News Roundup 29 October 2022
Oct 29, 2022 • 6 min Read
NDRRMC recommends national state of calamity due to ‘Paeng’ | PHILSTAR.COM – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council is recommending for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare a national state of calamity for up to a year due to the impacts of Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (international name: Nalgae). A declaration of a state of calamity will trigger a price freeze and will allow the release of emergency funds. The NDRRMC made this recommendation during a situation briefing on Saturday presided over by Marcos, noting that 16 of 17 regions in the country are at “high risk” due to the cyclone. Marcos initially appeared hesitant, remarking that “there are areas that are not in a state of calamity,” but eventually said that he will look into the proposal. “Sabagay, madaming regions ang affected, ano? (Anyway, a lot of regions are affected.) That already justifies for state of calamity,” he said. According to disaster officials, at least 45 people have died due to rains brought by Paeng which triggered massive flooding and landslides across many parts of the country. Most of the fatalities came from the southern Philippines, which is not directly in the path of the storm but nonetheless felt its wrath. In recent years, flash floods with mud and debris from largely deforested mountainsides have been among the deadliest hazards posed by typhoons in the Philippines. Flooding was also reported in several areas of the central Philippines, though there were no deaths reported there. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 major storms each year that kill hundreds of people and keep vast regions in perpetual poverty. Scientists have warned that such storms, which also kill livestock and destroy key infrastructure, are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.
‘Middleman’ in Lapid slay died from suffocation by plastic bag, second autopsy reveals | PHILSTAR.COM – One of the alleged middlemen in the killing of broadcaster Percy Lapid “died from suffocation by means of a plastic bag over his head,” according to results of the second autopsy performed Wednesday by top forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun. “The autopsy findings showed no gross morphologic cause of death and this is consistent with the reported asphyxia,” read a portion of Fortun’s autopsy report on the body of alleged middleman Jun Villamor released Saturday. “Based on available information regarding the circumstances surrounding death, the manner is homicide,” the report read further, which was posted on the Facebook page of the Department of Justice. Fortun’s findings are in contrast with the first autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation, which found no signs of external injuries and reinforced the initial findings of the Bureau of Corrections that there was no foul play involved in the death of Villamor. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla dismissed the disparity between the two autopsy reports, saying that Fortun was given information that was not available earlier. Fortun said that she herself was about to conclude that Villamor died of “undetermined” causes as she found that “he was not sick of something serious” and also saw “no significant injuries.” “However, information trickled in, I noted it here, and this is very important that he had an inkling that he was in danger. And true enough, short after, he died,” Fortun said at a press conference discussing her findings. She added, “This sense, this feeling of impending death actually was transmitted to someone and this information is credible. So I have to consider that.” She also said that she received an account from an individual, later revealed by Remulla to be a detainee, which explained how he died. “There’s an account of someone now explaining how he died. And I remember Secretary Remulla asking me, ‘Plastic bag?’ And I said, ‘Pwede. Actually, pwedeng pwede. (It’s possible. Actually, very possible.)’” Fortun said. Other findings in Fortun’s report include pulmonary congestion, edema and hemorrhages, a parasitic infection of the liver, and a puncture mark on Villamor’s right hand. A toxicology examination also revealed methamphetamine in Villamor’s urine, indicating that illegal drugs continue to flow into the national penitentiary. Remulla said there are seven people under custody in relation to the death of Villamor whom he said can confirm that the alleged middleman was killed while he was detained in the New Bilibid Prison. “Ang pagkamatay po ni Jun Villamor ay hindi po aksidente. Hindi po atake na natural, ngunit isa pong pinagplanuhan na kamatayan,” Remulla said. (The death of Jun Villamor is not an accident. It was not due to natural causes, but a planned killing.) Villamor was identified by alleged gunman Joel Escorial as the middleman who ordered the hit on Lapid. Villamor died on the same day that Escorial was presented by authorities to the press after he surrendered. After his death, authorities said there was a second middleman under the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology who was later identified as Christopher Bacoto.
‘I’m not that optimistic’: Percy Lapid’s brother fears justice will be elusive | INQUIRER.NET – “It’s like watching a telenovela.” This is what veteran journalist Roy Mabasa said of the twists and turns in the case of his murdered brother, broadcaster Percival “Percy Lapid” Mabasa that succeeded only in confusing the public. Mabasa however fears that when the story dies down, justice for his brother’s death will also die with it. “It’s like watching a telenovela. We were also shocked because yung development was so fast. So many characters appearing all of a sudden. We’re also confused, and even the public is too. If that was the intention of those people behind it, I could say that they’re succeeding in as far as confusing the public is concerned,” he said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, for an INQside Look interview on Friday. Mabasa said that at this point in his brother’s murder case, he is not that confident that justice will soon be served. “I can frankly tell you, I’m not that optimistic with the way I think I see things going on right now. I’m not that optimistic. But you know, since we said from the very start that we are willing to go through the process. This is the process, and we have no choice but to cooperate with the government or else all of us will just pack our bags and leave,” he bared. But Mabasa noted that their family is committed to seek justice for his murdered brother. “What is important in seeking justice is not about being hasty. It needs a lot of patience, courage,” he said. “Iyon iyong ipinapakita namin muna in the meantime. Pero darating din siguro iyong punto na magsasalita kami if we really do not like what we are seeing already. So far naman, meron pa naman semblance of justice that we are looking at but marami na din na mga lapses na kaming nakikita.” (That’s what we’re showing in the meantime but time may come when we’d be pushed to speak up about it if we really do not like what we are seeing already. But so far, there’s still a semblance of justice in what we are looking at but we’re also seeing a lot of lapses.) Mabasa also vowed to give his brother’s death closure to the very end.
