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Targeted Christians found shelter with Muslims during Pakistan rampage
Pastor Javed Bhatti was roused from his sleep by the mosque's loudspeaker -- not the usual Islamic call to prayer, but a thundering call to protest against alleged blasphemy by Christians. Instinctively, he gathered his family and ran to the street, where fellow Christians were already spilling from their homes into narrow alleyways. "Some were running barefoot and some fled in rickshaws. There was chaos everywhere," he told AFP on Thursday, a day after hundreds of Muslim men rampaged through the streets, burning homes and churches. "The children were shouting, 'Run, run, the clerics are coming! They will attack us'," his sister Naila Bhatti added. Blasphemy is a flashpoint issue in Pakistan, where vigilante mobs have killed people accused of insulting Islam or the Prophet Muhammad. Christians make up around two percent of the population and occupy one of the lowest rungs in Pakistani society. More than 5,000 live in the Christian quarter in Jaranwala, most of them sanitary workers on meagre wages who occupy cramped homes shared by up to 18 relatives. As panic spread across the neighborhood, Muslims also rushed to the streets to warn and shelter their neighbors. "The crowd came from outside (this area), but the local Muslims here helped us and tried to save us," Pastor Bhatti said. Tariq Rasool, in the same narrow street as Bhatti, said Muslims had quickly pinned Koranic verses on the doors of Christian homes in the hope they would be spared the violence. "Two women were running. I opened the door of my house for them and let them inside. They were very worried but I consoled them," the 58-year-old Muslim told AFP. The mob swelled in size and anger throughout the day, with hundreds at its peak rioting through the streets. By nightfall, at least four churches and a dozen houses and shops had been burned and ransacked, according to an AFP team at the scene. Imran Qadri, a bearded Muslim, opened his home to two Christian women. "They are still inside our house. My family helped them, provided them with food and they spent the night with us," Qadri said, standing alongside Bhatti. Parveen Bibi fled with her eight family members after being woken up by her young children screaming: "Muslims are coming to burn our houses!" "We took rickshaws to the home of our Muslim neighbors. The door was open and we all went inside. I was accompanied by women, my two daughters-in-law and children. The women said, 'You are safe here, don't worry'," she explained tearfully, standing in the rubble of her home. Several Christians who returned to their houses on Thursday to survey the damage told AFP that more than 300 people had fled in the initial hours of the riot, but hundreds more evacuated at night and on Thursday to stay with relatives in other towns. Police have arrested more than 100 people allegedly linked to the violence and are searching for two Christian brothers accused of desecrating the Koran. Though the mob has dispersed and hundreds of police now guard the neighborhood, many are too fearful to return home yet. For Pastor Bhatti, returning has brought more pain for his family: "My own house was destroyed. This was our entire life's earnings. Now how will we live here again?" The post Targeted Christians found shelter with Muslims during Pakistan rampage appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ecuador under emergency after presidential bet gunned down
Ecuadoran President Guillermo Lasso declared a two-month state of emergency on Thursday following the assassination of a presidential candidate. In an address broadcast on YouTube, Lasso said he is mobilizing the armed forces to secure and ensure the conduct of the 20 August elections as well as protect citizens. “This is a political crime that acquires a terrorist character and we do not doubt that this murder is an attempt to sabotage the electoral process,” Lasso said. Lasso also declared a three-day mourning for Fernando Villavicencio Valencia who was shot dead on Wednesday evening as he was leaving a rally at a stadium in the capital Quito. The 59-year-old Villavicencio, a centrist politician and anti-corruption crusader, was the second most popular candidate in the presidential race, according to recent opinion polls. According to the latest polls, Villavicencio, a former journalist who wrote about corruption and served in parliament, polled at 13 percent behind lawyer Luisa Gonzalez, who is close to former left-wing president Rafael Correa. He complained of receiving death threats before he was assassinated. Nine other people were injured in the attack, including a candidate running for the national legislature and two policemen, prosecutors said. One of the alleged attackers was shot and killed by security personnel. Prosecutors also said six other suspects were arrested in raids carried out in southern Quito and in a neighboring town. Police detonated an explosive device planted in the area, chief investigator Alain Luna said. Carlos Figueroa, a friend of Villavicencio who was with him at the time of the attack, told local media that the assailants fired around 30 shots. The country’s main newspaper, El Universo, reported that Villavicencio was assassinated “hitman-style and with three shots to the head.” WITH AFP The post Ecuador under emergency after presidential bet gunned down appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ecuadoran presidential candidate shot dead after rally
A popular Ecuadoran presidential candidate was shot dead while leaving a rally in the nation's capital on Wednesday, prompting President Guillermo Lasso to declare a state of emergency and blame the assassination on organized crime. Fernando Villavicencio, a 59-year-old anti-corruption crusader who had complained of receiving threats, was murdered as he was leaving a stadium in Quito after holding a campaign rally, officials said. Lasso declared a two-month state of emergency early Thursday following the assassination, but said general elections slated for 20 August would be held as scheduled. "Outraged and shocked by the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio," the president said in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, blaming the killing on "organized crime." "For his memory and for his fight, I assure you that this crime will not go unpunished." Villavicencio was the second most popular candidate in the presidential race, according to recent opinion polls. "The Armed Forces as of this moment are mobilized throughout the national territory to guarantee the security of citizens, the tranquility of the country and the free and democratic elections of August 20," Lasso said in a YouTube address. The president also declared three days of national mourning "to honor the memory of a patriot, of Fernando Villavicencio Valencia." "This is a political crime that acquires a terrorist character and we do not doubt that this murder is an attempt to sabotage the electoral process," he added. Lasso has said he will not seek re-election. President of the National Electoral Council Diana Atamaint said "the date of the elections scheduled for August 20 remain unalterable." Nine other people were injured in the shooting attack, including a candidate running for the national legislature and two policemen, prosecutors said. One of the alleged attackers was shot and killed by security personnel. And police detonated an explosive device planted in the area, said chief investigator Alain Luna. Carlos Figueroa, a friend of Villavicencio's who was with him at the time of the attack, told local media that the assailants fired around 30 shots. "They ambushed him outside" the sports center, Figueroa said. "Some (of those present) even thought they were fireworks." The country's main newspaper, El Universo, reported that Villavicencio was assassinated "hitman-style and with three shots to the head." Prosecutors later said six other suspects were arrested in raids carried out in southern Quito and in a neighboring town, and that Villavicencio's body was brought to a police department and would undergo an autopsy. 'Full weight of the law' In recent years, Ecuador has been hit by a wave of violence linked to drug trafficking which, in the midst of the electoral process, has already led to the death of a mayor and a parliamentary candidate. The homicide rate has doubled between 2021 and 2022. "Organized crime has gone too far, but the full weight of the law will be applied to them," Lasso said in his post. According to the latest polls, Villavicencio, a former journalist who wrote about corruption and served in parliament, polled at 13 percent behind lawyer Luisa Gonzalez, who is close to former left-wing president Rafael Correa. Gonzalez and other presidential candidates denounced the murder and said they were suspending their campaigns, local media reported. "We will never allow such acts to go unpunished. When they touch one, they touch all. When one's life is at risk, everyone's life is at risk," Gonzalez wrote on X. National Court of Justice president Ivan Saquicela called Villavicencio's murder "very painful for the country." "I am very hurt and very worried about Ecuador," he said. The United States, Spain, Chile and the Organization of American States observer mission have also condemned the crime. "We are horrified by the tragic attack... Violence cannot win. Democracy can," European Union ambassador to EcuadorCharles-Michel Geurts said on X. As a journalist, Villavicencio uncovered a corruption scheme for which former president Correa (2007-2017) was sentenced to eight years in prison. Villavicencio later served as president of the legislative oversight commission, where he continued to denounce corruption. The politician had complained this month that he and his team were receiving threats allegedly coming from the leader of a criminal gang linked to drug trafficking. "Despite the new threats, we will continue fighting for the brave people of our #Ecuador," he posted on X at the time. Atamaint, head of the electoral council, also said that several members of her organization, which is responsible for supervising the ballot, had received death threats. President Lasso sent a message to Villavicencio's family. "My solidarity and my condolences with his wife and his daughters," he said in his post. The post Ecuadoran presidential candidate shot dead after rally appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Suspect admits role in Abiad slay try
An arrested suspect in the ambush of photojournalist Rene Joshua Abiad two weeks ago in Quezon City has admitted to serving as a “spotter” in the assassination attempt. Philippine National Police Chief General Benjamin Acorda yesterday lauded the arrest of Jomari dela Cruz Campillo, alias “Mata,” 24, at a bus station on Thursday, 13 July. The police said Campillo revealed under questioning that he was paid P15,000 for his services, adding he was the one seen in the closed-circuit TV footage riding the pink motorcycle during the attack. Alleged gunman Eduardo Almario Legazpi II, who was tagged as a “professional shooter,” was arrested in Muntinlupa City last 7 July. Investigators are now searching for the three other suspects in the crime, including a barangay captain in Pasay City who reportedly ordered the hit on Abiad. Meanwhile, Acorda Jr. said they are looking at the possibility of lowering the cost of fees for the permit to carry firearms to encourage gun enthusiasts to regularly renew their firearm licenses and documents. Acorda said they will discuss the matter with the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Bureau of Fire Protection. The post Suspect admits role in Abiad slay try appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Rape allegation against Trump heads to civil trial
A civil trial over an allegation that ex-president Donald Trump raped a prominent former American columnist three decades ago got underway Tuesday with jury selection. The writer E. Jean Carroll says Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store and then defamed her after she went public with the allegation years later. Trump, who is facing a barrage of legal woes that threaten to derail his 2024 run for a second presidential term, has repeatedly denied the allegations. The start of the trial, which stems from a lawsuit Carroll filed against Trump, comes just weeks after Trump's historic arraignment on criminal charges related to a hush-money payment made to a porn star. Carroll, a former columnist for Elle magazine, says she was raped by Trump in the changing room at the luxury Bergdorf Goodman department store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan in 1995 or 1996. The now-79-year-old said the attack came after Trump asked her for advice on buying a women's lingerie gift. Carroll, who was in court for the start of proceedings Tuesday, first made the allegation in an excerpt from her book published by New York Magazine in 2019. Trump responded then by saying he has never met her, that she was "not my type" and that she was "totally lying." Carroll initially sued Trump for defamation in 2019 but was unable to include the rape claim because the statute of limitations for the alleged offense had expired. But a new law took effect in November last year in New York that gave victims of sexual assault a one-year window to sue their alleged abusers decades after attacks may have occurred. Lawyers for Carroll filed a new suit that accused Trump of battery, "when he forcibly raped and groped" her. It also included defamation for a post that Trump made on his Truth Social platform in October where he denied the alleged rape and referred to Carroll as a "complete con job." Psychological harm The suit seeks unspecified damages for "significant pain and suffering, lasting psychological and pecuniary harms, loss of dignity and self-esteem, and invasion of her privacy." It also asks that Trump retracts his comments. Around a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct. He has denied all the allegations and has never been prosecuted over any of them. No criminal prosecution can stem from the Carroll case but if Trump loses it will be the first time he has ever been held legally liable for an allegation of sexual assault. Trump has provided sworn testimony in the case and is not expected to take the witness stand during the trial as Carroll's lawyers have said they do not intend to call him. The trial in Manhattan is likely to last between one to two weeks. Trump became the first sitting or former president to have ever been charged with a crime when he was arrested in the hush-money case earlier this month. He pleaded not guilty to 34 counts related to the payment made just before the 2016 election that propelled him to the White House. Trump is also being investigated over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the southern state of Georgia, his alleged mishandling of classified documents taken from the White House, and his involvement in the storming of the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. The post Rape allegation against Trump heads to civil trial appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lapu-Lapu police nab ‘masterminds’ in murder of night market collector
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Policemen in Lapu-Lapu City have arrested the two individuals who were tagged as the alleged masterminds in the murder of night market collector Christopher Ceniza last January 2. Helen Madal, the head of the city’s clearing team, and her ‘right-hand man’ Reynan Maloloy-on were arrested on Thursday, March 14, in their.....»»
‘Rent-tangay’ suspect falls
An alleged member of a crime ring linked to the theft of over 100 vehicles in a “rent-tangay” scam was arrested in Quezon City, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission announced on Saturday......»»
San Fransico drug bust: Ex-drug surrenderee, cohort nabbed with P816,000 shabu
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A drug peddler, who voluntarily surrendered earlier and completed the government’s reformation program, and his alleged cohort will be spending time in jail after they were arrested in a drug bust in San Francisco, Cebu Friday night. Jufer Belmoro, 40, and Jilou Montalban, 34, were nabbed with five packs of suspected.....»»
43 Chinese nationals engaged in human trafficking deported
In a press release, the BI said that the Chinese citizens are part of the more than 100 foreign nationals previously arrested in Pasay City for the alleged violation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act......»»
Cebu City buy-bust: 3 nabbed in Calamba drug den
CEBU CITY, Philippines –Law enforcers arrested a 51-year-old man, who was believed to the maintaining a suspected drug den, and two of his alleged visitors during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Calamba, Cebu City Monday night. Reports coming from concerned citizens led authorities to the drug den in Sitio Mangga that is allegedly being operated.....»»
6 nabbed for illegal quarrying
The National Bureau of Investigation has arrested six men for alleged involvement in illegal quarry operations in Hermosa, Bataan......»»
Woman accused of being terror fund facilitator arrested in Sulu
The woman is identified as a ‘specially designated global terrorist’ by the US and listed by the United Nations Security Council for her alleged links to the Al-Qaeda.....»»
Lapu-Lapu attack: Man, who punched, molested boy, nabbed
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — A 25-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly mauled and sexually molested a 7-year-old child and student in a barangay in Lapu-Lapu City on Monday afternoon, February 12, 2024. The man claimed to have a learning disability and a person with a disability (PWD). Lapu-Lapu police arrested the suspect after the.....»»
Woman nabbed for alleged attempt to sneak in drugs into jail
CEBU CITY, Philippines- A woman was arrested by the jail personnel of Mandaue City Jail after she attempted to smuggle illegal drugs into the facility on Tuesday afternoon, February 13, 2024. The suspect was identified as Genalyn Andales Ople, of legal age, a resident of Barangay Canduman in the said city. According to Jail Superintendent.....»»
Philippines Says Catholic Mass Bombing Mastermind Is Dead
Manila, Philippines - The alleged mastermind of a bombing at a Catholic Mass in the southern Philippines has died after a clash between members of a pro-Islamic State group and government troops, officials said Monday.Four people were killed and dozens wounded in the Dec. 3 attack on worshippers inside a university gym in Marawi, the country's largest Muslim city, that was later claimed by the Islamic State grou.....»»
Philippines Says Catholic Mass Bombing Mastermind Is Dead
Manila, Philippines - The alleged mastermind of a bombing at a Catholic Mass in the southern Philippines has died after a clash between members of a pro-Islamic State group and government troops, officials said Monday.Four people were killed and dozens wounded in the Dec. 3 attack on worshippers inside a university gym in Marawi, the country's largest Muslim city, that was later claimed by the Islamic State grou.....»»
Alleged illegal recruiter nabbed in Pasay
A man wanted for large-scale illegal recruitment was arrested in Pasay City on Friday, according to the Southern Police District......»»
Maguindanao del Norte cop nabbed for gunrunning
A policeman and his alleged cohort were arrested in this city on Friday for the illegal sale of guns......»»
Cop, cohort fall in Cotabato City firearms sale entrapment
Law-enforcement agents arrested a policeman and an alleged member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front after selling to them three assault rifles marked “Armed Forces Property” in an entrapment operation here on Friday......»»
Man nabbed for alleged possession of unlicensed firearm
CEBU CITY, Philippines – A 39-year-old man from Compostela town, northern Cebu, was arrested on Tuesday morning, February 6, 2024, for allegedly possessing an unlicensed firearm and haphazardly test-firing it while intoxicated. The arrested person was identified as Dennis Pareja Yonco, 39, married, and a resident of Purok Kawayan, Barangay Basak in Compostela, Cebu. Yonco.....»»