MANILA (Mabuhay) — Under the new Department of Justice (DOJ) protocol on dealing with child abuse cases, the media is barred from interviewing the victims. In a chance interview after her speech at the announcement of the new protocol on Friday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said media interviews worsen the “trauma” experienced by child […]
President Benigno S. Aquino III asks Sultan Jamalul Kiram III of Sulu to withdraw his supporters in Sabah to end the standoff peacefully during the Press Briefing at the New Executive Building, Malacañan Palace on Tuesday (February 26). In photo is Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday directed Immigration officials to be on the lookout for the three Chinese drug suspects who were apparently rescued by armed men while on their way to a court hearing in Cavite last week. Still unaccounted for are Li Lan Yan alias Jackson Dy, his wife Wang Li na, and Li Tian Hua. All three were “rescued” by around 20 armed people in Trece Martires, Cavite on February 20. “[You are] directed to instruct all Immigration officers to be on the lookout/alert for the above-named individuals should any of them pass through immigration counters in any of our international airports and/or seaports, and to detain and turn them over to the proper authorities,” De Lima said in her lookout bulletin order. At the same time, De Lima instructed Immigration officials to coordinate with police in gathering additional information on the drug suspects, including their full names, aliases, dates of birth, places of birth, copies of their passports or any travel documents, and their latest known pictures. The Justice chief said Immigration officers should also coordinate with other offices and agencies, including airlines, to immediately detect if the Chinese nationals are trying to leave the Read More …
At least two offices in Malacañang are now reviewing the findings of the National Bureau of Investigation on the shooting incident that killed 13 people in Atimonan, Quezon last Jan. 6. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino III wants the review to be more thorough than speedy. “Gusto ng pangulo, thorough at exhaustive ang pagtingin kesa i-sacrifice natin ang quality for speed,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. The findings are now in the offices of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, she said. In the meantime, she appealed to the public for patience while the two offices conduct their study. “I’m sure our officials are getting on with that study,” she said. Aquino earlier tasked the NBI to probe the incident, which police initially said was a shootout between them and members of a criminal gang engaged in gun-for-hire activities. But an investigation was triggered after it was found that some of the fatalities had included an environmentalist. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had also said earlier that the evidence gathered so far indicated what happened was not a shootout. — LBG, GMA News
Malacañang on Saturday said efforts are still being undertaken to bring home Manuel Amalilio, the suspected brains behind a P12-billion investment pyramiding scam, amid rumors that he was a nephew of a top official of Sabah. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace has yet to verify the supposed ties between Amalilio and the chief minister of Sabah’s Chief Minister Musa Aman. “We don’t have any verification to that effect, but only the assurance the Philippine side will continue to work with local police authorities for his deportation to the country,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. When asked what the government will do if Amalilio is indeed related to Aman, Valte said, “we don’t at this point want to speculate on that particular allegation.” She declined to comment further on the supposed ties of Amalilio to Aman, saying she would defer to the Justice, Foreign Affairs and Interior departments. The Philippines will continue working with local authorities “to do whatever we can to ensure his return,” she added. “As far as we are concerned, we submitted all the documentation required primarily to prove Amalilio is a Filipino citizen,” she added. On Saturday, a report on The Philippine Star had quoted Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as saying Amalilio is a nephew of Aman. Anwar alleged that Amalilio’s mother is Musa’s first cousin, and that Amalilio’s real name is Kamal bin Said, born in Beaufort, Sabah. However, Anwar was also quoted as saying Amalilio is married to a Filipina, Read More …