May 272017
 
De Lima says colleagues in Senate ‘feigned disbelief’ over Lascañas’ testimony

Senator Leila de Lima, chair of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, leads the inquiry on the extrajudicial killings, Monday morning.(MNS photo) MANILA, May 25 (Mabuhay) — Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday said that her colleagues in the Senate have “feigned disbelief” over the testimony of retired Davao City cop Arturo Lascañas. This came after the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson released Committee Report No. 97 on May 17, two months after Lascañas made a complete turnaround from an earlier testimony, saying he was “forced” to lie about the Davao killings then. “The testimonies of both Matobato and Lascañas are considered weak and did not pass the scrutiny of the respective committees they were presented. The lack of credibility of both witnesses results in the lack of evidentiary value of their testimonies,” the report said referring to another confessed hitman, Edgar Matobato, who earlier testified before the Senate justice committee. “Aside from the extrajudicial confession, no other piece of evidence was presented to prove the alleged conspiracy. Therefore, their confession has no probative value,” it added. De Lima, for her part, said that it was “unfortunate” that the Senate committee has considered Lascañas’ testimony as not credible, “inspite of the fact that it corroborates the previous allegations of Edgar Matobato.” “Some of my colleagues previously scoffed at Matobato and his story for allegedly being incredible and wanting in corroboration. Now that another conscience-stricken DDS (Davao Death Squad) insider, in the Read More …

May 272017
 
De Lima says colleagues in Senate ‘feigned disbelief’ over Lascañas’ testimony

Senator Leila de Lima, chair of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, leads the inquiry on the extrajudicial killings, Monday morning.(MNS photo) MANILA, May 25 (Mabuhay) — Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday said that her colleagues in the Senate have “feigned disbelief” over the testimony of retired Davao City cop Arturo Lascañas. This came after the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson released Committee Report No. 97 on May 17, two months after Lascañas made a complete turnaround from an earlier testimony, saying he was “forced” to lie about the Davao killings then. “The testimonies of both Matobato and Lascañas are considered weak and did not pass the scrutiny of the respective committees they were presented. The lack of credibility of both witnesses results in the lack of evidentiary value of their testimonies,” the report said referring to another confessed hitman, Edgar Matobato, who earlier testified before the Senate justice committee. “Aside from the extrajudicial confession, no other piece of evidence was presented to prove the alleged conspiracy. Therefore, their confession has no probative value,” it added. De Lima, for her part, said that it was “unfortunate” that the Senate committee has considered Lascañas’ testimony as not credible, “inspite of the fact that it corroborates the previous allegations of Edgar Matobato.” “Some of my colleagues previously scoffed at Matobato and his story for allegedly being incredible and wanting in corroboration. Now that another conscience-stricken DDS (Davao Death Squad) insider, in the Read More …

Dec 102016
 
Duterte a ‘murderer,’ says De Lima

Senator Leila de Lima ,President Benigno Aquino III , New Bilid Prison,Justice Secretary, Vitaliano Aguirre II , Liberal Party MANILA, Dec 8 (Mabuhay) – Without mincing words, Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday called President Rodrigo Duterte a “murderer.” “People of the Philippines, your President is a murderer,” De Lima said in a statement. She noted Duterte’s statement Wednesday that he would not abandon the police allegedly involved in the November 5 killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. because it was his order to shoot those who would resist arrest. “That is an admission that he is the mastermind of such extrajudicial killing (EJK),” the senator said.“That says it all about the EJK phenomenon.” She added, “Together with Edgar Matobato’s testimony on the Davao Death Squad (DDS), Duterte’s admission seals his fate as the Father of all EJKs, first in Davao City, now throughout the entire Philippines, with the number of his victims now beyond the five thousand mark, and still rising.” Matobato, who claimed to be a former member of the DDS, has accused Duterte of masterminding the killings in Davao City when the President was still mayor. De Lima said this also meant that Supt. Marvin Marcos, sacked head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas, and some of its members allegedly involved in Espinosa’s killing were part of the “expanded DDS,” which she said is now national in scope and operation. “Nothing can be clearer than that. What we now have is Read More …

Dec 102016
 
Manila mayor emphasizes role of barangay officials in war vs drugs

Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada confers with police officials on the capital city’s peace and order situation. (From the Facebook Page of Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada) MANILA, Dec. 7 (PNA) – Barangay officials are at the forefront of the never-ending battle against drugs but will also be the first to benefit from the economic gains that a drug-free Manila would bring, Mayor Joseph Estrada has said. “If our city is drug-free, our economic progress will continue. People will go to us. Many more tourists and investors will come. We will regain our lost status as the Pearl of the Orient. And it’s you, in the barangays, who will greatly benefit from it,” Estrada told a group of barangay chairmen during a meeting at the Manila City Hall Wednesday. He thus urged the barangays and the police to “unite and bond closer” for the sake of the general public. The mayor further said that before retiring, he wants the capital city to become the first drug-free city in the country. “This is not a tall order, especially if all the stakeholders, from the city government down to the barangays, law enforcement, and the private sector do their part. In fact, it would be the best legacy the city government could leave behind for the next generation,” he said. Estrada reminded the barangay chairmen that City Hall has been augmenting their supplemental budget by the millions to boost their anti-criminality campaign. Last Monday, some PHP32 million was released for the barangays’ supplemental Read More …

May 172016
 

DAVAO CITY — Homegrown businesses expect more investors to start considering Davao City following the as-yet unofficial victory of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in this year’s presidential election. At the same time they expressed confidence his administration will deliver continued economic growth nationwide.

Mar 242014
 
Davao City council okays Aboitiz coal plant project

MANILA, Philippines – The Davao City council has given its go-signal for the proposed 645-megawatt coal power plant project of Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary Therma South. “As we address the ongoing power supply shortage in Mindanao, we also have to look at the future energy demands of Mindanao. This expansion will ensure Mindanao will have enough power when demand catches up with supply again in 2017 and 2018,” Therma South president and COO Benjamin Cariaso Jr. said. The first 300-MW capacity of Therma South, set for commercial operations in the first half 2015, is already almost contracted out to distribution utilities and electric cooperatives in Mindanao. The expansion is set for completion in 2017 and 2018, when demand for power in Mindanao will be expected to exceed supply once again. “AboitizPower’s main interest in expanding this plant is to help Mindanao avoid repeating the big problem of the past where it failed to build the power plants needed before the demand for power kicked in. As a consequence, most parts of Mindanao have, for years and until today, been experiencing prolonged and frequent brownouts  and it’s growth and development has been severely affected,” AboitizPower first vice president for Mindanao affairs Manuel Orig said. The power plant will also be using circulating fluidized-bed technology to ensure the power plant, during operations, will meet national and international environment and health standards. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 More than just a tree planting site, the 1,000-hectare area of the Read More …