News Briefs: Jan. 14, 2019
House holds necrological rites for Batocabe
Colleagues, friends and relatives of murdered Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe will be honoring the slain party-list lawmaker in the House of Representatives on Monday.
The 292-member chamber will hold a necrological service after the 10 a.m. Mass at the plenary hall of its main building at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City.
Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will lead the necrological rites for Batocabe, who was gunned down along with his police escort, SPO1 Orlando Diaz (posthumously promoted to SPO2), after a gift-giving event for senior citizens in a far-flung village in Daraga, Albay, on Dec. 22.
The slain lawmaker’s son, lawyer Justine Batocabe, will deliver a message from their family. —Marlon Ramos
DOJ to pursue cases vs 6 ex-RCBC execs in cyberheist
The efforts of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to exact accountability from those responsible for the $81-million Bangladesh central bank cyberheist are not yet over.
Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon on Sunday said the DOJ had yet to rule on the criminal charges filed against the six former colleagues of ex-Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) bank manager Maia Deguito, who was convicted by a Makati City court last week for money laundering.
Named respondents in the case separately filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) were former RCBC executives Raul Victor Tan, Ismael Reyes, Brigitte Capiña, Nestor Pineda, Romualdo Agarrado and Angela Ruth Torres.
“There is no resolution yet from the preliminary investigation earlier conducted on that case,” Fadullon told reporters in a text message. The complaint was filed by the AMLC in November 2016. —Marlon Ramos
Comelec: Be vigilant against people manning checkpoints
With the election period off to a start, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded the public to be vigilant against those posing as authorities manning checkpoints.
Beginning on Sunday, Comelec checkpoints were established nationwide in order to effectively implement the gun ban during the election period.
The election period for the May midterm polls will run until June 12.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez also advised the public to be similarly cautious of unauthorized individuals who pretend to man checkpoints.
Jimenez added that checkpoints must be manned by police personnel in complete proper uniform, including footwear. —Tina G. Santos
