dmorcoso

South African woman caught with 2 kg of shabu charged

 News
Apr 182013
 
South African woman caught with 2 kg of shabu charged

By Erika Sauler Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:14 pm | Thursday, April 18th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—A South African woman, who was arrested last week by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation, was charged in a Manila regional trial court with illegal transport of more than two kilograms of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride). The NBI Reaction, Arrest and Interdiction Division filed the complaint against Caroline Mmantoa Obijiofor, 50, a resident of the Republic of South Africa, after 940 grams of yellowish crystalline substance and 1.295 kg of white crystalline substance found in her possession tested positive for the dangerous substance. Agents of the NBI-RAID Anti-Illegal Drugs Task Force acted on intelligence information that Obijiofor would be entering the country on April 10 to transport illegal drugs to another African national. Upon confirming her arrival through a flight manifest, NBI agents followed Obijiofor from the airport to a hotel in Malate, Manila, where a room was reserved and paid for by another person. As the events matched the received information, an NBI agent introduced himself to Obijiofor and asked if the brown traveling bag she was carrying was hers. She said the clothes were hers but the luggage was provided by a group of men in Abedian, Africa. Obijiofor agreed to a search after canine dogs sniffed the bag and indicated the presence of illegal drugs. Two rectangular boxes containing the crystalline substances wrapped in plastic and blue carbon paper were found in the bag. Obijiofor was arrested and charged with violation of Read More …

PH to probe ‘secret’ Marcos offshore trust

 News
Apr 042013
 
PH to probe ‘secret’ Marcos offshore trust

Agence France-Presse 5:15 pm | Thursday, April 4th, 2013 Imee Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine government said Thursday it planned to investigate an allegation that the eldest daughter of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was the beneficiary of a secret offshore trust. A report published by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) alleged Imee Marcos, 57, now a provincial governor, had failed to declare the British Virgin Islands trust as legally required. Andres Bautista, head of a presidential body tasked to recover the billions of dollars the Marcos family stole from government coffers during the patriarch’s 20-year rule, told AFP his office would look into the allegations. “We are duty bound to investigate and, depending upon informed preliminary findings, decide whether to pursue the matter,” Bautista said. A popular uprising topped Marcos in 1986, and he died in US exile three years later. His famously extravagant wife, Imelda, has always denied she and her husband were corrupt. The Presidential Commission on Good Government, which Bautista heads, has recovered $4 billion in assets that the Marcos illegally acquired, including from Swiss bank accounts and US properties. But Bautista told AFP in January that, with Imee, Imelda and Ferdinand Jr. having re-established political influence in the Philippines, the commission was considering giving up on the chase for the billions more believed to be hidden. “It’s been 26 years and people you are after are back in power. At some point, you just have to say, ‘We’ve done our best’, and Read More …

Philippines to keep its UN forces in Golan Heights

 News
Mar 142013
 
Philippines to keep its UN forces in Golan Heights

Agence France-Presse 4:56 pm | Thursday, March 14th, 2013 DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines said Thursday it would keep its contingent of United Nations peacekeepers in the Golan Heights, after Syrian rebels abducted 21 of them last week and held them for three days. “The Philippine contingent to the UNDOF (UN Disengagement Observer Force) would remain stationed in the Golan Heights to perform its obligation in the name of peace,” foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez told reporters. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: DFA , Foreign affairs , Global Nation , Golan Heights , Philippines , Syria , UN Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94

Militants scuffle with cops during rally at Malaysian embassy

 News
Mar 142013
 
Militants scuffle with cops during rally at Malaysian embassy

By Matikas SantosINQURER.net 3:04 pm | Thursday, March 14th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines – A scuffle broke out during a rally at the Malaysian Embassy Thursday as protesters tried to smear the embassy’s seal with red paint to symbolize the blood of Filipinos spilled in the Sabah conflict. The protesters initially coated red paint on their hands and smeared it onto a streamer that read “PM Najib Razak, Pres NoyNoy Aquino, there’s blood in your hands.” Rasti Delizo, Sanlakas spokesman, rushed to the Malaysian Embassy seal after placing a hand print on the streamer to stain the seal. Policemen blocked Delizo and a fight ensued as the latter continued to push his way to reach the seal. Restrained by police, he shouted at them: “The policemen of Malaysia and not the Filipino people.” After the scuffle, the protesters went on with their rally, blasting the alleged overkill of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. “We call on the Malaysian government to immediately listen to us otherwise we are warning Prime Minister Najib Razak, if you do not listen to us, if you do not stop your bloody war in Sabah now, then we will declare you Southeast Asia’s number one war criminal,” Delizo said. “We will even file appropriate charges against you in the proper courts of law at the international level,” he said. He also called on Aquino to step forward and make a firm stand on the Sabah issue by filing a diplomatic protest. Malaysian security forces have allegedly committed Read More …

Dismantling of US minesweeper halfway through

 News
Mar 132013
 
Dismantling of US minesweeper halfway through

By Jerry E. EsplanadaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 2:31 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 In a photo released by the U.S. Navy, the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian sits aground in this Jan. 22, 2013 file photo on the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The dismantling of the USS Guardian stuck on the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea is about 50 percent complete, the Philippine Coast Guard said Wednesday. In a report to the PCG headquarters in Manila, Commodore Enrico Efren Evangelista, head of Task Force Tubbataha and commander of the Coast Guard’s Palawan district, said on Tuesday the US Navy-contracted salvage team had dismantled about 50 percent of the grounded minesweeper. The salvage team is “expecting calm weather in the next three to four days so work will continue on the USS Guardian,” he added. Aside from the PCG, the task force includes the Philippine Navy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Tubbataha Reef Foundation and local government units in the island-province of Palawan. Lt. Cmdr. Armand Balilo, the PCG’s spokesman, said on Wednesday that “with wind speeds of 10 to 15 knots and waves of less than one meter, weather conditions in the reef area have been very favorable to continue the salvage operation.” “Today, the salvage team will continue removing the pipelines in the engine room of the Guardian. The team is also scheduled to remove the remaining main engine and two auxiliary engines, as well as the Read More …

Danish tourist found dead in Olongapo

 News
Mar 132013
 
Danish tourist found dead in Olongapo

By Robert GonzagaInquirer Central Luzon 2:29 pm | Wednesday, March 13th, 2013 OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines—A Danish tourist was found dead in an apartment he was renting in Barangay (village) Barreto here on Wednesday. Police said Soren Andreasen, 48, was found on a sofa at 9 a.m. by Eduardo Acosido, the apartment complex’s caretaker. Acosido said Andreasen had complained on Tuesday of stomach pain and dehydration. He said the Dane refused to be taken to a hospital, saying he had no money to pay for his bills. Mario Cortez, a local official in Barreto, said Andreasen arrived in the country in November last year for a vacation and was to have left on Feb. 28. Police said initial investigation showed that Andreasen could have died of natural causes, noting that investigators found no sign of foul play. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Features , Foreign affairs , Police , Tourism Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate:

AFP confirms scheduled release of Filipino peacekeepers

 News
Mar 082013
 
AFP confirms scheduled release of Filipino peacekeepers

By Tetch Torres-Tupas INQUIRER.net; Radyo Inquirer 2:42 pm | Friday, March 8th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed Friday a CNN report saying the 21 UN Filipino peacekeepers were set to be freed by the Syrian rebels on Friday. Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Arnulfo Burgos confirmed the television report when interviewed by Radio Inquirer 990AM. The soldiers, part of a 333-strong Filipino peacekeeping unit, were detained at a rebel observation point on Wednesday by gunmen who said the troops would be held until Syrian regime forces pulled back from a Golan village. “If ever they will be released within the day, they will be turned over to the International Committee of the Red Cross,” Burgos said, citing reports from their personnel in Golan Heights. He said the rebels agreed to that arrangement. A UN Disengagement Force has been monitoring a ceasefire between Syria and Israel since 1974. The United Nations has reported a growing number of incidents in the Golan over the past year. It has sent extra armored vehicles and communications equipment to reinforce security for the mission. Up to the end of February there were about 1,000 troops from Austria, Croatia, India and the Philippines operating in the ceasefire force. With Agence France-Presse

Sulu sultan accuses Aquino of helping Malaysians instead of Filipinos

 News
Mar 012013
 
Sulu sultan accuses Aquino of helping Malaysians instead of Filipinos

By Tetch Torres-TupasINQUIRER.net 2:33 pm | Friday, March 1st, 2013 Sultan Jamalul Kiram lll speaks during a news conference at his house in Maharlika Village, Taguig City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Sultan Jamalul Kiram III on Friday accused President Benigno Aquino III of helping the Malaysians instead of his fellow Filipinos who sailed to Sabah from Mindanao to stake a dormant territorial claim. “They (Aquino administration) should be helping us, not sue us,” Kiram  said at a press conference aired over Radyo Inquirer 990AM. President Benigno Aquino on Tuesday warned Kiram he would face the “full force of the law” unless he withdrew his gunmen from Sabah. Aquino also warned the sultan that he may have broken laws, including one banning citizens from inciting war that carries a maximum prison term of 12 years. But Kiram said he was “just surprised,” adding, “Help us. Because as I see it, (Aquino) is helping not the Filipinos.” He also said he prefers talking to the President “personally” instead “of an emissary who will relay a different version of what he wants to tell the President.” Shooting erupted Friday in Lahad Datu village that has been occupied by nearly 200 followers and family members of Kiram for three weeks. The conflict elevated the Sabah territorial issue, which has been a thorn in Philippine-Malaysian relations for decades, to a Philippine national security concern. The crisis erupted at a crucial stage of peace negotiations — brokered by Malaysia — between the Philippine government and the Read More …

German arrested for missing hearings, says he feels like Canadian in murder-suicide

 News
Feb 282013
 
German arrested for missing hearings, says he feels like Canadian in murder-suicide

By Chito AragonInquirer Visayas 5:51 pm | Thursday, February 28th, 2013 CEBU CITY, Philippines — A German national who had been arrested and charged with possession of an unlicensed firearm was arrested again after he failed to appear in the hearings of his case. The operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG-7) arrested Pater Mai Kimmer, 49, past 3 p.m., Wednesday, at his rented house in D. Jakosalem Street in Barangay (village) Cogon-Ramos based on the warrant of arrest issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Lynna Adviento. The court issued the alias warrant after Kimmer failed to appear in court for the hearing of his case several times. The court recommended P160,000 for Kimmer’s temporary release. Kimmer was also previously charged with illegal possession of dangerous drugs and carjacking. Before he was arrested on Wednesday, Kimmer had gone to the office of the prosecutor handling his case to express sympathy for John Pope, a retired Canadian journalist who killed himself after he shot and killed two persons and seriously wounded another. Pope, using an unlicensed firearm, shot lawyer Juvian Achas and his client, Doctor Rene Rafols, inside a court in the Palace of Justice last January 22. Rafols was the complainant in the malicious mischief charges against Pope. Cebu City Assistant Prosecutor Maria Theresa Casiño was also shot and wounded. Inspector Delfin Bontuyan, leader of the team who arrested Kimmer, said the German reportedly said, “I sympathize with John Pope because I am experiencing the same fate.” Read More …

Malaysians should talk to sultan, says younger Kiram in Sabah

 News
Feb 282013
 
Malaysians should talk to sultan, says younger Kiram in Sabah

By Allan Nawal and Julie AlipalaInquirer Mindanao 5:24 pm | Thursday, February 28th, 2013 DAVAO CITY, Philippines – If Malaysian officials want to end the stand-off in Lahad Datu, they should talk directly to Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, the leader of Kiram’s “royal army” that has occupied a fishing  village in the east Malaysia state of Sabah since Feb. 9 said Thursday. Agbimuddin Kiram, who calls himself the crown prince of the ancient Sultanate of Sulu, said only his elder brother, the sultan, could order them to leave Felda Sahabat 17 in Tungku, a village in the Tanduo district of Lahad Datu. Speaking over a Sabah radio station, whose shortwave broadcast was monitored here, Agbimuddin said in a mixture of Melayu, Tausug and English that any negotiation “should be through the sultan.” Agbimuddin’s group has been holed up in Tanduo, a sparsely populated fishing and farming area some 130 kilometers from the center of Lahad Datu,  since Feb. 9 and has refused to leave even after Malaysian security forces surrounded them three days later. The same line was used by Agbimuddin in a separate interview, The Star Malaysia reported. “All negotiations have to go through my brother in Manila. The final line is my brother,” The Star quoted Agbimuddin as saying by phone. In Thursday’s radio interview, Agbimuddin stressed the need for the Malaysian government to negotiate with his brother so the issue could be addressed. The Kirams had said that their “homecoming” in Sabah was aimed at advancing their Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries