News Briefs: Feb. 14, 2019

PH defends deportation to China of 7 Taiwanese in telecom scam

The Philippine representative in Taiwan on Wednesday defended the deportation to China of seven Taiwanese arrested by Philippine authorities last year in connection with a telecom racket.

In a statement, the Taipei-based Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) described the deportation as “a law enforcement concern that requires proper dispensation of justice.”

Meco said that since most of the victims and evidence of the scam were from China, the Philippine government deemed it necessary to send the suspects to Beijing for trial.

“We will continue to adhere to the international community’s efforts to curtail crimes that transcend borders,” Meco representative Angelito Banayo said.

Six of the suspects are still detained in Manila for pending cases in courts, Meco said.

The Taiwanese government earlier expressed its “solemn concern and deep regret” over the deportation. —Jerome Aning

Court junks ex-TRC execs’ bid to have PDAF cases dismissed

The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division has denied the motion for a demurrer to evidence of former Technology Resource Center (TRC) Deputy Director Dennis Cunanan and former group manager Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana.

A demurrer asks the court to determine if the prosecution’s evidence is strong enough to merit a case, and is tantamount to asking the court for a dismissal.

In an eight-page resolution dated Feb. 8, the antigraft court said that the case against Cunanan and Lacsamana should proceed to trial.

“The evidence of the prosecution actually established the participation of accused Lacsamana and Cunanan in the release of the subject Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF),” the court said.

Cunanan and Lacsamana are accused of graft in connection with the misuse of the PDAF of former Isabela Rep. Anthony Miranda. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu