Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crime. Show all posts
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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Gov. Paterson against 911 trial in NYC
New York Governor David Paterson who usually supported Pres. Barack Obama on many issues criticized the president for agreeing to hold the trial of the 911 mastermind and 4 other suspects in the courthouse of New York City (NYC.) The democrat governor joined ex-Mayor Rudolf Guiliani and many other New Yorkers in condemning the civilian trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who was accused of orchestrating the killing of almost 3,000 innocent civilians and destruction of the World Trade Center. They wanted the Muslim militant and four other co-conspirators--- Waleed bin Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Mustafa Ahmad al-Hawsawi and Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali 2001 to be tried in the military court.
"Our country was attacked on its own soil on September 11, 2001 and New York was very much the epicenter of that attack. Over 2,700 lives were lost," he said. "It's very painful. We're still having trouble getting over it. We still have been unable to rebuild that site and having those terrorists so close to the attack is gonna be an encumbrance on all New Yorkers." ---wcbstv.com (11/16/09)
But Attorney General Eric Holder wanted to have the suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to stand trial in New York because of certain undisclosed evidence. Since the alleged crimes happened in the United States, Holder, like his supporters, wanted to showcase the workings of America’s “superior” justice system to the world. But even the families of the victims are not pleased with the idea.
Among many objections, critics argued that bringing the terrorists in the Big Apple opens old wounds of the horror of 911. Why not in other venue? War criminals must be tried by military tribunals, not in civilian courts. New York City is likely to spend huge money to put them to trial --- a “circus” the accused terrorists desire. The 911 attack is an act of war against humanity and any concessions given to barbarism will put to waste the effort to arrest and put terrorists to trial.
With the media coverage, the trial will redirect NYC as a terrorist target and distract the public on the controversies of water-boarding and techniques of interrogation which have been useful in protecting the United States. Critics of the Obama administration believe there is a hidden agenda to investigate the Bush Administration’s policies on its war on terror. (Photo Credit: Long Island Business News) =0=
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Shoplifting rises globally as recession persists
The Retail Research in United Kingdom in its Global Retail Theft Barometer reports that more people worldwide are resorting to thievery partly due to the money crunch brought about the recession. Thievery accounts for only 1.5% in retail stores in the previous years. However, recently, many people have started stealing in public places raising the incidence of shoplifting to 6% with an estimated business loss of $115 billion.
“…Though the problem was documented across all regions, the steepest increases occurred in North America (8.1%), the Middle East (7.5%) and Europe (4.7%). In terms of total losses, retailers in North America topped the charts at $46 billion, followed by Europe's $44 billion and $17.9 billion in the Asia-Pacific region. In North America and Latin America, store owners and employees were the leading pilferers; in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, it was customers who were swiping the most loot.---- Time.com (11/11/09, Crumley, B.)
Regarded as a “victimless crime,” stealing in retail stores seems benign. Many think it has almost no effect on the consumers at large. But on the contrary. just like hidden expenses of other businesses, losses from shoplifting are charged indirectly to the buying public. Coincident to the fraying of society’s moral values stealing is being rationalized by people. In the ranks of shoplifters are middle-class thieves who don’t only steal to survive, but to do it for fun.
Justifying stealing, shoplifters point to dishonesty in a corrupt society. A redirection of moral outlook is certainly needed. To curve the losses from stealing, security improvement is likewise required. By estimates, shoplifting brings an additional expense burden of $436 and $250 per American and European household respectively per year. (Photo Credit: ReneS) =0=
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Polanksi held in Zurich for rape committed three decades ago
After escaping sentencing for a statutory rape of a 13 year old in Beverly Hills, California in 1978, acclaimed director Roman Polanski was taken into custody in Zurich, Switzerland. The controversial film director was arrested on the basis of an extradition and Swiss authorities coordinated with US legal officials to decide whether he would be sent back to the United States to face the law.
“Polanski, now 76 and a married father of two, asked the court to throw out the entire case based on new allegations of prosecutorial and judicial misconduct detailed in an HBO documentary last year. The L.A. district attorney’s office argued that he could not make such a request while a fugitive, and an L.A. judge earlier this year agreed. A 1997 attempt at settling the case also failed.”----Los Angeles Times (09/27/09, Ryan, H.; Blankstein, A.)
The Hollywood fugitive, Polanski, a French citizen dodged arrest for decades,. He arrived on Saturday, September 26, 2009 in the Swiss capital city to attend the Zurich Film festival honoring his cinematic works. Officials of the film event were flabbergasted over Polanski’s arrest. The director was behind celebrated films like Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown, and the Pianist which won him an Academy award in 2002.
Disregarding the crime, French and Polish political and cultural elite defended Polanski and asked for his release. Artists and film makers also wanted the director’s freedom questioning the motive behind the arrest.
Yet, if the law has to take its course, Polanski, no matter how famous and talented he is must not be above the law. Failing to appear in his sentencing in 1978, his warrant of arrest is still in effect. (Photo Credit: Gullaume Horcajuelo/ European Press Photo) =0=
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Nasty politics & murders: digging old dirt against Erap Estrada & Ping Lacson
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and head of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) accused ex-president Joseph Erap Estrada of being a protector of gambling operators, a godfather of smugglers and a bully in a privilege speech on Monday, September 14, 2009. What is new? Aren’t these the bases of why Estrada was driven out of Malacanang and subsequently convicted as a plunderer?
There was no surprise about the serious charges. Estrada, the felon had been ousted from presidency and disgracefully convicted of corruption after a tedious judicial process---only to be haphazardly pardoned by Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo.
“The rift between Lacson and Estrada started in 2004, when the ex-President picked his friend, late actor Fernando Poe Jr., over Lacson as the opposition's presidential bet in that year's elections. Lacson continued his presidential campaign that year. Both lost to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.”---GMA.News TV (09/14/09, Dedace, S.)
The renewed war between Lacson and Estrada can be traced to politics. As the election season starts, Erap wages a political come back desiring to broker or run in the May 2010 presidential race. As this develops, the double murder case of Dacer-Corbito is back---pointing to Erap and Lacson.
The former PNP chief and ex-president are among the main suspects of the killing of Salvador (Bubby) Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000. The new interest on the cold-blooded murders comes with additional testimonies against them. But te duo seem well ahead of the game.
Lacson’s charges are met with countercharges by Erap Estrada who denies all accusations. In his defense, Estrada's son Sen. Jinggoy joins to say that the accusation against his father are “pure” lies.
The people however watch in exasperation and incredulity. They are tired of these familiar political bickerings and unresolved hideous crimes involving top officials who bring the nation to nowhere.(Photo Credit: animationcomics) =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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California girl kidnapped for 18 years found
A 29-year old woman who was reported missing 18 years ago was found in the creepy home of a convicted rapist in California. Jaycee Dugard was just an 11 year old girl when she was snatched while walking to a bus stop on her way home in Lake Tahoe, East of San Francisco. Until lately no word came about the bizarre case and her whereabouts until police caught up wth Garrido.
In spite of efforts to find her since June 19, 1991, Jaycee remained missing until a parole officer found her living with kidnapper-rapist Philip Craig Garrido. The sex offender was thought to have fathered the kidnapped woman's two girls---children, ages 11 and 15.
Apparently in good health with no health problems, the abducted woman and her kids were living in a complex backyard with concealed tents and sheds behind Garrido’s home. The children never attended school nor were they given medical care all their lives. Relatives of Jaycee cried upon learning of her rescue.
The break to find Jaycee and her girls came when police became suspicious of the children who came to the University of California, Berkeley to distribute religious fliers. Garrido, 58, and his wife Nancy 54, were apprehended in connection to Dugard's protracted detention and were being readied to be charged of the crime. With some religious delusions, neighbors regarded the Garridos to be strange,
(Photo Credit: Reuters/ FBI; AFP/ El Dorado County Sherif) =0=
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As election nears, Mancao points to Estrada and Lacson in Dacer-Corbito murders
Philippines is again simmering with election fever. Among the contenders to run for president in 2010 is the disgraced ex-president Joseph Estrada. The aging actor-politician from San Juan, who was deposed by citizen's demand and haphazardly pardoned by Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo, is bent to come back to power.
Supported by an electorate that appears not to give much premium to competence, integrity, and moral qualifications, Estrada is confident to run for presidency again. Early on, the move to circumvent the laws against his disqualification is on-going. The “rehabilitated” convicted plunderer with meager qualifications, but with strong following is tagged as the mastermind with former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Sen. Panfilo Lacson of the death, 9 years ago, of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito.
Former police superintendent Cezar Mancao II, an accused witness, suddenly hugs the headlines again to rub salt on the double murder case which doesn’t get resolved. The players in the killing have muddled up the case. It is not unlikely that Estrada and Lacson are behind the murders, but nothing can be done against them unless they are proven guilty.
“The lawyer of three detained policemen who were also implicated in the crime, said Mancao had testified during the hearing yesterday that the order from Michael Ray Aquino came from Lacson, which in turn, he said came from Malacañang as part of an operation tagged as Oplan Delta. When the prosecution asked Mancao who in Malacañang gave the order, he replied "Estrada." whom he also indentified as "Bigote."---- Daily Tribune (08/27/09)
The renewed interest on Dacer-Corbito may well be connected with the election. This is another chapter in the soap-opera of corrupted politics that the public has been so tired of. On the side, politicians in Manila are busy drawing deals with other politicians in order to win---- rather than think of what they can do to advance the cause of the public good. How then can they focus on solving a sordid murder case?
The aggrieved families of Dacer and Corbito have to wait. With the sluggish court-system, Filipinos get distracted with candidates who have double faces and motives. The voters have been immensely disappointed by Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo. It’s time they focus on electing someone who is guileless and more competent. Otherwise, the cycle of political corruption will start again. (Photo Credit: Verongski4) =0=
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Michael Jackson’s death ruled as homicide
After a month of investigation, the Los Angeles Coroners office issued a preliminary report ruling that Michael Jackson, the famed King of Pop, died of homicide. The initial toxicology result revealed Jackson had toxic levels of propofol, a potent anesthetic on the day of death on June 25, 2009. --- http://www.thesmoking gun.com/
Dr. Conrad Murray, the singer’s personal physician who said Jackson appeared to have developed an addiction to medications had been a subject of criminal probe. He claimed he attempted to pull him out of the habit. Aside from propofol, Jackson was injected two sedatives (lorazepam and midazolam) which probably potentiated the effects of profolol.
With homicide ruling, Dr. Murray, a cardiac surgeon in Las Vegas, will most probably face criminal charges. An affidavit of LAPD Detective Orlando Martinez gives a description of the circumstances surrounding the pop star’s intriguing death. (Photo Credit: ctv.ca) =0=
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Putting Obama on notice: a clue to more brazen graft and corruption in America?
There is a time lag between identifying crime, the arrest of criminals and their prosecution. In the case of the New Jersey, it took 10 years of surveillance to apprehend 44 individuals, among them government officials and members of the Jewish clergy. Probably the biggest graft and corruption incident ever reported in the state, they are accused of serious crimes including money laundering, bribery, extortion, and the illegal transport and sale of human organs.
“Five rabbis were among suspects, along with the mayors of Hoboken, Secaucus and Ridgefield, the Jersey City deputy mayor and council president, two state assembly members, and numerous other politicians, prosecutors said.” AFP (07/24/09, Smith, S.)
The organized crime was busted in a stunning after-dawn raid shown in television. Acting US attorney Ralph Marra said the apprehensions showed the pervasive nature of public corruption in the state.
In a scale that rivals the legendary mafia, the crime ring allegedly operated internationally from New Jersey and New York to Israel and Switzerland.
Among those taken by police was rabbi, Levy Izhak Rosenbaum who was believed to be part of a notorious group of corrupt, shameless, and greedy people with strong government connections (said to be mostly affiliated to the Democratic party) that procure kidneys from poor people and sell them for $160,000 for transplant to ailing patients. He used religion as a cover.
The decade-long illegal activity was cracked open by the efforts of Republican Chris Christie, a former US attorney who had been against the administration of NJ Gov. Jon Corzine (D). The crusading prosecutor and many New Jersey citizens had been critical of the governor whose leadership was blamed for the poor handling of the state’s economy.
The graft and corruption is getting rampant and freely laid in the open in the United States. There is a shift in the ethical and moral standards of the nation as secular progressives and believers of relativism influence the psyche of the nation. If not corrected, America is in danger of losing its long-held values---its credibility, leadership, and moral standing in the world. (Photo Credit: AP/ Mel Evans x 2) =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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Bernard Madoff, accused top Ponzi scheme artist is allowed bail
Ponzi scheme artist Bernard Madoff who was accused of swindling the business world of a staggering $50 billion had been granted bail against the assertion of prosecutors that he is a flight risk and an economic threat to the community. During the holidays while waiting for indictment, the former Nasdaq chairman sent friends and relatives diamond bracelets, jewelries, and gifts amounting to about $1 million in violation of a court-ordered freeze.
But Federal Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis of Manhattan ruled that Madoff (who did not have prior convictions,) could stay in his luxurious $7 million Eastside Manhattan apartment with some additional restrictions--- instead of being locked in jail.
“The anxiously awaited bail decision does put additional restrictions on Madoff, including forcing him to come up with a list of items at his apartment and allowing a security firm to check on the items. The security company will also be allowed to search all outgoing mail from Madoff to ensure that no property has been transferred”.---AP (01/12/09, Neumeister, L)
The judge’s decision disappointed and infuriated many who were victimized by the fraud, supposedly the largest ever in financial history. They believed the accused swindler who was reportedly fitted with an electronic surveillance tag on his ankle got a “different brand of justice than the guy in the street.”
Madoff’s decades-long fraudulent business activity operated similar to a pyramid scam under the guise of a legitimate trading powerhouse which promised high investment yields with low fees. His company which started in 1960 attracted high profile banks, industry leaders, well-connected individuals, loyal friends, and rich celebrities. R. Thierry Magon de la Villehuchet, a prominent hedge fund manager-client who lost $1.4 billion committed suicide in his office in Madison Avenue last month.
In spite of the gravity of the accusations and the public clamor that Madoff be confined in prison, the judge’s decision to put him on house arrest shows how the legal system operates. Following the course of a criminal proceeding, it will take some time before a conviction, if apt for this case, will be decided.
Of course this isn’t consolation. The erosion of trust is astounding. At the back of this monumental fraud, the government regulators appear negligent for the red flags of fraud has been there for years. They have not done a good job in protecting American citizens---especially those ordinary investors on the street. (Photo Credit: Adam Crowe) =0=
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Disgruntled "Santa Claus" goes on a massacre spree
Santa Claus did not come to cheer the family in Covina, California on the eve of Christmas. Instead, Bruce Pardo, a 45-year old recent divorcee with marital problems personified a costumed Santa Claus visiting with incendiary device and weapons concealed in a Christmas gift. The angry man gunned down an 8-year old girl who opened the door of his former wife’s home. The bloody shooting was intended as revenge against his ex and her parents. The event which followed became a gruesome killing spree, causing the deaths of at least 9 people including his former wife. Some party-goers sustained injuries and were brought to the hospital. Before Pardo left, he set the house on fire leaving charred bodies on the scene.
Coming out of his red Santa Claus garb, Pardo drove away. He was later found dead with a single self-inflicted gunshot wound in his brother’s home in the Sylmar area of Los Angeles, CA on Christmas day, 25 miles away from the crime scene.
Such tragedy must not be the message of Christmas, but an incident of such brutality and senselessness happens. Marital and family problems need not end in this manner. It makes us ponder of the dark soul that ails some people today. (Photo Credit: AP/ Covina Police Department; blue_fam) =0=
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Shoes versus Pres. George W. Bush, pelting eggs on a Romanian leader & a pepper spray for a Manila socialite
There is always something to laugh about or be concerned for when we read that a head of state like President George W. Bush got shoes thrown on his face by a hateful angry Iraqi. The outgoing US president has been blamed for almost anything that has gone wrong----from the war Afghanistan, the economy, business, and social security. On his last visit to Iraq, he got insolent treatment.
The journalist who threw the shoes has been charged for endangering the life of a head-of-state. Since December 14, 2008, Muntadhar al-Zeidi complains of having been rough-handled and beaten by authorities. According to his brother, the apology he made for the crime was forced; he liked doing it again to the delight of his supporters.
Shoe-throwing-by Filipinos
The shoe-throwing incident in Baghdad had mixed reception in all cultures of the world. Many took it as a prank worthy of a loud laugh. The intelligence community thought of it as a security breach, an insult to visiting dignitaries. Overseas Filipinos (OFW’s) took the event as an occasion to display their own displeasure of Gloria M. Arroyo (GMA,) the president whose administration had been bugged by rising scandalous corruption. They too pulled angry shoe-throwing displays, making GMA’s photos as the apt target.
Egg-throwing in Romania
In the ceremony marking the people revolution of 1989, irate Romanians pushed, jeered, and pelted eggs on Ion Iliescu, the leader who replaced Nicolae Ceausescu. The latter was Romanian's dreaded communist dictator who was violently ousted and executed in an uprising two decades ago.
A three-time elected leader of Bucharest, Iliescu was blamed for failing to go into the bottom of the deaths of more than 1,000 people during his predecessor’s bloody regime. A 79-year old aggrieved man who lost a son was arrested for throwing eggs.
Pepper-Spray Scandal in Manila
A brawl of two flashy socialites resulted to eye injuries which led Neny Montinola to visit the emergency room of a swanky hospital in the Philippines. According to reports, at a party in the “Embassy,” in November, Patricia Panilio-Cu-Unjieng, a Filipina of alleged upscale breed and wealth, angrily pumped pepper-sprays on her rival’s face to vent rage---at the acme of her “jealousy.’
Controversies which passed the ears of their patrons ensued until the two women decided to end their catty dispute. They chose to bury the scandal’s dagger in the spirit of Christmas. Supposedly bred in some exclusive schools in Manila, the two war-weary ladies reconciled. A public apology was reportedly issued, though no one seemed to have paid attention. The people of the country were too focused in their own mundane concerns.
THE AFTER-THOUGHT
This is the world we are in. People can just attack someone without thinking of the consequences. Anyone can make an apology whose sincerity is up for questions. Whether they are justified in their actions isn’t much of an importance. Violence in whatever form must not be condoned.
We better watch out. There are legitimate ways to protest and redress wrongs in civilized cultures. But it appears the avenues to get justice are threatened by the fraying of ethical traditions and the warping of our own moral beliefs. (Photo Credits: www.ChinaDaily.com; http://lakwatsera1.com; Luky-luke; Bo Madsen=0=
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90% of RP crimes are solved in less than 1 year: a lie that can make you cry?
When I read that Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Jesus Versoza on Thursday announced that about 90% of crimes in the country had been solved in less than year, I thought it was a typo error. But I made sure I was not reading it wrong.
“In a press conference after a closed door command conference with key PNP officials, Verzosa said that of the 62,148 crime incidents reported in 11 months, 89.43 percent have been solved."----Inquirer, (12/17/08, Kwok, A)
I was convinced that this is inconsistent to the crime profile of the country that I know. What does “solving a crime” mean to the PNP director? What are the “crime incidents” is he referring to? In my book solving a crime means investigating a case, recognizing the criminal, ascertaining his complicity, bringing him to court, having him serve jail time if guilty, and rehabilitating him to be a responsible citizen before he is released from jail. The process definitely takes longer than a year.
The PNP director is probably lying. I couldn’t comprehend how a top government official has that gall to misinform the public at the expense of himself, the military, and the country. The motto of the police is service, honor and justice. Is he the corruption that has run wild in the military service?
HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES IN THE PHILIPPINES
One can discern the hard reality from personal experience or by doing a little reading. Many crimes go unreported. I know there are many journalists being killed without resolution of their cases. They are part of a large group of crime victims that range from a gamut of circumstances---from simple robbery to mass murder. The US State Department report on the human rights record of the Philippines in 2006, had the following was reported:
“During the year there were a number of arbitrary, unlawful, and extrajudicial killings apparently by elements of the security services and of political killings, including killings of journalists, by a variety of actors. Many of these killings went unsolved and unpunished, contributing to a climate of impunity, despite intensified government efforts during the year to investigate and prosecute these cases.
Members of the security services committed acts of physical and psychological abuse on suspects and detainees, and there were instances of torture. Arbitrary or warrantless arrests and detentions were common. Trials were delayed and procedures were prolonged. Prisoners awaiting trial and those already convicted were often held under primitive conditions.
Corruption was a problem in all the institutions making up the criminal justice system, including police, prosecutorial, and judicial organs. During a brief "state of emergency" in February, there was some attempted interference in freedom of the press and in the right of assembly.
In addition to the killings mentioned above, leftwing and human rights activists were often subject to harassment by local security forces. Problems such as violence against women and abuse of children, child prostitution, trafficking in persons, child labor, and ineffective enforcement of worker rights were common." --- www.state.gov/ (US State Department) Philippines: Country Reports on Human Rights Practices-2006 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (03/06/07)
77% OF PRISONERS ARE VICTIMS OF JUDICIAL ERRORThe report about prisoners in the Philippines is telling. Raymond Narag, a law student served 7 years in detention for murder which he never committed. He later worked as consultant on prison reform in the Philippine Supreme Court (SC.) According to him, 3 out of 4 prisoners (77%) in the Philippines are victims of judicial error. The average pre-sentencing detention is 3.2 years. Jailbirds are forced to plead guilty to escape hardships in detention in favor of being in the National Penitentiary where the conditions are better.
"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
Quezon City Jail was built for only 815 detainees. Now, it houses about 3,400 inmates. This means that each prisoner has 0.28 sq2 m of living space which is way below the 3 sq2 m per person the United Nations considers the minimum standard for the treatment of prisoners." ---PIME; www.asia.news.it (10/22/04, Evangelista, S)
PERSONAL EXPERIENCEI have no reason to believe that the data above have drastically changed for the better this year. I haven't heard of any evidence to the contrary. Instead, I recall my dead brother Henry who died from vehicular injuries without retribution on those who sold fake drugs that caused his demise. He was left in Naga City jail for hours without medical attention on a wrong assumption that his stupor was due to drunkenness, not from the brain damage from his injury. At least one doctor in Bicol Medical Center was complicit in peddling the counterfeit medicine.
I remember my friend’s mom, a widow who was stabbed by a robber while walking home after a day’s work in a Quezon City bakery. The sole witness of her slay was himself a victim of unsolved political disappearance, a case unrelated to the murder. My first cousin Orly was killed in a traffic accident in Manila by a hit-and-run driver. No one went to jail for these crimes. They were among at least 10 people I knew who died; their cases remained cold for more than a decade. I don’t know of a single heinous crime in the Philippines that had been solved. So can you see why I don’t believe General Versoza? How about you?(Photo Credits: www.bardu.net; ronaldhackson; www.bardu.net; planetradio; planetradio; ace_kupal)
RELATED BLOGS: "Journalist killings continue" Posted by mesiamd at 12/09/08; " Another gruesome journalist’s slay" Posted by mesiamd at 11/17/2008; "When they start telling us we're unworthy of help" Posted by mesiamd at 12/16/2008; " On Philippine Corruption And Our Being Inure To It" Posted by myty555 at 12/16/2008; "Rising Road Accidents" Posted by mesiamd at 10/27/2008
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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=
Bolante in jail, the “zarzuela” continues
Now that former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn (Joc Joc) Bolante is indefinitely detained for lying in the senate investigation of P728 million fertilizer scandal, Malacanang expresses “sadness” that the suspected criminal might not spend Christmas at home. Palace officials seem more concerned for the slick guy deported from US rather than for the Filipinos adversely affected by the corruption charges.Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo is hoping something “good” comes out of the investigation. Her statement is wimpy. It suggests that Pres. Gloria M. Arroyo's administration isn’t strong in seeking truth and justice in this case. The reason(s) is obvious.
Bolante has been accused of misusing fertilizer money for Pres. Arroyo’s election. Described as “bubbly” in jail, he outwardly takes the charges lightly as the nation is wearied waiting. It’s the kind of behavior that Filipinos usually see among accused government officials who are confident in lying and dismissive of the people’s suffering.
The “bubbly” guy in jail is the same person who tried to seek asylum in the America in a bid to avoid prosecution. Upon arrival from deportation, he ostensibly boarded an ambulance straight to St. Luke’s Medical Center from the airport for a two-week medical check up. As expected, the stay in the hospital suite yielded nothing emergently life-threatening.
If only to uplift the sagging expectation on the course of justice, the senate’s blue ribbon chair Sen. Richard Gordon said,
“Before we ordered the arrest of Mr. Bolante, the members of the Blue Ribbon committee held a caucus and we were all convinced that he had been giving us statements contradictory to the testimonies of resource persons and documents presented.”—Malaya (12/05/08, Lopez, JP)
Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Dagupan was more direct in his opinion about Bolante’s lies. Urging the senators to file perjury cases against Bolante, Archbishop Cruz asserted that “"no big intelligence is needed to know that Bolante is not telling the whole truth about the fertilizer fund scam – not only for his own sake but also to cover up for his Malacañang patron," he said. ---Manila Bulletin (12/05/08, Torregoza, H)
Archbishop Cruz’ opinion is shared by many Filipinos who doubt whether this investigation will end in the full disclosure of the crime and the punishment of the guilty. Exposed to endemic and escalating corruption, the public feebly watch the “zarzuela” as it proceeds in its lazy way. (Photo Credit: AP/Roque,Pat; villi.ingi) =0=
RELATED BLOGS: Bolante’s medical drama continues, but doctors say “telling the truth is therapeutic.” Posted by mesiamd at 11/08/2008;Accused of Plunder, Jocjoc Bolante, Returns from US a Deportee Posted by andygimpaya at 10/29/2008; "Hospital: a vacation house or a sanctuary for malingerers?"Posted by mesiamd at 10/29/2008.
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