News Briefs: March 29, 2019

Lorenzana to meet Pentagon chief on April 1

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is set to meet with his US counterpart, Patrick Shanahan, in Washington on April 1 on his way home from a peacekeeping conference at the United Nations. Lorenzana said a possible review of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty might be taken up during the meeting, particularly the treaty’s definition of the term “metropolitan Philippines.” Lorenzana also called on UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres before the peacekeeping conference.—Jeannette I. Andrade

CA grants Abu suspect’s habeas corpus plea

The Court of Appeals (CA) granted the petition for habeas corpus of an Abu Sayyaf suspect who has been detained for three weeks without any charges. The court’s Ninth Division ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to present Salahim Hairal Dawani, who was arrested on March 6 on suspicion of involvement in several abductions, to the executive judge of the Manila Regional Trial Court, the proper court to handle the case.—Dona Z. Pazzibugan

Pope gifted vestments made of Mindanao fabric

A Cebuano prelate and his family gifted Pope Francis a Mindanao-inspired set of liturgical vestments that the pontiff found “very beautiful.” Msgr. Jan Thomas Limchua, a Vatican diplomat serving in Cairo, said his family presented the vestments on Tuesday after he concelebrated a private Mass with the Pope at the Casa Santa Marta chapel on the occasion of his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary. The vestments used native Maranao fabrics and were made by designer Leni Fuentes Bernardo.—Tina G. Santos

ACT alarmed at number of poll hot spots

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) said it was alarmed by the Philippine National Police’s declaration of 941 election hot spots. The group said the figure encompasses 57.6 percent of the country’s cities and municipalities and presents a “disturbing military control scenario.” As “thousands of police and military troops” would be sent to those areas, the group pledged to resist any attempt to compromise civilian supremacy in the coming midterm polls. —Matthew Reysio-Cruz

BI stops 2 Pinays headed for Omani’s harem

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) wants to blacklist an Omani who allegedly beguiled two Filipino women to travel and meet him abroad to have sex with him for eight days. BI port operations division chief Grifton Medina said Khalid Khalaf Gharib Al Shuraiqi should be barred from entering the country after he solicited sexual favors from the two women who were intercepted before they could fly to Thailand. The two said Gharib Al Shuraiqi promised to pay them P5,000 for sleeping with him together for eight days.—Tina G. Santos