Kadamay calls for release of 4 women arrested for joining online protest
Kadamay stated that the four were forced to sign a form “voluntarily waiving their rights under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code,” as well as having a “gag order” placed on them, preventing them from talking to anyone, including their families. The post Kadamay calls for release of 4 women arrested for joining online protest appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini
Iranians at home and abroad marked the first anniversary Saturday of the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini, with activists speaking of a renewed crackdown to prevent any resurgence of the protests which rocked major cities last year. Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died a few days after her arrest by religious police for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women in force since shortly after the 1979 revolution. Her family says she died from a blow to the head but this is disputed by Iranian authorities. Anger over her death rapidly expanded into weeks of taboo-breaking protests which saw women tearing off their mandatory headscarves in an open challenge to the Islamic republic's system of government under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But after several months, they lost momentum in the face of a crackdown that saw security forces kill 551 protesters, according to Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR), and arrest more than 22,000, according to Amnesty International. Iranian authorities say dozens of security personnel were also killed in what they describe as "riots" incited by foreign governments and hostile media. Seven men have been executed after being convicted in protest-related cases. Campaigners say the authorities have renewed their crackdown in the runup to the anniversary, putting pressure on relatives of those killed in the protests in a bid to stop them speaking out. New York-based Human Rights Watch said family members of at least 36 people killed or executed in the crackdown had been interrogated, arrested, prosecuted or sentenced to prison over the past month. "Iranian authorities are trying to impose a chokehold on dissent to prevent public commemoration of Mahsa Jina Amini's death in custody, which has become the symbol of the government's systematic oppression of women, injustice and impunity," said HRW's senior Iran researcher, Tara Sepehri Far. 'Repressive forces' deployed The two journalists who did the most to publicize the Amini case –- Niloufar Hamedi and Elahe Mohammadi who respectively reported from her hospital and funeral –- have been held in prison for almost a year. Another reporter, Nazila Maroufian who interviewed Amini's father Amjad, has been arrested repeatedly. Amjad Amini has told Persian media based outside Iran that he plans to hold a commemoration for his daughter in their hometown of Saqez in Kurdish-populated western Iran later Saturday. Outlets, including Prague-based Radio Farda, said he was summoned by intelligence officials after his announcement. He was not arrested but one of Amini's uncles, Safa Aeli, was detained in Saqez on 5 September. According to Kurdish-focused news outlet Hengaw, the government has sent additional security forces to Saqez and other towns in western Iran that could become flashpoints. On Saturday, Hengaw said, "repressive forces" were deployed around the Amini family residence in Saqez. It posted photos on X, formerly Twitter, showing armed men in fatigues on the streets of Saqez, as well as video of shops shuttered and on strike to mark the anniversary in Saqez, Sanandaj and other cities of Kurdistan province. 'Doubling down' While some women are still seen walking in public without headscarves, particularly in wealthy, traditionally liberal areas of north Tehran, the conservative-dominated parliament is currently considering a draft law that would impose far stiffer penalties for non-compliance. "The Islamic republic is doubling down on repression and reprisals against its citizens and seeking to introduce new and more draconian laws that severely restrict further the rights of women and girls," said Sara Hossain, the chair of the UN fact-finding mission set up to investigate the crackdown. Under the slogan "Say her name!", Iranian emigres are expected to hold commemorative rallies, with large demonstrations expected in Paris and Toronto. Amnesty International accused Iran's authorities of committing a "litany of crimes under international law to eradicate any challenge to their iron grip on power" and lamented that not a single official had been even investigated over Amini's death or the crackdown. "The anniversary offers a stark reminder for countries around the world of the need to initiate criminal investigations into the heinous crimes committed by the Iranian authorities under universal jurisdiction," said Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director, Diana Eltahawy. On the eve of the anniversary, Iran's arch-foe the United States and its Western allies including Britain and the European Union imposed new sanctions on the Islamic republic over its protest crackdown. Announcing the measures, US President Joe Biden led international calls in solidarity with Iranians on the anniversary of Amini's death. "Iranians alone will determine the fate of their country, but the United States remains committed to standing with them," he said. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani slammed the Western countries' "illegal and undiplomatic actions" in a statement late Friday. The post Clampdown and grief as Iranians remember Mahsa Amini appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dutch ‘Indiana Jones’ art sleuth recovers stolen Van Gogh
A Dutch art detective has recovered a precious Vincent van Gogh painting that was stolen from a museum in a daring midnight heist during the coronavirus lockdown three-and-a-half years ago, police said Tuesday. Arthur Brand took possession of the missing painting, the 1884 "Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring", worth between three and six million euros ($3.2 and $6.4 million), at his Amsterdam home on Monday, stuffed in a blue IKEA bag. Brand, dubbed the "Indiana Jones of the Art World" for tracing a series of high-profile lost artworks, told AFP that confirming the painting was the stolen Van Gogh was "one of the greatest moments of my life." "Arthur Brand, in cooperation with the Dutch police, has solved this matter," Richard Bronswijk of the Dutch police arts crime unit confirmed to AFP. "This is definitely the real one, there's no doubt about it." Brand told AFP that frequent calls by him and the Dutch police to hand back the stolen artwork finally paid off when a man, whose identity was not revealed for his own safety, handed Brand the painting in a blue IKEA bag, covered with bubble-wrap and stuffed in a pillow casing. A video clip supplied by Brand showed him unpacking the painting in his lounge and gasping in astonishment when he realized what it was. "I couldn't believe it," he said. 'Massive headache' The painting was burgled from the Singer Laren Museum near Amsterdam on 30 March 2020 in a heist that made headlines around the world. Dutch police released video images shortly after the burglary showing a thief smashing through a glass door in the middle of the night, before running out with the painting tucked under his right arm. In April 2021, police arrested a man named in Dutch media as Nils M. for the theft. He was later convicted and sentenced to eight years behind bars. M. was also convicted for stealing another masterpiece by Frans Hals called "Two Laughing Boys" in a separate heist. "After a few months I heard from a source in the criminal world who had bought the Van Gogh," from Nils M, said Brand, who has gained fame for his remarkable recoveries of stolen art, including the "Hitler's Horses" bronze statues, a Picasso painting and a ring that once belonged to Oscar Wilde. This man, identified by Dutch media as Peter Roy K., was currently behind bars for a separate case involving the large-scale import and export of cocaine, Brand said. K. wanted to use the painting as collateral to negotiate a reduction in his sentence. Brand confirmed Peter Roy K.'s identity, stressing he had said before that "no deal for a reduced sentence would be made." The whereabouts of the Van Gogh however remained unknown until two weeks ago when a mysterious man contacted Brand saying he wanted to return it. After some negotiation, Brand persuaded the man -- who had "nothing to do with the theft", according to the art detective -- to hand back the artwork. "The man told me 'I want to return the Van Gogh. It has caused a massive headache'" because it could not be used as a bargaining chip, Brand said. "In an operation done in close coordination with the Dutch police, we got the painting back," he said. The painting, which comes from relatively early on in Van Gogh's career, before the prolific artist embarked on his trademark post-impressionist paintings such as "Sunflowers" and his vivid self-portraits, has already been handed back to the director of the Groninger Museum, from where it was on loan to the Singer Laren Museum. "At first there was disbelief. Staff were asking themselves 'can this be true'?" said Karina Smrkovsky, head of communications at the Groninger museum. "Then, when it was confirmed, our disbelief turned into delight. We are incredibly happy that it has been been returned," Smrkovsky told AFP. "We are incredibly thankful to Arthur Brand for getting it back." Smrkovsky said however that the painting would not be on public display immediately, most probably only next year. "We are delighted that art lovers from all over the world once again will be able to see this wonderful painting," said Evert van Os, museum director at Singer Laren. Meanwhile Frans Hals' "Two Laughing Boys" remains missing -- but Brand said he hoped it would also be returned soon. The post Dutch ‘Indiana Jones’ art sleuth recovers stolen Van Gogh appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Love scammers arrested, ransom botnets shut
Cybercrime authorities in Indonesia have busted a love scam ring while European authorities have seized servers used for spreading malware that locks computers and IT systems worldwide. Acting on a tip-off from their Chinese counterparts, Indonesian police arrested 83 men and five women at an industrial park in Batam city in Riau Islands province on Tuesday. The suspects allegedly run an online love scam syndicate that blackmailed hundreds of victims in China, many of whom were public officials, police said Wednesday. Riau Islands police spokesperson Zahwani Pandra Arsyad told Agence France-Presse Wednesday that the Chinese suspects would be deported. The women scammers are accused of seducing victims before asking them to engage in sexual acts during the calls while other suspects recorded the videos. The suspects then allegedly blackmailed their victims, threatening to release the videos on social media if they refused to send them money. Meanwhile, United States justice officials said Tuesday they had shut down a notorious global cyber network called Qakbot that was used by criminals to extort tens of millions of dollars from thousands of businesses around the world. The crackdown dubbed “Duck Hunt” saw law enforcers in France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania and Latvia seized 52 servers supporting Qakbot operations and $8.6 million in cryptocurrencies. Qakbot operators rent servers to criminal groups which undertake their own attacks, typically seizing or freezing data from a target’s systems and demanding ransoms to free it up, sometimes in the millions of dollars. US Attorney Martin Estrada said the investigation showed Qakbot had infected more than 700,000 victim computers, which could then be controlled to an extent by the botnet’s administrators. WITH AFP The post Love scammers arrested, ransom botnets shut appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Indonesia arrests 88 Chinese nationals over love scams
Dozens of Chinese nationals were arrested in Indonesia on suspicion of running an online love scam syndicate that ensnared hundreds of victims in China, police said Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off from their Chinese counterparts, Indonesian police arrested 83 men and five women at an industrial park in Batam city in Riau Islands province on Tuesday. Police said the syndicate blackmailed hundreds of victims in China, many of whom were public officials. "We are investigating if there are any Indonesians among the victims. If there are none, the scammers will be deported immediately," Riau Islands police spokesman Zahwani Pandra Arsyad told AFP on Wednesday. The alleged scammers pretended to have romantic feelings for their victims during video calls. The women scammers are accused of seducing the victims before asking them to engage in sexual acts during the calls while other suspects recorded the videos. The suspects then allegedly blackmailed their victims, threatening to release the videos on social media if they refused to send them money. It is unclear how long the group had been operating and how much they had earned. Police had previously said many scammers had moved to Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries after China cracked down on domestic networks. In 2019, police arrested 85 Chinese nationals and six Indonesians over an online scam that tricked victims out of millions of dollars. str-dsa/jfx/dva © Agence France-Presse The post Indonesia arrests 88 Chinese nationals over love scams appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Protect (not) their own
Enterprising journalists always insist on getting the so-called “spot reports” that cops responding to calls for police assistance immediately send to their superiors to inform them of actions taken. While the grammar is usually horrendous, the 5W and 1H reports (Who, what, when, where, why, and how) are oftentimes good enough for breaking news despite being sketchy, as in lacking in details. Then some reports are “sketchy” in the sense that the narrative appears dubious, and the storyline implausible because, just to cite one red flag, the actions cited by the cops run against normal human reactions. But then again, when it comes to crimes, logic cannot always explain the violent tendencies of men and women experiencing a wide gamut of emotions — pain, anger, desperation, jealousy, etc. — that throw them off the edge of sanity. For crimes of passion and even road rage, for example, we have a term for that, “Nagdilim ang paningin,” a phrase that roughly (not literally) translates to someone descending into the dark enough recesses of the human mind to commit a crime in an instant. If one blinded by anger kills without premeditation, he or she is charged with homicide if successful, but if the killing was planned or was attended by treachery and the use of overwhelming force, then murder would be. During olden times in the Philippines, a husband who stumbled upon his wife in bed with another man and killed one or both would have just merited the punishment of “destierro.” A legal reference defined destierro as a “mere banishment, rather than a punishment, one that serves to protect the killer or attacker from retaliation from the family members of the deceased.” How about that: Protecting the killer or killers? The intent of destierro, based on that definition, clearly elucidates the point that there are crimes that sometimes do not rise to the level of imputing criminal liability on the perpetrator. The same could be said of actions taken in self-defense. The point here is that even before suspects in criminal cases are brought before the prosecutors for inquest, or before the courts for trial, the police have always exercised control over information pertaining to crimes that are imbued with public interest and so must be ventilated by the media. Cops routinely release mug shots of those arrested in small-time drug busts, but their officials cry foul when members of the media report on incidents that may involve men in uniform, leading to the perception, right or wrong, of whitewashing or cover-up. Take that fatal shooting of “Jemboy” in what the Navotas police claimed to be a case of mistaken identity and of a couple of the warning shots (fired by all six responding policemen, mind you) finding their way into the teen’s head and hand. No spot report that contained the names of the cops that had since been restricted to quarters was released to reporters, while those few who had gotten the names from external sources were prevailed upon to withhold the names of the suspects. A case of double standard, would you say? The sacked Navotas police chief had it coming when he decided to withhold the names of the six cops who, after all, had already been subjected to inquest. Court reporters should have gotten the suspects’ names, too, but again the lid put on their identities was so tight in the few days after the shooting that the public started thinking something was being cooked. More so since the six were only charged with “reckless imprudence resulting in homicide” instead of homicide, as suggested by forensic investigator Raquel Fortun; or murder, as this Contrarian raised in a previous column. A lawyer of Jemboy’s family had said they are pushing for a charge of murder against the six cops. With what little we know of the case, that seems to be a fair enough course of action. Again, the National Bureau of Investigation should step into the picture if we are going to have a credible investigation and prosecution of this case. Out with the sanitized narrative of how Jemboy wound up in the murky depths of a Navotas river, with blood oozing from his head. The post Protect (not) their own appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wave of violent Indonesia muggings sparks ‘shoot-to-kill’ calls
A spate of violent muggings by machete-wielding thieves in Indonesia has drawn coded calls from prominent politicians for them to be killed-on-sight by police, in comments condemned by rights groups as condoning extrajudicial murders. Last month, police in the northern Sumatran city of Medan shot dead a "begal" -- a term used to describe a type of street thief known for their brutality -- as part of what the force said was a bid to "eradicate" them. Bobby Nasution, Medan mayor and President Joko Widodo's son-in-law, lauded the officers involved, saying such criminals should be shot dead on the spot. "I appreciate this because begal and criminals have no place in Medan," he wrote in an Instagram post on July 9, sharing footage of the suspect's dead body. President Widodo has not commented on Nasution's statements. Other leaders, including the governor of North Sumatra province, have supported the comments. Rights groups want an investigation into the killing, and have condemned the rhetoric as giving officers and citizens the right to take the law into their own hands. "It is inappropriate for public officials to declare support for such extrajudicial actions," Amnesty International Indonesia director Usman Hamid told AFP. "The shooting not only violates human rights principles –- such as the right to life, the right to a fair trial -- but also the regulations." Indonesian police rules state that firearms should only be used as an officer's last resort. Indonesia's Institute for Criminal Justice Reform called Nasution's words "irresponsible". Some public sentiment, however, is on the mayor's side. Under viral videos of the begal attacks, social media users call for the thieves to be shot dead or to face the death penalty. And in a village east of Jakarta, local leaders have issued a 10 million rupiah ($662) bounty for the capture of begals. 'Begal' terror Begals have savagely attacked their victims with sickles, airguns and rocks, terrorising Indonesians in the capital Jakarta, Medan and other urban centres. They approach their victims on scooters, usually in carefully chosen areas that have few security cameras, so that they can rapidly escape after the robbery. "They have to do it quickly and cruelly to make the victim surrender," said Adrianus Meliala, a criminologist at the University of Indonesia. "Begal run away using the city labyrinth they have mastered." Medan, Indonesia's fifth-largest city, has been hit by 45 begal attacks since January, police say, and one brutal case two months ago caused an uproar. Student Insanul Anshori Hasibuan was riding a scooter home when a man hacked him in the head with a machete, stealing his wallet. Hasibuan, 22, died in hospital after the attacker and several accomplices escaped with the contents of the wallet: just 70,000 rupiah ($4.60). Four suspects were later arrested, and face up to 15 years in jail if convicted. Such brutal attacks have been splashed across Indonesian media, raising public fear and allowing Nasution to cast himself as a champion for law and order. According to official data, the rate of robberies has risen in 2023, but experts say Indonesian criminal data is often incomplete due to underreporting. Indonesia's national police force did not respond to an AFP request for comment. The issue is a complex culmination of factors, including rising poverty in one of the world's most unequal countries, the difficulty of countering such quick and violent attacks, weak rule of law and crumbling public trust in the police. "The begal phenomenon cannot be separated from the social economic order of society," said Ida Ruwaida of the University of Indonesia. Rights groups say they are concerned that calls by prominent politicians such as Nasution to kill suspects on sight could lead to chaos on the country's streets. "We are concerned that the statement by the mayor of Medan can serve as legitimacy for more extrajudicial killings," said Hamid. "This is very dangerous." The post Wave of violent Indonesia muggings sparks ‘shoot-to-kill’ calls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 killed in China kindergarten attack
BEIJING, China (AFP) -- Six people were killed and one wounded in an attack at a kindergarten in southern China’s Guangdong province on Monday, a spokeswoman for the city government said. “The victims include one teacher, two parents and three students,” she said. She did not offer details about the identities or ages of the victims, nor the weapon used in the attack, which took place in the city of Lianjiang. “One suspect has been arrested,” she said, adding that a police investigation was underway. The suspect was a 25-year-old male surnamed Wu, local police said in a statement. The incident took place around 7:40 am (2340 GMT on Sunday), the state-backed China News Network reported. Videos shot by passersby claiming to show the crime scene were removed from video-sharing platform Douyin and Twitter-like Weibo. While guns are strictly controlled, China has been struggling with a spate of mass stabbings. Violent crime has been on the rise as the economy has grown in recent decades and the gap between rich and poor has widened rapidly. Spate of attacks Fatal attacks targeting students and schools have occurred nationwide in recent years. The attacks have forced authorities to step up security and prompted calls for more research into the root causes of such violent acts. Last August, three people were killed and six others wounded in a knife attack at a kindergarten in southeast China’s Jiangxi province. In April 2021, two children were killed and 16 others wounded when a knife-wielding man entered a kindergarten in southern China. In June of the previous year, 37 students and two adults were wounded by a knife-wielding attacker at a primary school in southern China. And in November 2019, a man climbed a kindergarten wall in southwest Yunnan province and sprayed people with a corrosive liquid, wounding 51 of them, mostly students. The same year, eight schoolchildren died and two others were wounded in a “school-related criminal case” in the central Hubei province, with a 40-year-old man arrested. And in April 2018, a 28-year-old man killed nine college students and injured 12 others outside their school in the northern province of Shaanxi. The attacker later said he acted out of revenge after being harassed by a student at the same school. The post 6 killed in China kindergarten attack appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
France violence continues, hundreds arrested
France deployed 45,000 police officers and gendarmes to quell violence over the death of 17-year-old Nahel, who was killed during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on Tuesday. Despite the security presence, looting took place Friday night in the cities of Marseille, Lyon, and Grenoble, with bands of often-hooded rioters pillaging shops. Protesters also set fire to cars and trash bins. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said early Saturday morning that the night’s violence had been of “much less intensity,” with 471 arrests nationwide and pockets of tension in Marseille and Lyon in particular. The French national football team joined calls for an end to the violence. “The time of violence must give way to that of mourning, dialogue and reconstruction,” the team said in a statement posted on social media by captain and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe. Les Bleus said they were “shocked by the brutal death of young Nahel” but asked that violence give way to “other peaceful and constructive ways of expressing oneself.” The unrest has raised concerns abroad, with France hosting the Rugby World Cup in the autumn and then the Paris Olympic Games in the summer of 2024. The post France violence continues, hundreds arrested appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
American wanted for threats nabbed
The Bureau of Immigration yesterday said that it had arrested an American national wanted in the United States for making threatening calls. The fugitive, identified as William Robert Braddock III, 39, was found to be an undocumented alien and the subject of a warrant of arrest issued against him by the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Braddock is wanted for Interstate Transmission of Threat to Injure in Violation of Section 875(c) of Title 18 of the United States Code after reportedly making threatening calls against an American politician and his associate. The arrest was carried out by the BI Fugitive Search Unit in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Diplomatic Security Service-Overseas Criminal Investigations. BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco commended the BI’s role in apprehending fugitives like Braddock. “Foreign fugitives are not welcome on Philippine soil,” Tansingco said. “We will continue our close cooperation with international partners to bring fugitives to justice.” BI-FSU Chief Rendel Ryan Sy said that Braddock was collared along Roxas Boulevard by their operatives after extensive surveillance. He was immediately arrested and transferred to the BI’s detention facility in Taguig, where he will remain until his deportation. Tansingco said that Braddock will be deported to the United States to face the charges against him. The post American wanted for threats nabbed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Korean fugitive Arrested at NAIA
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) arrested a South Korean fugitive wanted for involvement in telecommunications fraud in South Korea. In a report given to BI Commissioner Norman Tansingco, the BI Border Control and Intelligence Unit (BI-BCIU) identified the arrested fugitive as Jeon Jihoon, 37, who was intercepted on June 2 at the NAIA 1 terminal upon his arrival via China Eastern Airways flight from Shanghai, China. BI-BCIU Deputy Chief for Operation Joseph Cueto said that his men arrested the Korean after the BI officer who processed him noticed that Jeon's name was on the Interpol hit list of wanted foreign fugitives. Cueto added that after conferring with the BI Interpol unit, the immigration supervisors on duty were able to confirm Jeon's identity as the same person whose name registered a hit in the Interpol database. Jeon was later brought to the BI Warden Facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, pending deportation proceedings. Tansingco has reportedly ordered that the Korean immediately undergo deportation for being an undesirable alien, so he could be sent back to Korea to stand trial for his alleged crime. He will then be placed on the immigration blacklist, which will ban him from entering the country in perpetuity. According to Interpol’s National Central Bureau (NCB) in Manila, Jeon was charged with telecom fraud before the Busan District Court in South Korea and issued a warrant of arrest on Feb. 24 last year against him. Jeon is accused of allegedly being a member of a voice phishing syndicate that impersonates himself as an agent of financial institutions by making random calls to other victims who are promised huge returns on their money. Hundreds of victims were reportedly lured into the scheme and enticed to deposit money, totaling more than 4.5 billion won, or roughly US$3.5 million, into the syndicates’ bank accounts. The post Korean fugitive Arrested at NAIA appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dela Rosa calls on a ‘Mike Sy’ to surface, divulge illegal drug trade
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Tuesday called on an alleged drug personality named "Mike Sy" to surface and divulge the supposed involvement of high-ranking police officials in the pilferage of 990 kilos of shabu seized in a buy-bust operation in October last year. In an interview with reporters shortly after the adjournment of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs hearing, Dela Rosa said someone who is acquainted with Sy approached him and told him Sy was willing to cooperate in the Senate investigation on the P6.7 billion shabu mess. Dela Rosa believes Sy's testimony can also shed light on the alleged involvement of Philippine National Police members in illegal drug activities. “He wants to testify to the committee because he wants to clear his name--labeled as the number one shabu personality in the country. He wants to tell us that there are more big-time drug dealers than him. He admitted that he is involved in illegal drug business,” he added. Sy, however, allegedly withdrew his attempt to join the hearings after his handler “prevented him” from divulging his real identity. During the last hearing, Dela Rosa asked Lt. Col. Arnulfo Ibañez, superior of arrested PSgt. Rodolfo Mayo Jr. if he was the handler of Sy. Ibañez denied that he was Sy’s handler, adding that he doesn’t have information on the whereabouts of the alleged drug personality since he was detained in the Senate after being cited for contempt. The senator appealed to Sy to come out and provide testimony. “Mike Sy, I know that you are monitoring right now in this hearing. Your world is getting smaller. You know, the handler that advised you to hide and throw away your cell phone, believe him, because one day he will be the one who will kill you,” Dela Rosa said, as he vowed to protect Sy if he comes out to "tell the truth." Dela Rosa likewise appealed to PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to locate Sy’s whereabouts. “His location will just be two, either he was in Cavite or in Occidental Mindoro. Please conduct a manhunt operation. If you will not capture him, a lot of shabu shipments will remain. He is a player. He might be one of those offering a 30-percent cut in drug operations,” he said. Dela Rosa identified Sy as one of the "big-time"players in the illegal drug trade in the country. Sy is included in PDEA's list of drug personalities. The Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs closed the investigation on the alleged cover-up of high-ranking police officials and officers on the P6.7-billion Manila drug buy-bust operation on Tuesday. Dela Rosa said he is willing to reopen the case if Sy will surface and will testify about the involvement of police officers in illegal drug activities. The panel will now start crafting the committee reports, Dela Rosa added. At least three PNP officials, including Ibañez, Lt.Col Glenn Gonzales and MSgt. Lorenzo Catarata, are still detained in the Senate after being cited for contempt. The post Dela Rosa calls on a ‘Mike Sy’ to surface, divulge illegal drug trade appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Japan okays GPS tracking for bail after Ghosn case
Japan on Wednesday enacted a law authorizing courts to use GPS for tracking defendants on bail, a measure pushed for after the dramatic 2019 escape of former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn. The revised criminal proceedings law approved Wednesday will enable courts to order the placement of GPS devices on defendants to prevent them from fleeing Japan. The defendants will be banned from removing or destroying the trackers, and prohibited from entering areas designated by courts as off-limits, such as ports and airports. Violations could incur detention and imprisonment of up to a year. Calls for GPS monitoring, common in many countries for those on bail or under house arrest, followed Ghosn's escape from Japan after he was smuggled onto a private plane in a large musical equipment case. Ghosn, who was arrested in November 2018, fled while on bail, facing financial misconduct charges that he denied. He remains an international fugitive. The incident left Japanese officials red-faced and ignited scrutiny of what some saw as security shortcomings. The GPS surveillance introduced by the new bill can only be ordered to prevent the possibility of international bail-jumping. The post Japan okays GPS tracking for bail after Ghosn case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Moscow slams US after Russian journalists denied visas for UN visit
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sunday said Moscow "will not forgive" Washington for denying US visas to Russian journalists meant to accompany him on a visit to UN headquarters. "We won't forget, we will not forgive this," said Lavrov, who will chair several UN Security Council meetings in New York. Russia took up the presidency of the UN Security Council in April despite the Ukraine offensive, which Kyiv said was "a slap in the face". Lavrov denounced a "stupid" failure of the United States to give visas to Russian journalists. "A country that calls itself the strongest, smartest, freest, and fairest, chickened out," Lavrov said. He added this "showed the worth of their solemn assurances on freedom of speech." Since the beginning of the offensive, Moscow has strongly tightened conditions to obtain the accreditations needed to get journalist visas in Russia. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned of more retaliatory steps. "We will find formats to respond to this so that the Americans remember for a long time that such things must not be done," Ryabkov was cited as saying by state-run news agencies. RIA Novosti also cited a diplomatic source saying that, following the incident, "American journalists will experience all the discomfort and inconvenience." Last month US journalist Evan Gershkovich was arrested in Russia on claims of espionage. The US journalist, his publication, and officials strongly denied the allegations. Gershkovich, who has also worked for AFP, is the first foreign journalist arrested on spying allegations since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The diplomatic source cited by RIA Novosti said the incident over visas proved Washington's "imaginary concern" for Gershkovich. "Otherwise, they would not treat Russian journalists like this," the source said. The post Moscow slams US after Russian journalists denied visas for UN visit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
UP Maskom calls for release of student arrested at US Embassy protest
The protesters rallied in front of the embassy early Tuesday morning against the continued presence of US trooops in the Philippines on the first day of the 2023 Balikatan exercises — the biggest since the war games have been held......»»
UN says prominent Afghan girls’ education advocate arrested in Kabul
The UN Mission to Afghanistan 'calls on the de facto authorities to clarify his whereabouts, the reasons for his arrest, and to ensure his access to legal representation and contact with family'.....»»
Rights group calls on courts to release sick and elderly political prisoners
According to Karapatan, these political prisoners were wrongfully arrested and rights have been violated in the course of their arrest. The post Rights group calls on courts to release sick and elderly political prisoners appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
A year since her arrest, calls to free detained dev’t worker Sally Ujano continue
Human rights workers and the relatives of detained development worker Ma. Salome “Sally” Ujano have renewed their calls for her release, nearly a year since she was arrested and detained based on trumped-up cases. The post A year since her arrest, calls to free detained dev’t worker Sally Ujano continue appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Barangay league calls for due process in arrests
The Philippine National Police assured the public yesterday that it will uphold the rights of people, including barangay captains, who are arrested for quarantine violations......»»
Sri Lankan Muslim leader arrested under anti-terror laws
Sri Lankan police arrested a top Muslim politician on allegations of supporting Islamic extremism on Tuesday, days after the government invoked new regulations to combat what it calls religious radicalisation......»»
EU, Germany, Britain pressure Belarus on snatched opposition figure
The European Union on Monday led calls for Belarus to immediately release over 600 people arrested for protesting against a controversial election that extended strongman Alexander Lukashenko's 26 years in power......»»