Maniolas

By DJ Yap |Philippine Daily Inquirer 8:52 pm | Wednesday, October 15th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—The question of who takes custody of Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, the suspect in the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude, is threatening to derail the immediate filing of charges against the American serviceman, according to an Olongapo police official. Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who went to Olongapo to lead a preliminary probe, said on Wednesday, that Chief Insp. Gil Domingo, the commander of the police station handling the case, revealed to his group that the custody issue has slowed the criminal prosecution of the suspect. “The Olongapo police [are] actually adamant on beginning the inquest proceedings against Pemberton. However, the issue of custody is stalling the process and leaves the PNP no choice but to go through direct filing,” Ridon said in a statement. Terry Ridon. FILE PHOTO Ridon divulged these updates on the day that the family of the victim, transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude, filed a murder complaint against Pemberton at the Olongapo prosecutor’s office. “During inquest proceedings, the PNP [Philippine National Police] is duty-bound to produce the suspect in their custody. But because of Pentagon’s insistence on Pemberton’s custody, Philippine authorities are left with no choice but to pursue a direct filing in the fiscal’s office,” the legislator said. “The implication of having to go through direct filing is that it provides the opportunity for Pentagon to whisk Pemberton away from the country, given that technically, no charge has been Read More …

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine government should consider terminating the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) if the United States were to refuse to hand over an American serviceman suspected of killing a Filipino transgender, activists said Wednesday. The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said the government must not allow itself to be “pushed around” by the US and insist on the custody of US Marine Private Joseph Scott Pemberton, who allegedly murdered Jeffrey or Jennifer Laude in an Olongapo City motel on Saturday. Bayan Secretary General Renato Reyes Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO “Any refusal by the United States government to turn over Private Pemberton to Philippine authorities should be considered as a ground for terminating the VFA,” said Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. “The Philippine government must stand its ground and not be pushed around by the US, not when a Filipino was killed and the interest of justice is at stake,” he said in a statement. The VFA only allows the Philippine government to request custody of an erring American soldier in extraordinary cases, and that the determination of whether a US serviceman will be placed under Philippine custody while undergoing investigation and trial will still depend on the US government, according to Bayan. “The Philippine government does not have to beg the US for custody of the accused US marine. A refusal by the US to turn over Pemberton is an affront to our sovereignty. Filipinos must not allow this to happen,” Reyes said. Bayan also called on the people Read More …

University of Santo Tomas’ Faculty of Civil Law suspended all members of two fraternities from “all bar operations and other student activities” after the Supreme Court’s Office of the Bar Confidant complained of a confrontation between fraternity members while the bar exams were held last October 12. A second and similar incident was also reported the next day, October 13. According to The Varsitarian, the official student publication of the UST, Dean Nilo Divina suspended the members of the Gamma Delta Epsilon Fraternity and Aegis Juris Fraternity as a “precautionary measure to ensure the security of all reviewees and students of the faculty.” “Hindi ko na-witness, pero from accounts of students who were there, may sakitang naganap, not just yesterday but also [last] Sunday,” The Varsitarian’s Dayanara T. Cudal and Arianne F. Merez quoted Civil Law Student Council President Victor Villanueva as saying. But the university’s security officer had a different account. “We just guided the students para safe na makauwi. Wala namang sakitan na nangyari, parang discussion lang,” UST Security Chief Joseph Badinas said in an interview, according to The Varsitarian. This year’s bar exams are being held at the UST campus in Sampaloc, Manila on the Sundays of October. Some 5,994 aspirants took the tests in both the morning and afternoon sessions last October 19. The next exam dates are October 19 and October 26. A liquor ban has been in effect around the UST campus on bar exam Sundays since October 5. The Supreme Court has ordered and Read More …

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday called on the police and prosecutors involved in the case of the slain transgender woman in Olongapo City to “act fast lest the prescriptive period be breached.” The suspect in the case is a member of the US Marines, Private First Class Joseph Pemberton. Like other US troops involved in joint military exercises in the Philippines, he is covered by the Visiting Forces Agreement between the two countries. The VFA  provides for a one-year prescription for criminal cases involving US troops filed in Philippine courts. Escudero renewed his call for a review of Visiting Forces Agreement following the killing of a transgender woman allegedly by a member of the US Marines. “As before, I call on and urge the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to revisit and seek the amendment of the VFA [as regards the] lopsided criminal jurisdiction provision,” Escudero said in a text message to reporters. The 26-year-old victim Jeffrey Laude, also known as Jennifer, was found dead inside a motel in Olongapo City Saturday night. The suspect is now being held on board the USS Peleliu, one of the vessels that joined the 2014 Amphibious Landing Exercises (PHIBLEX) in Subic in Zambales earlier this month. Pemberton is the second US soldier accused of a crime in the country since 2005, when Lance Corporal Daniel Smith was charged and later on convicted for the rape of a Filipino woman.  Smith was eventually acquitted by the Court of Appeals after the victim took back Read More …

A transport group said it wants to slash minimum jeepney fare from P8.50 to P8, noting the recent rollbacks in the prices of petroleum products, a report  on “24 Oras” said Tuesday. “Kung ito’y kinakailangan, alang-alang sa ating mga commuters, gagawin natin sa Pasang Masda at umaasa ako na gagawin din ito ng ating mga kasamahan sa transportasyon para sa isang maligayang Pasko ng ating mga kababayan,” Pasang Masda national president Obet Martin said. The group noted that when the jeepney fare was increased to P8.50 in June, diesel was priced P45 per liter. Now, diesel is only P37 per liter, or P8 less than the previous price. Pasang Masda has already informed the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) about its plan. However, LTFRB chairman Winston Ginez said the group needs to file a formal petition and go through the proper process. “Bigyan natin ng pagkakataon naman ‘yung iba na magkaroon ng kanilang oppositions if they’re willing to do so,” Ginez said. To date, transport groups Alliance of Concerned Transport Operators (ACTO),  Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines (FEJODAP), and Liga ng Transportasyon at mga Operator sa Pilipinas (LTOP) are against Pasang Masda’s proposal. According to those opposed to the fare rollback, jeepney drivers have yet to gain profit from the P8.50 fare because of the heavy traffic and the high prices of vehicle spare parts. Fare methodology The report said deciding on the jeepney fare depends on many price factors: the diesel, spare Read More …