Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Justice. Show all posts
Lack of forensic science logistics in the Maguindanao massacre probe
It is like what happened to the sinking of the passenger ship Princess of the Sea at the height of a typhoon which drowned 800 or more people on June 22, 2008. The Maguindanao political massacre is posing the same problem for the investigators. The basic lack of facilities to store 57 dead bodies has hampered the probe.
The government has not done anything new to prepare for instances of mass deaths. With the global outrage over the barbaric bloodbath, the Philippines is under pressure by the human rights groups and the United Nations (UN) to come out with a clean and fair pursuit of justice.
Dr. Ben Molino who works in the group CenterLaw Philippines said he feels sad for government doctors who have to face the lack of logistics to deal with the investigation of a massacre with so many fatalities. The working conditions of the probers are bad, endangeriing and probably compromising the integrity of the investigation results. Such helplessness and embarassment have obviously been ignored by the Philippine authorities.
The investigators quickly dug the bodies by a land-fill excavator and by hands without employing caution to preserve as much evidence. Gloves were hard to find. They employ the crude lime to retard the decomposition of the bodies, many wrapped in banana leaves in the absence of freezers.
“Dr. Molino lamented that there were no refrigerators to store the bodies, nor even just air-conditioning. In a CenterLaw Philippines report, he said: “They could have at least used lime to slow down the process of composition but I did not see any indication that they did that."”—GMAnews.Tv (November 21,/2009)
Obviously, the morale of the medico-legal investigators is low. It is reported that their autopsies have been “completed,” but the doctors refuse to be interviewed. Their initial findings point to gunshot wounds as the cause of the victim's death. But it is unsure whether they have identified the brutalized bodies for proper disposition.
I have occasions of working with Dr. Ben Molino in the 1980's in similar difficult probe situations. I feel there is nothing much which changed to improve the state of forensic science in the Philippines. It is an area that the government must urgently look into to bring justice and avoid embarrassing the country in the world.(Photo Credits: Erik de Castro/ Reuters x 2) =0=
RELATED BLOG: "The Ferry Tragedy: Lack Of Body Bags And The Dearth Of Forensic Expertise" Posted by mesiamd at 6/27/2008; Maguindanao Massacre: death toll climbs with 22 mediamen dead Posted by mesiamd at 11/25/2009; Maguindanao bloodbath blamed on Ampatuans Posted by mesiamd at 11/24/2009
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Maguindanao Massacre: death toll climbs with 22 mediamen dead
Officials said 57 dead bodies were recovered in the site of massacre which occurred in Maguindanao, Philippines. The senseless political killings were reportedly carried out by the influential Ampatuan clan against political rival family--- the Mangudadatus. Wrapped in banana leaves, many of the bodies were not yet identified, but among the fatalities were 22 media men. Update of casualties was placed at 57 dead as of November 25, 2009.
“The journalists were accompanying several women of the powerful Mangudadatu clan to file the candidacy of one of the family for the provincial governor's post in elections next year.
No men from the family were present, since they believed that women would not be attacked by rivals.
Their convoy was stopped by about 100 armed men, who herded them to a remote hillside and attacked them with M-16 rifles and machetes. Two of their vehicles and many bodies were thrown into a freshly-dug pit and covered with earth by an excavator.”---Reuters (11/25/09, Castro, E.)
Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo declared a state of emergency in Maguindanao Province to help investigate and apprehend the gunmen and the brains of the heinous killings. Hundreds of military troops were deployed in the area to lessen the tension and prevent more violence to erupt.
The aggrieved Buluan vice-mayor Ismael Mangudadatu who lost his wife and other family members have pointed to the supporters of Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. and his son Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan, Jr as those behind the despicable murders, but government authorities have yet to arrest the suspects.
Joining the entire world in condemning the brutal crime, the United Nations secretary general Ban Ki- Moon expressed dismay and shock among groups like the European Union, and various diplomatic missions.
Although Pres. Arroyo, a known political ally of the Ampatuans vowed that justice will be served to avenge the dead, many are skeptical. Unsolved political killings especially in Muslim South are usually unsolved and unpunished in the Philippines. (Photo Credits: Reuters/ de Castro, E.; AP/ Marquez, B.; AP/ Favila, A.) =0=
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Witness in the Dacer-Corbito case slain
The protracted prosecution of the Dacer-Corbito murders which occurred almost 10 years ago has claimed another victim. As the case hugged the headline anew, Jimmy Lopez, a former civilian agent of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) and his female companion were gunned down, an apparent move to silence them.
Lopez was scheduled to testify again in the Department of Justice prosecution of the Dacer-Corbito murders. He earlier served as a state witness detailing how publicist Salvador (Bubby) Dacer and driver Emmanuel Corbito went missing, hogtied in his home in Cavite before the victims were killed, burned, and disposed of in a shallow grave.
About a month before Dacer's death, he wrote Gen. Jose Almonte about threats to his life. Among the suspected masterminds of the killings are Sen. Panfilo Lacson and Prss. Joseph Estrada. Though claims and counterclaims in this double murder have muddled up the case, the culprit(s) is not hard find.
"In that letter, published by Newsbreak in Jan. 2001, Dacer told Almonte that he wrote “instead of calling (Almonte) to avoid being recorded by General (Panfilo) Lacson and President Estrada.” At that time, the impeachment complaint against Estrada had just been filed at the House of Representatives.
Dacer said he had been warned by concerned friends “that President Estrada has tagged me as the field officer in the alleged destabilization campaign against the administration.” A Manila police officer, he said, even suggested a safehouse. “While I appreciate all these concerns, I politely declined any offer of safehouses.”---ABSCBN (03/19/09, Rufo, A.C.)
The murder of Lopez shows how dangerous it is to be a witness to a crime in the Philippines especially if hoodlums, the military, and powerful persons are involved. Without protection and assurance of safety, many witnesses to a crime will be deterred from testifying.
Reprisal and intimidation stand as big obstacles in making justice work in the country. A clear assault against democratic process, the cold-blooded and dastardly murder of Lopez is contemptible and must be rejected. Authorities and society have the obligation to find the perpetrators and put criminals to justice. (Photo Credit www.eu2008si) =0=
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Lockerbie terrorist should not have been allowed to go back to Libya
Though compassion is virtue, 57 year-old Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, the sole convicted bomber who killed 270 innocent passengers of Pan Am flight 103 should not have been allowed to return to Libya. The terrorist is responsible for blowing up the plane over Lockerbie, Scotland en route to the United States in 1988.
Al Megrahi’s terminal cancer isn’t enough to justify such clemency. Barely serving his sentence handed in January 1, 2001, the evil murderer has been given a hero's welcome in Tripoli airport by Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi‘s son and his supporters at the expense of those whom the killer wronged.
The shocking footage of the return only reflected warped values which insulted the memory of the civilian victims, among them innocent cildren. Many observers believed the move was a mockery of justice and a setback in the relentless fight against terrorism.
Giving the notorious killer the pass only opened raw wounds on the relatives of those who died raising speculations that an oil deal between Great Britain and Libya was involved in the decision. If so, the Scottish Court’s ruling made the return despicable.
An investigation to ferret the truth about this nefarious trade deal is warranted. The sentiment is shared by US Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm Mike Mullen who thinks the decision is motivated by politics. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director Robert Muller similarly vents his anger over the decision. Bending on pressure, the British government has vowed to release documents to clarify the issue.
Sixty (60%) of those who were polled about the “humanitarian” clemency were angered. They were of the opinion that the Scottish Court was wrong. Most of them believe the ruthless criminal must die in prison. (Photo Credit: BBC.news) =0=
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Lockerbie bomber goes home to Libya with a rousing welcome
“There's plenty of shame to go around. This is not justice. It's an abrogation of justice," said Stephanie Bernstein, wife of a lawyer who died on the flight blown up by terrorists.
The only person indicted and imprisoned for the 1988 dastardly bombing of the jetliner over Lockerbie, Scotland was released from prison on “humanitarian’ grounds by Scottish officials. Suffering from terminal prostate cancer, Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, a former Libyan operative returned home in Tripoli, Libya on Thursday, August 20, 2009 afte being allowed freedom. He served only 8 years of his lifetime jail sentence and was set free amidst cheers from about a thousand jubilant supporters who met him in the airport as a "hero."
But relatives of those innocent passengers of Pan Am Flight 103 fumed over the decision, some openly expressing their devastation, saying that there is no justice for those 259 passengers who died. Carrying mostly Americans on their way home to New York, the targeted plane was blown up by the terrorist. (Photo Credit: ctv.ca/ AP)
Although it was claimed that compassion was the reason behind giving freedom to the bomber, politics could have played in setting him free from the Scottish prison. The US government expressed its intense disappointment over the decision. The Islamic jihadists and Libyans cheered the unremorseful terrorist. =0=
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Swearing of Justice Sotomayor & recalling America’s nameless achievers
Sonia Sotomayor, the 55 year-old Bronx resident and new member of the US Supreme Court is sworn into office today, August 8, 2009 as the 3rd woman justice in its 220 year history. The lady judge who for weeks has been scrutinized as a nominee and accorded attention for her “phenomenal” achievements, will seat as the first Latina associate justice, bringing pride and gladness to those who aspire to capture a slice of the American dream. Hoping that she will be fair in spite of some doubts whether she will be unbiased in her judgment, she gets approval to take oath of office with Chief Justice John Roberts.
Sen. Charles Schumer (NY-D) and other Sotomayor supporters speak of the woman with Puerto Rican parentage in superlative terms---as though achievement from the ranks through hard work in America is a rarity. In truth, Sotomayor’s inspiring life story of struggle from poverty to become the educated Princeton and Yale law graduate is not an uncommon experience in United States. In many ways many immigrants live a life of struggle and heroism that eacapes the public radar.
American achievers in their respective niches of endeavor populate the landscape. That is expected in the ranks of generations of dreamful immigrants and their descendants who flock to America for the opportunity it gives to those who want to be “set free” and have the chance to pursue something great in their lives.
Therefore, to celebrate Sotomayor’s rise to the Supreme Court is wonderful, but Americans must not forget the nameless heroic citizens out there with equally dazzling life stories who continue to work for the good of the country. Young Americans have a lot to learn from Sotomayor and the guys in the neighbohood--- as much as the simple unknown citizen who makes an honest living on main street. (Photo Credi;ZHL Photography) =0=
RELATED BLOG: Sotomayor becomes first US lady Hispanic justice Posted by mesiamd at 8/07/2009
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Sotomayor becomes first US lady Hispanic justice
After weeks of deliberations, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, a native of Bronx, New York who comes from a humble background has been confirmed today, August 6, 2009, as the first Hispanic woman associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. In a majority of 68-31 votes in the senate, the 55 year-old Princeton and Yale alumna becomes the third woman and 111th jurist to serve on the bench, replacing Justice Souter who is retiring.
The unprecedented ascendancy of Sotomayor is met with pride by Hispanics especially those from Puerto Rico from where her parents originated. Chosen by the liberal Democrat-dominated senate majority, Americans can only hope that she does her job well and her ethnicity will not play a role in her legal decisions. (Photo Credit: erickgeee) =0=
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David Letterman vs. Gov. Sarah Palin: Jokes in bad taste and an "epidemic" of (in)sincere apologies?
When Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo was caught in an foul phone call in the “Hello Garci” case, she had no choice but to apologize to the Filipino people. When the seemingly straight arrow US Senator Tom Daschle was found to have evaded taxes during a background check, he apologized to the Americans.
Many followed through with their own mea culpas for certain wrong-doings. Bernard Madoff did so for defrauding his trusting clients of $65 billion in his Ponzi scheme. Dr. Hayden Kho was “remorseful” for spreading his scandalous sex videos which humiliated his girl friends and insulted the medical profession.
Now it’s late-night comedian David Letterman’s turn to apologize for making fun of Gov. Sarah Palin and her family. Letterman, the 62 year-old ageing laughbag who should know better, made some sexual jokes on Willow, one of Palin’s underaged chidren of having to fend off Eliot Spitzer (a sexual problem) and getting raped by Yankees sportsman Alex Rodriguez during a New York visit.
The joke relates to the hateful and long-standing rough handling of Palin who espouses conservative beliefs on pre-marital sex---obviously her freedom to do so being in America.
After offending people, which of these public apologies are real? Where is the sincerity? In spite of the outrage from tolerant people, why is the mainstream media, TV, and cause-oriented groups silent of the mockery of the Palins?
The conservative family from Alaska was offended and issued a statement which was quickly answered with a lot of back-hand humor by Letterman to the delight of his fans. Had Gov. Sarah Palin never run for vice-president during the last election, her family could have been left alone. For her conservative views, the governor of Alaska had been a target of unfair "minding" by secular individuals who don't agree with her opinion.
It looks like USA is degenerating into a warped society whose beneficient culture is going down the drain. At the expense fairness and in the guise of humor, some people like Letterman have become insensitive. Mockery seems in vogue for certain people, but off-limits to others like Pres. Barack Obama's children.
Political correctness takes a double standard. For those who watched Letterman “apologize” in camera, many are struck by the (in)sincerity and appalled by the hideousness of his jokes. (Photo Credit: gettyimages/ Fame/ Extracomposite; http: extratv.warnerbros.) =0=
UPDATE: June 16, 2009--- Amidst vociferous protests and criticisms versus David Letterman, the late night comedian apologized to Gov. Sarah Palin and her family. Letterman said for a joke that was wrong. Gov. Palin who protested that such joke was degrading to women----encouraged disrespect and exploitation of to certain group of people, accepted the apology.
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Sonia Sotomayor nominated to the US Supreme Court
Pres. Barack Obama nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a hispanic federal judge to be the replacement of Justice David Souter in the US Supreme Court. The 54 year old daughter of Puerto Rican parents with humble beginnings, Sotomayor grew up in a housing project in Bronx and studied in Primceton and the Yale Law School with the help of her mom, a nurse by profession. She married when she was a student, but was subsequently divorced without children.
Prior to her nomination on May 26, 2009, she worked as a NY assistant district attorney, a commercial litigator, and later a federal judge of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York upon the nomination of former Pres. George HW Bush. Sotomayor will be the first Latina to sit on the bench of the US Supreme Court if confirmed.
"As Majority Leader, I will do all I can to ensure Judge Sonia Sotomayor receives a fair and respectful hearing and the Senate's quick confirmation." — Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
"Senate Republicans will treat Judge Sotomayor fairly. But we will thoroughly examine her record to ensure she understands that the role of a jurist in our democracy is to apply the law evenhandedly, despite their own feelings or personal or political preferences." — Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
"She must prove her commitment to impartially deciding cases based on the law, rather than based on her own personal politics, feelings and preferences." — Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, member of the Judiciary Committee."
As the confirmation process of Sotomayor proceeds, she will be under deep scrutiny from all sides of government and politics. Obama thinks she is well-qualified for the job and praises her as an “inspiring woman,” but conservative groups, reviewing her past, have started thinking if she is a liberal activist whose decision may be based on feelings rather than on constitutional ground.
With a clear Democratic majority in the senate and barring any serious issue against her, Sotomayor is likely to be confirmed in office.(Photo Credit: White House/ Pete Souza) =0=
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American serviceman’s acquittal could discourage future lawsuits against rape by foreigners
“Tearfully, bewildered, alone and confused, in a strange place, dumped in a curb literally with her pants down, she remembered her mother and what she would say. She remembered too, her boyfriend Brian. She had to hit back in the only way she could – to salvage, at least, a vestige of her self-esteem." ---Court of Appeals on Nicole. Malaya (04/24/09, De Vera, E)
After a protracted trial of US Marine Lance Corporal Daniel Smith who was accused and found guilty of rape, the Court of Appeals (CA) on review of the case, reversed the decision. He was earlier sentenced to 40 years in prison while criminal charges on his companions namely, Smith, Staff Sgt. Chad Carpentier, and Lance Corporals Keith Silkwood and Dominic Duplantis were dropped.
Accused by a 23 year-old Filipina named Nicole, Smith who was part of US troop contingent participating in a military exercise, was acquitted after “a careful and judicious perusal of evidence” did not convince Associate Justice Monina Arevalo-Zenarosa of his guilt. After his acquittal on Friday, April 24, 2009, the American serviceman was released from detention and immediately left the country.
Nicole who is now in the United States received P100,000 from the accused as compensatory damage ruled by the Regional Trial Court of Makati City. On March 12, 2009, she recanted and signed an affidavit expressing doubts on the accuracy of her testimony that Smith raped her. She said she was too drunk to ever know.
The case drew street rallies in Manila which find the overturned rape conviction degrading to Filipinos. Angry protesters slammed the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement which they believe is lopsided in favor of the Americans. They suspected Nicole have been pressured to recant her accusations to the detriment of other women who might be placed in a similar situation.
Sen. Francis Escudero aired his dissatisfaction over the CA decision saying, ““It’s really saddening to see that Filipinos, who have been victims of discrimination overseas, are even placed at a disadvantage against foreigners in their own country.”
“Before fingers are pointed at Nicole again for doing a disservice to her own defense by virtue of her retraction and the choice for a normal life, we stand firm to our view that Daniel Smith’s acquittal is nothing but a consummated process of betrayal perpetrated by both the US and the Philippine governments,”----Partido ng Mangagawa spokesman Judy Ann Miranda Philstar.com (04/265/09, Calica, A)
Blistering reactions came from Sens. Loren Legarda, Pia Cayetano, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez and Zamboanga Rep. Maria Isabel Climaco-Salazar.
Organizations like the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM,) Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP,) Bikolano Alliance for Nationalism against Balikatan (BAN BALIKATAN,) Gabriela and EnGendeRights joined the government leaders in assailing CA’s decision of setting Smith off the hook.
It looked like a “happy” ending for Nicole and Daniel. But the case stirred fresh opposition to the American military presence in the Philippines and opened new accusations of RP’s subservience to the United States as reflected in RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement. After the his conviction (pending result of the appeal,) Smith was handled by the US embassy and not by the Philippine prison.
Street protests were held condemning the CA decision; irate Filipinos felt they got the bitter part of an insulting deciison. Doubts lingered whether justice was served. The suspicion of “behind the scene” maneuvers that absolved the US marine of culpability remained. During the alleged rape it was clear Nicole was too drunk to have the mental faculties to decide for a “consensual” sex.
It's outrageous how the justice system of the country is manipulated to suit an ending that is expedient, but detrimental to the credibility of the courts. The handling of Smith's case can thwart future prosecution of foreigners who commit crime in the country.(Photo Credit: AP/ Pat Roque x 3) =0=
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Widening gap of justice, abuse of presidential pardons, & the poor who are left in jail
It has been said that about 3 out of 4 prisoners in the Philippines are victims of judicial errors Many of them are poor and vulnerable. They are forced to admit guilt so that they can move to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) where food and living conditions are better than the crowded jails in the country. Poor prisoners in other penal colonies languish longer and are treated badly during incarceration than their rich counterparts, making the public believe justice in the country is a farce.
"Inmates are dying in our city jails at an alarming rate. They are suffering from boils, tuberculosis, chicken pox and other simple but highly communicable diseases. In the Quezon City Jail alone, there are two to five deaths per month. The sad fact is that they are dying before being sentenced." ---Raymond Narag (ex-prisoner)
The widening gap of justice truly exists in the country, but almost no one complains about it. In this backdrop Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo commuted the two life terms of Romeo Jalosjos for raping an 11 year old girl in 1996. For his horrible crime which include lascivious acts, the Zamboanga del Norte congressman who shows no remose, enjoyed extensive prison privileges while in jail for only 13 years. Jalosjos put his money and influence to full use----building a tennis court, a gym, and bakery in the NBP.
These “benevolent actions” by Jalosjos which led to the shortening of his prison stay can’t escape the scrutiny of Emmi de Jesus, secretary-general of the militant women-group Gabriela, who sees gross errors in how justice is carried out. De Jesus who believes Jalosjos’ pardon is a payback to the political help given to Pres. Arroyo said:
“Marso ngayon ano, supposedly Buwan ng Kababaihan. Mukhang ito yung mockery of justice na binibigay ni Ginang Arroyo. Walang remorse, walang pag-amin sa kasalanan niya (Jalojos). Paano na yung mga kababaihan na humihingi ng katarungan na ngayon ay vulnerable sa various forms of violence?" .
[Jalosjos’ release, which happens this Women’s Month, seemed to be a mockery of justice by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. (Convicted rapist) neither showed remorse nor admission of guilt. What about the welfare of the women who are vulnerable to various forms of violence?]---GMA TV News (03/19/09, Dedace, SM)
Quezon Representative Lorenzo "Erin'' Tañada III is alarmed by President Arroyo‘s exercise of presidential clemency which leads to more rich and powerful inmates being set free. Palawan Representative Abraham Mitra also airs the same concern when he urged Arroyo to use executive pardon "judiciously and carefully."
But politics and favor-peddling have a lot to do with these kinds of decision. It is easy to understand that a prisoner who donates infrastructures in a prison compound may have motives beyond being altruistic. Special treatment is one thing that rich detainees can work on so they get protection from their friends in the system. It's one of the easiest ways to cultivate influence and get the graces of prison officials.
After a tedious and costly court battle that eventually convicted Pres. Joseph Estrada of plunder, Arroyo wasted no time in pardoning the felon---a decision that continues to divide and hurt the entire nation. Estrada didn't serve in a traditional jail, but in a well-furnished comfortable seclusion.
In total disregard of the gravity of the crime and the unresolved questions related to the Ninoy Aquino-Rolando double murder case, Gloria freed the 10 remaining military men convicted of the airport murders. Since 1983, few Filipinos took genuine heart on the significance of Ninoy's death, ignoring the loss and suffering of the country under Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Like Jalosjos and Estrada, the 10 convicts in Ninoy's assassination never expressed guilt or remorse--- basic requisites of pardon.
Mostly left in the crowded prisons are the poor and those who have no influence in lording over the weaknesses of the corrupt system. Many are young and defenseless. Filipinos who disdain the unpopular president can only express their cynicism and apathy towards the poor state of the penitentiary. They feel they can’t do anything about the injustice that goes on there. (Phtoto Credit: Suntoksabuwan; planetradio x 2) =0=
RELATED BLOG: "90% of RP crimes are solved in less than 1 year: a lie that can make you cry?" Posted by mesiamd at 12/19/2008; "Pardon and (In)justice: Ninoy’s killers freed" Posted by mesiamd at 3/05/2009
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Ponzi wiz Bernard Madoff sent to prison
"It's a little bit like seeing the devil," said Burt Ross, a lawyer from Englewood, NJ who lost $5 million in Madoff’s swindle. Feeling betrayed, DeWitt Baker, an investor who lost more than $1 million angrily fumed "I'd stone him to death." ----AP (03.12/09, Neusmeister, L; Hays, T)
Bernard Madoff, the personification of Wall Street greed and reckless extravagance has admitted guilt of pulling the biggest Ponzi scam in history. In the Federal Court of Manhattan, in New York, US district judge Denny Chin revoked Madoff’s $10 million bail and ordered the disgraced swindler's confinement to a windowless room at the Metropolitan Correction Center instead of being comfortably holed in his lavish $7 million home at 133 E, 64th Street.
For defrauding his clients of $65 billion, at sentencing date in June this year, the former chairman of Nasdaq could get a life sentence---a maximum of 150 years in jail for perjury and financial fraud.
Without implicating anyone except himself, the apologetic Madoff who gave no comfort to his victims, pleaded guilty in all counts of fraud. In doing so, many believed his acceptance of full responsibility was a way to protect his wife Ruth, his family, and friends. His victims were fuming mad. Wall Street regulators ignored the flags of deception which allowed the once respected investment guru to operate without being caught for decades.
Thousands of defrauded clients in the United States and abroad include banks, charities, financial institutions, pension funds, retirees, and private individuals whose life savings and investments have been damaged. In their ranks are those who have suffered irreparable financial ruin with no chance to recover. At least one victim has been driven into committing suicide.
Some of Madoff’s Victims
------------------------------------------Description---------------------Amount
Fairfield Greenwich Advisors-----investment firm--------------$7,500,000,000
Banco Santander------------------Spanish bank-----------------$2,870,000,000
Bank Medici-------------------------Austrian bank----------------$2,100,000,000
HSBC--------------------------------- British bank-------------------$1,000,000,000
BNP------------------------------------French bank-------------------$431,170,000
New York University------------------University--------------------$24,000,000
Korea Teachers Pension----------Korean Pension Fund---------$9,100,000
Marc Rich------------------------------fugitive financier--------------Not available
Yeshiva University---------------------NY private university--------$14,500,000
Int’l Olympic Committee--------------Olympic organizer----------$4,800,000
Zsa Zsa Gabor-------------------------actress------------------------$10,000,000
Diocese of St. Thomas---------------Cath. Church (Virgin Is)-----$2,000,000
Source: http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_madoff_victims_20081215.html
The imprisonment of Madoff is just the tip of the iceberg to the massive scandal that rocks Wall Street. Trust in the financial institutions is at an all time low. Many Americans adversely affected by the economic meltdown are demanding for accountability and prosecution of those responsible in the betrayal of trust. (Photo Credits: Acteon; Jason Smith) =0=
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Iraqi shoe-thrower gets 3 years in jail
30 year old Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who rose to notoriety and fame for interrupting a Bush-Maliki conference in Baghdad in December 2008 has been sentenced to 3 years in jail on Thursday, March 12, 2009. He went on a shoe-throwing rampage which targeted, but missed visiting US president George W. Bush. Swearing innocence to the charge of assault he said, "what I did was a natural response to the occupation,” referring to the US-led Iraq war against Saddam Hussein. For violating journalistic ethics and endangering the life of a dignitary, al Zeidi got the minimum sentence (max.15 years) to the charge which he can appeal. Upon hearing the sentence, some of al Zeidi's relative's fainted.
In a world where the boundary between right and wrong is often disputed, many in the Muslim world who laud the journalist's action was disappointed with the verdict. Others who look at his misplaced display of anger and think of the assault as an immature tantrum think the sentence serves him right. =0=
The forgotten Reynaldo Galman & his disappeared mother Lina
Reynaldo Galman condemns the granting of executive clemency to the 10 imprisoned convicted killers who blame Rolando Galman, his father, as Ninoy's murderer. Joining the the family of Ninoy Aquino, he decries the fact that the brains behind the Aquino-Galman murders on August 21, 1983 remain undisclosed. He believes his father tagged by the Marcoses as a communist killer is just a fall guy in the blatant plot to kill Ninoy Aquino.
Barely an adolescent when the gruesome murders took place in the airport, son Reynaldo Galman could only recall his ordeal after his father was killed. He was only 10 years old when mother Lina Galman was abducted by unidentified men, never to be seen again after the airport murders investigation began. With only a sketchy memory of his parents to keep, Reynaldo lived the life of an orphan.
After more than two decades, many of the principal players who could have shed light on the heinous incident have died. They refused to tell the truth until the memory of the Filipinos has faded. President Gloria M. Arroyo thinks it’s now the ripe time to set free the incarcerated killers in spite of the unresolved questions surrounding the case.
The 10 soldiers of the Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) part of the team tasked to provide security to Ninoy have stuck to the official Marcos story which portrayed Rolando Galman of Nueva Ecija as the killer. They insist the "hitman" broke the cordon of their very tight security. But the Aquinos, the Galmans, and the majority of the Filipinos who followed the investigation don’t believe this.
The ugly tail of injustice wags mockingly on Reynaldo Galman who lost a father. Like the Aquinos and the rest of the aggrieved Filipinos, he is one among the victims who waged the People Power in revulsion to the tarmac murders and government corruption. Yet this isn’t enough to make Arroyo desist from favoring the convicted military men in her discretionary clemency. She probably doesn't know Reynaldo Galman and the rest of the Filipinos have been affected by the murders. Her political nemesis, Pres. Cory Aquino, the widow of Ninoy, aged and ailing, is mum over the pardon.
As one can see, life isn't fair even on Ninoy Aquino whose towering life could have changed the course of the country’s governance. For giving his life, the martyred Marcos rival has been admired, but it didn't take long before people forget his sacrifice. A number of his friends have abandoned his cause. Politics have a way of leading leaders like Gloria Arroyo to choose the low road against certain individuals---like Aquino who till his death insisted that “Filipinos are worth dying for.”
There are people who lie without conscience, condone moral aberrancy, and inflict incalculable cruelty on others. In the guise of handing down social justice, they welcome public apathy and forgetfulness, so that no one bothers to question. Expediency and rationalization have been part of how politics work in the country. (Photo Credits: Hoy_Sushi; Britt01)=0=
RELATED BLOG: "Pardon and (In)justice: Ninoy’s killers freed" Posted by mesiamd at 3/05/2009
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Pardon and (In)justice: Ninoy’s killers freed
Those who followed the news of the grisly killing of Ninoy Aquino more than two decades ago couldn’t easily believe the freeing the 10 soldiers convicted of the assassination. They never imagined Pres. Gloria Arroyo, in her exercise of executive power pardoned the convicts just as easily as she pardoned Pres. Joseph Estrada of his ignominious crimes.
Released Convicts
ex-Capt. Romeo Bautista
former 2/Lt. Jesus Castro
ex Sgt Ruben Aquino,
ex Sgt Arnulfo de Mesa
ex Sgt Rodolfo Desolong
ex Sgt Arnulfo Artates
ex Sgt Claro Lat
ex Sgt Ernesto Mateo
ex Sgt Filomendo Miranda
ex Constable 1st Class Rogelio Moreno
There was no admission of guilt from the soldiers convicted of Ninoy’s fatal shooting on August 21, 1983 when he arrived in Manila after a three-year exile from United States. The soldiers beholden by military code of silence pointed to Rolando Galman, tagged by the Marcos dictatorship as the communist hitman out to kill Marcos’ chief political opponent. Though the mastermind of the crime was not known nor punished, Pres. Cory Aquino believed it was Marcos who was behind the murder. Upon learning of the pardon, the ailing Ninoy’s widow refused to comment.
Accusing Pres. Arroyo of “abuse of discretion,” Sen. Noynoy Aquino, Ninoy’s son, said “Society has an obligation to transmit a message that if you commit a crime, you must pay for it,..They haven’t owned up to their sin. Why were they freed when they have yet to ask for forgiveness?”
In a reaction, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said that the “sad reality about all this is that only the small fry have been made to suffer….Until the masterminds are known and punished for their dastardly deed, we will never have closure to this brutal murder case.”---Inquirer (03/05/09)
It was for “humanitarian reasons” that the executive clemency was given. Government officials were unmindful of the need to apply the law consistently so as to hammer the message of what crime and punishment must be. They are convinced the killers had suffered enough and they took it upon themselves to decide it's time to set convicts free. In so doing, they have been dismissive of the injustice endured by the Aquino family, the Galman family, and the nation that Ninoy left behind. (Photo Credit: dead_mullen)=0=
Reynaldo Galman & his mother Lina
Reynaldo Galman, the son of Rolando (believed to be the fall-guy in the Aquino assasination) condemns the pardoning of the 10 convicted killers who continue to point to his father as Ninoy's murderer. The brains of the Aquino-Galman murders remain unkonwn.
After more than two decades, many of the principal players who could have shed light on the heinous incident are either ailing or have died of natural causes. The 10 soldiers of the Aviation Security Command (AVSECOM) tasked to provide security to Ninoy have upheld the official Marcos story which pointed Rolando Galman as the killer. Many Filipinos think Galman was indeed a fall-guy to cover up for a greater conspiracy to kill.
Reynaldo Galman could only recall his suffering after he lost his father. His mom Lina Galman was abducted by unidentified men and disappeared without a trace soon after the airport murders. He lived as an orphan, became a nurse, then later worked in the Middle East. =0=
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OJ Simpson's guilt: "What goes around----comes around?"
“What goes around--- comes around.” This is what people of the street say upon hearing of OJ Simpson’s sentencing to serve jail time on December 5, 2008. Las Vegas’ Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass has sentenced him to at least9 years to 33 years for his conviction in 12 criminal charges. These included assault of a deadly weapon, conspiracy, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
With the jail time, Simpson would be 70 before he’d be eligible for parole. But his lawyers planned an appeal. The former football star was obviously upset and emotional when he offered an apology, but many who watched the trial were relieved the sentence was handed in.
“You went to the room, and you took guns," Judge Glass told Simpson. "You used force. You took property, whether it was yours or somebody else's. And in this state, that amounts to robbery, with use of a deadly weapon."---AP (12/05/08, Ritter, K)
In 1994, Simpson was acquitted in a racially-charged jury of homicide involving his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Since then, OJ had been a symbol of dubious carriage of justice which divided citizens on how they regard the American legal system. Many people believed Simpson was guilty of the double murder case which was witnessed in TV and the news like a old time soap-opera (Photo Credit; AFP/ Pool/ Isaac Breeken)
RELATED BLOG: "OJ Simpson conviction: running out of luck and karma takes over?" Posted by mesiamd at 10/08/2008.
"Robbery” in Paranaque subdivision leaves 17 dead
One can’t help but be scared with the news that 17 people died in a shoot-out between police officers and alleged robbery gangs of Waray-Waray and Ozamis Group on December 5, 2008. In the blood bath inside a residential area---the United Paranaque Subdivision, five (5) civilians, eleven (11) suspected thieves and one (1) policeman were killed. Among the dead was Alfonso de Vera, 53 and his 7 year old daughter Avanna.
According to witnesses, they were caught by gun fires from members of the police team as they pursued the suspected robbers. De Vera’s wife theorized that the police might have mistaken their van as one of the getaway vehicles.---PDI (12/05/08, Ramos, M.)Pending thorough investigation no one for sure knew what went wrong, but the deaths of civilians in this setting raised doubts on the manner the police conducted its operation. There were others who suffered injuries in this incident.
In the past, many innocent people suspiciously died or sustained injuries in similar circumstances. Alarmed people ask if this is another case of “shoot first, investigate later” ---a frightening possiblity civilians and police officers find hard to deal with. =0=
Hospital: a vacation house or a sanctuary for malingerers?
The spectacular show of Jocelyn (JocJoc) Bolante continued at the airport when an ambulance rushed him to St. Lukes’s Medical Center on his arrival on October 28, 2008. The deportee who lost his appeal for asylum in the United States allegedly complained of “chest pains” and hospital authorities are mum about his medical condition
“…as the then undersecretary for finance of the Department of Agriculture, Bolante was the architect of embezzlement of more than P3 Billion (around $64M), including P728M fertilizer fund, that were intended for farmers' benefits…reports suggest that the fraud-tainted money was used as campaign fund of Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo in the 2004 presidential election.” UP Ibalon.blogspot.com: “Accused of Plunder, Jocjoc Bolante, Returns from US a Deportee’ (10/29/08, Gimpaya, A)
Accused of stealing money from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP,) Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia committed a crime similar to that Bolante is charged of. Both needed some hospital stay. Garcia had himself confined in UST for alleged serious medical problems at the height of his trial only to be found guilty of corruption and acts unbecoming of a soldier.
Convicted child-rapist Romeo Jalosjos had been reported to have sought medical confinement for conditions like cough and high blood pressure that could well be managed on an out-patient basis.
Pres. Erap Estrada used the Veterans Memorial Medical Center as a private detention house until he was brought to Camp Capinpin in Tanay, Rizal. Later he was put under “rest house arrest” in his cozy villa across the camp on the bases of questionable medical reasons. His supporters were delighted, but the public couldn't hide their scorn.
Yolanda Ricaforte, the bag woman in the Estrada plunder case also used some medical excuses. She pompously appeared in public in a wheelchair with a personal nurse during an investigation. With eyes shielded by dark sunglasses, she blamed hypertension for her “fragile” health. Her nurse in a white uniform plus a stethoscope on her neck stood by her side as though she could do something in case an emergency arise. After that appearance, Ricaforte surreptitiously rode a plane, skipped Manila to hide as a fugitive in America.
Filipinos understand that medical problems are used as props, distractions, and excuses during an inquiry or litigation. Lawyers exploit health reasons for their clients with the cooperation of their doctors. Not negating the need to stay in the hospital if there is true medical indication, the public is usually distrustful whenever people like Bolante goes straight to stay in a hospital suite (not the emergency room?) after his arrival in the airport. (Photo Credits: shashamane; suetortoise) =0=
UPDATE: GMA News reported on October 30, 2008 that Joc Joc Bolante is confined at St. Luke's Medical Center for medical tests that will take 5 days---rather slow for a VIP. There is no apparent medical justification to keep him in bed in the hospital which can be better used by sicker patients. Many MDs suspect, with Bolante's "stable" status, such tests on him are better done on out-patient (ambulatory) service.
KUNG AKO'Y MAGING DESAPARECIDO, INAY
ni Gregorio V. Bituin Jr.
Kung ako'y maging isang desaparecido
Pilitin po ninyong hanapin ako, inay
Kung sakali mang tuluyang nawala ako
Ay makita man lang ang malamig kong bangkay.
Nawala man ako'y para sa pagbabago
Tangan ang prinsipyo't pangarap ko sa buhay
Isang marangal na libing po ang nais ko
At isang tula ko sa lapida'y ilagay.
Nagmamalaki akong ako'y aktibista
Na prinsipyado itong sinuong na landas
Na ang tumatahak nama'y pawang bihira
At karaniwan, ang tulad ko'y dinarahas.
Aktibista'y may pag-ibig sa kanyang kapwa
Kaya't nilalabanan ang sinumang hudas
Na sa bayan natin ay nagsasamantala.
Panlipunang pagbabago ang tanging lunas.
Akong inyong anak ay alam nyong lalaban
Sa anumang sistemang mapagsamantala
Mahal kong inay, nais kong inyong malaman
Isa ka po sa pinakadakilang ina
Sa mundong itong kaytindi ng karahasan
Dakila ka dahil tulad ni Birheng Marya
Ay inalay mo sa pagbago ng lipunan
Ang anak mo para sa paglaya ng iba.
N.B. Ang tula ay pinadala sa akin ng makatang si Greg V. Bituin, Jr. Isang pangamba sa mga nawawala sa ating lipunan at pag-alaala sa mga pinaslang na walang katarungan---AFM (September 16, 2008)
What’s common in C-130 plane crash, Sulpicio Lines’ sinking & the “MOA-ancestral domain” controversy
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) symbolic coffins of people presumed dead in a C-130 cargo plane crash bring a message. Barely a week has passed that the 9 military personnel went missing. Many think it’s too soon to dismiss them as dead, much more mourn with a posthumous memorial when no exhaustive search for their bodies have been done.
The flag-draped tribute for the brave soldiers was emotionally-moving. (Photo Credit: Philstar) The same day as the Philippine Navy (PN) announced having found the site of crash, the glum spectacle of honoring those who “perished,” went on. Nobody reported having retrieved a body. No one knows from whom the pieces of human flesh found in the crash site belong to. Only a lonely badge of “Armadong Kusog ng Pilipinas,” ID cards, and an assortment of personal effects stand as evidence of death, convincing high-ranking military officers to “close” the grim case.
Declaring a quick closure on missing persons has become too common in the Philippines. When Abu Sabaya was allegedly swallowed by the sea during a bloody confrontation with the military, a pair of sun-glasses was all that was needed to tell the world, the notorious Abu Sayyaf hostage-killer of Christian missionary Martin Burnham with a hefty cash bounty on his head, was dead. Fabled money was exchanged swiftly as the news rolled in, confusing the public with embarrassing inconsistencies in government statements and media reporting.
Many passengers of the Princess of the Stars were presumed to have passed on almost immediately when the ferry ship was found grounded near Sibuyan Islands. Similarly, the Dona Paz collision with tanker Vector brought fast presumption of deaths, including those not included in the ship manifest.
It seems the military authorities rushed beyond their call of duty by presuming these people were all dead. Military bravery and “efficient” swiftness were perhaps what they wanted to project. But they ignored the medico-legal ramifications of declaring a missing person dead----something reminiscent of the gaffe behind the bungled memorandum of agreement-ancestral domain (MOA-AD,) tossed to the Supreme Court when Philippine peace negotiators (military men involved) didn’t do enough to ascertain the applicability and legality of giving away territorial concessions to the MILF.
The distribution of cash awards to relatives of unverified dead victims of Sulpicio Lines (Princess of the Stars.) was another thing. Without waiting if the “dead” people involved were truly among the passengers in the boat which sank at the height of Typhoon Frank, there were offers to silence the victims’ relatives with cash. For sometime now, the uproar raised by the mishap had died down quickly as the lawsuits that followed.
Certainly, there are laws governing the declaration of death of a missing person. They have serious practical applications which cover diverse issues such as settling of a decedent’s estate, the awarding of inheritance, indemnity claims, insurance benefits, the exercise of a citizen’s rights to vote, accountability for a crime or contracting marriage. Let us take contracting marriage as an example. To the best of my knowledge the Philippine Family Code stipulates in Article 41 a 4-year wait before a missing person to be declared dead for the purpose of re-marriage. The waiting time is shortened to two years for a spouse, if the missing person presumably passed on in a sea voyage---- like the sinking of the Sulpicio Lines ferry or in a the falling of an aircraft from the sky like the missing persons of the C-130 plane crash.
At a glance, one can see how often the law is brushed aside. With out following the judicial rules, empty coffins are paraded which seem to perturb the silent public. No one raises any objection--- not even the grieving victims’ relatives who took P60,000 (less than $2,000) as “financial” aids for the “death” of their loved ones. =0=
UPDATE: September 2, 2008, a day after the military's posthumous tribute was held, 7 bodies out of 9 were allegedly recovered. Though not all bodies were complete, waiting for some time was more appropriate so taht the remains of those who perished in C-130 plane crash could be included in the memorial. In keeping with the law, a premature declaraion of death could be avoided.
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