Faces of the news
Joel Napoleon Coronel
The Manila police chief and his team have been applauded both by senators and observers for the way they were investigating the fatal hazing of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo III. At the Senate hearing on Wednesday, Coronel showed how Aegis Juris members had attempted to cover up Castillo’s death and evade prosecution. “Based on the exchange of communication from these frat members, it would appear that the tendency of the fraternity to conceal or to obstruct justice is very evident,” Coronel told the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs. The Facebook chats have been submitted to the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group for authentication and verification. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the committee chair, lauded the Manila Police District and the PNP for “handling the case very well.”
Alvin Balag
The alleged “grand praefectus” of Aegis Juris, Alvin Balag ended up in detention for repeatedly invoking his right against self-incrimination, dodging even the simplest of questions raised by senators during Wednesday’s hearing. His refusal to answer a question on whether or not he was the fraternity’s president drew the ire of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs looking into the fatal hazing of Horacio “Atio” Castillo III. The committee cited him in contempt. Balag later told senators that he was just a member of the fraternity as he had transferred to another school after he failed in three subjects in UST. He was identified by John Paul Solano, one of the prime suspects, as the one who ordered the latter to bring Castillo to Chinese General Hospital and tell the hospital staff that the body was found in Balut, Tondo.
George San Mateo
As national president of the militant transport group Piston, George San Mateo has been at the forefront of opposing the Department of Transportation’s public utility vehicle modernization program. Of the seven biggest transport groups in the country, Piston is the last holdout against the program that aims to replace old and dilapidated jeepneys with commuter- and environment-friendly units. In fact, since February this year, his group has spearheaded three nationwide transport strikes. The latest strike earned the ire of President Duterte as his administration was forced to suspend government work and classes in all levels for two days. After repeatedly calling on the government to just work on jeepney rehabilitation, San Mateo has changed tune, saying they are against the supposed corporatization of the jeepney sector.
Mahmud Ahmad
Following the celebration that greeted the killings of Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute in Marawi City, which prompted President Duterte to declare the city’s liberation, the military next faced the grim task of finishing off the remaining pro-Islamic State (IS) militants, including a Malaysian terror suspect. As government troops pressed on, they killed over a dozen more militants on Wednesday night, including Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, but his body has not been recovered. Mahmud was a close associate of Hapilon, one of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s most wanted terror suspects. Officials said Mahmud linked up Hapilon with IS, and provided funding for the siege that left the Maranao city by the lake in ruins. The military said it was “increasingly confident” Mahmud was among those killed.
Gordon Hayward
Just five minutes into the 2017 NBA season, Boston Celtics star Gordon Hayward suffered a gruesome injury—his left foot snapping into a 90-degree angle from his leg—after a bad fall during the Celtics’ game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The All-Star forward had jumped in an attempt to catch an alley-oop pass, but came down awkwardly after colliding with Cavs superstar LeBron James. As one of Boston’s biggest off-season acquisitions, Hayward had a hyped debut after an impressive year with the Utah Jazz where he set career-best averages of 21.9 points and 5.4 assists. Although Hayward is out for the season, Celtics officials said they expected the 27-year-old to fully recover following a successful surgery on his fractured tibia and dislocated ankle. Hayward felt crushed, but assured fans that he’ll be “all right.”
Topex Robinson
Even as head coach of the team that made the biggest turnaround this varsity season, Lyceum’s Topex Robinson thinks his players deserve all the credit. The Pirates completed an 18-0 sweep of the NCAA men’s basketball eliminations—the best record in league history—after stunning defending champion San Beda, 107-105, in a double-overtime thriller. “It’s just a testament of really working together as a solid group,” Robinson said. “I’m so blessed I’m surrounded with the right people. These guys, they get the credit, it’s not mine.” The feat propelled the Pirates straight to the Finals for the first time. Robinson said the transformation of the former cellar-dwellers came when they worked not only on their game, but also their relationships. “If you genuinely love your players, they will genuinely help you,” he said.
