Day: May 13, 2023

Daniel Penny, a 24-year-old US Marine Corps veteran who killed a homeless Black man last week in a chokehold at a subway station in New York, will be charged with second-degree manslaughter and is expected to appear in Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said Penny will be arraigned on a charge of second-degree manslaughter in the killing of Jordan Neely. ‘Daniel Penny will be arrested on a charge of manslaughter in the second degree,’ the statement said. ‘We cannot provide any additional information until he has been arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court, which we expect to take place tomorrow.’ Penny, who is from Queens, killed Neely by placing him in a lethal chokehold on May 1. Penny’s subsequent release after being initially detained sparked outrage and has led to a series of ongoing protests.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The situation in Taiwan remains normal and measures are in place to protect the estimated 160,000 Filipinos on the island, the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) said Saturday. Amid tensions and recent developments over the Taiwan Strait, MECO chief Silvestre Bello III said he believes a possible confrontation between Taipei and Beijing is ‘very remote.’ ‘In Taiwan, everything is normal and, if in the remote possibility na magkaroon ng (that there would be an) emergency situation, like for example earthquake or even war, preparado ang Taiwan government (the Taiwan government is prepared) not only in protecting their own people but even the Filipinos, especially our workers,’ Bello said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. He said he recently met with representatives of Taiwan’s National Police Agency and Civil Defense Office and both agencies assured the protection and welfare of Filipinos. Bello said about 89,000 shelters are spread across the island that could accommodate more than Taiwan’s total population of 23 million, including Filipinos. ‘In addition to the shelter provided by the Taiwanese government, lahat ng mga (all) factory have their own shelters for their workers – ganoon kahanda ang Taiwan (Taiwan is that prepared),’ he said. ‘Hontiveros trip’ Bello also mentioned the recent Taiwan trip of Senator Risa Hontiveros, who met with Filipino workers. ‘Whether this is official or private, it does not really matter. China does not really mind iyong mga (the) elected officials going there, ang inaano nila iyong mga executive officers (China does not really mind elected officials going there, only those who are executive officers),’ he said. ‘I was informed that she was also invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which resulted in her meeting with the Taiwanese President, naka-meet niya si (she was able to meet with) Taiwanese President Tsai (Ing-wen).’ In a press release issued by her office, Hontiveros called for increased interaction with Taiwan, citing the similar challenges it shares with Manila, among them cybersecurity and climate change. Beijing had previously criticized Tsai’s meeting with United States lawmakers that prompted the deployment of warships and fighter jets around the island for military drills. The Philippines, like the US, adheres to the one-China policy.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Policemen rescued 17 Malaysian nationals from their poor working conditions at Klaire One Corp. in Kawit, Cavite, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Saturday. In a statement, PNP Chief General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the joint operation was conducted at 10:30 p.m. Friday by the Police Regional Intelligence Division 4-A (Calabarzon), and the Royal Malaysian Police, with the assistance of the Provincial Intelligence Unit, Cavite Police, and Kawit Municipal Police, in coordination with the Directorate for Intelligence. The rescued Malaysian workers sought assistance from authorities due to their poor working conditions at the job site and have expressed the desire to resign from the company. They were identified as Steve Sim Vui Leong, Kong Seeing Hock, Lai Yen Fan, Tiu Yong Yong, Tommy Wong Chiong Ming, Jane Liong Siew Jiun, Chua Wei Tung, Ang Kian Long, Antonio Alex Samuel, Stephen Pang Ying Kwong, Simon Chee Yung Fock, Stephanie Sim Do Do, William Law Hing Liong, Bong Ju Fong, Algyen David, Yaw You Ming, and Jalan Rambai Paya Terubong. The rescued Malaysian nationals were turned over to Supt. Norazman Hassan Basari, Police Attache of the Malaysian Police, on Saturday morning. Acorda said the PNP’s successful joint operation with the Royal Malaysian Police is a testament to the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing issues related to human rights and the protection of vulnerable individuals. He emphasized the PNP’s commitment to upholding human rights and promoting the welfare of all individuals within the Philippine jurisdiction, regardless of nationality. “The PNP remains steadfast in our duty to uphold the rule of law and protect the rights of every individual within our jurisdiction, including foreign nationals,” Acorda said. “We will continue to work closely with our foreign counterparts to ensure the safety and well-being of everyone within our borders.”

Source: Philippines News Agency

A Philippine delegation is scheduled to visit Kuwait this month to discuss the ban on Filipinos entering the Gulf state for the first time and the possible review of the two nations’ 2018 bilateral labor agreement. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Paul Cortes did not provide specific dates but said the delegation would leave Manila in the coming days. ‘What we hope to achieve when we get there is to clarify the issues of why there was a visa suspension, what will it take to resolve these issues between the Philippines and Kuwait,’ Cortes said during the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City. He said the ban and suspension of entry visa issuance were only formally communicated to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday and Kuwait has yet to officially provide a reason behind its decision. The ban, local press reported, stems from the country’s alleged non-compliance with the 2018 labor agreement concerning the operation of a temporary shelter for distressed Filipinos inside the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. ‘No violation’ Cortes, however, said Manila did not violate the deal if this was indeed Kuwait’s reason because the establishment of shelters, now known as Migrant Workers Overseas Filipino Resource Centers (MWOFRC) inside the embassies, is mandated under Republic Act 8042 or the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos Act of 1995. ‘We could not have agreed to a provision that will allow us not to establish a shelter para sa mga kababayan natin (for our countrymen) because that’s our law, and siyempre, kapag nag-agreement tayo with another country, lagi nating tinutuhog iyan with our domestic legislation (of course, whenever we have an agreement with another country, we always connect that with our domestic legislation),’ he said. Cortes said the operation of these shelters abroad is non-negotiable and would stay whatever the outcome of the upcoming talks may be. ‘Iyong batas natin (our law) is clear. We have to have a shelter for our kababayans,’ he said. Cortes said the DFA would also explain the deployment ban for household service workers (HSWs), which he believes could have been a ‘source of confusion’ for the Kuwaiti side. The ban only covers the contracts of first-time HSWs bound for Kuwait and was imposed in February after the brutal death of Jullebee Ranawa, whose charred remains were found in a desert in Kuwait this year. Cortes said the meeting is timely as it was already set even before the issue of the entry ban came up. The upcoming high-level talks, he said, are part of the regular discussions between the Philippines and Kuwait concerning the more than 290,000 overseas Filipinos there.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Amid growing tensions around the world, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, migrant problems, random shootings, and calamities like earthquakes and tropical cyclones, a parish priest echoed the calls of the Blessed Virgin Mary for mankind to repent now and pray the Rosary daily to attain genuine and lasting peace. Fr. Carlos Reyes, parish priest of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Makati City, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Saturday that ‘man’s continued sinfulness has offended God, and it is about time to repent and pray, especially the Rosary, to avert the wrath of God before it is too late.’ ‘It is important to attain spiritual healing by asking for God’s forgiveness during these troubled times,’ he said in an exclusive interview on the 106th anniversary of Mary’s apparition in Fatima, Portugal. On May 13, 1917, siblings Francisco and Jacinta Marto, aged 9 and 7, respectively, and their cousin, 10-year-old Lucia dos Santos, were out with their flock when they saw a figure of a woman dressed in white and holding a rosary. The Virgin Mary appeared to the children on the 13th of every month until October and sent a message of repentance and prayer. The Church proclaimed the supernatural character of the apparitions in 1930 and a shrine was erected at Fatima. It was visited by Blessed Paul VI in 1967, and later by St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Reyes said the human race should heed the call of the Blessed Virgin to repent and return to God. ‘Troubles in the world like wars, terror attacks, natural disasters, and the coronavirus, are part of the purification process for mankind to heed the call for penance, penance, penance,’ Reyes said. Meanwhile, the Pontifical International Marian Academy (PIMA) announced in a press conference on May 3 that it would launch an international observatory on Marian apparitions to protect vulnerable followers from false seers and swindlers. According to a statement, the observatory aims “to provide concrete support to the study, authentication, and correct disclosure of such events, always in harmony with church teaching, relevant authorities, and applicable norms of the Holy See.’ PIMA was founded in 1946 to promote scientific, speculative, and historico-critical studies of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to promote Marian devotion.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Police in Kenya announced Friday that the death toll in the Shakahola cult case had reached 179. Bodies were exhumed from 12 graves on land owned by the church leader pastor Paul Mackenzie. A total of 609 people has so far been reported missing, Coastal Regional Commissioner Rhoda Onyancha said, adding that more residents had come to them to register family members who went missing. More bodies are still to be exhumed Saturday in the vicinity of the cult’s stronghold in Malindi. The meticulous process has shed light on the horrific extent of the tragedy that unfolded where officials believe that victims were encouraged to starve themselves to meet Jesus. Efforts to uncover the truth behind the cult’s activities and the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain ongoing. The exhumations had been halted due to bad weather earlier this week but resumed after several days. An investigation that began last month has revealed that some of the victims had their organs missing, leading to suspicion that they were victims of human organ trafficking. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki described the deaths as a highly organized crime, saying the mass graves were many.

Source: Philippines News Agency