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House leaves Quiboloy’s fate to Senate
The House of Representatives will no longer pursue and implement the warrant of arrest it issued against pastor Apollo Quiboloy after it approved on final reading the bill revoking the franchise of the evangelist’s alleged TV network......»»
House arrest warrant vs Quiboloy moot – lawyer
Pastor Apollo Quiboloy’s lawyer says the arrest warrant issued by a House of Representatives panel is moot as the panel’s hearings are already adjourned......»»
‘Quiboloy warrant stands despite SMNI franchise revocation’
Despite the revocation of the franchise of Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI), the arrest warrant issued against pastor Apollo Quiboloy by the House of Representatives committee on legislative franchises still stands......»»
Senate committee seeks Quiboloy s arrest
The Senate committee on women, children, family relations and gender equality has requested the arrest of pastor Apollo Quiboloy after his repeated failure to attend a probe on the sexual abuse complaints against him and his church members......»»
Myanmar nationals ask Philippines to probe alleged war crimes
Five Myanmar nationals asked the Philippines on Wednesday to investigate alleged war crimes committed by 10 serving or former members of Myanmar's military against the mainly Christian Chin minority. Filipino lawyers representing the Myanmar nationals told reporters they lodged the "landmark" criminal complaint against junta chief Min Aung Hlaing and nine others at the Department of Justice in Manila. They asked prosecutors to open an investigation into alleged war crimes under a Philippine law penalising "crimes against international humanitarian law, genocide, and other crimes against humanity". The five Myanmar nationals are from western Chin state, but now live in Australia, Britain, Canada and India. They were at the justice department in Manila. "This is a landmark suit because this is the very first time that such a case is being brought before the Philippines," Romel Bagares, one of the lawyers, told reporters. Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla said his department would "evaluate" the complaint, which he described as "very novel". "If this is sufficient in form and substance, that's the time when we will require the respondents to answer these complaints," Remulla told reporters. Among the accused is Chin Chief Minister Vung Suan Thang, who is a former military officer. The others are serving members of the military. The complaint alleged that members of Myanmar's military killed a pastor and two church elders in Thantlang town, Chin, in September 2021. It also accused the 10 of "intentionally" directing attacks on churches and the burning of hundreds of houses in the same town between August 2021 and June 2022. They also allegedly blocked relief supplies from reaching people in Chin state in the aftermath of Cyclone Mocha in May. 'Truly historic day' Philippine law allows for the prosecution of war crimes committed elsewhere. One of the stipulations of the law is that the accused must be present in the Philippines. According to Gilbert Andres, another Filipino lawyer representing the Myanmar nationals, if the Philippine justice department were to decide to mount a case against the 10 accused, it could issue subpoenas to Myanmar's Central Authority or go through diplomatic channels. The toppling of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government in a 2021 coup sparked a huge backlash and the military junta is now battling opponents across swaths of Myanmar. Some of the bloodiest fighting has been happening in Christian-majority areas, including in Chin state. "This is a truly historic day," Salai Ling, one of the five complainants and also of the Chin Human Rights Organization, told reporters in Manila. "We are really hoping that with the solidarity and support from the Filipino people and people in the ASEAN region, that we will be able to get some form of justice for the atrocities that our people suffered." Myanmar and the Philippines belong to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The regional bloc's efforts to defuse the Myanmar crisis have been fruitless so far. The Philippines is now the subject of an international human rights probe, with the Hague-based International Criminal Court investigating "possible crimes against humanity" during former president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drugs crackdown. In July, President Ferdinand Marcos said the Philippines was "done talking with the ICC" but would continue to question the tribunal's jurisdiction. The post Myanmar nationals ask Philippines to probe alleged war crimes appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon sues ex-president Duterte over threat to kill her
"Though factually baseless and clearly malicious, I cannot merely dismiss Respondent Duterte’s red-tagging and accompanying grave threats as either figurative, joking, or otherwise benign considering that many victims of extrajudicial killings, illegal arrest and detentions, excommunicado confinements, forced disappearances and other analogous attacks were called or labeled 'communists,' members or supporters of the NPA, “terrorists,” and like labels before they were attacked." The post Solon sues ex-president Duterte over threat to kill her appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war
On 26 February 2022, while Russian tanks were barrelling towards Kyiv, Ukrainian lawyers were fighting on a different front, submitting a case against Moscow at the International Court of Justice. The gilded halls of the Peace Palace in The Hague, where the court sits, are a world away from the trenches of Donbas but Ukraine believes its legal attacks on Russia are a critical part of the fight. What cases are open in Ukraine's campaign of all-out "lawfare" against Moscow and, with little chance of Russian compliance, what's the point? Where are the legal front lines? The Hague, Strasbourg, and Hamburg. Ukraine has dragged Russia before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which rules on disputes between nations, arguing that President Vladimir Putin abused the UN Genocide Convention when he used an alleged "genocide" in eastern Ukraine as a pretext for invasion. The final arguments in this case will be heard later Wednesday. Also in The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children, a war crime. Neither of these courts, however, can try Russian leaders, including Putin, for the crime of "aggression", defined as an attack on one state by another in breach of the UN charter. So a special group of prosecutors from Ukraine, the EU, the United States, and the ICC has been set up in The Hague with a view to establishing a special tribunal to bring senior Russians to trial. Ukraine also has cases open at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg over alleged Russian human rights abuses. Finally, Ukraine also brought cases to the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg over what it says is Russia's disregard for international maritime law. Will Russia comply? It seems unlikely that Russia would comply with any ruling from an international court -- for example, in March 2022, the ICJ ordered Moscow to immediately halt its invasion. Russia didn't even turn up to the hearings in that case. But it's far from an academic exercise, said Cecily Rose, assistant professor of public international law at Leiden University. "There are examples of cases in which Russia has complied at least partially with an adverse ruling by an international court," Rose told AFP, citing a 2015 verdict in which Moscow reportedly stumped up half the cash it was ordered to. "It shows that non-compliance cannot be cynically assumed. Most of the time, states do comply with awards and judgments rendered by international courts and tribunals." What's the point? Even if Russia doesn't comply, Kyiv and most legal experts think the international community needs to draw a line in the sand. "Some countries do not comply with the law, including Russia. However, it is still important to call them out and to bring a case against them when they do breach the law," said Melanie O'Brien, assistant professor at the University of Western Australia Law School. "The case demonstrates that other countries do not view Russia's conduct as acceptable -- but rather, as unlawful," O'Brien told AFP. A ruling from the ICJ against Russia would be a further element in isolating Moscow and confirming it broke international law, she said. "It is also an important acknowledgment for victims of human rights abuses and international crimes such as war crimes that what happened to them and their loved ones was not lawful," she added. Proving that Russia's actions were in contravention of international law could also be key in future peace negotiations, including over potential reparations, noted Rose. How long will it take? The wheels of justice grind slowly. The ICJ "genocide" case is only about whether the court even has jurisdiction. A special tribunal is politically sensitive and will take a long time to establish. But the wheels of justice also grind exceedingly fine. "Just because Putin won't comply with a ruling now, he won't be in power forever," said O'Brien. "At some point, a change of regime will occur and may lead to compliance with international law." The post ‘Total lawfare’: Ukraine’s other front in the war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Kosovo cops kill 3 ambushers, arrest 5 others
A standoff between Kosovo police and some 30 gunmen who ambushed an officer at a village monastery on Sunday has ended with the death of three ambushers and arrest of five other suspects. Xhelal Svecla, Kosovo’s minister of internal affairs, said police engaged the gunmen in a firefight near the village of Banjska where an officer on patrol was shot dead and his companion was wounded early Sunday. One of the gunmen holed up inside a monastery and four civilian suspects found carrying radio equipment and weapons outside the complex were arrested after the firefight lasting for hours. Svecla said police had made several arrests during the clearance operation and seized a lot of weapons and equipment. However, it remained unclear if all the gunmen had been apprehended during the sweep. The Serbian Orthodox Church also confirmed that gunmen had stormed the monastery in Banjska, where pilgrims from the northern Serbian city of Novi Sad were staying. Pictures released by Kosovo authorities showed several heavily armed gunmen wearing uniforms, barricading themselves in at the monastery. “We can see armed people in uniforms... they are firing on us and we are firing back,” Kosovo police official Veton Elshani told Agence France-Presse by phone from Banjska. The ambush and ensuing firefight marks one of the gravest escalations in Kosovo for years, following months of mounting tensions and stalling talks between the government in Pristina and Serbia. Kosovo police closed the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings between Serbia and Kosovo following the incident. Act of terrorism Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the ambush an act of terrorism and pinned the blame on the Serbian government. “Organized crime with political, financial and logistical support from officials in Belgrade is attacking our country,” Kurti wrote on social media. WITH AFP The post Kosovo cops kill 3 ambushers, arrest 5 others appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
France to withdraw ambassador, troops from Niger after coup
President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that France would withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by the French military contingent in the coming months, a move welcomed by Niger's military leaders as a "step towards sovereignty". Macron's announcement comes two months after a coup in the West African country that ousted the pro-Paris president. "France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France," Macron told French television in an interview, without giving details about how this would be organized. Macron added that military cooperation was "over" and French troops would withdraw in "the months and weeks to come" with a full pullout "by the end of the year". Niger's military rulers responded swiftly in a statement read out on national television, "This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger," said the statement from the military rulers, who seized power by overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. "This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people," the Niger statement added. Ban on French aircraft Earlier Sunday the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) said on its website that the military rulers had banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace. It was not clear if this would affect the ambassador being flown out. In his comments, Macron said, "In the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully," he added. France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger as part of an anti-jihadist deployment in the Sahel region. Macron said the post-coup authorities "no longer wanted to fight against terrorism". Niger's military leaders had told French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country after they overthrew Bazoum in July. But a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognize the military regime as legitimate. Earlier this month, Macron said the ambassador and his staff were "literally being held hostage" in the mission eating military rations with no food deliveries taking place. In Sunday's interview, Macron in the interview reaffirmed France's position that Bazoum was being held "hostage" and remained the "sole legitimate authority" in the country. "He was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice," he argued. 'Very worried about region' The coup against Bazoum was the third such putsch in the region in as many years, following similar actions in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 that also forced the pullouts of French troops. But the Niger coup is particularly bruising for Macron after he sought to make a special ally of Niamey and a hub for France's presence in the region following the Mali coup. The US also has over 1,000 troops in the country. Macron regularly speaks by phone to Bazoum who remains under house arrest in the presidential residence. The French president has repeatedly spoken of making a historic change to France's post-colonial imprint in Africa but analysts say Paris is losing influence across the continent, especially in the face of a growing Chinese, Turkish, and Russian presence. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened military action to restore Bazoum but so far its threats, which were strongly supported by France, have not transferred into action. "We are not here to be hostages of the putschists," said Macron. "The putschists are the allies of disorder," he added. Macron said that jihadist attacks were causing "dozens of deaths every day in Mali" after its coup and that now such assaults had resumed in Niger. "I am very worried about this region," he said. "France, sometimes alone, has taken all its responsibilities and I am proud of our military. But we are not responsible for the political life of these countries and we draw all the consequences." The post France to withdraw ambassador, troops from Niger after coup appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Police guard Christian community, seeks blasphemers
Police on Thursday are guarding a Christian community in central Pakistan that had been attacked by a Muslim mob provoked by the desecration of the Koran. A spokesperson for the Punjab provincial government said late Wednesday that police in Jaranwala are also seeking to arrest the people accused of defiling the Muslim holy book, though more than 100 suspects who set fire on churches and ransacked Christian homes were also arrested. “The desecration of the Holy Quran has been made and emotions of the Muslims have been injured. An order has been issued for the arrest of the accused,” a statement from the provincial government said. Images on social media showed crowds of hundreds armed with sticks and rocks storming through the streets, with smoke rising from church buildings. In one video, crowds cheer and demand punishment for the accused blasphemers as a cross is torn from the top of a church. The boundary walls of a Christian cemetery were vandalized, police said. “The crowd inflicted heavy damage on the area including to homes of Christians, and many churches,” Ahad Noor, a government official, told Agence France-Presse. Pakistani bishop Azad Marshall, in the neighboring city of Lahore, said the Christian community was “deeply pained and distressed” by the events. “We cry out for justice and action from law enforcement and those who dispense justice and the safety of all citizens to intervene immediately and assure us that our lives are valuable in our own homeland,” he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. Pakistan’s newly appointed caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul-Haq Kakar said on X that he was “gutted” by what was happening. “Stern action would be taken against those who violate law and target minorities,” he said. WITH AFP The post Police guard Christian community, seeks blasphemers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Passenger dies in Romblon sea mishap
A female passenger of a pump boat died after suffering cardiac arrest while being rescued from a submerged vessel off Tabas Strait in Corcuera, Romblon on Saturday afternoon. Based on the initial report of the Philippine Coast Guard Substation Romblon, the distressed pump boat King Sto. Nino 7 submerged in the vicinity waters off Corcuera, Romblon at around 12:30 a.m. after leaving the Port of Calatrava for the Port of Corcuera. According to PCG Southern Tagalog District Commander Geronimo Tuvilla, 95 passengers including five crew members of the MB King Sto. Niño have been rescued. Most of the passengers of the ill-fated boat came from the Summer Youth Camp of the Four Square Gospel Church, according to Corcuera Mayor Elmer Fruelda. The fatality is reportedly a barangay treasurer. “Personnel of COP Corcuera and Coast Guard Sub-Station Calatrava immediately proceeded to the said location to conduct a search and rescue operation,” the PCG initial report said. In an interview with dzBB, Ret. Col. Roseller Muros, the head of Romblon PDRRMO, said MB King Sto. Niño 7 encountered a hole that caused it to capsize. “Medyo mataas ang alon lalo na sa kalagitnaan ng open sea at malakas din ang habagat, wala ding gale warning.” Muros added. The PCG ruled out overloading as the manifest shows 95 passengers out of the allowable 96 passengers. A thorough investigation is being conducted by the PCG. The Romblon mishap is the third maritime incident in the country after the Binangonan tragedy last 27 July that claimed 27 lives. RAFFY AYENG and Aljon Danniell Eguia@tribunephl_raf The post Passenger dies in Romblon sea mishap appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
1 dead in Romblon pump boat mishap
A female barangay treasurer was confirmed dead after a pump boat bound for Calatrava, Romblon sank in the waters of Tablas Strait. The lone casualty died due to cardiac arrest, based on the assessment of the coast guard station in Romblon. According to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Southern Tagalog District Commander Geronimo Tuvilla, 95 passengers, including five crew members of the MB King Sto. Niño, have been rescued. Most of the passengers of the ill-fated boat came from the Summer Youth Camp of the Four Square Gospel Church, according to Mayor Elmer Fruelda of Corcuera, Romblon. In an interview with DZBB, Ret. Col. Roseller Muros, the head of Romblon PDRRMO (Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office) said that the MB King Sto. Niño encountered a hole, leading to its capsize. "Medyo mataas ang alon lalo na sa kalagitnaan ng open sea at malakas din ang habagat, wala ding gale warning." Muros added. The Romblon mishap has been the third maritime incident in the country this year, following the Binangonan tragedy last 27 July that claimed 27 lives. The post 1 dead in Romblon pump boat mishap appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russia strikes Odesa cathedral, Putin dismisses counteroffensive
Russia's latest strike on Odesa on Sunday killed two people and severely damaged a historic Orthodox cathedral, drawing a vow of retaliation from Ukraine's leader. The attack came as President Vladimir Putin met his Belarusian counterpart for talks in Russia and claimed Kyiv's counteroffensive had "failed". Russia has pounded the Ukrainian port city of Odesa since quitting the Black Sea grain deal last week. Locals watched in disbelief as the Transfiguration Cathedral -- originally built in 1794 under imperial Russian rule -- was hit. The biggest Orthodox church in Odesa lies within the UNESCO-protected historic city center. UNESCO condemned the "brazen" attack, which hit several sites in the World Heritage area, marking "an escalation of violence against (the) cultural heritage of Ukraine", according to UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay. Clergymen rescued icons from rubble inside the badly damaged shrine, which was demolished under Stalin in 1936 and rebuilt in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The culture ministry said it had so far identified damage to 29 monuments of important cultural heritage. The Ukrainian government condemned the cathedral strike as a "war crime", saying it had been "destroyed twice: by Stalin and Putin". President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed retaliation: "They will definitely feel this," he said. "We cannot allow people around the world to get used to terrorist attacks," Zelensky added in his evening speech late on Sunday. "The target of all these missiles is not just cities, villages or people. Their target is humanity and the foundations of our entire European culture." Icons pulled from rubble Images showed smashed mosaics on the cathedral floor as workers cleared the rubble. The outside of the building appeared intact. "There was a direct hit to the cathedral," said Father Myroslav, the assistant rector, adding that three altars were ruined. Icons were pulled out from under the rubble and the shrine was "very badly damaged inside", with "only the bell tower intact", he added. Clergymen said a security guard and a priest getting ready for a morning liturgy were inside during the attack but both survived. Russia blamed the cathedral damage on Ukrainian air defense. It said it had hit all its intended targets in the Odesa strike, claiming the sites were being used to prepare "terrorist acts" against Russia. But local people said Russia had hit residential areas. "We have ordinary residential buildings here, where people live," a woman who owns a beauty salon nearby, Tetiana, told AFP. "There are no military facilities here. Just simple beauty salons, a marine agency, a groomer. Nothing military here at all." Russia launched a wave of attacks on the Black Sea port this week, after exiting a deal between Moscow, Kyiv, Istanbul and the UN allowing the safe passage of cargo ships. Ukraine has vowed to find a way to continue exports from the ports and said Sunday repeated Russian strikes on Odesa this week were an attempt to "prevent and neutralise international efforts to restore the functioning of the "grain corridor." Putin meets Lukashenko As Odesa cleared rubble from the Russian strikes, Putin hosted his closest ally, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, in his native city of Saint Petersburg -- their first meeting since Minsk helped end a revolt by Russia's Wagner force. Both leaders were dismissive of the Ukrainian counteroffensive to take back land captured by Russia. "There is no counteroffensive," Lukashenko said at the meeting, before being interrupted by Putin: "There is one, but it has failed." The Belarus strongman now hosts Wagner fighters on his territory, after brokering a deal that convinced its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin to end a march on Moscow and exile himself to Belarus. "We are controlling what is happening (with Wagner)," he said, thanking Putin for vowing to defend Belarus should it be attacked. Wagner's presence in Belarus has rattled EU and NATO member Poland, which has strengthened its border. On Sunday, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said a new battalion of sappers would be formed in the country's northeast. Polish, US, British, Romanian and Croatian soldiers were training "shoulder to shoulder", he said, during a visit to the northeastern city of Augustow. The comments came two days after Putin said western Poland was a "gift" from Stalin at the end of World War II, when victorious allies decided on the contours of post-war Europe. Warsaw summoned the Russian ambassador over the remarks. Both Putin and Lukashenko also accused Warsaw of having territorial ambitions on Ukraine and Belarus. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba responded quickly on Twitter. "Putin's attempts to drive a wedge between Kyiv and Warsaw are as futile as his failing invasion of Ukraine," he wrote. "Unlike Russia, Poland and Ukraine have learned from history and will always stand united against Russian imperialism and disrespect for international law." Fighting in Ukraine continued Sunday, with Russia launching 17 cruise missiles and two ballistic missiles, according to the Ukraine army. The post Russia strikes Odesa cathedral, Putin dismisses counteroffensive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PBBM: Phl done with ICC
President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Friday said discussions with the International Criminal Court have come to an end after it denied the government’s appeal against the investigation into the drug campaign. “As far as the Philippines is concerned, we are done with the ICC,” Marcos said in a media interview in Zamboanga Sibugay, reiterating the government’s refusal to cooperate with the ICC. “Our discussions with the ICC are already concluded. As we have stated from the beginning, we will not cooperate with them in any way, shape, or form,” the President said. He added: “They (ICC prosecutors) are talking about Filipinos. Their alleged crimes are here in the Philippines, the victims are Filipino, so why should (they) be taken to The Hague? It should be handled here,” Marcos said. The government, he said, will also continue to question the ICC’s authority to conduct investigations in the Philippines. Marcos emphasized that the ICC no longer has jurisdiction over the Philippines since it had cut its ties to the tribunal on 17 March 2019, a year after then-president Rodrigo R. Duterte ordered the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute that created the ICC as its former prosecutor Fatou Bensouda continued with the preliminary examination. “That’s it, we have no appeals pending. We have no more actions being taken. So, I suppose that puts an end to our dealings with the ICC,” Marcos said. No legal obligation Meanwhile, Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra said the Philippine government has no legal obligation to cooperate with the International Criminal Court or ICC even if it resolves to resume its drug war investigation launched during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. He made the remark when asked yesterday about his earlier pronouncement that the government will disengage from the ICC as the rendering of judgment by the ICC Appeals Chamber had come to an end. “Considering that the ICC appeals chamber did not resolve the issue of jurisdiction, the state takes the position that it has no legal duty to cooperate with the ICC investigation,” Guevarra said. “Instead, the Philippine government will focus on its own investigation and prosecution of crimes in relation to the war on drugs,” he added. Guevarra said he would leave the matter to the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Immigration as to whether ICC investigators would be allowed to enter the country. He earlier said the disengagement by the government from the ICC had been relayed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Guevarra said he called the President from Washington, D.C. and advised him about full disengagement and he agreed. He said the Philippines’ appeal against the resumption of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s probe was the country’s last involvement with the court. The idea of disengaging from the ICC was broached by Mr. Marcos as early as March this year. The President said the Philippine government would not cooperate with the ICC investigation due to “very serious questions” on the court’s jurisdiction, interference, and “attacks on the sovereignty” of the Philippines. No jurisdiction The appeal of the Philippine government which was filed by Guevarra argued that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the Philippines since it withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019. The ICC responded that it still had jurisdiction over crimes committed before the Philippines’ withdrawal. On 17 July, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government will not execute any arrest warrants the ICC may issue. The ICC investigation covers killings committed from 1 July 2016 to 16 March 2019 and includes the so-called Davao death squad murders between 1 Nov. 2011 and 30 June 2016 when Duterte was either the mayor or vice mayor of Davao City. Government records showed that during the drug war, at least 6,200 people were killed in police operations, but human rights groups said the actual death toll could be from 12,000 to 30,000. @tribunephl_alvi @tribunephl_tiz The post PBBM: Phl done with ICC appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Heat wave in US turns Texas prisons into ‘ovens’
On the afternoon of 4 July, as Americans were celebrating the country's independence with elaborate fireworks displays, a prisoner named Joseph Martire passed out in his cell in Texas, amid the excessive heat that has been swamping much of the southern United States in recent days. In concrete, brick, and metal penitentiaries, industrial fans churn warm vapor without really cooling the air. And with no air conditioning in most prisons, when outside temperatures exceed 40ºC (104 Fahrenheit), it can feel even hotter inside the cells. Some prisoners sabotage the toilets in their cells to make the water overflow and wet the floor, which they then sleep on. Others wet their clothes to try to stay cool, according to convicts, ex-convicts and family members who spoke to AFP. In recent weeks, 35-year-old Martire had four heat-related health episodes at Estelle Prison in Huntsville, where he has served 16 years. "I just passed out, the medical (staff) refused to see me and I don't know what to do," he told his family by phone. They called the prison administration to seek help. When other inmates sense that someone has passed out in a nearby cell, they yell to attract a guard's attention, but staff shortages often mean delays, Martire said. The stricken inmate is then taken to an administrative area of the jail that does have air conditioning for so-called "respite." Prisoners try to linger as long as possible. "I've already had too many issues with my health before from the heat," Martire said. Asked what the heat in the cells is like, Amite Dominick of the NGO Advocates for Texas Community Prisons replied: "The fastest way I can explain that is, go sit in your car on a triple-digit day. Bring a blow dryer with you. Crack your window a little bit." Brick oven The Texas Tribune news site reported that at least nine people had died in state prisons in June from heart attacks or other possibly heat-related causes. But Amanda Hernandez, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ), which is in charge of prisons, said the last heat death occurred in 2012. In June, the department treated seven cases of people affected "beyond first aid," but there were no fatalities, she said. The department, which oversees 126,000 prisoners, said that 32 people died in June, from a variety of causes. Dominick took issue with that breakdown. "The coroner will usually report something like 'cardiac arrest' because heat stroke is highly correlated with cardiac arrest," she said. "We're seeing the same reports. We're seeing medical evidence for what happens to the body. "You know, during these types of temperatures, these are heat-related deaths," Dominick added. Sean Adams, 36, served time in a prison called the Clemens Unit, in the Texas city of Brazoria, but which inmates call "Burns Like Hell." "It's one of the older units that was made out of, you know, red bricks," Adams said. "And so red bricks are essentially what ovens are made out of." The prisons agency said inmates have access to ice and water and can go to air-conditioned rest areas when necessary. So inhumane Samantha, whose daughter is a 25-year-old inmate at the Lane Murray prison, said three prisoners died there in June from heat-related causes. "The way that they're treated is so inhumane," she said. "In the summer months, when you're inside, you see multiple heat-induced seizures every day," said Marci Marie Simmons, a 44-year-old ex-convict and activist. She said that in late June, a 36-year-old inmate died in the Estelle prison hours after speaking with her mother and complaining about the heat. "If we go and leave a kid or a human being or an animal in a vehicle, we're going to prison. But the state of Texas wants to cook our Texans," said Michelle Lively, whose partner Shawn McMahon, 49, is in Wynne prison. "And some of them are dying, and they have short, like, stupid drug charges and they have a death sentence because they can't handle the heat," she said. In leaks to the media, prison workers have also complained about their working conditions, including the heat. Dominick said legislative efforts to do something about the heat have fallen short, with bills demanding air conditioning in prisons withering in the conservative-majority Texas Senate. Meanwhile, the state recently spent over $750,000 to purchase several air-cooled units for a large swine breeding operation run partly by inmates, Dominick said. "And they don't have it for human beings." The post Heat wave in US turns Texas prisons into ‘ovens’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pat Robertson, who made Christian right a political force, dead at 93
Pat Robertson, the soft-spoken televangelist who helped make America's Christians a powerful political force while demonizing liberals, feminists, and gays as sinners, died Thursday at the age of 93, his organization announced. The longtime host of "The 700 Club" on his huge Christian Broadcasting Network and one-time presidential candidate died at his home in Virginia Beach, according to a network statement. Robertson promoted "a worldview that believes in the inerrancy of the Bible," CBN said. "Today, his influence and legacy crisscross interests and industries that have broken barriers for countless Christian leaders and laypeople." Broadcasting "The 700 Club" daily since 1966, the avuncular Robertson promoted a literal belief in "end of times" prophecies of the Old Testament Book of Ezekiel that forecast the destruction of the world to become a Christian paradise. In practice, he advocated for an extremely conservative Christianity focused on "traditional" families and a country founded on the Bible, rejecting the longstanding US principle of separation of church and state. He defined the world as riven by an epochal fight between Islam and Christianity, and meanwhile spearheaded US Christian support for Israel as the land of the "chosen" Jewish people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once called Robertson "a tremendous friend of Israel and a tremendous friend of mine." But he also drew loathing from progressives with his condemnations of feminism and LQBTQ culture as destroying America. His powerful support in 2016 for Donald Trump -- arguably helping seal Trump's presidential victory -- further widened the cultural chasm dividing the country. Marine, lawyer, minister Robertson was born on 22 March 1930 in Lexington, Virginia, the son of a conservative Democratic member of the US House of Representatives and then the Senate for 34 years. After graduating from Virginia's Washington and Lee University, in 1948 he joined the US Marines, serving in Korea. He then graduated from Yale Law School, was ordained a Baptist minister, and in short order launched in 1961 what became the massive CBN empire from a small television station in Tidewater Virginia. After CBN's early financial struggles, he named "The 700 Club" for an early core of 70 supporters who pledged $10 each month. The program mixed news, spiritual and lifestyle stories along with interviews of public figures, and became a hit, especially in rural communities across the country. That made it a mainstream stop for political candidates courting Christian voters: guests included Republican Ronald Reagan and Democrat Jimmy Carter. Robertson expanded into other media businesses, launching what became the popular, conservative "Family Channel" on cable television, and the influential Christian-based Regent University in Virginia Beach. Push into politics In 1987, he launched the Christian Coalition, seeking to bring together different Christian denominations as a force for the conservative values he espoused. Ever since, the organization has been at the forefront of the US culture wars, pressuring Congress and the White House on moral and religious issues such as abortion and the separation of church and state. In 1990, he launched the American Center for Law and Justice, a legal lobby to advance Christian religious rights against secularism in the courts. Robertson himself sought political office, running unsuccessfully in the Republican presidential primary in 1988. But what he built had a lasting impact: a conservative Christian voter bloc instrumental in bringing Trump to power and still exercising enormous influence over the Republican Party. "He shattered the stained glass window," TD Jakes, a Dallas pastor said in CBN's statement. "People of faith were taken seriously beyond the church house and into the White House." Controversies But there were controversies along the way. He courted Democratic Republic of the Congo dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, hoping to convert their countries to Christian states where gay people were banned -- while investing in diamond mining in a deal with Mobutu. In 2001, as America reeled from the September 11 attacks, Robertson endorsed the view that tolerance for lesbians, gays, and doctors carrying out abortions had drawn God's wrath on the country. In 2005, he called for the United States to assassinate then-Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war," he quipped on "The 700 Club." And last year, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin was "compelled by God" to attack Ukraine because it was predicted in the Book of Ezekiel as a step toward the end of times. Washington's political establishment was remarkably quiet Thursday in response to Robertson's death. Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, said Robertson "touched so many lives and changed so many hearts." "He stood for America -- and more importantly, for truth and faith," she said. But on the left, there was little sympathy. "Robertson's death doesn't mean we must overlook his long record of extremist rhetoric," wrote Rob Boston of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. "Robertson spent most of his time spreading hate, conspiracy theories, and lies," he said. 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PNP monitoring terror threat in Lanao del Sur
The Philippine National Police is monitoring the movement of terror group Dawlah Islamiya, which threatened to launch attacks in retaliation for the arrest of its four members in Lanao del Sur......»»
$10-M reward for ransomware attacker
The United States announced Tuesday a $10 million reward for information leading to the arrest of a Russian hacker who allegedly carried out ransomware attacks on US law enforcement agencies and health care providers. Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev is accused of deploying ransomware variants known as LockBit, Babuk, and Hive in a bid to extort milllions of dollars in payments, the Justice Department said. “Total ransom demands allegedly made by the members of these three global ransomware campaigns to their victims amount to as much as $400 million, while total victim ransom payments amount to as much as $200 million,” the department said in a statement. “From Russia and hiding behind multiple aliases, Matveev is alleged to have used these ransomware strains to encrypt and hold hostage for ransom the data of numerous victims, including hospitals, schools, nonprofits, and law enforcement agencies, like the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC,” US attorney Philip Sellinger of the District of New Jersey said. Matveev has been operating since early 2020 using various aliases including “Wazawaka,” “m1x,” and “Boriselcin,” the Justice Department said. It said that LockBit ransomware has been used in more than 1,400 attacks on targets in the US and around the world. The Justice Department said the ransomware actors would access vulnerable computer systems and encrypt or steal data. They would then send a ransom note demanding payment in exchange for decrypting the data or not releasing it publicly. Matveev is charged with conspiring to transmit ransom demands, conspiring to damage protected computers and intentionally damaging protected computers. If convicted, he faces more than 20 years in prison. The post $10-M reward for ransomware attacker appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CPP’s guerilla fronts weakening, says NSC
National Security Council assistant director general Jonathan Malaya on Sunday disclosed that the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines — the New People’s Army — is already weakening. Malaya — who also heads the agency’s Strategic Communications Office — said that at least 75 percent of all NPA guerrilla fronts have been dismantled and only 22 out of the original 89 fronts are still operational. “When we say weakened, they are running out of barangays or a mass base. That’s where they get their strength, from the support of the villagers... The remaining 20 guerrilla fronts, some still have weapons,” Malaya said. He added that of the 22 left, 20 are weakened and the remaining two are the subject of focused military operations and development efforts by NTF-ELCAC agencies. “We are monitoring them to eliminate and arrest them. It doesn’t mean that they can’t attack anymore... Let’s expect that there will still be attacks, but their previous formation, when they could organize 20 up to 40 people, that’s already gone,” Malaya said. “The military was committed to ending things this year. They are very, very hopeful that all the guerilla fronts will be finished. We will weaken them and wipe them out eventually,” he added. Malaya also called on Congress to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s continued trust to the NTF-ELCAC with marching orders to “sustain the whole-of-nation approach to peace and development” to prevent communist terrorists, their front organizations, and other lawless elements from recruiting, regrouping, and regaining power. “P10 million per barangay is just very small amount that are given to the residents who chose on what should be to prioritize (road, classrooms or livelihood),” Malaya said. “He (Marcos) also directed the Task Force and the local government units to continue working together to seize the gains in the regions and ensure that we carry this momentum towards total victory over communist terrorism under his administration,” he added. The post CPP’s guerilla fronts weakening, says NSC appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mother Mary’s Fatima message recalled
A parish priest on Saturday urged the public to repent and pray the Rosary daily to attain genuine and lasting peace, amid growing tensions around the world. Fr. Carlos Reyes, the parish priest of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Makati City, said that “man’s continued sinfulness has offended God, and it is about time to repent and pray, especially the Rosary, to avert the wrath of God before it is too late.” “It is important to attain spiritual healing by asking for God’s forgiveness during these troubled times,” he said in an interview with Philippine News Agency. Reyes was referring to the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, Portugal, on 13 May 1917. During the time, the Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to three shepherd children on the 13th of each month until October and sent a message of repentance and prayer. The Church proclaimed the supernatural character of the apparitions in 1930 and a shrine was erected at Fatima. It was visited by Blessed Paul VI in 1967, and later by St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Reyes said the human race should heed the call of the Blessed Virgin to repent and return to God. “Troubles in the world like wars, terror attacks, natural disasters, and the coronavirus, are part of the purification process for mankind to heed the call for penance, penance, penance,” Reyes said. Meanwhile, the Pontifical International Marian Academy has announced in a press conference that it would launch an international observatory on Marian apparitions to protect vulnerable followers from false seers and swindlers. According to a statement, the observatory aims “to provide concrete support to the study, authentication, and correct disclosure of such events, always in harmony with church teaching, relevant authorities, and applicable norms of the Holy See.” PIMA was founded in 1946 to promote scientific, speculative, and critical studies of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to promote Marian devotion. The post Mother Mary’s Fatima message recalled appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»