News Roundup 01 December 2021
Dec 01, 2021 • 4 min Read
BuCor confirms death of killer cop Nuezca | PHILSTAR.COM – The Bureau of Corrections has confirmed the death of former cop Jonel Nuezca, who was convicted for the killing of a mother and son in Tarlac in December 2020. BuCor spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag said Nuezca was walking outside his dormitory building at the New Bilibid Prison on Tuesday night when he collapsed. He was pronounced dead on 6:44 p.m., November 30, Chaclag added. He also said that the cause of death is still unknown and his body will be autopsied. “Investigation ongoing to determine if there is foul play in the incident,” the BuCor spokesperson added.
First murder rap readied vs law enforcers over ‘Bloody Sunday’ raids | PHILSTAR.COM – The task force investigating politically-motivated killings is set to file murder complaints over the killing of activist Manny Asuncion, the first criminal rap to be filed against law enforcers following the probe into the “Bloody Sunday” raids in March. “In the case of the death of Emmanuel Asuncion, the [Administrative Order 35] Special Investigating Team has recommended the filing of murder [raps] against certain law enforcement agents involved in the incident,” Guevarra said Wednesday. The justice chief clarified that the complaint over the killing of Asuncion, BAYAN-Cavite coordinator, will still have to undergo preliminary investigation, where the law enforcers will have the opportunity to file their counter-affidavits. Eight months since the incident, this complaint is the first complaint to be filed following the AO 35 investigation into raids in Calabarzon that left nine activists dead. The police said there was a chase from his house in Rosario, Cavite to the office of the Workers’ Assistance Center in Dasmariñas, Cavite, but Kilusang Mayo Uno chairperson Elmer Labog and Defend Southern Tagalog’s Charmane Maranan refuted this.
PNP now accepting applications for election gun ban exemption | INQUIRER.NET – The Philippine National Police (PNP) has started accepting applications for exemption to the election gun ban in preparation for the 2022 national and local elections. In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said the PNP would assist the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in processing the Certifications of Authority that would be filed, by providing an assessment of the level of threat that an aspirant may face. “The PNP will assist in the issuance of threat assessment and will endorse the approval to grant to application, through the Joint Security and Control Center (JSCC), if it is deemed urgent and necessary,” Carlos said on Tuesday. According to PNP’s Public Information Office (PNP-PIO), under Comelec Resolution No. 10728, the gun ban and the removal of security detail would run from January 9, 2022, to June 8, 2022 or after the May 9 elections.
Army foils NPA’s planned attack to military base in Iloilo; 8 rebels dead | Manila Bulletin – At least eight suspected communist rebels were killed in an early morning firefight between the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) and New People’s Army (NPA) in Miag-ao, Iloilo on Wednesday, Dec. 1 Major Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 3ID, said that civilians spotted around 50 to 70 armed men gathered in a mountainous and forested area in Barangay Alimodias around 6 a.m. He said it turns out that the NPAs were planning their tactical offensives to a military patrol base in the barangay ahead of the 53rd founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26. The civilians reported the presence of the armed men to the 3ID, prompting Arevalo to deploy troops from the 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) under the command of Lt. Col. Harold Garcia and 301st Infantry Battalion (301IB) under the command of Brig. Gen. Marion Sison. “Our troops had an encounter with the enemies and then after the exchange of fire, the initial report is that there were eight NPAs killed,” Arevalo said. “They (NPAs) are planning to attack a nearby detachment in Miag-ao and the troops were able to prevent the conduct of the tactical offensives,” he added. Initial reports also indicated that there was no casualty on the part of the military, Arevalo said. “The firefight was intermitent and sporadic. It was a running gunbattle so up to 12 noon, I think there were still firefights,” he noted. Aside from the bodies of the slain enemies, the troops also recovered three M16 rifles, an AK47 rifle, four landmines, and a grenade.
