News Roundup 27 July 2023
Jul 27, 2023 • 4 min Read
Effects of climate change increasing in Asia, WMO says | INQUIRER.NET – GENEVA — Extreme weather events ranging from droughts to large-scale floods and other effects of climate change are on the rise in Asia and bound to affect food security and the continent’s ecosystems, the World Meteorological Organization said.
In a report published on Thursday, WMO said Asia was the world’s most disaster-impacted region, with 81 weather, climate and water-related disasters recorded last year, the majority of which were floods and storms.
It said these calamities had directly affected more than 50 million people and caused more than 5,000 deaths.
These included floods from record monsoon rains in Pakistan and glacial melt that killed more than 1,500 people, inundating swathes of the country and washing away homes and transportation infrastructure.
China, in turn, suffered drought, which affected the power supply and the availability of water.
The WMO report also highlighted that most glaciers the High-Mountain Asia region had loss significant mass as a result of warm and dry conditions in 2022.
“This will have major implications for future food and water security and ecosystems,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.
Missing Bilibid inmate’s decapitated remains found — DOJ | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — The beheaded remains of a missing New Bilibid Prisons inmate have been found, the Department of Justice said on Thursday.
DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said search teams found the headless body of inmate as Michael Angelo Cataroja, who was reported missing on July 15.
“Nahanap ang PDL pero decapitated na. The search went on doon sa septic tank. Yung ulo ang hinahanap sa septic tank, pero ang [katawan] nya ay nahanap na ‘yan sa Sputnik compound,” said Remulla in an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source.
(The PDL was found but he was already decapitated. The search went on in the septic tank. The head was searched for in the septic tank, but his body was found in the Sputnik compound.)
“Marami raw utang yan. Tiyaka parang feeble-minded… medyo may diperensya na sa pag-iisip,” Remulla said, when asked for the possible motive behind the beheading.
(He supposedly had a lot of debt. And he seemed to have a mental illness.)
Full Story at: Missing Bilibid inmate’s decapitated remains found — DOJ | Inquirer News
Manila court dismisses all charges vs Nasino, 2 others | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Reina Mae Nasino, an activist whose three-month-old child died while she was in detention, has been acquitted of all charges related to illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 47 issued a resolution on July 17, granting the acquittal of Nasino and two other companions, namely Ram Carlo Bautista and Alma Moran, due to insufficient evidence.
The resolution was made publicly available on Thursday.
Presiding Judge John Benedict Medina dismissed all charges because of the prosecution’s failure to prove the accused’s guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
“The Court hereby grants the Joint Motion for Reconsideration filed by accused Ram Carlo Bautista y Paculba, Alma Moran y Estrada and Reina Mae Nasino y Asis. … [T]he demurrer to evidence is hereby granted for insufficiency of evidence,” the decision read.
Full Story at: Manila court dismisses all charges vs Nasino, 2 others | Philstar.com
PNP seeks Palace clarification on resignation of 18 officials | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is unsure whether it should remove from posts or from the organization 18 police officials whose courtesy resignations over alleged drug ties were recently accepted by President Marcos.
The PNP will request a meeting with Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on the issue, according to PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.
“I am hoping that this would be scheduled the soonest because we want a closure on this,” Acorda said at a press briefing at Camp Crame on Wednesday.
The 18 high-ranking PNP officers resigned pending the National Police Commission (Napolcom)’s investigation into the suspected illegal drug trade involvement of 953 law enforcers.
Acorda said he requested an official copy of Marcos’ directive “to know how it is worded.”
The STAR sought comments from three of the 18 PNP officials, but they did not respond.
Among the 18 PNP officials who resigned, three are generals while the rest are colonels.
Full Story at: PNP seeks Palace clarification on resignation of 18 officials | Philstar.com
