Maniolas

Tomas Infante faces 25 years to life form killing his wife SAN FRANCISCO, California — A Los Angeles jury has found a Filipino man guilty of killing his wife and leaving the body in the trunk of her car, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office. Deputy District Attorney Miriam Avalos on Wednesday, June 18 said the jury deliberated for about two hours and found Tomas Rodriguez Infante, 62, guilty of first-degree murder for beating and stabbing his 57-year-old wife, Charito Tolentino. Avalos said Infante is scheduled back at the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pomona before Judge Mike Camacho for sentencing.
Avalos said the defendant faces a maximum of 25 years to life in state prison. Prosecutors established that at the time of the killing, Infante was having an affair with another woman. When Infante’s girlfriend learned he was married, she broke up with him. An autopsy determined that the victim, Tolentino, had suffered three stab wounds to her neck and chest area, five lacerations on her head and multiple bruises on her head, face, hands and right forearm. Infante reported his wife missing on Jan. 12 and told authorities she had not returned from work, according to Lt. John Corina of the LA Country Sheriff’s homicide section. Corina said worried family members searched for Tolentino, and with help from her cell phone provider, were able locate her SUV about 20 miles away, at the parking lot of the Hawaiian Gardens Casino at the 11800 block of Read More …

Manila police release CCTV footage of hazing victim. CCTV footage provided to the Manila Police District by the One Archers Place condominium along Taft Avenue in Manila on Monday, June 30, shows alleged members of a fraternity dragging the body of hazing victim Guillo Servando, a student of DLSU-College of St. Benilde, out of a room on June 28. Servando was declared dead on arrival at a hospital from traumatic injuries. Danny Pata Experts believe that Guilo Servando could’ve survived his hazing if his emergency situation was reported to the authorities more quickly. “Pwedeng mabuhay yung taong ‘yun eh, kung ‘di nagdalawang isip na tumawag sa ‘min. Pwedeng segundo diyan importante ang isang buhay, pwede nating masalba,” Jesse Laurel, Patrol 117 Technical Supervisor, told GMA News’ “24 Oras” Tuesday. Servando, the latest in hazing-related deaths, was found unconscious at the 29th floor of One Archers Place on Taft Avenue last weekend. Bruises found on his legs and back by the Manila Police District’s homicide division bolstered suspicions that he was a victim of hazing.  According to the “24 Oras” report, the damage inflicted to the De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s student released an excessive amount myoglobin into his bloodstream.  Myoglobin is a protein which the US National Library of Medicine reported can damage kidney cells, leading to acute renal failure and acute tubular necrosis.  Dr. Butch Beringuela, a surgeon, said: “Naaipon yung mga toxin sa katawan, hindi na na-fi-filter ng kidney, after the kidney injury, nagkakaroon ng kidney failure.” Read More …

If it is working well in the high-profile Maguindanao massacre case, perhaps it can also work in the pork barrel scam cases now pending with the Sandiganbayan. This was the argument raised by two groups in their letter to the Supreme Court expressing support to the bid to create special courts that would specifically hear cases related to the alleged systematic misuse of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). In a submission, the Alternative Law Groups (ALG) and the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) said the SC should designate a special division of the anti-graft court “in the interest of justice and due to compelling reasons.” “We humbly ask the Supreme Court to take judicial notice of the historic and unprecedented nature of the PDAF cases which are imbued with public interest, the transactions involved, the complexities of the issues, and the number of high-ranking government officials involved,” the groups said. The groups cited the four-year-old Maguindanao massacre trial to emphasize the significance of creating a special court to expedite court proceedings. The multiple murder trial stemmed from the November 23, 2009 killings of 58 people, including 32 journalists, by armed men allegedly led by the powerful Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao. The Regional Trial Court Branch 221 in Quezon City had earlier been turned into a special court to specifically handle Maguindanao massacre-related cases. Court proceedings are held twice a week for the entire day on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Mondays, meanwhile, are reserved for hearing motions stemming from the case. Judge Read More …