News Briefs: Dec. 13, 2018

Pichay perpetually disqualified from public office – rival

A former lawmaker who is seeking to stop Deputy Speaker Prospero Pichay from seeking reelection in next year’s midterm elections on Wednesday said jurisprudence would back her claim that Pichay was already perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

Mary Elizabeth Ty said Pichay was found guilty of grave misconduct by the Office of the Ombudsman on June 11, 2011, and was ineligible to hold appointed or elective positions in government.

The Ombudsman denied Pichay’s motion for reconsideration on Aug. 1, 2011, while the Court of Appeals rejected his petition for review on Oct. 23, 2013.

Pichay filed a motion for reconsideration, but it was denied on Feb. 24, 2014. Ty, who is seeking Pichay’s seat in the first district of Surigao del Sur, said that pending any appeal, the Ombudsman’s decision on the grave misconduct case was immediately executory pursuant to Ombudsman Memorandum Circular No. 02, Series of 2006, Rules of Procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman. —Jerome Aning

Prosecutors summon PCMC execs to Dengvaxia hearings

Justice department prosecutors have issued subpoenas to two former executives of the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC) to attend the hearings on Dec. 14 and Dec. 28 following their inclusion as respondents in the criminal cases filed by families of eight children who died after being inoculated with the dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia.

Summoned were Dr. Raymundo Lo, former PCMC deputy executive director for professional services, and PCMC officer Dr. Sonia Gonzales. Public Attorney’s Office chief Persida Rueda-Acosta said the two facilitated the purchase of the vaccine used by the government in 2016 for its mass vaccination program.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Susan Dacanay required Lo and Gonzales to appear on Dec. 14 at the DOJ and to submit their counteraffidavits on or before Dec. 28. —Jerome Aning

Manila drug bust: 2 Koreans, Filipino woman arrested

Police arrested two Korean men and a Filipino woman on Wednesday morning during an antinarcotics operation in Malate, Manila.

The Manila Police District identified the suspects as Shyrel Tumbali, 33; Hyun Ki-suk, 60; and Le Yung-su, 49.

Tumbali and Hyun were from Malate, while Le lived in Caloocan City.

They were arrested around 2:45 a.m. on San Andres Street by antidrug operatives of Malate police station.

Police said Hyun “violently resisted” the arresting team, causing commotion in the area.

Recovered from them were a sachet and a canister containing suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) and drug paraphernalia. —Aie Balagtas See