News Briefs: Aug. 25, 2019
Sandiganbayan finds strong evidence vs Bataan mayor
MANILA, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has denied the motion for leave of court to file a demurrer to evidence of Limay, Bataan, Mayor Nelson David and three of his coaccused.
In an Aug. 9 resolution, the antigraft court said that the prosecution’s evidence against them “is sufficient to support a verdict of guilt” for graft.
Since the separate motions for leave of court to file demurrers to evidence have been denied, the trial is expected to continue.
David, municipal assessor Jocelyn Linao, municipal treasurer Felicidad Cruz and engineer Rolando Flores face graft charges for their involvement in the allegedly overpriced purchase of farmland owned by the mayor’s sons. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu
Smuggled rifle parts, cell phones seized at Naia
Article continues after this advertisementMANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Customs (BOC) unit at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) complex on Saturday said its examiners seized assorted rifle parts misdeclared as buckles from a warehouse in Pasay City.
Article continues after this advertisementBOC-Naia district collector Carmelita Talusan said that 20 rifle hand guards and six hand guard locks were found inside a package from Shanghai, China.
On Friday, BOC-Naia inspectors intercepted 825 units of secondhand cell phones and accessories worth P15 million from South Korea.
Two separate shipments with same consignee were found to contain the used phones, lithium batteries and phone accessories. —Jerome Aning
Ampatuan to be arraigned at Sandiganbayan on Aug. 30
MANILA, Philippines — Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan, mayor of Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao, has asked the Sandiganbayan Third Division to move his arraignment to Aug. 30, to coincide with another arraignment before the First Division.
Ampatuan was originally scheduled to be arraigned on Friday, but had it moved. The court agreed.
His arraignment would be at 8:30 a.m. at the Third Division and at 10 a.m. at the First Division.
Ampatuan faces graft and malversation charges through falsification of public documents before the Third Division and four counts of graft and four counts of malversation through falsification before the First Division. —Patricia Denise M. Chiu
Mocha Uson’s interview with Palparan angers Karapatan
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — A video interview with convicted former General Jovito Palparan that was posted on Aug. 23 by former Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson was a “desperate” attempt to rehabilitate his image, rights watchdog Karapatan said.
Uson interviewed Palparan on Aug. 22 at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa where he is serving a life term for the abduction of two University of the Philippines students in 2006. — Tonette Orejas
