to connect the mastermind is the suspects themselves. So I am hoping that they will talk,” Acorda said. The suspects were arrested on Friday in Parañaque City after the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group located their whereabouts through an informant and following a two-month surveillance operation. The six suspects were former security guards of the Manila Arena and we’re listed as respondents for six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the abduction of six cockfighting players. Acorda said two other people were collared and are now facing obstruction of justice for providing shelter to the six suspects. The abduction at the Manila Arena was among the series of cases of kidnapping of 34 cockfighting players. Police earlier said the kidnapping was related to allegations of game-fixing for online sabong during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other end, the families of missing sabungeros John Claude Inonog, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rowel Gomez, and brothers James Baccay and Marlon Baccay filed formal complaints against the six security officers at the Manila Arena over their disappearance in January 2022. Complaints for six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention were filed on 18 March 2022, against the six suspects before the Department of Justice. The post Case of missing sabungeros getting clearer appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Case of missing sabungeros now has directions- PNP Chief
The latest arrests of the six suspects in the case of missing sabungeros will give the Philippine National Police investigation a direction to its mastermind. This was how PNP Chief P/General Benjamin Acorda viewed the latest development to an almost three-year case that somehow would lead to the identification of the mastermind and others responsible for the crime. “With this development, the investigation will have a direction and hopefully this will convince, or this would encourage other witnesses to be dedicated to providing information,” Acorda said when he guested at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. Acorda was referring to the arrest of security guards Julie Patidongan, Gleer Codilla, Mark Carlo Zabala, Virgilio Bayog, Johnry Consolacion, and Roberto Matillano Jr. in two safe houses in Parañaque City. He added said they are also hopeful that the arrest of six suspects will convince, or encourage other witnesses to provide information. The Chief PNP also hinted that some of the six arrested suspects are willing to divulge further information on the matter. Acorda said they are hoping that the suspects would cooperate in the investigation for the PNP to finally identify the file charges against the mastermind and other suspects. “The most effective way to connect the mastermind is the suspects themselves. So I am hoping that they will talk,” Acorda said. “There are some indications that they would talk but we just want to wait and anything that they will say is of course needs the assistance of a lawyer,” he added. The suspects were arrested on Friday in Parañaque City after the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group located their whereabouts through an informant and following a two-month surveillance operation. The six suspects were former security guards of the Manila Arena and we're listed as respondents for six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the abduction of six cockfighting players. Acorda said two other people were collared and are now facing obstruction of justice for providing shelter to the six suspects. The abduction at the Manila Arena was among the series of cases of kidnapping of 34 cockfighting players. Police earlier said the kidnapping was related to allegations of game-fixing for online sabong during the Covid-19 pandemic. On the other end, the families of missing saunders John Claude Inonog, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, Rowel Gomez, and brothers James Baccay and Marlon Baccay filed formal complaints against the six security officers at the Manila Arena over their disappearance in January 2022. Complaints for six counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention were filed on March 18, 2022, against the six suspects before the Department of Justice. The CIDG also filed a separate case for kidnapping and serious illegal detention in connection with the disappearance of the missing online sabong master agent Ricardo Lasco, who was reportedly abducted on August 30, 2021, in San Pablo, Laguna. Three former policemen linked to the kidnapping of Lasco have already surrendered. The DOJ in January 2023 filed kidnapping and serious illegal detention charges against six individuals allegedly involved in the disappearance of six sabungeros before the Manila Regional Trial Court. The families, however, withdrew from the cases last month, prompting the kin of other victims to express disappointment. ''We have been hearing reports that there were attempts to really bribe ‘yung mga witnesses,'' Acorda said. The post Case of missing sabungeros now has directions- PNP Chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AFP monitors Chinese sightings, coral condition in Rozul Reef
The Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday raised concerns over the Chinese maritime militia vessels and the case of massive coral harvesting along Rozul (Iroquois) Reef in the West Philippine Sea. In a weekly news forum in Quezon City, WesCom commander Vice Admiral Albert Carlos reported the “concerning resurgence” of swarming incidents in Rozul Reef, with about 40 Chinese fishing vessels have been spotted in the area on 15 September. Rozul Reef is located within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and continental shelf. Carlos noted that the latest figure is higher compared to the 33 vessels spotted on 24 August and the 24 monitored on 7 September. Swarming was also observed in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal, where five CFVs were spotted, and two CFVs in Baragatan (Nares) Bank. While authorities successfully conducted a maritime law enforcement operation in early July, which temporarily drove away around 50 Chinese militia vessels, Carlos said foreign fishing ships returned in a resurgence in late August. “There was a considerable amount of time na walang swarming doon because of our presence there,” he added. Carlos said the AFP and other concerned government agencies are also boosting their presence in the area, including the Philippine Navy and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources. “But the good news is we also have our presence there. So, we are addressing the issue of this swarming,” he said. “We’d like to maintain 100 percent, 365 days a year. But because of the weather, limited resources…our troops have to go back to port to refuel, to take some rest.” Coral harvesting in Phl EEZ Carlos also noted that PN deployed its divers to conduct an “underwater survey” in the swarmed area and found that “there were no more corals” in the Rozul Reef, suspecting there’s massive illegal harvesting of coral in the area. However, Carlos clarified that they are yet to determine whether the Chinese vessels are responsible for massive coral harvesting in the Rozul Reef. The WesCom chief said the military is coordinating with the scientists and experts to assess the area. He added that it specifically wants to verify the divers' assessment that massive harvesting of corals happened just recently. “We are not making any conclusion at this time. It’s a work in progress but we just want to report coral harvesting in the area where (they were) seen loitering and swarming,” he said. Amid recent incidents, Carlos said government troops want to “keep the peace and avoid miscalculation” in the WPS. The post AFP monitors Chinese sightings, coral condition in Rozul Reef appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CIDG nabs 6 suspects in missing cockfighters case
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Friday arrested six suspects in the case of missing 'sabungeros' (cockfighting enthusiasts) in Parañaque City, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said on Friday. According to CIDG chief Maj. Gen. Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., the CIDG Region 4A arrested Julie Patidongan alias Dondon, Mark Carlo Zabala, Roberto Matillano Jr., Johnny Consolacion, Virgilio Bayog and Gleer Codilla at around 1:45 p.m. at Jackielou Village and Fortunata Village, both in Parañaque City, based on the arrest warrant for kidnapping and serious illegal detention issued by Regional Trial Court NCJR Branch 40, Manila, dated 24 January 2023, with no bail recommended. Acorda said aside from the six suspects, two companions of the suspects identified as Melchor Neri and Victorino Diocoso were also arrested for obstruction of justice. “I hope that with the arrest of these suspects, those who were reportedly backing out as witnesses may reconsider their position, and I do believe the case is still strong. We have enough evidence to continue with the case,” Acorda said in a press briefing held at Camp Crame. Acorda said the CIDG created Special Investigation Task Group “Sabungero” on 24 January 2022 to focus on the reported missing sabungeros. Based on the agency's investigation, at least 34 sabungeros have been reported missing as of this date. “I would like to commend the CIDG for their unrelenting efforts that led to the arrest of the six suspects. We hope that their arrest will give assurance to the families that the PNP have not reneged on their commitment to pursue this case until justice is served,” said Acorda. The Department of Justice has offered a P6 million reward for any information on the arrest of the six suspects. Acorda said that because police officers are not allowed to receive rewards and this goes to the action agents, the informants who are instrumental in their arrest will receive the reward, with the hope that this will convince others to support the PNP in manhunt operations against other wanted persons. A separate case for kidnapping and serious illegal detention was also filed by CIDG in relation to the case of the missing master agent of online "sabong" Ricardo Lasco, who was reportedly abducted on 30 August 2021 in San Pablo, Laguna. So far, the criminal complaints filed by the CIDG in the Manila Arena case and the case of Lasco have been found by the courts to have probable cause, resulting in the indictment of respondents through the issuance of arrest warrants. The post CIDG nabs 6 suspects in missing cockfighters case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Road rage driver a dismissed QC cop
The driver of the vehicle, who identified himself as Wilfredo "Willie" Gonzales, THE DAILY TRIBUNE found, is a 63-year old former Quezon City policeman assigned at the QCPD Station 9 in Anonas. Gonzales was ordered dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman along with ten others including his station commander in 2000 for releasing two Chinese nationals in exchange for P650,000. The two Chinese nationals, Jimmy Tan and Albert Koo were found to be carrying some 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride when they were arrested. "Medyo may hangin yan," a retired batch mate of Gonzales told this reporter. Mayor Belmonte urges the cyclist to file complaint For her part, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte urges the bicycle rider whom Gonzales had assaulted, to come into the open and file the necessary case against the road rager. "I believe this culture of impunity is not acceptable in QC and I have a duty and responsibility to maintain peace and order in our city and send a strong message that acts such as that committed by Willy Gonzalez shall not be tolerated and that he must be held accountable," Belmonte said. "However, I’d like to stress that without the cooperation of the complainant, there is only so much that can be done. Therefore we are appealing to the complainant to come forward so that Willy Gonzalez, whom I consider a menace to society, is held accountable. He is not only an irresponsible gun owner with anger management issues, but a danger to our people," she added. Gonzalez not the registered owner of vehicle The driver of the red sedan who figured in a road rage incident with a bicycle rider in Quezon City is not the registered owner of the vehicle, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II disclosed on Monday, 28 August. Citing a report submitted to his office by LTO-National Capital Region Director Roque Verzosa III, Mendoza said that the registered owner of the KIA Rio with license plate ULQ 802 is still the subject of the Show Cause Order wherein the car owner was directed to appear before the LTO investigators on August 31. The same report was already submitted to the office of Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista. “Since the driver involved already surrendered to the police, our records revealed that the person who appeared in a press briefing at Camp Karingal is not the registered owner of the vehicle,” said Mendoza. “Kaya tuloy ang Show Cause Order upang mabigyan tayo ng paliwanag ng registered owner kung bakit iba ang nagmamaneho ng sasakyan niya. Gusto nating malinawan kung naibenta na ba niya ito, ipinahiram lang o kung ano pang circumstances kung bakit iba ang nagmamaneho nang mangyari ang viral na insidenteng ito,” he added. Mendoza explained that there are two violations that appeared to have been committed in relation to the Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code as a result of the incident between the driver of the KIA Rio and the bicycle rider on August 8—the first is Section 27 (Improper Person to Operate a Vehicle) and Section 48 (Reckless Driving). He said the registered owner of the vehicle was directed to submit a notarized affidavit explaining why sanctions should not be imposed in connection with the incident. Failure to do so on the given time, date, and place in the Show Cause Order, Mendoza said, will be taken by the LTO as a waiver for the agency to decide on the matter based on the available pieces of evidence. “Pending the resolution of this case, I have already approved the recommendation to place this KIA Rio with license plate ULQ 802 to be placed under alarm effective immediately,” said Mendoza. The post Road rage driver a dismissed QC cop appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Justice assured for slain Rodriguez teen
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Saturday vowed to bring justice to the family of a 15-year-old boy who was allegedly killed by a police officer and his companion in Rodriguez, Rizal. Acorda said in a statement that the suspects, Police Corporal Arnulfo Sabillo and Jeffrey Baguio, had been arrested to face charges of homicide and attempted homicide. “We are committed to ensuring that the bereaved family finds justice for their deceased loved one,” Acorda said of the incident that happened on 20 August. John Ace Ompad was riding a motorcycle home with his brother when two men, later identified as Sabillo and Baguio, attempted to stop him. Ompad allegedly threw his helmet at them. In response, Sabillo reportedly fired four times in the direction of John Ace but hit his 15-year-old brother in the abdomen. The minor victim was taken to the hospital but died from his injuries. “Such actions are deeply regrettable and do not represent the values of the Philippine National Police,” Acorda said. “We will ensure a thorough and impartial investigation and appropriate action will be taken against those found responsible.” Sabillo and Baguio were arrested by the PNP on 22 August and were placed under investigation. Sabillo’s Taurus service pistol was confiscated. Also relieved from their posts were members of the Community Police Assistance Center 5 of the Rodriguez Municipal Police Station who would face administrative charges. The killing of the boy happened just weeks after the Navotas Police shot dead 17-year-old Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar in an alleged case of mistaken identity during a follow-up operation to arrest another suspect. The post Justice assured for slain Rodriguez teen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case
Former US president Donald Trump was arrested at a Georgia jail on Thursday on racketeering and conspiracy charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state. During a brief session lasting less than 30 minutes, the 77-year-old Trump was booked on 13 charges at Atlanta's Fulton County Jail, according to records published by the sheriff's office. Trump's height was listed by the jail as six foot three inches (1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms) and his hair color as "Blond or Strawberry." Other defendants in the racketeering case who have surrendered to the Georgia authorities in recent days have had a mugshot taken. The billionaire has been criminally indicted four times since April, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented drama as he tries to juggle multiple court appearances and another White House campaign. In posts on his Truth Social platform shortly before leaving his New Jersey golf club for the flight to Atlanta, Trump said he was being arrested for "having the audacity to challenge a RIGGED & STOLLEN (sic) ELECTION." "This is yet another SAD DAY IN AMERICA!" he added. Trump was able to dodge having a mugshot taken during his previous arrests this year: in New York on charges of paying hush money to a porn star, in Florida for mishandling top secret government documents, and in Washington on charges of conspiring to upend his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. But Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said standard procedure in Georgia is to take a defendant's photograph before they are released on bond -- set at $200,000 in Trump's case. The arrest comes one day after Trump spurned a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring eight of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination -- all of whom lag well behind him in the polls. He still stole the spotlight, though, with all but two of the candidates saying they would support him as the party's nominee even if he were a convicted felon. During a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson -- which aired on social media at the same time as the debate -- Trump dismissed the criminal cases filed against him as "nonsense." Trump said the Justice Department had been "weaponized" under Biden to hamstring his White House bid. Court dates in election race A tight security perimeter was set up for Trump's booking at the Fulton County Jail, which is under investigation for a slew of inmate deaths and deplorable conditions. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who filed the sweeping racketeering case, had set a deadline of noon (1600 GMT) on Friday for Trump and the other 18 defendants to surrender. Trump and 11 others have turned themselves in so far. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows surrendered on Thursday and was released on $100,000 bond. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal lawyer when he was in the White House and vigorously pushed the false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election, was booked and released on Wednesday. John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who is accused of drawing up a scheme to submit a false slate of Trump electors to Congress from Georgia instead of the legitimate Biden ones, has also been booked and released. A few dozen supporters of the former Republican president gathered outside the jail, including Sharon Anderson who spent the night in her car. "I think this is a political persecution and now that's turned into a political prosecution," Anderson told AFP. Trump is the first US president in history to face criminal charges. His various trials, if they take place next year, may coincide with the Republican presidential primary season, which begins in January, and the campaign for the November 2024 White House election. Special counsel Jack Smith has proposed a January 2024 start date for Trump's trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the last election with a lie-fueled campaign that culminated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Trump's attorneys have countered with a suggested start date well after the election -- April 2026. Willis, the Georgia district attorney, initially proposed that the racketeering case begin in March next year, the same month Trump is scheduled to go on trial in New York on charges of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. On Thursday, after one of the defendants asked for a speedy trial, she proposed that it begin for all 19 in October of this year, a move met with an immediate objection from Trump's lawyers. The Florida case, in which Trump is accused of taking secret government documents as he left the White House and refusing to return them, is scheduled to begin in May. The post Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The legal woes of Donald Trump
Former US president Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, all filed since March -- with the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 White House race possibly navigating a series of trials as he campaigns. On Thursday, he was formally arrested on 13 counts in the southern state of Georgia in connection with his alleged efforts to interfere with the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has already been indicted in federal court in connection with election interference in multiple states, and over his handling of classified documents, making him the first former US president to face federal criminal charges. The twice-impeached Trump has also been charged in New York with making election-eve hush money payments to a porn star. Here are the key cases involving the 77-year-old one-term president -- and others that could materialize: Georgia election meddling Trump stands accused in Georgia of pressuring state officials to overturn Biden's election victory -- incidents that were also referred to in a federal indictment. Evidence includes a taped phone call in which he asked Georgia's then-secretary of state to "find" enough votes to reverse the result. Fulton County's top prosecutor Fani Willis has charged Trump with 13 felony counts including violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents. Eighteen co-defendants also were indicted, including Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, for pressuring local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump's White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows. 2020 election interference Special Counsel Jack Smith had already slapped Trump with four federal charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, as well as conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of an official proceeding -- the January 6, 2021, meeting of a joint session of Congress held to certify Biden's election victory. He is also charged with conspiracy to deny Americans the right to vote and to have one's vote counted. The indictment mentions six co-conspirators but none are identified -- Trump, currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is the only named defendant. Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify the presidential election results. Before what was ultimately a deadly attack, Trump delivered a fiery speech urging the crowd to "fight like hell." Classified documents Trump, in another indictment brought by Smith, is accused of endangering national security by holding onto top secret nuclear and defense documents after leaving the White House. Trump kept the files -- which included records from the Pentagon, CIA, and National Security Agency -- unsecured at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and thwarted official efforts to retrieve them, according to the indictment. Trump was initially charged with 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information," each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. A count was added related to a classified document "concerning military activity in a foreign country." He also faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements, and other offenses. The federal judge in the case has set a trial date of May 20, 2024, at the height of the presidential campaign. Stormy A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March over alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say the money was paid prior to the 2016 election to silence Daniels over claims she had a tryst with Trump in 2006 -- a year after he married Melania Trump. Late in the campaign, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen arranged a payment of $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her pledge of confidentiality, prosecutors said. That case, in which he faces 34 felony counts, is due to go to trial next March, in the middle of the Republican primary election season. Other probes Trump was found liable in a civil case for sexually abusing and defaming a former magazine columnist, E. Jean Carroll, in 1996, and ordered to pay her $5 million in damages. In New York, state Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil suit against Trump and three of his children, accusing them of fraud by over-valuing assets to secure loans and then under-valuing them to minimize taxes. James is seeking $250 million in penalties as well as banning Trump and his children from serving as executives at companies in the city. Trump has denied all wrongdoing. The post The legal woes of Donald Trump 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......»»
Female recruiter collared for trafficking
A female recruiter allegedly facilitating the travel of five human trafficking victims was arrested by elements of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking recently at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 after attempting to depart as tourists bound for Malaysia and Singapore. Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco on Wednesday applauded IACAT’s swift action , saying justice is served for those victimized by human traffickers. The immigration protection and border enforcement department conducted a secondary inspection and conducted an interview with the victims. During the interview, it was confirmed that the five were recruited to work abroad as massage therapists, entertainers, tutors and carers and were made to pose by their recruiter as her employees. The BI’s I-PROBES immediately referred the case to the IACAT. The National Bureau of Investigation-International Airport Investigation Division filed cases against the recruiter for Qualified Trafficking in Persons under Section 6(c) of Republic Act 9208, as amended; Illegal Recruitment committed by a syndicate and in large scale under Republic Act 8042, as amended; and Estafa under Art. 315, par. 2(a) of the Revised Penal Code. Th e arrested recruiter previously made headlines on social media after posting on 10 May about her complaint about the procedures of the Bureau. In her Facebook post, she lamented why she was being stopped from travelling despite having complete documents. Tansingco said that these human traffickers use social media as their playground, where they blatantly recruit victims and even have the audacity to air complaints about procedures protecting Filipinos. The BI chief added that they thank the IACAT for swiftly acting on this case and ensuring that justice is served. The post Female recruiter collared for trafficking appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried jailed after bail revoked
A US federal judge on Friday ordered FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried back to prison after prosecutors argued he had violated the conditions of his bail and tampered with witnesses, less than two months before his trial. Bankman-Fried, 31, has pleaded not guilty to charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, as well as election finance violations, in connection with the spectacular collapse of his cryptocurrency firm. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan directed Bankman-Fried back into federal custody citing "probable cause... that the defendant has committed the federal crime of attempted witness tampering," the ruling said. Prosecutors argued that Bankman-Fried's activities as a source for The New York Times amounted to witness intimidation, citing an article containing private writings of Caroline Ellison, who formerly worked at Alameda Research. Ellison, who was romantically involved with Bankman-Fried, is a cooperating witness in the government's case. Bankman-Fried is due to go on trial in early October. FTX and its sister trading house Alameda Research went bankrupt in November, dissolving a virtual trading business that at one point had been valued by the market at $32 billion. Prosecutors allege Bankman-Fried -- who had been released on $250 million bail and confined to his parents' California home before Friday's ruling -- cheated investors and misused funds that belonged to FTX and Alameda Research clients. The former FTX chief had appeared on the covers of finance and tech magazines, with Fortune likening him to Warren Buffett, and drew in huge investments from prominent fund managers and venture capitalists. But it all imploded dramatically in when a media report said Alameda's balance sheet was heavily built on a token created by FTX with no independent value -- and exposed Bankman-Fried's companies as being dangerously interlinked. Bankman-Fried was arrested at his apartment in the Bahamas on 12 December at the request of federal prosecutors in New York. A Bahamas permanent resident, he spent nine days in prison, weighing his choices before deciding not to fight extradition to the United States. The post FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried jailed after bail revoked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
New York teen arrested in hate crime death of Black gay dancer
A 17-year-old high school student in New York has been charged with murder as a hate crime in the stabbing death of a Black gay dancer, authorities said Saturday, in a case that has attracted attention from stars like Beyonce and Spike Lee. O'Shae Sibley, 28, a professional dancer and choreographer, was killed on July 29 by a single stab wound to the chest during an altercation at a Brooklyn gas station. "He could be my son," New York Mayor Eric Adams, who is Black, said at a news conference at the gas station where the suspect's arrest was announced. The teen, who was not named, surrendered on Friday evening, said Joseph Kenny, an assistant chief at the New York Police Department's detective bureau. He was charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime, and with criminal possession of a weapon. The deadly confrontation late last Saturday night was captured on camera, showing Sibley and several other men shirtless and wearing shorts at the gas station. "As they waited to refuel their vehicle, Mr. Sibley and his group began dancing to music that was being played in their car," Kenny said. The suspect and others in his group "began to yell at Mr. Sibley and his friends, they began to call him derogatory names and use homophobic slurs against him," Kenny said. "They also made anti-Black statements, all while demanding that they simply stop dancing." The confrontation lasted four minutes, ending when Sibley was stabbed once in the chest, hitting his heart. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Tributes have poured in for Sibley, including from superstar singer Beyonce whose website opened with the message: "Rest in Power O'Shae Sibley." Filmmaker Lee posted a photo on Instagram of Sibley dancing joyfully against a rainbow background. "Always loved," the caption said, adding the hashtag #saytheirnames, a phrase calling attention to victims of systemic racism and racial injustice. nr/acb/tjj The post New York teen arrested in hate crime death of Black gay dancer appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOTr liaison poser nabbed for usurpation, estafa
Police nabbed a 37-year-old man who posed as liaison coordinator for the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and duped a businessman who wanted to have a franchise for motor vehicle registration with the Land Transportation Office (LTO). Elements of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group - National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) pounced on Peejay Giganto Durano of Muntinlupa City at a sting operation on 31 July in Susana Heights. CIDG-NCR Chief P/Col. Hansel Marantan said on 22 May of this year, Durano introduced himself to complainant Rholand Dindo Sioson, a businessman from Valenzuela City, as a liaison officer from the Office of the President with a special letter of endorsement bearing the forged signature of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista. Marantan said Durano convinced Sioson that he can facilitate the processing of the latter’s application for a franchising business, specifically the licensing and registration of motor vehicles with the LTO. The CIDG-NCR chief said, with fake credentials, Durano was able to get from Sioson a total of P405,000 supposedly as the required processing fee, which the latter sent to him through a bank transfer. Durano even asked for an additional P100,000 from Sioson which he said was for the release of a department order for the latter’s LTO franchise. Acting on Sioson’s formal complaint, Marantan and his men set up an entrapment and gave Sioson marked money to hand to Durano on Alabang, where the exchange was to take place in Alabang where they netted Durano. According to Marantan, Durano is now facing charges of violating Article 315 (“Large-scale Estafa”) in relation to Republic Act 10175 (“Cybercrime Prevention Act”), Article 177 (“Usurpation of Authority or Official Function”), and Article 172 (“Falsification by Private Individual and Use of Falsified Document”) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC). Sioson presented his case to the chief prosecutor of Mandaluyong City, assisted by CIDG investigators Patrolmen Roberto Felipe and Jodar Capati. Four PNP officers based in Camp Crame – P/MSg Arcadio Manganas Jr. of the Forensic Group; and P/SSg Jeck Ryan Olarte, P/SSg Jerome Vicente, and Patrolman Jericho Dela Cruz of the CIDG-NCR Regional Field Unit (RFU) – handled the booking documentation and disposition of the case. CIDG, the primary investigation arm of the PNP, is tasked with investigating and prosecuting all crimes involving economic sabotage and other large-scale crimes that may be committed by highly placed or professional criminal syndicates or organizations. Bautista, on the other hand, issued a stern warning to everyone not to fall prey to scams like this because his administration does not condone any illegal activities. The post DOTr liaison poser nabbed for usurpation, estafa appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»