News Roundup 19 February 2023
Feb 19, 2023 • 4 min Read
IPU renews call for De Lima’s release | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) called for the release of former Senator Leila de Lima, saying that it is “ever more convinced” that her detainment stemmed from her opposition to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
The IPU made the call in a decision adopted by its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians during its 170th session from Jan. 21 to Feb.2 in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the decision, the committee expressed “grave concern” that De Lima continues to be detained even after the key witness against her, Kerwin Espisona, stated that he was forced by former executive authorities to testify against her.
“[The committee] Is ever more convinced that the steps taken against Ms. de Lima came in response to her vocal opposition to the way in which the then President Duterte was waging a war on drugs, including her denunciation of his alleged responsibility for extrajudicial killings,” the decision read.
It then pointed out the “inexplicable length” of the criminal proceedings against De Lima with “no clear end in sight.”
Full Story at: IPU renews call for De Lima’s release | Inquirer News
Aparri vice mayor, 5 others killed in Nueva Vizcaya ambush INQUIRER.NET – BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The vice mayor of Aparri in Cagayan and five of his companions were shot and killed by unidentified men clad in police uniforms and riding in a government car in Bagabag town in Nueva Vizcaya on Sunday.
Nueva Vizcaya police information officer Major Jolly Villar said in a phone interview that Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda, who is serving his third term as vice mayor, and five of his aides and companions were traveling in a Hyundai Starex van on their way to Aparri when they were waylaid by the gunmen in Sitio (sub-village) Kinacao in Barangay (village) Baretbet at 8:45 a.m.
Investigations revealed that the suspects were wearing police uniforms with masks and were using a white Mitsubishi Adventure with a red license plate number SFN 713, indicating that it was a government car.
The killers allegedly barricaded the section of street in front of MV Duque Elementary School in Baretbet. When Alameda’s car arrived, they peppered the vehicle with bullets.
The vice mayor and his companions died on the spot but were still taken to the Region 2 Trauma and Medical Center where they were declared dead on arrival. The report did not identify the names of the vice mayor’s companions.
The killers later fled going to Solano area.
Dodot Jaworski stands in for ill-stricken dad in Toyota reunion | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Robert Jaworski Sr., may have been understandably absent due to illness in Toyota’s golden anniversary but his son, Dodot Jaworski Jr., made sure his presence was felt — as if “The Big J” was also in the nostalgic air with the Tamaraws in their rare journey back in time.
Serving as representation of his father, Dodot who’s also the vice mayor in Pasig City, recollected accounts of Sonny to his Toyota brothers 50 years after they started in 1973 in what shaped up to be one of the country’s most iconic basketball franchises.
“My dad wanted so much to be here. Gusto sana ng aking ama na makarating at makadaupang palad ‘yung kanyang mga dating kasamahan kaso medyo may kahinaan pa siya. May iba pa namang pagkakataon kaya please, include my dad in your prayers,” said Dodot.
Full Story at: Dodot Jaworski stands in for ill-stricken dad in Toyota reunion | Philstar.com
Team Lakay rides on Kingad for optimistic start to 2023 | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Famed MMA Baguio stable Team Lakay will be looking to have a winning start to the year as Danny Kingad opens the action for the gym in ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs Andrade in Bangkok on February 25.
After a mixed bag of results for Team Lakay in ONE Championship’s return to Manila last December in ONE 164, Kingad will hope to give him and his stablemates a step in the right direction with his bout against Indonesia’s Eko Roni Saputra.
Kingad, an erstwhile contender for the flyweight crown, will collide against a streaking Saputra who is riding a seven-bout win streak.
Despite Kingad himself coming off from a long layoff — and a loss at that — in his last fight back in December 2021, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao believes that his ward is ripe for a victory against the Indonesian.
Full Story at: Team Lakay rides on Kingad for optimistic start to 2023 | Philstar.com
