News Roundup 15 March 2023
Mar 15, 2023 • 3 min Read
Rep. Teves, 2 sons face criminal raps over loose firearms, explosives | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has filed criminal complaints against Rep. Arnolfo “Arnie” Teves Jr. and his two sons over loose firearms seized in the house of the lawmaker.
PNP Col. Jean Fajardo, spokesperson of the agency, said in a streamed press conference that the complaint was filed before the Department of Justice on Wednesday afternoon.
Fajardo said the complaints are for illegal possession of firearms, and of explosives.
The PNP spokesperson said that they have secured ten search warrants for different properties in Negros Oriental province. The complaint filed before the DOJ this afternoon stemmed from the search warrant implemented in Teves’ house in Bayawan “where [we] seized high-caliber unlicensed firearms and explosives.”
Fajardo said the lawmaker and his sons will undergo preliminary investigation.
Full Story at: Rep. Teves, 2 sons face criminal raps over loose firearms, explosives | Philstar.com
Groups score NTF-ELCAC for equating human rights work with terrorism | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Human rights groups have scored the government’s anti-communist task force for trying to derail the passage of the Human Rights Defenders bill at the House of Representatuves by implying the proposal’s supporters are participants in the communist armed struggle.
In separate statements on Monday, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates and Task Force Detainees of the Philippines hit the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict for accusing legal human rights groups of being communist sympathizers in its attempt to drum up opposition to House Bill 77.
Representatives from the NTF-ELCAC, including Assistant Solicitor General Angelita Villanueva Miranda, criticized HB 77 during a press conference on Monday, claiming it would give unjustified protections to human rights defenders, whom the task force conflated with terrorists, criminals and other enemies of the state.
In doing so, the task force also “accused and disseminated malicious and libelous claims that PAHRA is affiliated with Communist Terrorist Groups” — the government term for the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front — while “red-tagging other long-standing defenders of human rights,” the rights groups said.
Full Story at: Groups score NTF-ELCAC for equating human rights work with terrorism | Philstar.com
DOJ indicts Bantag, others for murder of Percy Lapid | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicted suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag and several others over the October 2022 killing of radio broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa and the alleged murder plot “middleman,” New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Cristito “Jun Villamor” Palaña.
A March 9 resolution approved by Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento found probable cause to charge Bantag and his former deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta with murder on two counts; they were named “principals by inducement” in the killings that took place about two weeks apart.
For Lapid’s death, the panel found probable cause to indict confessed gunman Joel Escorial and his alleged accomplices Israel Dimaculangan, Edmon Dimaculangan, and one alias “Orly” as principals by direct participation.
Full Story at: DOJ indicts Bantag, others for murder of Percy Lapid | Inquirer News
DOJ prosecutors indict 7 fratmen tagged in Salilig’s death | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecutors have indicted seven Tau Gamma Phi fraternity members who were linked to the death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig.
They were also being indicted for the injuries sustained by Roi Osmond dela Cruz, a neophyte who was also purportedly subjected to the fraternity hazing.
The DOJ prosecutors specifically indicted Earl Anthony Osita Romero, Tung Cheng Benitez Ten, Jerome Ochoco Balot, Sandro Dasalla Victorino, Michael Lambert Alcazar Ricalde, Mark Muñoz Pedrosa, and Daniel delos Reyes Perry for Salilig’s death and dela Cruz’s injuries.
They will be facing cases for violating the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 before the Regional Trial Court of Biñan City in Laguna.
Full Story at: DOJ prosecutors indict 7 fratmen tagged in Salilig’s death | Inquirer News
