We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
Girlfriend’s kin charged in teen’s slay
Seven persons have been charged with murder in connection with the killing of a 16-year-old boy, whose body was found by the roadside in Barangay Macabud in Rodriguez, Rizal......»»
Bayani Fernando, true public servant (2)
In a country where corruption in the government has become endemic, where many elected and appointed officials use their offices, their power, and their connections to amass wealth illegally, only a rare breed of men and women come out unscathed and untainted with dishonesty and illegal conduct while in office. There is a long list of public officials who have been prosecuted, convicted, and jailed for siphoning government coffers for themselves. Of course, there are those who escape prosecution and others who manage to get acquitted, even if they are guilty as hell. They flaunt their wealth, which was never there before they entered government service. Since government prosecutors could not show the courts the quantum of proof beyond a reasonable doubt required by law, these scoundrels go scot-free. These charlatans become the role models of those who want to follow their route and seek to emulate them by seeking public office, either by election or by appointment. Tragically, for this country, it is corruption that hinders its development and progress. It is the poison that kills the body politic, the disease that is worse than the pandemic, which devours the poor of their health, that destroys the source that will provide them their education as a tool to uplift their lives. It is the scourge that hampers the delivery of basic services. Not all, though, who enter government work are corrupted or influenced by the evil and profitable ways of the corrupt. There are a few who remain insulated from corruption, who are dedicated and fealty to their oath of office, and who serve the public instead of themselves. Bayani Fernando was one of those handful who maintained his honesty during his tenure as Mayor, Congressman, Secretary of Public Works, and Chairman of Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or MMDA. There was one political adversary of Bayani Fernando when he was Marikina Mayor, a former congressman of Marikina, long time deceased, who tried to tarnish his reputation by filing a graft complaint against him before the Office of the Ombudsman. This writer lawyered for him, and the Ombudsman dismissed the case as having no basis in fact and law. As Chairman of MMDA, he was also charged in 2016 with misuse of funds but was also exonerated. Apparently, the charges were politically motivated as he announced then that he was running for President. He eventually ran as Vice-President, but victory eluded him. The initiatives pursued by the late Bayani Fernando as a public servant produced results that benefited the people of Marikina and Metro Manila. His style of governance has been replicated by other mayors and succeeding chairmen of the MMDA. He was a role model in public service. His private life was exemplary, too. The only vice he indulged in, if it can be called one, was to spend his free time with his friends crooning every Tuesday night. He loved singing as his way of distressing himself and having clean fun with them. He and his wife Marides had only one daughter, Tala, who is married to Paul Ang, the son of business hotshot and mogul Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporation. Bayani Fernando was a doting father to his unica hija Tala, but at the same time, he was a disciplinarian. Like all grandfathers, he was a spoiler. He loved his three grandchildren, all boys. They are his — and his wife Marides’ joy. When queried how Bayani Fernando was a husband, her wife blurted out: “Challenging!” accompanied by heart laughter. Certainly, all spouses who are married to public servants are confronted with the challenge of coping with their partners, seldom staying at home or coming home late. It’s good that former Marikina Mayor Marides Carlos-Fernando succeeded her husband for three terms as chief executive of Marikina, as she would understand the travails that every dedicated public servant goes through. His record as a public official speaks for itself. Bayani Fernando was a true public servant in the truest sense of the word. His legacy of public service lives on despite his departure from the physical plane. The post Bayani Fernando, true public servant (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Solon expects stronger SK programs
Constituents of those who would be elected in the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan elections could expect stronger and more progressive programs from their respective leaders, according to Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara on Sunday. Angara, who chairs the Senate Committee on Youth, said with the completion of the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11768 which introduced new reforms to the SK system, the youth sector can expect better performance from their representatives. “Critics of the SK have questioned its relevance and see it as being politicized,” Angara said. “We introduced the amendments to the SK system in RA 11768 in response to these criticisms with the hope that the young members of the community who will be part of the body will do more as youth leaders and become strong partners of the government in nation-building,” he added. The lawmaker stressed that, for years, the SK has been criticized for undertaking the same activities that do little to benefit youth development such as organizing sportsfests and pageants. To address this, the law provides clear guidelines on the types of programs, projects, and activities that can be undertaken by the SK using the funds provided to them. These include the provision of student stipends, food, book and transportation allowances; sports and wellness projects; skills training, summer employment, cash-for-work, on-the-job training, and livelihood assistance; projects promoting the participation of the youth and their initiation in agricultural, fishery, and forestry enterprises; programs and activities that will locate the youth at the forefront of climate action, environmental protection and conservation efforts; capacity building for grassroots organization and leadership; and programs and activities that address context-specific and intersectional vulnerabilities of young people. “We want to ensure that the SK stays true to its mandate of providing the youth in the communities with programs that will be useful to them and help them become productive members of society,” Angara said. The new measure also addresses the waning interest of the youth in joining the SK, including the absence of honoraria for most of its members. Under the law, the SK members, secretaries and treasurers will now be entitled to allowances that will be charged against the SK funds. A cap of 25 percent on the utilization of SK funds for personnel services was included in the law to ensure that the bulk of the budget will go to programs, projects and activities that will benefit the youth. At present, only the SK chairpersons are entitled to honoraria by virtue of their status as ex-officio members of the Sangguniang Barangays. The measure also authorizes the local government units to provide additional honoraria, as well as social welfare contributions and hazard pay to the SK chairpersons and members through their own local ordinances. SK officials and members will be exempted from taking any components of the National Service Training Program. They will also be entitled to the appropriate civil service eligibility based on the years of service to the barangay, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Civil Service Commission. The post Solon expects stronger SK programs appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Federal charges for five police over beating death of African American
Five police officers already charged in the murder of Tyre Nichols, a young African American who died after being beaten, now face federal indictment, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. Videos showed the officers, who are all Black, repeatedly kicking and punching Nichols during a traffic stop close to his home in the US city of Memphis on January 7, three days before he died in hospital. "The country watched in horror as Tyre Nichols was kicked, punched, tased, and pepper sprayed," Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a brief video statement posted online. The department said the five officers, who have been fired, "willfully deprived Nichols of his constitutional rights," resulting in "bodily injury and the death of Nichols." A federal grand jury in Memphis, located in the US South, on Tuesday charged the five former officers with federal civil rights, conspiracy, and obstruction offenses, the Department of Justice said. The officers -- Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Justin Smith, Emmitt Martin III, and Desmond Mills Jr. -- have already been charged by state prosecutors in Tennessee with second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping, official misconduct, and "official oppression." They have pleaded not guilty. Nichols, 29, was stopped by the five, who were members of a special police anti-crime squad called the Scorpion Unit, for an alleged traffic violation, according to police. He was beaten viciously by the officers, in scenes recorded in body camera and security camera footage that triggered outrage when made public later that month. Vice President Kamala Harris attended Nichols' funeral in February and Nichols' family members were invited to President Joe Biden's State of the Union address in Washington several days later. The post Federal charges for five police over beating death of African American appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
World wrestling body suspends India after harassment scandal
The Wrestling Federation of India has been suspended by the sports' world body for not holding elections after its chief was charged with sexual misconduct. India's top wrestlers staged weeks of sit-in protests in the capital New Delhi earlier this year demanding the resignation of WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh. The 66-year-old, also a lawmaker for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, has since been charged with sexual harassment and stalking but is currently on bail. The federation's leadership was disbanded in the wake of the scandal, with fresh elections scheduled for earlier this month but postponed indefinitely at the last moment. "The absence of a regularly elected president and a board does not comply with the UWW regulations and the conditions for membership," United World Wrestling said in its statement late Thursday. Indian wrestlers will be allowed to compete in the Asian Games next month but not under the Indian flag, the statement added. Singh denies all charges against him and has said he is a victim of a "conspiracy". Wrestling is hugely popular in rural northern India. Images of star athletes being detained by police as they tried to march to parliament in May went viral on social media. Commonwealth Games gold-medal-winning wrestler Anita Sheoran, a witness in a sexual harassment case, has filed her nomination to replace Singh for the top post. But backers of Singh, whose family is prohibited from contesting the elections, had been expected to win any fresh election. Bajrang Punia, one of the wrestlers who led protests against Singh, who won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is in the squad for the Asian Games starting September 23 in Hangzhou. The post World wrestling body suspends India after harassment scandal appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Garbage collector stabs dead fellow garbage collector
Operatives of the Manila Police District PS-1 arrested a 25-year-old garbage collector who stabbed his co-worker Thursday morning in a vacant lot at Building 11, Vitas Katuparan in Tondo, Manila. The suspect who was arrested in a follow-up operation by MPD PS 1 was identified as John Mark Agrada, alias Onyok, a member of the Sputnik gang and residing at the breakwater in Bgy 101, Tondo. While his unknown victim who succumbed to death due to multiple stab wounds in the body was identified only as a male, between 35- to 49-year-old, 5'6" in height, medium built body, and with tattoos on his body. According to Ronald Cusay, a barangay tanod, he saw the actual stabbing by the suspect at 5:40 a.m. in a place where the victim was collecting pieces of material that can be sold at the junk shops. The victim upon seeing the suspect hurriedly left to evade the latter but he was pursued and stabbed repeatedly. Cusay called up for a backup among his fellow tanods to help him brought the victim to Tondo Medical Center, where the victim was declared dead on arrival. Cusay reported the incident to the MPD-PS1 who subsequently conducted a follow-up operation that resulted in the arrest of the suspect. Police theorized that the motive of the killing could be work-related. The body was brought to the Body and Light Funeral Services for autopsy and safekeeping. while the suspect will be charged with murder at the Manila Prosecutors Office. The post Garbage collector stabs dead fellow garbage collector appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jemboy unarmed, posed no threat’
The chief of the Northern Police District yesterday acknowledged that Jerhode “Jemboy” Baltazar was not armed and posed no threat to anyone when he was shot dead by members of the Navotas City police. “We saw that there was no threat and no aggression from the person being arrested but they immediately used their firearms. So our police should be held liable for that,” Brig. Gen. Rizalito Gapas said Thursday. Gapas added that the Navotas police investigation of the “accidental shooting” of the teen was “not exhaustive.” He noted the cops involved were not subjected to paraffin tests to determine who fired their guns. The cops violated the Philippine National Police operational guidelines and the principle of “force continuum,” he said. A use-of-force continuum is the standard for how much force law enforcement personnel may use against a resisting subject in a given situation. It typically includes an officer’s demeanor to de-escalate a situation, and the use of empty hands to control the subject, such as grabbing, pushing, or handcuffing. Likewise, force continuum may put into play non-lethal devices like pepper spray and tasers. The six policemen also did not wear body cameras during the operation in violation of the rules, Gapas said. Navotas police chief, Col. Allan Umipig, was relieved from his post on Wednesday. He earlier refused to identify the six cops who were only charged with reckless imprudence resulting in homicide. The lawyer of the Baltazar family said they want the charge to be elevated to murder, while forensic expert Dr. Raquel Fortun said the cops should be charged with homicide at least. Fortun said the gunshot wound to the head of Baltazar was not immediately fatal, and he might have lived had not the Navotas policemen prevented people from pulling him out of the river. The cops were on a follow-up operation against a murder suspect when they chanced on Baltazar and allegedly mistook him for their suspect. They said they merely fired warning shots at Baltazar. Umipig, who was replaced by Col. Santos Sumingwa Jr., denied there was a cover-up. Aside from Umipig, 22 other police personnel were relieved from their posts. The Philippine National Police-Internal Affairs Service also sought to charge Umipig with dishonesty and command responsibility. IAS Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo said he issued a directive to the National Capital Region Police Office “to have the Navotas chief of police relieved.” Umipig allegedly ordered the names of 11 police officers stricken from the report on the killing of Baltazar, Triambulo said. On 2 August, Baltazar was in a small boat fishing with a friend on the Navotas River in Barangay NBBS Kaunlaran, when the policemen shot him. Baltazar was laid to rest on Wednesday. The post Jemboy unarmed, posed no threat’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dela Rosa wants Program of Instructions reevaluated after death of Navotas teen
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said there is a need to review and reevaluate the Program of Instructions in the Public Safety Basic Recruit Course of both the Philippine National Police and Police National Training Institute following the death of 17-year-old Jerhode 'Jemboy' Baltazar due to mistaken identity by the police force. “The suspects should be charged criminally and administratively and the PNP and PNTI should again reevaluate their Program of Instructions in the Public Safety Basic Recruit Course if the Police Operational Procedures are being taught properly to the new recruits, otherwise, the same incident will happen again in the future,” Dela Rosa told reporters on Friday. Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros earlier denounced the killing of Baltazar and at the same time, commended PNP's immediate action against police officers who were involved in the incident. Nevertheless, Hontiveros expressed her discontent on the "reckless imprudence resulting in homicide" case filed against them instead of the proper charge of “homicide." "Di hamak na mas maliit ang parusa sa reckless imprudence resulting in homicide [imprisonment of up to 4 years and 2 months] kumpara sa homicide [imprisonment of up to 20 years]," she said hoping the justice for Baltazar's death will be served. Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights on Friday said they are already conducting an independent motu proprio investigation into the incident. The human rights body also urged urge the PNP “to remind their officers on the appropriate use of force” as comprehensively discussed in the police’s own manual of operations. “The provision on the force continuum, in particular, reminds police officers to apply reasonable responses commensurate to the level of suspect/law offender’s resistance to effect compliance, arrest, and other law enforcement actions,” the CHR said. Amid the incident, the CHR hopes that the PNP will continue to live up to its motto "to serve and protect" as a duty-bearer for the rights of the people, especially the "weak, vulnerable, and marginalized members of society." The post Dela Rosa wants Program of Instructions reevaluated after death of Navotas teen appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Guard ‘killer’ nabbed
Operatives from the Manila Police District arrested an individual who allegedly killed a security guard inside the Magat Salamat Elementary School in Perla Street in Tondo, Manila early Monday morning. The suspect, identified as Christopher John Marqueda — believed to be a member of the Sigue-Sigue Commando — was arrested at the corner of Quezon and Dandan Streets in Barangay 116, Tondo, Manila on Tuesday afternoon. The victim, identified as Ricky Dasco y Rieza, was a security guard at the school. He was stabbed multiple times in the body and died at the scene. Police said Marqueda entered the school premises at around 5 a.m. on Monday and stabbed Dasco, who was unaware of his presence. Marqueda then fled the scene with some stolen items. Investigators tracked Marqueda using CCTV footage from several adjacent barangays and also interviewed barangay officials, who helped them identify the suspect. When Marqueda was spotted standing at the corner of Quezon and Dandan Streets, police officers carefully approached him and arrested him without incident. Marqueda admitted to killing Dasco, but he said it was an old grudge and did not elaborate further. He is now detained at the MPD-Homicide Section and will be charged with murder at the Manila City Prosecutors Office. The post Guard ‘killer’ nabbed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
To catch a thief
Artificial Intelligence is now being tapped for crime prevention. Inspired by the 2002 Tom Cruise movie, “Minority Report,” about a futuristic police crime-busting technology, Japan is pilot testing a network of AI-enhanced security cameras that can detect suspicious behavior to preempt criminal activities like shoplifting and trespassing. The National Police Agency’s predictive policing cameras can also detect weapons and alert law enforcers to observe the behavior patterns of suspicious individuals in a crowd, such as fidgeting, restlessness and rapid eye movement, Daily Mail reported. The observations are inputted by the cameras’ software for better crime detection and deterrence. The result of the pilot test will be the basis for the adoption of the technology by the Japanese police. Meanwhile, business establishments can still rely on good old alarm systems for protection against crime. That’s how the VacationLand Federal Credit Union bank in Huron, Ohio, USA alerted police to a break-in on 29 July. Utility equipment — a recycling bin — also came in handy to literally catch the suspected burglar. Footage from police body cams showed Tristan J. Heidl, 27, of Huron, falling into the waiting arms of two responding officers when he exited the bank empty-handed. According to Huron Police Chief Terry Graham, the officers watched as a bag of tools was dropped through a trap door above the credit union’s drive-thru lane followed by the dangling legs of the suspect who fell into a recycling bin below the hatch, NBC News reported. Cops were waiting for the burglar, who failed to crack the bank’s safes, beside the bin. The suspect had no choice but to surrender. Heidl was charged with breaking and entering, possession of criminal tools, and safecracking, Graham said, according to NBC News. WJG @tribunephl_wjg The post To catch a thief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Popstar Lizzo named in employee harassment suit
US performer Lizzo has been sued by three of her former dancers who allege the body-positive pop diva created a hostile work environment, court filings seen by AFP showed Tuesday. The suit filed in Los Angeles accuses Lizzo, whose self-love message has resonated around the globe, as well as other defendants of various violations of California labor law. "Plaintiffs Arianna Davis, Crystal Williams and Noelle Rodriguez allege sexual, religious and racial harassment, disability discrimination, assault and false imprisonment, among other things," the law firm representing them said in a statement. "Davis and Williams were eventually fired while Rodriguez resigned over the appalling behavior," it added. One of the allegations centers around an Amsterdam red-light district sex show which the dancers say they felt pressured to attend. At the show Lizzo pressured her dancers to interact with the nude performers, the suit alleges. It also alleges that Lizzo's dance leader, Shirlene Quigley, frequently made sexual comments and proselytized her Christian beliefs, especially against pre-marital sex, "regardless of protestations." The dancers also say that there was an extended dispute over compensation between legs of Lizzo's global tour. The lawsuit alleges that white managers from Lizzo's production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring, Inc., which was also named in the complaint, "often accused the Black members of the dance team of being lazy, unprofessional, and having bad attitudes." "Not only do these words ring familiar as tropes used to disparage and discourage Black women from advocating for themselves, but the same accusations were not levied against dancers who are not Black," according to the complaint cited in the statement. "Only the dance cast -- comprised of full-figured women of color -- were ever spoken to in this manner, giving Plaintiffs the impression that these comments were charged with racial and fat-phobic animus," it added. Representatives for Lizzo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The post Popstar Lizzo named in employee harassment suit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Thai court jails teen over ‘crop top’ royal insult
A Thai court sentenced a teenager to 12 months in prison for royal defamation Thursday over a "crop top" outfit he wore to a protest three years ago, a rights group said. Thailand's lese-majeste law is one of the strictest in the world, and those convicted of criticizing King Maha Vajiralongkorn or his close family can be jailed for up to 15 years. Napasit joined a pro-democracy protest in 2020 wearing a black crop top, a seeming reference to pictures that appeared in some European media several years earlier apparently showing the king wearing a similar article of clothing. The 19-year-old, whose name was withheld by the court, also had a message painted on his body deemed a "mockery to the king", a statement from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights said. "The king is of a sacred status that should not be violated," the court said in its judgment, according to the legal group. Napasit was initially sentenced to three years in jail, "but as the defendant committed the crime when he was a minor aged 16, it was reduced by half to one year and six months... And due to useful testimony the defendant gave, the sentence was reduced to 12 months," TLHR said. At least 246 people have been accused of or charged with breaking the royal defamation law since mid-2020, including 20 minors, according to a TLHR tally. Domestic and international media must exercise strict caution in their reporting of lese-majeste cases and the monarchy in general, or risk prosecution. The Move Forward Party (MFP), which won the most seats in May elections, campaigned on a pledge to soften the law. But on Wednesday, the party's leader Pita Limjaroenrat was suspended as a lawmaker, pending investigation in a share ownership case by the Constitutional Court, and his two attempts to become prime minister have been blocked by parliament. The post Thai court jails teen over ‘crop top’ royal insult appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Jealousy made me kill her’
The Quezon City Police District reported yesterday that the body of a 21-year-old woman earlier tagged missing had been dug up Thursday night in a vacant lot in North Caloocan. Her alleged boyfriend, identified by the police as Jeffrey Montales (Morales, in another report), was arrested after he reportedly admitted to killing Argee Cabangunay in a fit of jealousy. Cabangunay’s remains were retrieved from a lot inside a subdivision in Barangay 171, according to the police. “I confronted her about a man she was chatting with. I pushed her. I am so sorry, and I even slept beside her (dead body),” the suspect said, according to the police. The suspect claimed he strangled the woman Sunday afternoon and returned the next day to bury her. P/Maj. Jose Hizon, commander of the Caloocan City police substation 9, said they have taken custody of the boyfriend, who may be charged with murder. An uncle of the victim said in a TV interview that they were surprised by her death as they noted efforts by the suspect to mislead the victim’s family. “It’s too painful, this thing that happened to our relative. She’s too young,” he said. “We did not even know that they were boyfriends.” “It’s only in that last conversation that we got to know that,” the uncle added. “She was breaking up with him, and he stalked her in her job and was making trouble for her.” The suspect even accompanied the woman’s parents to the police to report her disappearance. Leaving their house last Sunday with a man, the woman never returned. Her parents were surprised upon opening her social media account when they learned that the man she was last seen with was her boyfriend. The post ‘Jealousy made me kill her’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Harvard morgue manager charged with selling stolen body parts
The morgue manager at America's prestigious Harvard Medical School allegedly took dead body parts from his workplace without permission and then sold them, US prosecutors said Wednesday. Cedric Lodge, 55, has been charged with trafficking in stolen human remains, the US attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania said in a statement. "Some crimes defy understanding," said the attorney, Gerard Karam. "It is particularly egregious that so many of the victims here volunteered to allow their remains to be used to educate medical professionals and advance the interests of science and healing," he added. Lodge has been charged alongside his wife, 63-year-old Denise Lodge, and five other alleged co-conspirators with involvement in a "nationwide network" of bought and sold human remains. Prosecutors say that from 2018 to 2022 Cedric Lodge "stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations." He is accused of taking the remains from the Harvard site in Boston to his home in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife sold the remains to two of the other accused -- Katrina Maclean and Joshua Taylor. At times, Lodge "allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue... and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase," the attorney's office said. Prosecutors say Maclean, 44, of Salem, Massachusetts, and Taylor, 46, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania then resold the remains for profit. The indictment alleges that Maclean shipped human skin to Taylor to have him "tan the skin to create leather," the Boston Globe reported. Lodge managed the morgue for Harvard's anatomical gifts program. He was fired from his post on May 6, the school said in a statement. "We are appalled to learn that something so disturbing could happen on our campus," George Daley, the dean of Harvard University's medicine faculty, and Edward Hundert, dean of medical education, said in a joint statement. Another co-accused allegedly stole remains from a morgue in Arkansas where she worked, including the corpses of two stillborn babies who were due to be cremated and returned to their families. Two other people charged allegedly bought and sold remains from each other, exchanging more than $100,000 in online payments. The post Harvard morgue manager charged with selling stolen body parts appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saudi charges women’s activist with spreading ‘propaganda’
Saudi Arabia has charged a women's rights activist detained since November over her social media posts with launching a "propaganda campaign", according to court documents seen by AFP on Wednesday. Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested for social media posts challenging the country's male guardianship laws and requirements for women to wear the customary body-shrouding abaya. Public prosecutors accused her of leading a "campaign to incite Saudi girls to denounce religious principles and rebel against the customs and traditions of Saudi society," according to the documents. She appeared in front of judges in January and was then referred to the Specialised Criminal Court (SCC) which was established in 2008 to handle terrorism-related cases but has been widely used to try political dissidents and human rights activists. Otaibi has not yet been convicted or sentenced and no date has been announced for her hearing which could result in a lengthy prison sentence. Otaibi's sister -- Fouz -- who has left Saudi Arabia, was hit with similar charges and risks imprisonment if she returns to the kingdom. Speaking to AFP, Fouz criticized authorities for "targeting influential women demanding women's rights in Saudi Arabia." "There is a contradiction... as if there are two states," she told AFP. "A state with Vision 2030, and a state that still applies the old strict rules." Vision 2030 is the kingdom's economic and social reform agenda which has, in the last seven years, led to dramatic changes in the deeply conservative kingdom, including women's right to drive and the promotion of sports for women. Still, Saudi Arabia is often criticized for not tolerating dissent and has been in the spotlight in recent months for decades-long prison sentences handed down to two women who tweeted and retweeted posts critical of the government. London-based rights group ALQST denounced the charges against the al-Otaibi sisters as "yet another example of Saudi Arabia's empty promises when it comes to reforms". "Saudi women still get imprisoned and face sham trials for demanding their rights," said Lina al-Hathloul, ALQST's head of monitoring and communications. The post Saudi charges women’s activist with spreading ‘propaganda’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Manhunt on vs Korean fugitive
The Bureau of Immigration reported that since Sunday morning the Bureau has launched an intensive manhunt for a South Korean fugitive who recently escaped from the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. The Bureau identified the escaped fugitive as Kang Juchun, 38-year-old male, who managed to breach the facility’s perimeter by scaling a 20-foot fence with barbed wire at 2 in the morning. Authorities believe he may have sustained injuries after falling. BI said that Kang was initially apprehended last 10 February by immigration officers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 upon his arrival from Bangkok. The BI at NAIA found out that his name was included in the Interpol red notice for murder charges and abandonment of a dead body. He was charged and transferred to the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City prior to his deportation. He was reported to have abused a blind spot in the facility’s CCTV, where he climbed the fence and fell on the cemented road. Now the BI is working in close collaboration with local law enforcement agencies to locate and apprehend him swiftly. Specialized teams have been deployed to various locations, following reliable leads to capture the said fugitive. According to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco that this incident is a serious breach of their facility’s security, and they have initiated a thorough investigation to determine lapses that allowed this to occur as well as take necessary steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. The post Manhunt on vs Korean fugitive appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Comelec pressed on slow pace against nuisance petitions
The Commission on Elections was asked on Monday about the slow pace in deciding the nuisance petition related to the Negros Oriental gubernatorial race between the late Governor Roel Degamo, his rival and former Governor Pryde Henry Teves and a certain Ruel Degamo, who was deemed a nuisance candidate. In a Senate hearing on the assassination of Governor Degamo, Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia said the delayed ruling in the petition filed by Degamo to declare a certain "Ruel Degamo" a nuisance candidate is due to the lack of composition within the Comelec En Banc at the time. The delay referred to the period in October 2021 when Degamo filed a nuisance petition against "Ruel Degamo", whose real name is Grego Gaudia, up until 1 September last year when the poll body finally decided to declare the latter Degamo a nuisance candidate. Before the finality of the decision that declared Ruel Degamo a nuisance candidate, only four of the seven Comelec commissioners were still in their positions: Commissioners Socorro Inting, Marlon Casquejo, Aimee Ferolino and Rey Bulay. Garcia said that by the time of the decision, the vote was 2-2, which meant there should be a tie-breaker. He was not able to make his vote final until after his appointment and confirmation. “A decision was not immediately made by the En Banc because I and two of our other commissioners hadn't been appointed yet. The resolution was set aside. The voting among the four remaining commissioners was 2-2. It was only when yours truly was appointed that I broke the tie in favor of Gov. Degamo,” said Garcia. Garcia also cited the volume of nuisance cases piling up with the Comelec, while the agency also has to respond to electoral petitions such as disqualification cases. He said there are 29 remaining nuisance cases on top of more than a thousand electoral disqualification cases pending before the poll body. He said the poll body is determined to resolve all nuisance petitions before the next election, and push to penalize nuisance candidacies in the future. “We have been pushing for the amendment of Section 69 of the Omnibus Election Code that defines nuisance candidates. We should criminalize nuisance candidacies. It should be criminalized either with imprisonment or fine, and perpetual disqualification from public office,” Garcia said. “If there is conspiracy, everyone involved should likewise be charged for misrepresentation of perjury, but at the same time, for the filing of nuisance candidacies,” he added. In response, Senator Risa Hontiveros welcomed the proposals by the Comelec, but said the measures could have been done earlier. She previously called the poll body’s slow process "ineffective and inefficient", which causes vindictiveness among political candidates. “I hope that we have a clear vision on this. We could have done this in the case of Gov. Degamo. Maybe he’ll still be alive by then,” Hontiveros said. Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa also vowed that the Senate will move on the proposed changes in the Omnibus Election Code, which is currently being heard in the Upper Chamber. “I hope that before the 2025 elections, your suggestion on the amendment of the provision on the Omnibus Election Code could be amended. Our lawmakers here are listening. Let’s work on this,” he said. The post Comelec pressed on slow pace against nuisance petitions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chile installs historic constitutional convention amid protests& nbsp;
Chile on Sunday installed a new 155-member body charged with writing a new constitution meant to pry power from the hands of the elite and spread it more equitably in the South American nation......»»
BREAKING NEWS | 2 climate activists found
Rights group Karapatan and other groups confirm that environmental activists Eco Dangla and Jak Tiong are "no longer in the hands of their abductors, bruised but alive." The post BREAKING NEWS | 2 climate activists found appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Environmental defenders found after reported abduction in Pangasinan
Reports said that Dangla and Tiong were “severely mauled and dragged” into a waiting vehicle on Sunday evening in Barangay Polo, San Carlos City......»»