News Roundup 06 October 2023
Oct 06, 2023 • 4 min Read
Palparan acquitted on kidnapping, illegal detention charges | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:59 p.m.) — Retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan has been acquitted by the Malolos Regional Trial Court Branch 19 on charges of kidnapping, serious illegal detention, and serious physical injuries.
The charges had been brought against him a decade ago by farmers Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo.
Accompanied by their legal representatives from the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and the parents of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, the Manalo brothers were shocked by the unexpected verdict.
NUPL, who have been advocating for the Manalo brothers, expressed their disbelief at the court’s decision, calling it “unbelievable.”
“It would be tremendously difficult to explain to the Manalo brothers, the parents of still missing Karen and Sherryl and countless others he had red-tagged and victimized how they cannot seek legal redress despite the ‘credible, categorical and convincing’ accounts that even the appellate courts have priorly established,” Edre Olalia, chairman of the National Union of People’s Lawyers said in a statement.
“It is even a huge challenge to make sense of how he can be earlier convicted mainly on the basis of the testimony of the same witness survivor by one court and years later would be acquitted on the same testimony in a separate case brought by the same said witness survivor in another court,” the statement added.
The legal dispute centers on Raymond Manalo’s testimony during the kidnapping case of Cadapan and Empeño, which initially led to Palparan’s conviction.
Full Story at: Palparan acquitted on kidnapping, illegal detention charges | Philstar.com
Romualdez defends House decision to strip Sara of confidential funds | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez has denied any form of politicking in the lower chamber’s decision to realign the confidential and intelligence funds sought by Vice President Sara Duterte’s two agencies.
Defending the House’s decision to transfer the P650 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education combined, Romualdez said that he believes there is “too much speculation” over the move.
A political rift between the two ranking officials and UniTeam allies became apparent in May when Duterte resigned from Lakas-CMD following the demotion of Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo from senior deputy speaker to deputy speaker. Macapagal-Arroyo — former president and an elder at the ruling Lakas-CMD party — is regarded as Duterte’s political mentor.
At the time, Romualdez’s allies had rushed to declare their support for the leader due to rumors that an ouster was being planned from his position.
Political tensions flared anew between the two ranking officials in June after Duterte made a wisecrack at a public event when she refused to mention the maiden name of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., which is Romualdez.
Romualdez insisted during the press conference that the removal of the CIFs from the budget had followed regular congressional deliberations.
A “small committee” at the lower chamber is currently tasked with realigning CIFs in the proposed 2024 budget to agencies tasked with the defense of the West Philippine Sea.
Full Story at: Romualdez defends House decision to strip Sara of confidential funds | Philstar.com
CAAP: All commercial airports on heightened alert following bomb threat | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Commercial airports across the country are placed on heightened alert after the Air Traffic Service (ATS) received a bomb threat via electronic mail (email) on Friday.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the email claimed that aircraft from Manila, going to Puerto Princesa, Mactan-Cebu, Bicol, and Davao international airports would be set off by a bomb.
The CAAP immediately put all 42 commercial airports in the country on heightened alert and ordered the deployment of additional security personnel.
Full Story at: CAAP: All commercial airports on heightened alert following bomb threat | Inquirer News
Sara Duterte urged to release SALN | INQUIRER.NET –MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was urged to release her Statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) from her time as Davao City mayor and her current post as the second highest official of the land.
In a letter received by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Thursday and made public on Friday, lawyer Dino de Leon made the request in line with Republic Act No. 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.”
“I am writing to make a Freedom of Information request specifically for the complete and full disclosure of your Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth so far fled by you as then mayor of Davao City and now Vice President,” De Leon said in his letter.
Other than Duterte’s SALN, De Leon also said that the public has to know the financial and business interests of her spouse and underaged children.
Full Story at: Sara Duterte urged to release SALN | Inquirer News
