News Roundup 29 July 2023
Jul 29, 2023 • 4 min Read
‘Binaril kahit patay na’: Ericson Acosta’s autopsy report raises doubts on AFP’s encounter narrative | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — An autopsy report on the slain peasant organizer and NDFP consultant Ericson Acosta was presented Saturday, fueling more questions whether or not an encounter between him and the military happened before his death.
Forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun in a press conference revealed that Ericson was shot in the front and the back, leading activists to ask if there was even an active shootout. Fatal shots to the chest were also observed.
“He had a lot of laceracions on the lungs, and a lot of hemorrhages in the chest and that’s what killed him,” said Fortun.
“Dinaplisan ‘yung pericardium which is the covering of the heart pero hindi tinamaan ‘yung heart. Tapos ito ‘yung very severe… basag ‘yung L1 [and] L2 which is a very thick bone.”
“Pati ‘yung spinal cord sa loob. May aorta doon ha, tinamaan din. But surprisingly, walang hemorrhage. So what does that mean? Hindi na siya nagbi-bleed at that time.”
The forensic pathologist noted that dead bodies usually do not develop hemorrhages, leading groups to think that Acosta was shot even after his death.
Full Story at: ‘Binaril kahit patay na’: Ericson Acosta’s autopsy report raises doubts on AFP’s encounter narrative | Philstar.com
NPAs in southern Tagalog refuse Marcos’ amnesty offer, to continue revolution | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — No member of the communist led New People’s Army (NPA) in southern Tagalog will surrender their arms in exchange of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s amnesty — a pardon commonly given to people with political offenses.
Armando Cienfuego, spokesperson of the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Regional Operational Command (Melito Glor Command) had this to say on Friday, a few days after Marcos announced that he will issue a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees.
“The illegimiate US-Marcos-Duterte regime is dreaming if it thinks that NPA units would actually consider his amnesty offer [mentioned in his second State of the Nation Address],” Cienfuego said in a statement in Filipino.
“No member of NPA-ST will accept the amnesty offer in exchange of giving up the revolution. The red fighters firmly embrace the iron discipline of the NPA and truly believe its soundness.”
The NPA, led by the Communist Party of the Philippines, have been waging an armed struggle since 1969 against foreign subjugation, landlessness and government corruption in the hopes of establishing a Maoist-inspired socialist republic.
While it had earlier been designated as a “terrorist” organization by the Anti-Terorism Council in December 2020, the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 dismissed petitions to outlaw the CPP-NPA as a terrorist entity.
Full Story at: NPAs in southern Tagalog refuse Marcos’ amnesty offer, to continue revolution | Philstar.com
Bishops told not to hold rites on Lipa ‘apparitions’ | INQUIRER.NET –Citing the advice from the Vatican, the head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has asked fellow prelates to refrain from holding any commemoration of the so-called Marian apparitions in Lipa, Batangas province, whose 75th anniversary would come next month.
CBCP President and Caloocan Bishop Pablo David issued the reminder to Lipa City Archbishop Gilbert Garcera and other prelates in his Circular No. 23-04.
Dated July 14, the circular was posted on the CBCP website apparently in anticipation of any commemorative event that would be mounted in August by those who believe accounts about the series of Marian apparitions to a Carmelite novice in Lipa in 1948.
Full Story at: Bishops told not to hold rites on Lipa ‘apparitions’ | Inquirer News
Binangonan Mayor: PCG shares blame for Egay boat disaster | INQUIRER.NET – Mayor Cesar Ynares of Binangonan, Rizal, on Friday said both the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the operator of a motorized banca should be held responsible for the deaths of 27 people after the boat capsized and sank shortly after leaving the lakeshore town.
The MB Aya Express, which was previously identified as Princess Aya, was overloaded and the coast guard station commander and another officer were relieved from their posts on Friday.
“We already warned them not to allow overloading in their passenger boats because it is dangerous, but they still did it,” Ynares said in a radio interview.
PCG Commandant Adm. Artemio Abu said he had ordered “a fair, honest and transparent investigation” of the accident.
Full Story at: Binangonan Mayor: PCG shares blame for Egay boat disaster | Inquirer News
