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Zubiri to lead Senate delegation in Geneva IPU assembly
Five senators will go to the 148th Inter-Parliamentary Union assembly next week in Geneva, Switzerland......»»
OSG calls on the court anew to reverse the acquittal of 10 human rights defenders
"Such frivolous yet retaliatory charges pursued by government counsels also show how public funds are being wastefully utilized to go after those who defend and uphold human rights.” The post OSG calls on the court anew to reverse the acquittal of 10 human rights defenders appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Jemboy mom: ‘Cop will only be jailed for years, but my son is gone forever’
The police suspects in the killing of Jemboy Baltazar all received lighter penalties. The sanctions range from acquittal to imprisonment of up to six years......»»
ICHRP welcomes acquittal of Maria Ressa in Philippine tax evasion case
The International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) welcomes journalist and Nobel Prize recipient Maria Ressa’s acquittal from a Philippine tax evasion case......»»
Court upholds acquittal of 10 activists
A Quezon City court has dismissed a petition for review filed by National Security Adviser Eduardo Año and his predecessor, Hermogenes Esperon Jr., which sought to overturn a decision acquitting 10 activists of perjury......»»
Remulla sees De Lima acquittal in last drug case
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla thinks former senator Leila de Lima will likely be acquitted in her remaining drug case after a Muntinlupa court granted her bail on Nov. 13......»»
Malolos court asked to reverse Palparan acquittal
Manalo, the witness who led to the conviction of Palparan in a 2018 case asked the Malolos Regional Trial Court on October 23, to take a second look at the decision saying that their evidence was enough to prove conspiracy against Palparan and the accused......»»
Enforced Disappearances Still a Scourge in Philippines
The acquittal last week of a former Army general for the 2006 abduction and torture of two brothers highlights the persistence of impunity for enforced disappearances in the Philippin.....»»
Enforced Disappearances Still a Scourge in Philippines
The acquittal last week of a former Army general for the 2006 abduction and torture of two brothers highlights the persistence of impunity for enforced disappearances in the Philippin.....»»
Impunity still persists, says tortured farmer after Palparan acquittal
"It pains me because in all the cases where I testified in, the courts believed in me except this - Branch 19. I am confused why he was acquitted." The post Impunity still persists, says tortured farmer after Palparan acquittal appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
DFA: No appealing Ranara verdict
The 15-year prison term of the 17-year-old killer of rape-murder victim Jullebee Ranara has not resulted from an irregularity, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday amid bereaved kin’s outcry that the penalty was too lenient. While the DFA gave its support to Ranara’s family, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Eduardo de Vega told the Daily Tribune that “there was no whitewashing of the case.” “We told the family that this is the maximum allowed by Kuwaiti law. The accused was not acquitted. There was no whitewashing of the case. In the Philippines, minors are even exempt from criminal responsibility,” he said in a text message. “The prosecution cannot appeal a judgment of acquittal, or even in cases of a conviction, there can be no appeal by the prosecution to raise the penalty,” he said. The DFA, late Thursday, announced that Ranara’s killer was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by a Kuwaiti juvenile court. On top of the murder conviction, the court also meted another one-year jail term for driving without a license. Ranara was found lifeless in January. She was raped, impregnated, burned, run over, and left for dead in the desert by her employer’s son. The post DFA: No appealing Ranara verdict appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ressa says Philippine press freedom improving, but still ‘work to do’
Buoyed by her latest acquittal, Philippine journalist Maria Ressa told AFP Tuesday that media freedom in the country has improved since former president Rodrigo Duterte left office, but there was still a "lot of work to do". Ressa, who was a vocal critic of Duterte and his deadly drug war, said the fear fostered by him had "largely lifted" since his successor Ferdinand Marcos took power in June 2022. "There's been a lot of problems in the Philippines because fear spreads. But it has improved," Ressa, 59, told AFP in an interview after she and Rappler, the online news outfit she co-founded in 2012, were cleared of tax evasion. "Is it perfect? Far from it. We still have a lot of work to do." Ressa and Rappler have been battling multiple court cases filed during Duterte's rule, which she and press freedom advocates have long maintained were politically motivated. This year, Ressa and Rappler have been acquitted of five tax evasion charges, including the one on Tuesday. They are still fighting two cases, including a cyber libel conviction that could put Ressa behind bars for nearly seven years, and another that could shut down Rappler. "We're not out of the woods yet," Ressa admitted, likening the years-long legal battle to a "war of attrition". - 'Absolutely exhausting' - Shortly after Tuesday's verdict was read out in court, a beaming Ressa returned to Rappler's newsroom where she was greeted by clapping and cheering colleagues. Ressa told AFP the latest acquittal was confirmation that "we weren't foolish to trust the justice system at a time when it was being used against us because we're journalists." While the legal process had taken nearly five years and been "absolutely exhausting", Ressa said she hoped this latest victory would remind the public that journalists were needed "to keep power accountable, and to help power make the right decisions." "Doing the right thing is the right thing," said Ressa, who is also a US citizen. "It's up to us to ... hold the line." Many Filipino journalists had feared for press freedom under Marcos, who largely shunned mainstream media on the 2022 campaign trail. His own dictator father had shut down independent media outlets during his brutal rule that ended in a bloodless revolution in 1986. Since taking office, however, Marcos has been more open to answering questions from reporters, though one-on-one interviews are still rare, and has publicly vowed to protect the rights of journalists. His words have not been enough to prevent the killings of three journalists since he took power. Ressa said the "fear that engulfed us" during Duterte's rule had largely gone since Marcos took power. She attributed that to his desire to "change that history" of his family and vindicate their "tarnished" name. The ordeal of the past few years "forced us to be our best selves" and she remained hopeful for the future. "The cases very slowly are going away as they should have from the very beginning," she said. pam/amj/ssy © Agence France-Presse The post Ressa says Philippine press freedom improving, but still ‘work to do’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Malaysian court upholds ex-leader Najib’s audit tampering acquittal
A Malaysian court upheld on Tuesday the acquittal of jailed former prime minister Najib Razak on an audit tampering charge in the investigation into corruption at the 1MDB state wealth fund. Najib is serving a 12-year prison term on other graft charges related to the 1 Malaysia Development Berhad financial scandal. The plundering of the fund led to investigations around the world, including in the United States, Switzerland and Singapore, into the use of their financial systems to launder money. But Malaysia's Court of Appeal struck out the appeal by state prosecutors against the acquittal of the audit tampering charge after prosecutors did not submit documents in time, Najib's lawyer Mohamed Shafee Abdullah told AFP. "In this case, the prosecution evidently found no grounds for appeal, resulting in no petition being filed," he said in a statement. Najib, the 70-year-old leader of Malaysia for nine years until 2018, was acquitted in March after a Kuala Lumpur High Court judge ruled prosecutors failed to provide sufficient evidence that he had tampered with an audit report on scandal-racked 1MDB. That charge focused on allegations that Najib ordered a report by the government's official audit body on the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund to be altered in February 2016. Najib's co-accused, former 1MDB chief Arul Kanda Kandasamy, was also acquitted. The former Malaysian premier's acquittal from the tampering charge does not affect his current jail sentence and he faces dozens more charges that could lengthen that term. Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor was found guilty of graft in 2022 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She remains on bail pending an appeal. The post Malaysian court upholds ex-leader Najib’s audit tampering acquittal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Malaysia court drops graft charges vs deputy PM
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (AFP) — A Malaysian court on Monday approved a prosecution request to drop all graft charges against the country’s deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, state news agency Bernama reported. Zahid was facing 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering related to the misuse of funds at a charity he founded. They were part of a raft of charges leveled at leading figures of the United Malays National Organization party after it was defeated at the polls in 2018, including former prime minister Najib Razak over massive corruption at state fund 1MDB. Prosecutors in Zahid’s case said they wanted more time to investigate his case “in more depth,” Bernama reported. Zahid, wearing a dark suit, hugged his supporters and family members who sat inside the packed courtroom when the decision was announced by the presiding judge. “My family and I are grateful that the court has discharged me of all 47 charges,” Zahid told a press conference. The court said Zahid’s discharge did not amount to an acquittal. He was appointed deputy PM after November’s election when his UMNO party joined the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar was forced to ally with his former foes after falling short of an outright majority to form government. Zahid was discharged from another graft case in September last year for what a court said was lack of evidence. The post Malaysia court drops graft charges vs deputy PM appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former Bataan gov off the hook
The Sandiganbayan announced on Sunday that it has cleared former Bataan Governor Leonardo Roman of a P3.66-million graft charge stemming from the anomalous construction of a mini-theater at the Bataan State College in 2004. Citing the prosecution’s failure to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the anti-graft court’s Second Division acquitted Roman of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or RA 3019 in a 41-page ruling. “As the prosecution, in this case, failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt all the elements of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 under which the accused was charged, accused Roman should be entitled to an acquittal,” said the Sandiganbayan. To recall, the case against Roman involved the alleged awarding of a P3.66-million mini-theater project of the Bataan State College in 2004 in favor of V.F. Construction despite no allocated budget or appropriation for the project. He was also accused of colluding with his co-accused executive assistant Romeo Mendiola, treasurer Pastor Vichauco, budget officer Aurora Tiambeng, and accountant Numeriano Medina by giving unwarranted benefits to V.F. Construction for the release of the sum. Filed before the Ombudsman, the case stemmed from a complaint-affidavit dated 1 September 2004 accusing Roman and his cohorts of the crime of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents. Roman served as the governor of Bataan from 1986 to 2004. In 2006, the Ombudsman dismissed the complaint for lack of probable cause. The Supreme Court affirmed the Ombudsman’s decision to drop the criminal charge. The Ombudsman, however, filed the case before the Sandiganbayan in 2015 following the SC’s ruling to reverse the criminal charge of graft. Based on the prosecution’s probe, Roman entered a contract with V.F. Construction to construct a mini-theater and rendered his authorizations, approvals, and certifications for the P3.66-million payment. Investigation revealed that Roman certified the project as fully completed and issued the payment to the construction firm in two installments. However, more than five months after the final payment was made to the construction company, the CoA discovered that the mini-theater, contrary to Roman’s declaration, was incomplete. The structure, it said, was only 50.7 percent complete. In clearing Roman, the Sandiganbayan stressed that it was “not convinced” by the prosecution’s theory that the erstwhile governor’s execution of a contract and approval of the payment with the V.F. Construction despite the lapses was tantamount to graft. “The evidence on record is insufficient to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there was bad faith, manifest partially, or gross inexcusable negligence on the part of the accused when he committed the questioned acts,” the Sandiganbayan said. According to the Sandiganbayan, while Roman may have committed mistakes in the performance of his duty, the fact remains that the evidence is insufficient to prove a serious breach of duty that was committed flagrantly, palpably, and with willful indifference or blatant and extremely careless manner. The post Former Bataan gov off the hook appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former PRA officials off the hook
The Supreme Court Second Division on Wednesday announced that it has acquitted former Philippine Reclamation Authority — formerly the Public Estates Authority — officials for their alleged anomalous involvement in the construction of the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard due to reasonable doubt. In its 69-page decision, the Supreme Court Second Division granted the consolidated petition which cleared Cristina Amposta-Mortel, Theron Victor Lacson, Leo Padilla, Manuel Beriña Jr., Jaime Millan, Bernardo Viray, Raphael Pocholo Zorilla, Daniel Dayan, Frisco Francisco San Juan, El Pidio Damaso, Carmelita Cahn, and private individual Jesusito Legaspi. The petition assailed a 2015 decision and resolution of the Sandiganbayan which found them guilty of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Previously, the embattled officials were sentenced to imprisonment of up to eight years and ordered to jointly and severally reimburse the government the amount of over P173 million. Following the acquittal, the Supreme Court ordered the civil liability to be deleted. The SC said there was no undue injury to the government or any party, or any unwarranted benefit that was proven by the prosecution. It also held that the government cannot be said to have suffered an actual loss since there was no showing that it had to perform acts prejudicial to its interest that would pertain to the loan obtained by PEA, or to the construction of the President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard. The SC also stressed that the project resulted in a benefit in favor of the government. “To the contrary, the timely completion of the project resulted into a benefit in favor of the government with the increase in value of the land surrounding the area, as well as the public who continue to reap the benefits of having alternate routes that would let them avoid traffic congestion,” it said. The post Former PRA officials off the hook appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court junks appeal to reverse De Lima acquittal
A Muntinlupa court has junked an appeal by state prosecutors to reverse the acquittal last May of former senator Leila de Lima in her second drug case, citing lack of merit......»»
Muntinlupa court junks DOJ s appeal to reopen De Lima s 2nd drug case
A Muntinlupa court has junked the prosecution's bid to reverse the acquittal of former Sen. Leila De Lima from one of her two remaining drug trafficking charges in May......»»
Nasino, 2 other political detainees acquitted
A Manila court has acquitted Reina Mae Nasino and two other political detainees Alma Moran and Ram Bautista nearly four years after being arrested. The court granted demurrer to evidence, which means that the cases against Nasino and two others are already dismissed. The court order states that the pieces of evidence were not presented in the court, and that the photographs cannot fill the full “evidentiary need” of the prosecution. “The pieces of seized evidence were neither marked nor identified in this Court. To prove their very existence, the prosecution heavily relied on the photographs taken by P/Cpl. Jacinto.” Another factor for the court’s decision was the inconsistent messages of prosecution witnesses where the firearms, ammunition and explosives were found. They added that the main witnesses were not presented in court. Only photographs of the seized firearms were presented in the court, and not the firearms itself. “For mere photographs might not fill in fully the evidentiary need of the Prosecution. Concededly, there is no evidence to speak of being the core of the offenses charged,” the court order added. The same court granted them their release order last December 2022, due to weak evidence. The local barangay chairman and the policeman who were tasked to do the photographs failed to identify the accused wherein the firearms were recovered. Reina Mae Nasino gave birth in 2020 while being detained. With Baby River only weighing 5.5 pounds and being separated immediately from her mother, she died before reuniting with her mother again. Nasino’s acquittal came nearly three years after Baby River’s death. The post Nasino, 2 other political detainees acquitted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US actor Kevin Spacey cleared of UK sex offenses
Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey was acquitted on Wednesday in Britain of nine alleged sex offenses, in the latest court victory for the Oscar winner who was one of the first huge stars felled by the #MeToo movement. The star of "American Beauty" and drama series "House of Cards", who turned 64 on Wednesday, was acquitted by majority verdicts in London following a trial lasting several weeks. "I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision and I am humbled by the outcome today," he told reporters outside court. It comes less than a year after a New York court dismissed a $40 million sexual misconduct civil lawsuit brought against him, and follows charges of indecent and sexual assault being dropped in Massachusetts in 2019. Spacey's once-stellar career has been halted by the various allegations of sexual offences, which first emerged in 2017 and which he has always denied. The actor told Germany's Die Zeit that he expected to mount a comeback following the acquittal. "I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London," he told the German national weekly. "The second that happens, they're ready to move forward." Madness The jury in London, which began considering the charges on Monday, cleared Spacey of all nine counts that he faced, after more than 12 hours of deliberations. The alleged offences included seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. They were said to have occurred in 2005 and 2008 in London, and in 2013 in Gloucestershire, western England. Jurors heard evidence from the four alleged victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons. British rock star Elton John was also among those to testify, as a witness for Spacey. The prosecution claimed he was a "sexual bully" who revelled in making others feel uncomfortable, including by aggressively grabbing men's crotches. One of victims, a former aspiring actor, said he woke up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him, suggesting the actor "drugged" him. He was accused of grabbing another man's crotch "so hard" while driving to a fundraising event, that the car nearly came off the road. Spacey, whose full name is Kevin Spacey Fowler, called the claims "madness" and a "stab in the back". He had been on unconditional bail since first being charged in Britain last year, and on Wednesday walked out of the south London court a free man. The Crown Prosecution Service said it had charged him following "a thorough investigation" by London's Metropolitan Police. "It is the role of the jury to consider the charges and we respect the decision of the court," a spokesman added. Career success Spacey enjoyed a highly successful decades-spanning career with roles such as a middle-aged father lusting after a teen in "American Beauty," a serial killer in "Se7en" and the villain in "Superman Returns". He worked as artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015. In 2017 he was one of the first stars caught up in the global #MeToo movement as he was accused of sexual assault by multiple young men. He was dropped from the final season of the political drama "House of Cards" and other projects. A New York court dismissed a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against him in October last year. The complainant, actor Anthony Rapp, alleged the star had assaulted him when he was 14. He brought the civil case after being told it was too late to bring a criminal charge but failed to convince the jury in that case. In 2019, charges of indecent and sexual assault were dropped against Spacey in Massachusetts. The post US actor Kevin Spacey cleared of UK sex offenses appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»