Maniolas

COPENHAGEN – Danish police on Wednesday arrested 10 men and raided their homes on suspicion that they paid for watching the live-streaming of children being sexually abused in the Philippines. “They have been questioned and a number of computers, phones and tablets have been seized,” Flemming Kjaerside of the Danish police’s cyber-crime unit told AFP. One of the men was remanded in custody in Herning in western Denmark while nine others had been released pending an investigation of the computers that had been confiscated, he added. “Only when we have gone through all the computers can we confirm if our suspicions are correct,” he said. Danish police said in a statement that “a number of money transactions” had led to the arrests being made. In the first Danish case of its kind, a man was last year sentenced to three and a half years in prison for his online involvement in the sexual abuse of children in the Philippines, having paid other adults between 150 and 300 kroner (20 to 40 euros, $21 to $43) to carry out the acts.  — Agence France-Presse

Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz on Tuesday called on President Benigno Aquino III to once and for all reveal his involvement in the Mamasapano clash, instead of dropping pieces of information every now and then in an “information striptease.” Dela Cruz said Aquino’s explanation during a Monday prayer gathering that he had at first failed to read then-suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima’s first Feb. 25 message, sent at 5:45 a.m., because his mobile phone was off “makes things worse” for the bereaved families of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) police officers killed in the clash. “They (the families) do not deserve this kind of [ambiguity]. This information striptease will just convince people that there’s a massive cover up in this operation because [the President] just comes out with all kinds of contorted [information],” he said. In the same prayer gathering, Aquino said he was “fooled” by Napeñas by giving him wrong information about the operation. This contradicted Aquino’s earlier explanation to lawmakers at a meeting in Malacañang that he had been lied to by Purisima when he received inaccurate information that help was on the way to the beleaguered SAF troopers trapped in a firefight with Moro rebels. Purisima supposedly called the shots during the police operation dubbed “Oplan Exodus” despite being having been suspended by the Ombudsman at that time. Dela Cruz also urged Aquino to take full responsibility for the incident as the police and military services’ commander in chief, and come clean Read More …

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday criticized President Benigno Aquino III for his Monday speech, in which he again blamed sacked Special Action Force (SAF) director Getulio Napeñas for the bloody results of the Mamasapano clash. Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares said Aquino seemed to have forgotten he should be at fault for breaking the chain of command by allowing then-suspended Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Alan Purisima to take charge of planning and implementing “Oplan Exodus,” the covert police operation to nab two high-profile terrorists. The mission ended in the death of 44 SAF police officers and five civilians. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) claimed it had also lost 18 of its fighters in the clash. “Not owning up to such violation and denying the reported participation of US forces in the Mamasapano operation amount to cover up and is compromising the Board of Inquiry (BOI) investigation,” Colmenares said., The effect of Aquino’s statement on the BOI’s probe likewise concerned United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) interim president and Navotas City Rep. Tobias Tiangco, who said the President practically preempted the board in determining who should be held accountable for the tragic police operation., “Can we expect the BOI members to say otherwise when the President absolved himself of any blame, barely mentioned his BFF Purisima, and dumped the blame on Napenas?” he asked. During Monday’s gathering of Christian leaders in Malacañang, Aquino enumerated the errors allegedly committed by Napeñas during the Read More …

The number of people affected by fighting in Maguindanao since February has breached the 80,000 mark as of Friday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. In its update, the NDRRMC said the fighting included a rido on Feb. 9 in Pagalungan town, and government offensives against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters since Feb. 27. As of Friday, the NDRRMC said 16,111 families or 80,555 people have been affected in 59 barangays of Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces.   Of these, 15,058 families or 75,290 people have been evacuated. Some 13,261 families or 66,305 people are staying in 49 evacuation centers. The NDRRMC also said that as of Friday, classes were suspended in 42 public elementary and high schools, affecting 18,819 students and 283 teachers. At least 45 houses had been destroyed in Region 11 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Some P16,628,867.60 in relief assistance has been provided to those affected, the NDRRMC said. —Joel Locsin/JST, GMA News

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has approved the posthumous  promotion of the 44 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos killed in the January 25 clash with Moro rebels in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. In a statement released Friday, the Napolcom approved the promotion after Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, officer-in-charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP), made the recommendation. It said the SAF commandos were promoted “for demonstrating acts of conspicuous courage and gallantry in action at the risk of their lives over and beyond the call of duty that resulted in their untimely death.” The fatalities were part of a large SAF contingent sent to Mamasapano to arrest two high-profile terrorist targets. The covert operation, however, led to clash with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its breakaway group the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. Interior and Secretary Mar Roxas, who chairs Napolcom, noted that although outnumbered by “a superior enemy force,” the SAF commandos “held their ground, fought up to their last breath and accomplished their mission.” Benefits Meanwhile, the statement also quoted Napolcom Vice Chairman and Executive Officer Eduardo U. Escueta as saying that the legal spouses of the 28 married SAF members and a legitimate child of one trooper shall receive the following: — gratuity equivalent to one (1) year basic salary,— burial expenses equivalent to three (3) months basic salary, and— monthly pension for five (5) years equivalent to 80 percent of the decedent’s basic monthly pay. On the other hand, it said the surviving parents Read More …