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AFP exec’s promotion bypassed after wife’s physical abuse accusation
An aspiring Armed Forces of the Philippines brigadier general accused of domestic abuse by his wife was bypassed by the Commission on Appointments yesterday.....»»
‘Abused’ wife blocks CA promotion of AFP general
The ad interim appointment of Brig. Gen. Ranulfo Sevilla was deferred yesterday after his wife accused him of domestic abuse, according to the Commission on Appointments......»»
Quiboloy on sex abuse allegations: ‘Pinag-aagawan ako’
MANILA, Philippines — Pastor Apollo Quiboloy has refuted the sexual abuse allegations made by former members of his religious sect. Quiboloy made his denial in a 36-minute video statement on Wednesday. The televangelist said he is only being accused of rape because he rejected the women who were “fighting over” him. Quiboloy is the founder and leader.....»»
Neither estafa nor qualified theft (2)
In Balerta v. People, the Court found that juridical possession as an element of the crime of estafa by misappropriation was not present because the accused was a cash custodian with no independent right or title to the funds received: In the case at bench, there is no question that the petitioner was handling the funds lent by Care Philippines to BABMPC. However, she held the funds on behalf of BABMPC. She had mere physical or material possession over the funds but held no independent right or title, which she could set up against BARMPC. The petitioner was nothing more than a mere cash custodian. Hence, the Court finds that juridical possession of the funds as an element of the crime of estafa by misappropriation is absent in the instant case. In Reside v. People, the Court came to a similar conclusion and held that the accused, a school principal tasked to receive tuition fees and forward these to the school, did not have juridical possession over the funds received. In the case at bench, it cannot be gainsaid that the petitioner, in addition to her duties as principal, was authorized to receive or collect matriculation fees from the parents and/or students enrolled in TGWSI. Per a verbal agreement with De Dios, the petitioner shall forward all payments received together with the remittance voucher slips to the school. As it happens, the money merely passes into the petitioner’s hands, and her custody is only until the same is remitted to the school. Consequently, as principal and temporary cash custodian of TGWSI, the petitioner acquires only physical or material possession over the unremitted funds. Thus, being a mere custodian of the unremitted tuition fees and not, in any manner, an agent who could have asserted a right against TGWSI over the same, the petitioner had only acquired material and not juridical possession of such funds and, consequently, cannot be convicted of the crime of estafa as charged. The prosecution alleged that petitioner Medina was responsible for collecting remittances from the Department of Education, accepting premium payments from PPSTA members, and depositing these payments in PPSTA’s bank account, as instructed by the PPSTA Treasurer. The record is bereft of any allegation or proof that petitioner Medina had any independent right or title to these funds that she could set up against PPSTA. Contrary to the findings of the CA, petitioner Medina was not a “trustee” of the PPSTA members’ payments, as she received these sums as an employee of, and on behalf of, her employer. Consequently, petitioner Medina only had material and not juridical possession of these funds, and she cannot be convicted for estafa under Article 315 (b) (l) of the Revised Penal Code or RPC. Second, jurisprudence holds that a conviction for simple or qualified theft (in lieu of estafa) is possible if all the elements of theft are alleged in the information. However, the evidence on record needs to be more sufficient to convict petitioner Medina of theft, whether simple or qualified. Simple theft is committed when the following elements concur: (1) taking of personal property; (2) that the said property belongs to another; (3) that the said taking be done with intent to gain; (4) that it be done without the owner’s consent; (5) that it be accomplished without the use of violence or intimidation against persons, nor of force upon things; and (6) that it be done with grave abuse of confidence. Theft becomes qualified when committed with grave abuse of confidence, among other qualifying circumstances enumerated in Article 310 of RPC. (To be continued) The post Neither estafa nor qualified theft (2) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Argentina court acquits nuns of sex abuse
Two nuns and seven other female employees of an Argentine institute for deaf children were acquitted by a court Wednesday of sexual abuse and rape. The ruling, broadcast on public television, concluded a trial of two-and-a-half years in a case that has shocked the home country of Pope Francis. Two priests in charge of children at the Antonio Provolo center — Horacio Corbacho and Nicola Corradi — have been convicted and handed sentences of more than 40 years each for sexual abuse, including rape, of some 20 minors. The victims were aged four to 17 when the crimes were committed from 2004 to the closure of the institute in 2016. The institution’s gardener, Armando Gomez, has also been jailed for 18 years for sexual abuse, and a former altar boy pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse of five children. Several staff were taken into custody after allegations of abuse first surfaced in 2016, and the institute was shut down. The latest case focused on the alleged abuse of 11 of the children. In the dock were Japanese nun Kumiko Kosaka and Paraguayan Asuncion Martinez, as well as a former cook, a psychologist, a legal representative and school director, and three other employees. Kosaka stood accused of aggravated sexual abuse and covering up the crimes, and Martinez of “corruption of minors,” among other alleged offenses. A panel of three judges on Wednesday acquitted Kosaka, Martinez, and all seven others. Ariel Lizarraga, father of one of the accusers, described the outcome as “total injustice.” The post Argentina court acquits nuns of sex abuse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Topacio: ‘President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term’
The camp of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo deemed "baseless" the graft and malversation raps filed against the former president before the Ombudsman last week, accusing her of abuse of discretion over the disbursement of P38.807 billion in Malamapya funds during her presidency. Arroyo's legal counsel, Ferdinand Topacio, said that while they have yet to receive the copy of the complaint-- and learned about it through the news-- they have no doubt that the accusations will be disproven. "Suffice it to state that based on newspaper reports, the complainant admits that the funds concerned were used for public purposes," the lawyer said. "In accordance with settled legal principles, Pres. Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term, and we are confident that these charges will be proven false, in the same manner, that other accusations made before them have been shown to be baseless," he said. Topacio was referring to a 34-page complaint filed by National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms or NASECORE president Petronilo "Pete" Ilagan and Boses ng Konsyumer Alliance Inc. president Rogelio Reyes, suing Arroyo of 96 counts each of graft and malversation. The complainants cited irregularities in the utilization of Malampaya funds during Arroyo's incumbency, specifically the realigning of the revenues to finance government projects for which the funds were not intended. Arroyo was the Philippine president from 2001 to 2010. Ilagan and Reyes accused Arroyo of taking advantage of her post in allowing the use of P38.807 billion of Malampaya funds for purposes other than the avowed intention of Presidential Decree 910 and as highlighted by a 2017 special audit on the fund by the Commission on Audit. PD 910, signed in 1976, mandates that the profits from Malampaya remitted to the government should be used to finance energy resource development and exploration activities. However, it also stipulates that Malampaya earnings can also be used for "other purposes as directed by the President," which the complainants argued was abused by Arroyo. "Respondent Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whimsically took the opportunity of the said law's inadequacy and deliberately twisted the interpretation of the said provision to mean that she, as President, had the discretion to use the Malampaya Fund for whatever purpose she deemed fit," the complainants said. Ilagan and Reyes heavily emphasized Arroyo's command to direct the Malampaya funds to agricultural and irrigation programs, disaster rehabilitation, transport projects, national security activities, and cash assistance to the transport sector under the Pantawid Pasada Program, which they claimed was entirely unrelated to energy development. "In short, the Malampaya fund became a discretionary fund of the Office of the President, and disbursements therefrom became subject of whims and caprice of the respondent without regard to the purpose and policy of Presidential Decree No. 910," the complainants said of Arroyo. In the meantime, Topacio expressed their intention to defer it to the justice system and thereafter present a counterargument against the charges in due time. Arroyo and three of her Cabinet secretaries were previously sued for plunder by the National Bureau of Investigation before the Ombudsman for purportedly stealing a P900-million Malampaya fund intended for the impoverished back-to-back typhoon victims in 2009. She was cleared of the charges in 2016 following then-Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales' verdict that the NBI "failed to prove" that they colluded in the illegal diversion of Malampaya fund. The post Topacio: ‘President Arroyo has done no wrongdoing during her term’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Australian Indigenous rights vote fuels racism
A referendum aimed at elevating the rights of Indigenous Australians has instead triggered a torrent of racist slurs and abuse, with toxic debate spreading online and in the media. The October 14 vote will decide whether to finally recognize First Nations peoples in the constitution. Their ancestors were in Australia for 60,000 years before British colonial rule began in the late 1700s. The reform would give Indigenous communities the right to advise parliament -- a so-called "Voice" -- to help address entrenched inequalities including poorer health, weaker education, and higher rates of incarceration. But recent surveys indicate support for the referendum has plummeted over the past year and will likely fail. The debate has stirred uncertainty about the reform's scope and impact. It has also stoked racial tensions. "It has involved personal attacks, labelling of people as 'un-Australian' and perpetuating racially based stereotypes," Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan told AFP. "I am disappointed that the way some people have engaged in the debate has stoked racial tensions and caused harm to First Nations peoples." Racist conduct had gone largely unchallenged in the public domain, he said. "Racism should never be accepted as part of the exchange of ideas in public debate." Voters have to choose one way or the other, and recent surveys indicate the "yes" camp is at just over 40 percent and the "no" side at nearly 60 percent. It is a near reversal of the situation a year ago. Opponents have criticized the proposal for a lack of detail and for creating unnecessary bureaucracy. But opposition leader Peter Dutton, one of the leading campaigners against the Voice, also warned it would "re-racialise" Australia. Referendum supporters accused Dutton of disinformation and scare-mongering. 'Catastrophic breakdown' Indigenous-related racism reports have spiked since July, according to University of Technology Sydney criminology professor Chris Cunneen, who leads a project that documents such incidents. The share of racism complaints in the "Call It Out" register related to the referendum had climbed to about 30 percent since July, he said. In previous months, the rate was eight percent. "We have also seen an increase in reports of racism online on social media and in the media during the same period," Cunneen said. "Combined these make roughly more than half of all reports." A national mental health helpline for First Nations peoples, 13YARN, painted a similar picture. It recorded a 108-percent increase in callers reporting abuse, racism and trauma from March-June compared to a year earlier, a spokesperson said. University of Queensland communications professor Timothy Graham examined thousands of Voice-related posts on X, formerly Twitter. He found a "catastrophic breakdown of public communication about the referendum across the entire Australian media ecology". "X/Twitter is overrun with confusion, misinformation, and incivility -- this occurs in what can only be described as a vicious feedback loop between politicians, partisan media, and social media," he told AFP. Online abuse Samala Cronin, an Indigenous woman of Butchulla heritage in Queensland, knows how it feels. In August, an old video of her went viral. It showed her in a heated row with an elderly couple about a parcel of land over which Aboriginal people have "exclusive native title". "I got about 3,000 notifications from Facebook and I thought: 'Oh my God'," she told AFP at the time. It has since racked up thousands more reactions on the platform. The comments were littered with racist insults. The country's online safety watchdog, the eSafety Commission, said it had recorded a small but noticeable rise in the proportion of adult cyber abuse complaints from First Nations people in the first half of this year. "We're also hearing from community stakeholders that online abuse is ratcheting up as we approach the referendum," eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told AFP. She urged all Australians to "discuss and debate this issue respectfully, without stooping to slurs, racist remarks, hate speech or abuse". The post Australian Indigenous rights vote fuels racism appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CA junks hazing accused’s inhibition plea
The Court of Appeals has denied the plea of one of the accused in the fatal hazing of University of Santo Tomas freshman law student Horacio Castillo III seeking to compel Regional Trial Court of Manila City Branch 20 acting presiding judge Shirley Magsipoc- Pagalilauan to inhibit from the case. In a 75-page decision promulgated on 22 September 2023 and written by Associate Justice Rafael Antonio Santos, the appellate court’s First Division held that the claim of Ralph Trangia that the judge acted with grave abuse of discretion in refusing to inhibit has no basis. The CA also did not give weight to Trangia’s claim the alleged failure of the judge to address the issues he raised in his demurrer to evidence shows that she would not be able to decide with utmost partiality. It added that after a careful review of the record of the case and the applicable laws and jurisprudence, it finds that petitioner failed to prove his allegation that the court committed grave abuse of discretion when it denied his motion for inhibition. “Rather it is evident that petitioner’s claim of bias and partiality is merely based on the denial of his Demurrer to Evidence, which in itself is not sufficient to prove that the court a quo acted with bias, bad faith, malice, or corrupt purpose,” said the CA’s decision. “For these reasons, the Court rules that petitioner miserably failed establish that the court a quo acted with manifest impartiality in issuing the assailed Orders,” it added. In denying Trangia’s demurrer, the Manila RTC in an order dated 4 February 2022 held that the evidence presented by the prosecution established all the elements of the offense of hazing as well as the presence and participation of all accused, including petitioner, during the hazing of Castillo by members of the Aegis Juris Fraternity. To recall, Trangia — one of the accused in the death of Castillo — has sought the inhibition of Pagalilauan at the CA on the ground of alleged partiality in denying his motion for demurrer evidence last 24 February 2022, which seeks the immediate dismissal of the case on the ground of insufficiency of evidence. On 10 March 2022, the respondent judge issued an order denying Trangia’s motion prompting the latter to move for the reconsideration of the said order but the same was denied on 28 March 2022. This prompted Trangia to elevate his plea before the CA arguing that Pagalilauan committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction in denying his motion for inhibition and the subsequent motion for reconsideration considering that she showed partiality in denying his demurrer to evidence despite clear showing that the prosecution failed to prove its case against him. The post CA junks hazing accused’s inhibition plea appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate cites 4 Socorro leaders in contempt
The Senate on Thursday cited in contempt four high-ranking members of the alleged cult group Socorro Bayanihan Services Incorporated, or SBSI, over their denial that forced marriages of minors had happened in Sitio Kapihan, Socorro town in Surigao del Norte. Senator Risa Hontiveros made the motion after Quilario and the others repeatedly denied that forced marriages of minors happened and were facilitated by Socorro Bayanihan Service Inc., despite the testimonies of child witnesses present at the hearing. “I respectfully move to cite in contempt Jey Rence Quilaro, Mamerto Galanida, Janeth Ajoc, and Karren Sanico,” Senator Risa Hontiveros said after hearing testimonies of child witnesses at the hearing. With no objection from the members of the Committee of Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa ordered the detention of the four individuals at the Office of Seargent-at-Arms in the Senate. Speaking at the hearing, a member of the alleged cult group, alias Jane, narrated how she was forced to marry a fellow member at the age of 14. Alias Jane directly pointed to Quilario as the one who chose her 18-year-old husband. She added that they were forced to have sex after being married or be accused of disobeying “God.” She added that her mother, despite being married to her father, was also forced to marry another fellow member. Jane said she decided to run away from the village due to the unwanted marriage and forced labor that she had experienced throughout her stay in Sitio Kapihan under Senyor Agila’s leadership. Hontiveros sought the probe under Senate Resolution 797 on the cases of rape, sexual abuse, forced labor and child marriage perpetrated by the Socorro Group. The Senate panel found out that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources cannot go inside the SBSI community to conduct regular monitoring and evaluation. The post Senate cites 4 Socorro leaders in contempt appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senate committee cites Socorro ‘cult’ leader, 3 others in contempt
Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. leader Jey Rence Quilario alias Senior Agila and three others were cited in contempt by the Senate committee during a public hearing on Thursday. Senator Risa Hontiveros made the motion after Quilario and the others repeatedly denied that forced marriages of minors happened and were facilitated by the Socorro Bayanihan Service Inc. despite the testimonies of child witnesses present at the hearing. “I respectfully move to cite in contempt Jey Rence Quilaro, Mamerto Galanida, Janeth Ajoc and Karren Sanico,” Hontiveros said. With no objection from the members of the committee, Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, ordered the detention of the four individuals at the Senate premises. Speaking at the hearing, a member of the alleged cult group, alias Jane, narrated how she was forced to marry a fellow member at the age of 14. Jane directly pointed to Quilario as the one who chose her 18-year-old husband. She added they were forced to have sex after being married, or they would be accused of disobeying God. Jane likewise said her mother, despite being married to her father, was forced to marry another member. She said she decided to run away from the village due to the unwanted marriage and forced labor she had experienced throughout her stay in Sitio Kapihan under Quilario's leadership. Another member, Lovely Novie Savandal, also narrated how her 12-year-old sister was forced to marry someone she didn’t know personally. Savandal said Quilario was forcing every married couple to have sexual intercourse under pain of punishment. Quilario denied that forced marriages were happening in their group. “Hindi po, hindi po nangyayari (no, that did not happen),” he said. Ajoc also denied that there were child marriages, although a witness in the hearing earlier said that Ajoc's own child was among those who were married at the age of 12. Galanida, meanwhile, said he was not aware of such happenings. “I do not know anything about mayroong ganyang nangyayari sa Kapihan… Walang child marriages kasi po kung meron man, meron dapat ‘yung parents mismo ‘yung magko-complain,” he said. The panel’s investigation came after Hontiveros filed Proposed Senate Resolution 797 seeking a Senate investigation into the cases of rape, sexual abuse, forced labor and child marriage allegedly perpetrated by the group. Dela Rosa also introduced Senate Resolution 796, which aims to look into the alleged presence and operation of a shabu laboratory and a heavily armed private army at the group's premises in Surigao del Norte. The post Senate committee cites Socorro ‘cult’ leader, 3 others in contempt appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 wanted suspects fall in Rizal sting
Three wanted persons were arrested in separate manhunt operations on Tuesday, the Rizal police provincial office said Wednesday. Rizal police provincial director P/Col. Rainerio de Chavez said the three individuals were nabbed for various cases in the towns of Rodriguez and Tanay, and Antipolo City. In Rodriguez, the 42-year-old accused, identified only as alias Zaldy, was arrested by operatives of the Rodriguez Municipal Police Station by virtue of a warrant of arrest for the crime of frustrated murder. It can be recalled that the accused was allegedly tagged behind the stabbing incident against alias Ryan who miraculously survived the attack after he was rushed to a nearby hospital. In Antipolo, rape suspect alias Junior was nabbed by the police by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Jose Bayani Usman of Puerto Princesa City Regional Trial Court Branch 50 (Family Court) for the crime of two counts of rape, acts of lasciviousness, and violation under Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law. The post 3 wanted suspects fall in Rizal sting appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Borongan diocese invokes Vatican decree confidentiality
BORONGAN CITY — The Diocese of Borongan is invoking the confidentiality of a Vatican decree on the case of a former priest who was dismissed from his clerical duties. In a letter that was published in the official social media account of the diocese on Wednesday, Atty. Colleen Calleja, legal counsel of the diocese, said there was no malice in the publication of the Informationis Causa by the diocese without the attached Vatican decision as it was just an information to the public. In an “in formationis causa” issued by the Diocese of Borongan dated 18 July but released only on Sunday, 17 September, Bishop Crispin Varquez, through diocesan chancellor Fr. James Abella, announced that former priest Pio Cultura Aclon has been dismissed from “clerical state.” No reason was mentioned but the church-run CBCP News and Este News mentioned sexual abuse involving minors. The post Borongan diocese invokes Vatican decree confidentiality appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Docu links former chocolate plant head to student beatings
A Swiss chocolate brand has been dragged into a student abuse scandal prompting a film festival organizer to end partnership with the company. The Zurich Film Festival announced late Saturday that it had agreed with Laderach to end a partnership, adding that a documentary aired days earlier on the abuse allegations had “shaken everyone.” The documentary aired by Swiss public broadcaster SRF last week alleged that children at the Evangelical school in Kaltbrunn, in the eastern canton of St. Gallen, had been systematically beaten. The school was founded in 1995 by Jurg Laderach, the former head of the chocolate maker, and according to the documentary, he stands accused of himself administering beatings, something he flatly denies. His son, Johannes Laderach, took over the helm of the company in 2018, and ZFF acknowledged that no accusations had been made towards the current leadership. But, it said, “the suffering of the presumed victims is nonetheless associated with the name of the family and the business.” WITH AFP The post Docu links former chocolate plant head to student beatings appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Socorro NGO accused of child abuse eyeing to establish private school in community
An alleged religious "cult" based in Socorro is eyeing to establish its own private school for children in the community, the Department of Education said, even as the group faces charges for allegedly kidnapping and sexually abusing minors......»»
Accused of rape, Russell Brand speaks of ‘distressing’ week
British comedian and actor Russell Brand on Friday spoke of an "extraordinary and distressing week" in his first public comments since rape and assault allegations were aired against him, but did not address the claims. "Obviously it's been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information you are being presented with," he said on a video posted to his YouTube channel, which has 6.64 million subscribers. "I need your support now more than ever, more than I ever imagined I would," he added. But he did not comment on the joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 television in which four women made claims of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse against him. Then on Thursday, a woman accused Brand of exposing himself to her in 2008. Brand criticized the British government for asking tech companies to take action against him. Denouncing what he described as "deep state and corporate collusion" and "media corruption and censorship", he said he would post a longer video on Monday. In a video released last week, just before the story broke, Brand, 48, denied the allegations against him, which are said to have taken place between 2006 and 2013. He said his relationships had always been "consensual", even during a period when he admitted he was "very, very promiscuous". Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman called the allegations "very serious and concerning". Sunak "has been clear there should never be any space for harassment, regardless of where it is found", he added. Brand's publisher Bluebird announced that "all future publishing" with the comedian had been put on hold. Video-sharing platform YouTube has also demonetized his content. /jj © Agence France-Presse The post Accused of rape, Russell Brand speaks of ‘distressing’ week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Lawyer disbarred after refusing child support
The Supreme Court has disbarred a lawyer after refusing to provide child support. The high bench said the protection of women and children extends to the cleansing of the ranks of lawyers with the audacity to evade the duty to support one’s family and who violate court directives, including those who unlawfully conceal properties beyond the reach of their families and the courts. Sitting en banc, the Supreme Court in a Per Curiam Decision, imposed the supreme penalty of disbarment on then Atty. Wilfredo A. Ruiz for economic and emotional abuse; gross immorality; committing falsehood and exploiting court processes; unduly delaying a case; impeding the execution of a judgment; and misusing court processes. In 2008, AAA sued her husband, then Atty. Ruiz, for violation of Republic Act 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act (AntiVAWC Law). AAA accused Ruiz of inflicting on her physical violence, emotional stress, and economic abuse by depriving her and her children of support. She also applied for a Permanent Protection Order granted by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court granted the PPO, which included a directive to Ruiz to provide AAA and their children, BBB and CCC, support equivalent to 50 percent of his income. His employers were thus directed to withhold and automatically remit directly such amount to AAA. Despite the said directive in the PPO, however, Ruiz still failed to provide for his family. This prompted AAA to enforce the PPO, resulting in the issuance by the RTC of a writ of execution in 2013. But Ruiz continued to refuse to provide support even with the writ of execution from the RTC. The RTC also had difficulty enforcing the writ of execution as Ruiz could not be found on the five different addresses he provided the Court. Ruiz also attempted to hide his earnings and properties by executing an agreement with Radelia C. Sy, a woman he was living in with as his common-law spouse. The post Lawyer disbarred after refusing child support appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gov’t looking for ways to address child sexual abuse
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government is actively engaged in discussions on how to address the pervasive issue of child sexual abuse. He said the government is, at present, exploring all possible avenues, including seeking advice and guidance from the Supreme Court. Remulla said the issue of child sexual abuse is one of the problems the country is facing at the moment, which is why the government is exploring ways to address it and give importance to how to combat it and hopefully eradicate the problem. The DOJ chief has expressed deep concern over the rampant issue of child sexual exploitation in the Philippines, referring to it as an “epidemic” that has silently persisted over the years. Remulla’s remarks were prompted by the disturbing reports of alleged sexual abuses linked to a “doomsday cult” in Surigao del Norte. He said the charges against the Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) are not isolated incidents; rather, they exemplify a distressing pattern that extends to other regions. Remulla revealed that a similar pattern of sexual predation had recently emerged on an island in Zamboanga, an incident that had gone unreported. “They are saying a cult in Surigao del Norte is not new. Only recently, two or three weeks ago, there was an incident reported in an isle in Zamboanga. This is an epidemic in the whole country wherein the children are the victims of sexual abuse and many of those are incestuous rape, which is really a problem,” said Remulla. The allegations against SBSI, made by Senator Risa Hontiveros, are deeply troubling. The cult is accused of sexually abusing and coercing over 1,000 children in Socorro town over the years. The senator brought these grave allegations to light and called for the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality to conduct an investigation in aid of legislation. In Senate Resolution No. 797, dated 18 September, Hontiveros stressed the urgent need for action in response to “alarming” reports of rape, sexual abuse, forced labor, and forced marriages involving minors within SBSI. The post Gov’t looking for ways to address child sexual abuse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
British comedian Russell Brand accused of rape, sexual assault: media
British comedian and actor Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period, according to the results of a media investigation published Saturday......»»
Biden’s son Hunter indicted on gun charges
US President Joe Biden's son Hunter was indicted Thursday for illegally buying a gun when he was using drugs, casting a new shadow over his father's campaign for reelection next year. Hunter Biden, 53, was charged with two counts of making false statements when claiming on forms required for the 2018 gun purchase that he was not using drugs illegally at the time. A third charge said that, based on the false statements, he illegally possessed the gun during an 11-day period in October that year. If convicted on all three felony charges, Biden could in theory face 25 years in prison, though in practice they are seldom punished by any jail time. In attesting that he was not an unlawful user of drugs when he bought the Colt Cobra revolver, Biden "knew that statement was false," the Justice Department said. The indictment came two days after Republicans in Congress opened an impeachment probe against Democrat Joe Biden, alleging that when he was vice president he benefitted financially from his son's foreign business dealings. The legal troubles of Hunter Biden present a target for political rivals of his father, who is bidding for a second term in the White House. Hunter is a Yale-trained lawyer and lobbyist-turned-artist, but his life has been marred by alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction. Without offering any evidence, Republicans have accused Biden's Justice Department of protecting his son and have accused Weiss, a Republican appointee, of going easy on Hunter. Representative James Comer, a Republican from Kentucky who will be leading the impeachment inquiry, welcomed the filing of the gun charges, calling it a "very small start." "Mountains of evidence reveals that Hunter Biden likely committed several felonies and Americans expect the Justice Department to apply the law equally," Comer said. Twice-impeached former president Donald Trump reacted on his Truth Social platform. "This, the gun charge, is the only crime that Hunter Biden committed that does not implicate Crooked Joe Biden," he said. - Plea deal collapsed - But a leading Democrat, Keisha Lance Bottoms, ex-mayor of Atlanta and a former senior adviser to Joe Biden, questioned why Hunter had been charged. "Can anyone tell me how many people have been federally indicted for purchasing a gun while dealing with substance abuse issues?" Bottoms said on X, formerly known as Twitter. "I don't know the answer, but in my over 29 years as an attorney, I have never heard of it." The gun charges were filed by Justice Department special counsel David Weiss, who has been investigating Hunter Biden since 2018 over various allegations, mostly related to his overseas business deals. Two months ago a plea deal between Biden and Weiss, covering the gun charge as well as alleged tax violations, went sour. Biden agreed to plead guilty in federal court in Delaware to two minor tax charges. In exchange he was offered probation, as he had already paid what he owed the government along with penalties. Weiss agreed to suspend the felony gun charge if Biden completed "pretrial diversion," which often involves counseling or rehabilitation. But in a dramatic July 26 hearing, the deal collapsed over whether Biden would have been immune from any other charges also investigated by Weiss, including possible crimes related to his business dealings in Ukraine, China and elsewhere. The judge mentioned the possibility that Biden could be charged as having acted as a lobbyist for foreign governments without registering with the Justice Department. Three weeks later, after the deal collapsed, Weiss dropped the tax charges and said an indictment on the gun charge would come by the end of September. As the 2024 election race swings into gear, Republicans in the House of Representatives on Tuesday formally opened an impeachment inquiry against President Biden. They alleged, without offering hard evidence, that while vice president in 2015-2016, Biden intervened to protect an allegedly corrupt Ukrainian energy company, Burisma, where Hunter Biden sat on the board. Republicans allege Joe Biden and his family reaped large sums for helping Burisma. The post Biden’s son Hunter indicted on gun charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse
The president of Japan's biggest boyband agency admitted on Thursday that its late founder sexually abused young aspiring stars, decades after the allegations against him first emerged. Johnny Kitagawa died of a stroke aged 87 in 2019, having engineered the birth of J-pop mega-groups including SMAP, TOKIO and Arashi that amassed adoring fans across Asia. Allegations of abuse surfaced in Japanese media in 1999 but it was not until this year that they ignited full-on soul-searching, following a BBC documentary and denunciations by victims. "Both the agency itself and I myself as a person recognize that sex abuse by Johnny Kitagawa took place," said Julie Fujishima, a niece of the accused music mogul who died in 2019. "I apologize to his victims from the bottom of my heart," she told a packed news conference in Tokyo while announcing she was stepping down as head of Johnny & Associates "to take responsibility". "I take seriously what happened." Fujishima, who said she had stepped down on Tuesday, named singer and actor Noriyuki Higashiyama, a veteran member of the talent agency, as her successor. "It will take an enormous amount of time before we can regain trust," Higashiyama said. "I will stake the rest of my life on addressing this problem." Fujishima said she will remain in the agency's leadership to help "compensate" victims. - Defamation - Before his death, Kitagawa had successfully sued for defamation over the claims, although the verdict was partially overturned on appeal. He was never criminally charged. A panel of experts last month released the results of its first, in-depth probe into the allegations against Kitagawa, concluding that his abuse went as far back as the 1950s, even before the company was founded. Over the years, aspiring boyband idols collectively dubbed "Johnny's Jrs" sought his tutelage, and the panel estimated that at least "a few hundred" of them had been victimized. The report also quoted former recruits alleging in graphic detail how Kitagawa would perform oral sex on them, fondle them in their genitals or force his way into their beds at night. The panel said Fujishima, who was named Kitagawa's successor after his death, had been "remiss" in her duties because she failed to probe the allegations despite her knowledge of them. Her attitude perpetuated the leadership's tendency to look the other way, the report said. Fujishima, for her part, offered an apology in May but denied she had known about her uncle's predatory history. She chalked her ignorance up to what she framed as the extremely opaque, family-run nature of the boyband empire. "We do not believe there was no problem," she said in May, expressing her regret that she had let herself grow inured to the "abnormalness" of the agency's inner workings. Her apology came after Japanese-Brazilian singer Kauan Okamoto spoke publicly of his experience of being sexually assaulted repeatedly by Kitagawa. tmo/stu/qan © Agence France-Presse The post Japan boyband agency admits founder’s sexual abuse appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»