News Roundup 08 May 2023
May 08, 2023 • 4 min Read
Muntinlupa court defers bail ruling on de Lima’s case | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court did not rule on detained former senator Leila de Lima’s bid to be released on bail, her lawyer said on Monday.
Atty. Bonifacio Tacardon said Muntinlupa RTC Branch 256 Presiding Judge Romeo Buenaventura opted to first resolve the formal offer of evidence before issuing a ruling on the bail petition.
With the deferred ruling on the bail plea, if Muntinlupa RTC Branch 204 Presiding Judge Joseph Abrahan Alcantara acquits de Lima on her other drug case on May 12, de Lima will remain in detention.
“Sabi ni Judge, kailangan muna maresolba ang formal offer of evidence bago mag rule. Since may pending petition for bail pa si Sen.de Lima, if may ruling sa May 12 and assuming it will be in her favor, hindi pa muna siya makakalaya,” Tacardon told reporters.
[The judge said he would rule first on the formal offer of evidence before coming up with a ruling. Since Sen.de Lima has a pending petition for bail, if there is a ruling on May 12, and assuming it will be in her favor, she will not be released immediately.]
“Our fingers remain crossed, and we continue to pray for justice and truth to prevail. We’re hoping it will not be months pero hopefully, the bail petition will be resolved before the next hearing in June,” he said.
Full Story at: Muntinlupa court defers bail ruling on de Lima’s case | Inquirer News
Napolcom to Marcos: Accept courtesy resignation of 4 police officers, further probe of 32 others | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has recommended to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to accept the courtesy resignations of two police generals and two colonels and the further investigation of 32 other officers, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said on Monday.
Last April 25, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced that 917 of the 953 senior police officers had been cleared by the five-member team tasked to assess the officials’ alleged links to illegal drugs.
The remaining 36 were subjected to further investigation by Napolcom.
Aside from accepting the courtesy resignation of four police officials, Abalos revealed that Napolcom also recommended the rejecting the resignations of 917 officers.
“The Advisory Group recommended the following: non-acceptance of the resignations of 917 officers; further investigation of 32 other officers; and acceptance of the courtesy resignations and the filing of administrative and or criminal cases against four officers, specifically two generals and two colonels,” Abalos said in a press briefing held at Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) – Napolcom center in Quezon City.
Full Story at: Napolcom to Marcos: Accept courtesy resignation of 4 police officers, further probe of 32 others | Inquirer News
DOH logs 9,465 COVID-19 cases, up 112% in first week of May | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — New COVID-19 cases in the Philippines jumped 112% in the first week of May, with the Department of Health reporting 9,465 additional infections.
In a bulletin issued Monday, the DOH said an average of 1,352 cases a day were recorded in the past week. Of the additional cases, 50 were severe and critical.
There were 410 patients in severe and critical conditions, which accounted for 8.2% of the total COVID-19 admissions in the country.
The Philippines had 11,408 COVID-19 active cases as of Sunday.
Full Story at: DOH logs 9,465 COVID-19 cases, up 112% in first week of May | Philstar.com
Navy names new missile-capable patrol boats after Marine Corps ‘heroes’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The two new missile-capable Shaldag Mk. V patrol boats of the Philippine Navy have been renamed after Philippine Marine Corps officers who died while in service.
“Similar with their predecessors in the Acero-class Patrol Gunboats of the Fleet’s Littoral Combat Force, the two new platforms are now bearing the names of Philippine Marine Corps heroes, BRP Gener Tinangag (PG903) and BRP Domingo Deluana (PG905),” Lt. Giovanni Badidles, Philippine Fleet spokesperson, said in a statement Monday.
The Philippine Navy christened the two recently-delivered Fast Attack Interdiction Craft-missiles (FAIC) and the newly-upgraded shipbuilding center in Cavite, which is a project done to complement the navy’s FAIC Acquisition Project with Israel Shipyard, Inc.
The shipyard will be home to three FAIC platforms. The Philippines acquired nine from Israel Shipyards.
PG903 is named after Lance Cpl. Gener Tinangag, who was the assistant rifleman during the Battle of Marawi in 2017. He rescued four fellow wounded marines and found the body of late first Lt. John Frederick Savellano.
Tinangag later died of an enemy sniper shot to his stomach.
Meanwhile, PG905 is named after late Sgt. Domingo Deluana, who died in a blast during an RPG blast in 2000 while fighting against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mindanao. Deluana was then engaged in suppressive fire to assist medical evacuation efforts.
Both Tinangag and Deluana received posthumously the Medal of Valor, the highest award given to military personnel for exhibiting courage.
Navy names new missile-capable patrol boats after Marine Corps ‘heroes’ | Philstar.com
