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Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) Aftermath

2013-12-09T07:22:00.002-08:00

Locally known as typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines, the enormous devastation of the typhoon has put the entire world shocked about its power. Many lives lost and missing with 5700 dead and almost 2000 missing, the country that has suffered corruption, was put to a halt. Shocked from the devastation of the powerful 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol here comes another calamity of a grand scale. Immediately after its landfall on November 8, the devastation costs the governments billions of pesos to rehabilitate and rebuild now stands at almost 40 billion pesos.

What made it worst, the outpouring of support from the international community, NGOs and private groups and companies is overwhelming. Unfortunately, a few weeks after the overflowing support, corruption
is prevalent even in the relief goods distribution. News came out some items intended for the typhoon Yolanda(Haiyan) victims is found in the malls as reported by the Daily Mail. There are even some food packs ready for distribution was repacked and labeled again with the government agencies name. I hope this allegations are misunderstanding only of the procedures of the concerned government agency and does not clearly showed the corrupt practice of some officials in the government. Although there are still many who are serving the public with honesty and humility.

Who the victims are? These people where majority came from the remote villages and from a third or fourth class municipalities of regions 6,7 and 8 were shouldering the brunt of this calamity and worst the corruption even after the typhoon. These people started from nothing because of the less fortunate life they have and now has nothing after typhoon Yolanda. Many countries and groups especially NGOs and private companies and individuals has gave hope to the victims to cope with the death and devastation but it is more devastating to hear stories of corruption, stealing of relief goods, etc. The smallest communities in the remote areas with houses built of nipa huts and mainly relying on the harvest from their farm like food crops, vegetation for their food were the ones heavily affected, the fishermen with a daily catch enough for the family have lost a boat for their means of livelihood. No crops, vegetation and plantations remains in the path of Yolanda, coconuts, sugarcane plantation, mangoes almost everything were erased.

My relatives has been living through cultivating lands from a landlord for for almost 50 years is entirely dependent on the harvest of their farm crops. Since their marriage, both were not blessed with a child. Their house is built with ordinary and light materials like GI sheets,bamboo, coco lumber.. The main source of their income is planting vegetables and selling them to the market every week end. They have grown farm animals like goats, chicken but had to sell from time to time to buy what they need like clothing and food. Now at their age both of them had to slowdown the farm works and only plants vegetables. To augment their small income they had to set up and sells a small sari sari store with their total estimated cost of their goods at only 3000 pesos or less. This is where they get their daily needs from foods to payment of electricity and water, everything. When the typhoon struck, they are homeless, they have nothing. Their small house was flattened, the vegetation, banana and other crops were all uprooted. Now where they lived? They found their new home in an old pig fence and in addition after the typhoon, they were only given a two kilos of rice almost a week after from the barangay. At their age, nothing you can imagine of how these people rebuild their home and how they start without the help of the government. It may take a longer before HELP arrive because of the many factors the goverment has. But with the private groups helped through their own distribution of relief goods and hopefully to rebuild their home.

My appeal to all donors, please continue to support the victims and please make sure your donations to reach the victims. You have the capability and capacity to do all these things and with the help of kind hearted and generous serving private individuals the smallest victims of the calamity will share what we hope for them to see light after darkness and to appreciate you as support in these greatest trial in the history of mankind.

The tragedy has brought the real character of the Filipinos, the good traits but sad to say it has also showed the corrupt character of some individuals or groups. I condemn to the strongest terms these people stealing items for the victims.

I have a few shots here where the scenes are after Yolanda.

The destruction left by Yolanda (Haiyan, international name)

The old pig fence converted into a new home of the old couple

Debris from bamboo house after the typhoon

A small banana left standing

Your HELP in whatever form will mean a lot to these victims to rebuild their homes.

Pedro: A young Filipino Saint

2012-10-20T22:53:00.000-07:00

Saint Pedro Calungsod
1654 - April 2, 1672
From being a simple young Filipino boy, Pedro Calungsod is now officially declared a Saint. He is the only second Filipino Saint and the first from Visayas region. Filipinos are blessed enough that the worked of this young boy was recognized after centuries of neglect. His sainthood is a manifestation of being true servant of God that even death can not stop this boy to protect his faith. His work as a catechist and a sacristan is exemplary in his time. This will give inspiration for our Filipino youth to keep the righteous path in their journey, to follow the work examples in the life of Saint Pedro Calungsod. Although his origin is not clear where this young boy originates but many claimed and based on the historical research identifies Ginatilan in Cebu, Hinunangan and Hinundayan in Southern Leyte, and Molo district in Iloilo as probable places of his origin. Some also claims he is from Loboc in Bohol. This little young boy is not known until Father Diego's records for sainthood was scanned.

Viva San Pedro Calungsod. Pray our nation for unity and progress, for the people to continue a strong faith in God.

Tech Review: Samsung Galaxy Note and Android

2012-10-12T20:34:00.002-07:00

Early this year, I bought a Samsung Galaxy Note. What's good about this smartphone is the features rich in new styles and advantage. The camera is amazing with 8 mega pixel back and 2 mega pixel front lens. The stylus pen is good enough for your handwritten notes. Writing notes through S pen has even improved when the phone was upgraded to ICS 4.0. It captures the real time the stroke of your hand making it more interesting to take down notes.

This 5.3 inch smartphone is so far the best ever phablet in the market. Its equipped with dual core processor
with 1 GB of RAM and an expandable 16 GB storage. It has card slot for additional storage of your documents, photos, movies. With the Android OS for smartphone is still in its infancy stage, the benefits it
brought to its early adaptor is huge. While some early phone makers like Nokia is building their own and recently adopts the Microsoft based Windows 8 operating system but its impact is minimal compared to its Android rival.

The smartphone including tablets and other gadgets now is dominantly equipped with Android operating system. You can now see digital camera based on Android and it will soon flood on the market.

Thanks to Google's Android and it drives away some dominant phone makers from the race while introducing an innovative options for customers and openly allows the operating system to link with
millions of apps developers around the world. This move by Google creates the advantage that other smartphone makes don't have. Apple is very strict with its policy on opening IOS to developers, it accepts a handful of apps while they build their own apps that eventually now is trailing Android. While Research in Motion's Blackberry could hardly finished their improved version, no other dominant players now compete with Google's Android and Apple's IOS.

Metro Cebu Flooding

2012-09-05T07:39:00.001-07:00

The rain yesterday puts Metro Cebu at halt again, commuters were stranded. A lot of people suffers because of the floods caused by only a few hours of rain. The rain starts at noontime and lasted only for about two hours yet the inconvenience it caused is alarming. We never learned from Ondoy, from the Metro Manila flooding two weeks ago which until now in some areas the water never subsided.

Last year, Mahiga creeks overflows because of the heavy rains and yesterday it overflows again. The experienced we have right now should be considered by everybody seriously. We do not just pass it our government officials, we have to take our share to solve problems of this magnitude. The continuous development of our community by different companies coupled with increasing populace has contributed to this problem. In addition, our irresponsible and undiscipline attitude of throwing garbage anywhere, all of these is a total neglect of our Mother Earth. Simply, we do not care on our environment.

We have to act now to save Mother Earth.

A 7.6 Quake hits Eastern Visayas

2012-09-01T21:33:00.003-07:00

The quake that hits Eastern Visayas Friday night causes a nightmare in the entire Visayas region. Although there is a minimal damaged but the uncertainties and the disorder that people experienced has much of a devastation. Everybody that feels the ground shaking panicked and starting to feel it is the end of the world.

But to my surprise a lot of big companies are not prepared for these events. To site one, our telephone carriers Globe and PLDT network failed during these emergencies. You can not make a call at that time. It happened 8.47PM of August 31 and when you make a call in that instance you can not get through, both of their network failed. Thier network cannot accommodate the volume of users making a call simultaneously at that time.

This is one of the most important tools during calamities of this kind and it is therefore a must that these companies has a solid platform that can withstand these emergencies. It was even a lower magnitude in Cebu
and yet we encountered this problem. Communication at time like these is very important and a basic tool for everybody to get informed immediately and where the decisions of each individual relies.

IT IS therefore a must for our regulator of these companies to look into thier platforms. As it now very basic
that communications like cellular phones is always working. We are lucky and very thankful to Almighty GOD that it did not caused tsunami in the nearby areas because if it does the damaged could even be higher.

I hope this is a wake up call for our government authorities that problems like these be looked into. It is not the only time it happend because last February when the same calamity happened, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Central Visayas, our cellphones were not working.

For DOTC, NTC please looked into.

Ondoy II in Mindanao

2011-12-21T00:54:00.000-08:00

What has been a surprising twist of nature is the flooding happening in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro Cities. Worst than Ondoy II, the flooding happened in the month of December where majority of the Filipinos are busy preparing for the Christmas season. It caught the community off guarded because of the typhoon forecasts given to them was merely a signal no 2 coupled with the timing which occurs at night.

Now, the effect is the continued counting of lifeless bodies and missing persons unaccounted because of the muds and erosion that destroyed if not totally erased the whole community. Authorities are saying they
had enough warnings to the public of the upcoming Sendong. But some local officials are claiming their community are not warned.

The tragedy had caused every government agency to panic, some are claiming it was caused by mining operations while others had it caused by illegal logging. While we blame some other officials for lackluster control of these activities, we have to give teeth also to our local officials to control and limit the inhabiting along creeks and rivers. This has compounded the already dangerous terrains of these areas.

Tsunami Struck Japan

2011-03-11T00:22:00.000-08:00

An 8.9 magnitude earthquake according to US Geological Survey hits Japan a few hours ago. This has caused a tsunami that swept into the mainland causing massive destruction in the area. The quake has shaken buildings and toppled other structures in the area. The epicenter was 373 kilometers away from Tokyo according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake was estimated to hit at around 2pm in the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan.

It has caused major power outages in the Tokyo and the surrounding areas. Reports of more damages in Tokyo continues as the government is sending rescue mission in the area.
Video courtesy of CNN.
It triggered tsunami warnings in the region including Russia, Guam, Taiwan, Korea, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Island and the Philippines.

A day before, a 7.2 earthquake also hits the coast off Honshu.

A massive earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan on Friday has killed at least 48 people. Many people are missing, while authorities are warning Pacific coastal areas to be on the alert for possible tsunami of up to 10 meters high.

Japan's Meteorological Agency says the quake on Friday afternoon had an estimated magnitude of 8.8, making it the most powerful one to hit the country since record-keeping began in the late 19th century.

The quake struck at 2:46 PM local time, off the Pacific coast of Miyagi Prefecture, at an estimated depth of 24 kilometers. Tremors in Miyagi registered an intensity of 7 -- the maximum level on the Japanese scale of 0 to 7. Strong tremors were felt hundreds of kilometers away, including in Tokyo.
Several magtitude-7-class aftershocks continued off the Pacific coast.

The Meteorological Agency has issued major tsunami warnings to broad areas, from Hokkaido in the north, to Tokushima in the west. The agency says these areas could see water levels surge by more than 10 meters.

At 3:50 PM Friday, a tsunami surging higher than 7.3 meters struck Soma Port in Fukushima Prefecture. A 4.2-meter tsunami hit Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture at 4:52 PM, while tsunami more than 4 meters high struck Kamaishi and Miyako in Iwate Prefecture at 3:21 PM.

NHK has learned that at least 48 people have been killed in the quake and tsunami, including 17 in Iwate Prefecture, 9 in Miyagi Prefecture. Many more are missing.

A 6-year-old child was killed in Miyagi, when the ceiling of a supermarket collapsed. The child's mother is reportedly in serious condition.

At least 97 fires have been reported in 9 prefectures -- the largest number of them in Miyagi. In Chiba Prefecture, a massive blaze is raging at a Cosmo Oil refinery. A man in his 30s has reportedly suffered severe burns all over his body.

Narita Airport near Tokyo has partially resumed operations. But several airports remain closed in northeastern Japan, including one in Sendai.

Shinkansen bullet train operations have been called off for the day in central and northeastern Japan, and all train services have been suspended in the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Expressways are closed to traffic in northeastern Japan and in central Tokyo.

According to electric power companies, 4.4 million households in northeastern Japan are without power. Nearly 4-million more households are also under a blackout in the Tokyo Metropolitan area.

The Meteorological Agency is warning of more possible tsunami and aftershocks. It says people in areas where major tsunami warnings are in effect should evacuate to safer ground.

V

Libya Fighting for Freedom

2011-03-09T19:07:00.000-08:00

Since February 15, the Libyan people continued to seek their freedom from the firm grip of power of their long time leader Moammar Gadhafi. Some estimates the casualties had reached to 2,000 people and is expected to increase as the fighting has shown no sign of slowing down. Hundreds of thousands of people has fled the country while some are stuck in the border of Tunisia. The opposition leader has been calling for the international community for a swift action to help protect the innocent civilian from the attacked of helicopter gunships and bombers. The imposition of a no fly zone can not be imposed immediately because some international leaders are waiting for backing from NATO and the Arab League.

The Gadhafi government has been claiming for a defensive position of their military and that they are not using its artillery to bomb the civilians and the protesters. But some reports had shown bombings coming from helicopters in the eastern stronghold of the opposition. With Gadhafi has shown no sign of giving up, the fighting would continue and many civilians will become victim of what appears to be a civil war.

The international community and the UN has been calling for the government to allow access to humanitarian aid for the civilians. The UN has allocated millions of dollars for the food of those affected in the fighting but bringing in the aid to the areas in fighting is a difficult task of the UN. If no clear decisive action from the international community to protect the civilians from the fighting of the governments forces and the protesters then bloodshed will continue. The protesters and the civilians will die for their freedom from the rule of Moammar Gadhafi who has refused to step down. The people that he served is the same people who has gone to the street to fight for his ouster and the same people that was attacked by government forces.

Libyan's freedom has cost so many lives already and the counting of the dead continues until freedom can be served. This is how costly freedom is....

The fate of Ella Joy Pique part 2

2011-03-07T20:00:00.000-08:00

As I was monitoring on the progress of the case of this innocent child, it appears a new set of suspect or suspects are being tracked by the authorities. Just recently, the Norwegian Engineer Sven Erik Berger and his Filipina fiancee Karen Esdrelon were released from detention for lack of probable cause to charged them according to the prosecutors handling the case. And after their release, the couple were having a party to celebrate their freedom. And according to the reports, one of the prosecutors who handles the case were seen partying with the couple. IS THIS TRUE?

What if the National Bureau of Investigation did not help in the investigation and they just let the police authorities to independently do their own investigation? What if Governor Gwendolyn Garcia did not tapped the services of the NBI to help validate the whereabout of the couple when the crime was commited? What if the people being arrested by the police were ordinary people who can't get the attention of the governor, weren't they behind bars until now?

Now that Sven Erik Berger and Karen Esdrelon has been freed who's next to be charged? Can they charged the real culprit of the crime? If the authorities has mistakenly charged for the Vizconde massacre after almost 20 years now how much more the ordinary and innocent people. The case of the Vizconde massacre until now remains unsolved. Can justice be served to these victims?

Authorities are following up another lead of the case after the charges of the couple did not prosper. They are investigating another set of suspect whom they just recovered the get away vehicle and some items to help their investigation. We all hope and pray the real culprit will be captured the soonest possible to give justice and peace to the victim's family and to Ella Joy Pique.

The recent update of the case was the search warrant issued was challenged by the owner of the house named Chloe Santos. On March 4 at around 10 PM the searched was conducted on the house of Chloe Santos . The police had confiscated the items listed in the warrant including the Pajero allegedly used by the perpetrator of the crime.

Santos claimed based on the reports that the search warrant must be declared null and void since the police did not follow the rules citing the provision in Revised Penal Code rule 126 section 8 of Article 130 provides that " no search of a house, room, or any premises shall be made except in the presence of the occupant."

We will wait on the progress of this motion filed by the owner of the Pajero. It is now apparent a
legal battle had already started even the case has not been filed by the police in court.

Just recently, the Manila based lawyer of Santos were in a disagreement on the defense basis of their motion
to quash the search warrant and declare it as null and void. Solima claimed the ground for their motion to quashed should be based on how the implementation of the search warrant was conducted and not questioning on the issuance of the search warrant. As claimed, the subject of the search warrant was only the Mitsubishi Pajero and the house was not included in the list but were being ransacked by the police when they served the order, based on the reports.

Salvador Solima has withdrawn his services as one of the defense lawyer of Santos but were retained after a friend of Santos called him, according to the reports.

Just yesterday, March 16, 2011 the owner of the Mitsubishi Pajero showed at the Palace of Justice where the hearing for their motion to quash the search warrant was heard. Bella Ruby Santos sat quitely in court yesterday with sunglasses to hid her tears as her lawyer defended her. She was accompanied by her mother and 20 neighbors in the court. This is the first time she appeared in public when the police identified her as the main suspect when they applied for a search warrant, according to the reports.

Santos denied any involvement in the kidnapping and murder of Pique. She said she and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths stayed home in Inayagan, Naga last February 8, the day Ella Joy was kidnapped in Barangay Calajoan.

Her lawyer presented to reporters the "itinerary receipts" of the airline tickets bearing the names of Santos and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths, a British national.

In the tickets, it showed the couple arrived in Manila from Singapore February 2, they arrived in Cebu last February 3 and depart to Puerto Princesa in Palawan on February 4.

They returned to Cebu on February 6 to prepare for their departure to Singapore the following day. According to their lawyer, the couple arrived late and missed their flight to Singapore last February 7 and so they returned to Naga and stayed in their residence until they left for Singapore in the morning of February 9.

The police challenge the Mitsubishi Pajero owner not to leave Cebu until a case is filed and warrant of arrest is issued for the kidnapping-slay of Ella Joy Pique. The police has not filed the case in court because they are waiting for the court to turn over to them the evidence after they filed a motion to submit the evidence to Manila for forensic examination.

Now in another twist of events, one of the minor witnesses of the kidnapping of Ella Joy had allegedly identified the new suspect of the police as the one who kidnapped Ella Joy in Calajoan, Minglanilla. As interviewed by reporters, the child whom earlier pointed to Esdrelon and Berger as the suspect said she was only influenced by two other witnesses whom they accused earlier the couple.

According to the report, the witness said she is already sure this time that it was Santos whom she saw that herded Ella Joy to board the Pajero. She said she recognized Santos upon seeing her in the television.

She further elaborated that she recognized Santos because of her mole on her face and her sunglasses. But a friend of Santos a certain Beth Rabaya said it is not true that her friend has a mole on her face.

Meanwhile, Renante Pique, the father of the victim said he is hoping charges will be filed before the 40 days of his daughter on Saturday, according to the latest reports.

Now it's almost two months but there was no case filed yet in court for the owner of the Pajero and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths. But there is a legal battle already in court for the search warrant with a motion was filed by the owner to quash and another motion filed by the police for the custody of the evidence. The court has ordered the owner of the Pajero to submit a comment on the motion filed by CIDG for custody of the evidence they seized while an oral argument is set for hearing by the court.

Meanwhile, the Pajero owner whom police say was used in the abduction of Ella Joy has reportedly receiving threatening SMS messages, according to her lawyer Ana Luz Crystal. She claimed her client started to receive text messages after her appearance in court last week for the hearing of their motion to quash the search warrant.

Now the CIDG has submitted its comment on the motion to quash filed by Bella Ruby Santos and her boyfriend Ian Charles Griffith, owner of the Mitsubishi Pajero held by the police on suspicion that it was used in the abduction and murder of Ella Joy Pique. The CIDG insisted through its counsel Inocencio dela Cerna
that the search warrant was issued after the court found probable cause to warrant its issuance.

It further reads that probable cause means such facts and circumstances which would lead a reasonable discreet and prudent man to believe that an offense has been committed and that the objects sought in connection with the offenses are in the place sought to be searched.

Dela Cerna said that executive Judge Meinrado Paredes found probable cause justifying the issuance of the search warrant. He stated further that the application for search warrant was valid since the CIDG had investigated and had knowledge with the incident and not hearsay as claimed by Santos and Griffith.

On the issue on the alleged irregularity of the implementation of the search warrant the CIDG said it is not within the ambit of a motion to quash, based on reports.

Yesterday, a news article appeared in the local daily mentioning about the filing of the case of the owner of the Mitsubishi Pajero. Lawyer Daryll Roque Amante was saying they are already filing the case for kidnapping and murder against Bella Ruby Santos and her British boyfriend Ian Charles Griffith. Amante tagged Santos and Griffith as suspects in the kidnapping and murder of Ella Joy Pique even the police have yet to name the suspects, although their vehicle is already in police custody for suspicion that it was used in the crime.

Now the police through acting CPPO director Patrocinio Comendador has warned lawyers not to use the case of Ella Joy for personal fame. He claimed they are not working with any other lawyers on the case except with the Children's Legal Bureau. He further questioned the basis of Atty. Amante in tagging the owner of the Mitsubishi Pajero and her boyfriend as suspect in Pique's kidnap and murder. According to him, they need to have a strong evidence before accusing anybody as suspect, based on the reports.

Finally the police had announced they will be filing the case against the suspects of Ella Joy Pique today. Chief Supt. Ager Ontog, director of the Police Regional Office admitted that the case is difficult so it took them a while to file the case.

The task force investigating the case of Ella Joy Pique has filed a complaint for kidnapping and homicide against British national Ian Charles Griffith and Bella Ruby Santos of Inayagan, Naga, Cebu at the Regional Trial Court yesterday morning.

Based on the reports, task Force head Ellah Joy, Senior Supt. Louie Oppus also asked the prosecutor’s office for the immediate application and issuance of a Hold and Departure Order to prevent the suspects from leaving the country. The complaint will be raffled on Monday. Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr., Cebu Provincial Police Office chief presented before the media the report that the task force gathered during the investigation. For almost two months the investigators of the task force working on the case painstakingly assembled the pieces of evidence to prove that Griffiths and Santos indeed committed the crime. The police believes that it has given Ellah Joy and her family the justice that they deserve.

According to the report, prior to Ellah Joy’s death, the house of Santos was a base of Cybersex operations. Hours before the kidnapping of Ellah Joy occurred on Feb. 8, the two suspects boarded a Pajero and went to Barangay Colon, Naga City, and tried to kidnap Cheryllene Repollo who was able to escape.
The said attempt was witnessed by a resident of Barangay Tuyan of the same city.
The suspects failed to kidnap Repollo, then they proceeded to Barangay Calajoan, Minglanilla, Cebu to search for another victim. A motorcycle-for-hire driver saw the vehicle going towards the Calajoan Elementary School.

When the suspects on board the Pajero were near the school, they saw Ellah Joy and pretended to bring her home. Two more witnesses saw what happened and identified Santos as the one who took Ellah Joy but were not able to clearly see the face of her companion. While the incident took place, another witness, a tricycle driver, heard the commotion from the other side of the road and identified Griffiths as the one driving the vehicle.

According to the report, the suspects tried to persuade Ellah Joy to pose for pornography by feeding her and giving her money. When Ellah refused, she was hit with a blunt object in the head that killed her around 11 p.m. of the same day.

Around 12:30 a.m. of February 9, two witnesses passed by Sitio Sayaw, Barangay Guibuangan, Barili, on a motorcycle and saw both suspects dumping something wrapped in a sheet. It was believed that the body of Ellah Joy was transported using the Pajero with license plate numbers LHJ-382. It was the same Pajero that the two witnesses saw when the suspects dumped something in Guibuangan.
At about 7:55 a.m. of the same day, a man saw the sheet that contained the naked body of Ellah Joy in the same place. Her body was tied to a rock with a computer cable. Another person recovered the bag of the victim around 1:30 p.m. somewhere in Barangay Patupat at the right side of the road towards Carcar City. Inside the said bag were the folded clothes of the victim, two P50 bills and other personal belongings.
The suspects then cleaned all the traces of the crime and left Cebu through the Mactan Cebu International Airport that same afternoon on board SilkAir flight number M1588 using a one-way ticket purchased at the last minute without any reservations around 3 p.m., according to the report.

The identification of the suspects was done by comparing the photographs of the suspects with other persons of similar features. The minors as witnesses were placed under the guidance of a qualified social worker and their parents.

Reynante Pique, Ellah Joy’s father, said he is content with the effort the taskforce, adding that he believes they have the real culprits this time. Comendador said they are already applying for protection for the witnesses, based on the reports.

Reports came out lately that the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor's Office had formed a 3 man panel tasked to conduct a preliminary investigation against Bella Ruby Santos and her British boyfriend Ian Charles Griffiths who are facing complaints for kidnapping with homicide over the death of six year old Ella Joy Pique.

The panel was given 60 days after the respondents's submission of counter affidavits to resolve the complaint. They will issue a subpoena to Santos and Griffiths to answer the complaint filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group against them. They will then determine based on the complaint and the counter affidavits wether there is probable cause to elevate the complaint into a formal criminal case before the Regional Trial Court.

Acting provincial prosecutor Joseph Berciles said the panel can start the preliminary investigation even if there is a pending motion to quash the search warrant earlier granted against Santos. The pending motion can not affect in starting the investigation of the complaint filed because it was a separate issue, Berciles said.

In another development, the London police arrested the Southampton businessman Ian Charles Griffiths last Saturday. He spent two nights in jail and was allowed to post bail as confirmed by his Makati based lawyer Ana Luz Cristal. He was arrested at his home last Saturday in connection with the kidnapping of 6 year old Ella Joy Pique last Feb. 8 in Minglanilla town, Cebu which the police charged against them.

The judge has rendered a decision for the petitions of the CIDG for custody of the seized items in the search warrant and Bella Santos camp for the motion to quash the search warrant. Both motions were denied.

CIDG lawyer Inocencio de la Cerna express confidence and claimed victory when Paredes denied the motion to quash the search warrant filed by respondent Bella Ruby Santos. De la Cerna said the denial of Paredes can bolster the complaint they filed before the Prosecutor’s Office against Santos and her boyfriend British national Ian Charles Griffiths for kidnapping with homicide.
Likewise, respondents’ counsel Rameses Villagonzalo also claimed victory when the motion to take custody of the seized items filed by CIDG was denied by the court. The two camps said they were contented with the decision.

The judge order yesterday denied the motion to quash the search warrant due to lack of factual and legal basis, which was the same reason why he also denied the motion to take custody of the seized items.
Paredes said both parties failed to defend their claim.

Paredes also ordered, to return the seized items to Santos, which are her Mitsubishi Pajero, hair strands, Local Area Network cord, Nintendo DS game cartridge, rug, sex toys, empty CD covers and assorted CDs, waiver and assorted IDs and passport, and two stones.
“There was no authority for the CIDG to seize a pajero with plate number LMJ-382. It is very clear that the CIDG seized the wrong vehicle,” Paredes said.
Paredes said during the application of the search warrant, the applicant stated LHJ-382 and not LMJ-382.
He added in fact, applicants did not say the plate number was tampered.
Paredes said the items that he ordered returned were not mentioned in the search warrant issued.
Paredes explained “in fact during the hearing of the motion to quash and motion to take custody, the counsel for CIDG informed the court that the CIDG is not sure whether all of the items mentioned in the search warrant were used in kidnapping with homicide.”
The CIDG said only the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) can explain why the items seized are connected to committing the crime of kidnapping with homicide.
However, Paredes said “it must be remembered that it was the main task of the CIDG and its witness, who allegedly have personal knowledge of the things seized, to recover object or any kind of evidence used or intended to be used in committing a crime of kidnapping with homicide.”
Meanwhile some of the items seized will be retained in court as subject for examination.
Paredes ordered, the bed sheet with suspected bloodstains, USB and card reader, video camera with accessories and tapes, blanket (Batman) from the stockroom with suspected bloodstains and bed sheet and table CD card, portion of bed/mattress with suspected bloodstains and bed sheet with suspected bloodstains be kept by the court.
Paredes said the CIDG may conduct an examination and testing of the items kept by the court only in the presence of the respondent or her duly authorized representatives.
According to Villagonzalo the items which have been returned cannot anymore be used as evidence in the case.
However, de la Cerna said the items which were returned cannot weaken their complaint since they have six eye witnesses who saw the kidnapping.

Paredes said in the motion to quash filed by Santos there was only one issue, the existence or non-existence of probable cause at the time of its issuance.
Paredes quoted jurisprudence stating “the matters that may be raised in a motion to quash search warrant will not go beyond the immediate, limited issue of the existence or non-existence of probable cause at the time of the issuance of a search warrant. The matters of defenses should properly be raised at the criminal action not at the hearing of the motion to quash search warrant.”
Paredes said the issuance of a search warrant had probable cause.
He said in fact, during the application for search warrant by the CIDG, they had the personal knowledge of the incident when they conducted surveillance and the witness they presented has a personal knowledge claiming she saw the dumping of the body in the cliff of barangay Sayaw, Barili town.

The police authorities through, acting Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador said he has not yet received official word on the reported arrest of Griffiths arrest in the United Kingdom.
The Task Force Ellah Joy is now coordinating with the Department of Foreign Affairs to verify the report.
Comendador directed lawyer Julius Ompad, the CPPO legal counsel, to research about the laws in United Kingdom, where Griffiths was reportedly arrested.
Ompad said his research will primarily focus on the common law crimes in UK especially court decisions, jurisprudence, judicial proceedings and double criminality among others, according to reports.

EDSA: The Spirits lives

2011-02-25T03:04:00.000-08:00

The Filipino people has shown to the world what they have done 25 years ago. Now, the world has shown to the Filipino people what the world can do. We will take for instance the revolt in Tunisia, the Egypt uprising and recently the Libyan people in an uprising all against a dictatorship. The world was stunned when they first heard the news of EDSA, the place where the people assembled to show their courage to fight the most powerful man of the Philippines, President Ferdinand Marcos. It was a revolt of the people armed with rosaries and prayers to oust a government a government that has ruled for more than 2 decades.

Now, this news of the popular uprising of the people had give courage to the other nations. The most recent events in Libya wherein a peaceful assembly to show displeasure to the government has turned to bloody revolution. The government where the people has to take refuge is the same government the attacked them.
The Libyan government uses their own resources like aerial jets and attacked helicopters to silenced and dispersed the crowd and even kill the protesters.

It is a catastrophe unacceptable to the norms of the society and the Libyan government must answer all the atrocities it has committed to its own people. Their leader must observed what other leaders did in times of crisis like this wherein their ouster is the only solution to silenced the masses.

The fate of Ella Joy Pique

2011-02-17T19:33:00.000-08:00

The incident of a grade school pupil in Minglanilla town is a classic manifestation of

the vulnerability of a child who was simply lured by a two 50 peso bills. Ella Joy could have been alive today if she had not accepted the money. If she listened to her classmates

in not going with couple who lured her the money. But for a child, a two 50 peso bill is already huge considering the state of our country who has been plagued by corruptions year after year. The weakness of Ella Joy as a child was the target of the criminals who has taken advantage of her innocence. A cruelty unacceptable even these criminals will be stoned to death.

While the government is enticing more tourists to come to the Philippines especially Cebu, it is also their responsibility to make sure that these visitors are not criminals. We invited people that support and respect every Filipino especially a child. Cebu is not a haven for criminals, not for pedophiles and not for shabu laboratories. While there are millions invested to persuade these visitors, how much was invested to protect the rights of children?

My simple call to the state is please focus your attention to the protection of every Filipinos especially a child. A child who knows nothing what is going on with her community must be given full protection and state funds and resources must be disposed to promote the child’s welfare.

To the authorities please give justice to an innocent child. For our leaders please take a second look to our community. As every leaders envisioned to give a legacy of their leadership and uplift the general welfare of every Filipino consider also giving equal attention and fare protection of every child. And I simply hope no other Ella Joy will become prey to these criminals.

Tahrir Square, Egypt: An uprising of the masses

2011-02-16T00:18:00.000-08:00

The people of Egypt has spoken, they don't want President Hosni Mubarak to continue to rule the country. Mubarak who has ruled Egypt since October 14, 1981 is the longest serving ruler of Egypt since Muhammad Ali Pasha.

The January 25 demonstrations in Tahrir Square has called for his resignation following a massive outcry of poverty and hardships. The fate of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is comparable to the fate of former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. Both leaders were ousted by the people and no laws of the land withstand the will of the people. The leadership of Mubarak and Marcos were characterized by poverty, nepotism, and corruption and is oppressive to the people. Ironically both governments were ousted in the same month of February. Marcos regime finally ended on February 25, 1986 after a two decades of rule while Mubarak has ceded his power on February 11, 2011.

The Egyptians has spoken to the world that no government in this land can work if the people has no trust in the government. A government leader must established its own credibility beyond the doubts of its own people. A leader that defend and looks for the general welfare of its populace and not a self serving leader. Leaders from other parts of the world must be cautious of their actions if it against the will of the people.
The uprising of the masses in Egypt is a testament to the greatness of the voice of the people that it can fight an oppressive government. The people of Egypt has shown its greatness to the world that it can form its own destiny. A destiny that the will shape their future and established a new government that works for the people.

To the people of Egypt, we salute you.

Corruption: An Unending Struggle of the Filipino People

2011-02-09T01:11:00.000-08:00

For the past 30 years, the Philippines has been hounded by a lot of corruption in the government. Several special commissions has been created to investigate the anomaly and in an attempt to stop the unending corruption in the government some officials has even rewrite the Constitution thus the 1987 Constitution was formed. Some veteran lawyers and highly respected legal luminaries are still alive which could attest the best interest of the Filipino people and safeguard the government from corrupt officials is the primary goal of the framers of the 1987 Constitution.

The office of the Ombudsman was created with its constitutional function promoting integrity, transparency and investigating corrupt officials in the government. This body has investigated a lot of cases in the government with some officials has been removed from office and some were acquitted in the case. Aside from this office, several administrations has also created independent bodies to investigate some high profile cases. Even the Congress through the Senate conduct its own investigation in aid of legislation. In effect so many laws were passed to safeguard the interests of the Filipino people.

But since the regime of Former President Ferdinand Marcos, corruptions in the country continues to thrive in different government offices. The anomalies in the previous administration was even honed when a new administration takes over, a different kind of inquiry is conducted to investigate the previous administration of wrongdoings. And what happens is the opposition group before will become the majority group and when an election is conducted and the opposition group will win, they will become the majority group We even have Edsa I, Edsa II and Edsa III which apparently shows that the people is aware and concern of what is happening.

The blatant display of corruptions in the government today is no longer surprising to the Filipino people. This is the unending struggle which I believe will continue for decades unless God will save the Filipino people.

An Innocence or a Guilt?

2011-02-08T09:06:00.000-08:00

The continuous investigation in Congress of the different corruption scandals has recently triggered to the loss of the life of Secretary Angelo Reyes. How many times have we of heard of different kind of investigations in Congress? There was ZTE NBN, the Hello Garci and the Fertilizer scam just to name a few of the many investigations that has been conducted in Congress.

The recent investigation supposedly centered on the AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia has drag down several
high profile personalities which is highly publicized. The Senate being an independent branch from the judiciary and the executive has continuously used its constitutional power to conduct a Congressional inquiry on the different corruptions scandal in the country. What happened to the investigations they conducted for the high profile issues like ZTE, and Fertilizer scam and all other investigations?

The different styles of Q & A during the conduct of investigation has put some witnesses and respondents into shame and humiliation in the public. Some witnesses were praised for their courage to show up and tell what they knows of the subject. And some people may have come up already a conclusive interpretation when people heard on what transpired during the media covered public inquiry.

I hope the truth will come out in the investigations conducted by Congress so that this will help establish the innocence or guilt of the person they investigated but only the judiciary has the full authority to established guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Pick pocketers part 2

2011-02-03T23:37:00.000-08:00

This is my first hand experience as I go through my daily routine of going to office and vice versa when I was still assigned at Lapu-Lapu City. I normally take a PUJ from home Mabolo then take another ride to highway Mandaue and another ride to Lapu-Lapu City then disembark at the Marina Mall and take a final ride to the airport, a four way trip to my work. I get out from home before 7 oclock every morning to arrive in the office on time.

One day as I take to another ride for Lapu-Lapu City near the Metro bank highway, there were other passengers nearby who also rode just a few meters away when I embark the jeep. I was sitting at the rear left of the jeepney when one guy sits beside me. He was carrying a empty traveling bag that can handle 4 to 5 kilos of clothes. It looks obviously empty because of its big size. While sitting, this guy had closely move to my side apparently to make his way because his left hand is under his bag which also goes through my pocket. My cellular phone is placed in my pocket and so that other passenger could not detect his activity he keeps on moving and bumping in my side although there is a lot of space in the other end. While the guy makes his ways, his companion that sits in front of us and suddenly said there was a 20 peso bill on the floor. I tried to look at the floor but I hold my pocket with the phone in it, I was surprise my phone was almost outside of my pocket. So immediately, I pushed the guy away from me and he suddenly disembark and soon after the guy in front of me disembarks also. Other passengers were already checking if their belongings are still intact.

These people has a lot of tactics to victimized their prey, and the only way to stop them is for us to be vigilant in our way. They are even willing to kill and be killed when circumstances warrant. And unless vigilantes surpassed again, nobody can stop these lawless elements because they strike anytime blatantly.

Pick Pocketers make their way

2011-02-01T23:41:00.000-08:00

I was on my home riding a PUJ on this city from my work. It has been my routine to take two rides before getting home. First, I would disembark near the Cebu Provincial Capitol and take another ride for a 06b/f PUJs. Last Monday, Jan. 31 I decided to disembarked near Cebu Doctors Hospital because I noticed a lot of passengers was also waiting in front of the provincial capitol. There were also a lot of passengers waiting at the area. While I was waiting for a jeepney, there were young couples also waiting for a ride, I've noticed they waited for 17b route because they raises their hands when those route number passed. In almost 10 minutes they were able to ride, upon their entry into the PUJ, suddenly there were male groups also joining a ride. There were about 4 or 5 members of the group who also want to ride on that same jeepney that these young couples are about to ride. In about a minute later, another jeepney of the same route stopped, this time it has few passengers unlike the first one who had already few seats available. I was now wondering why these male guys are still there in the first jeepney where in fact there is another one at their back with lot of seats available. In that instance, I noticed already that there should be something strange to happen. The second jeepney is still calling for passengers while the first one was waiting for the male groups to transfer because they were crowding and standing at the jeepney's entrance and never got inside. A lot of passengers were still there is also, but these people don't want to transfer and they go inside the jeepney with the young couple with the banging and crowding at the entrance.

In just a few minutes about two or three minutes one guy disembark, he has a white cap, with a knapsack bag and he walks down to another jeepney, this time with a 14d route. He rode in there waited for the jeepney to go. Suddenly, a minute later, the young couple was already screaming and shouting that their cellphone was lost. The lady first disembark and followed by the guy. There is one guy also near me standing who had just came off from the jeepney being asked and frisked by the couple. In that instance another guy shouted that the pick pocketer had crossed the street and is going opposite to their direction and without hesitation the young couple quickly run across the street to catch up with the pick pocketer. It was even seconded by another guy near me also standing. I was about to tell the young couple that there was one guy with a cap and bag who ride a 14d jeepney but I also hesitated fearing that those guys near is there lookup. I keep silent and observed on what is next. A few minutes later the guy with the cap and bag disembark and simply walk towards downtown. He removed his cap and joined with the poeple in front of the entrance of Cebu Doctors Hospital. The young couple also got back and someone was accompanying them telling them that the pick pocketer walks along the downtown as shown on the sign of his hand. The guys near me suddenly disappeared unnoticed.

This is just first of my two series narration of how the Pick Pocketers make their ways.

The Overflowing Mahiga Creek

2011-01-31T01:04:00.000-08:00

The continuous downpour that lasted for several days in Metro Cebu had barely washed off the rivers and canals with the stagnant wastewater which seemingly is home to dengue causing mosquitoes. This has caused a flooding in major urban centers in Metro Cebu particularly Cebu and Mandaue City. It has prompted the city government of both Mandaue and Cebu to relocate the informal settlers flooding along Mahiga creek which overflows during the heavy downpour last Jan 24. Several groups already volunteered to

excavate and clean the river. Apparently, the overflowing informal settlers and water has long been in the area for quite sometime. Some experts say, the cause of the overflow is the high tide and not the informal settlers.

But regardless of what causes the water to overflow, the fact that there is flooding is enough to convince our officials that there is imminent danger. The surprise move of both LGUs is obviously to protect some interest affected mostly by the floods in the area. This has evidently awakened our public servants to act decisively the problem regardless of the consequences they will have to pay in the next coming election.. The move is aimed at protecting the general public from a repeat of the horrible Ondoy scene which affected the Manila metropolis two years ago.

Since then, our actions only shows when there are major catastrophe that happens and we are not proactive enough to prevent such occurrences. It has been our perennial problem and will continue unless we change our perennial attitude. The informal settlers in the area can be prevented if we are not looking at self serving our own interests. And before change will come Mahiga creek will always overflow with rain and informal settlers.

The Fight: Pinoy Pride 2

2011-01-30T23:26:00.000-08:00

The fight of our very own Rey "BOOM BOOM" Bautista versus Alejandro "ZORRITO" Barrera of Mexico last January 30 had shown a classic encounter that boils down to redeem themselves and put them back on track of their Boxing career. Aggressively punching on every round, Barrera feels he has the power to punch down the Filipino fighter. Barrera shows his skills and courage to fight in the foreign land in an obvious attempt to redeem himself from his loss of their first meeting at the same venue, the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino at Cebu City, Philippines. He has hit so many hard punches to Bautista on the body and face by his power punches in the first round. He has shown he is determined and confident he can beat Bautista with non-stop foray of punches that hits Boom Boom. He has shown his intensity of punching in all rounds. Bautista take the hard punches from the visiting fighter and make counter attacks.

But with Boom Boom's hard work and perseverance, he was able to withstand the punches thrown by Bautista in every round. The Filipino fighter stand still in every assault that Barrera launched from the very beginning of the fight. Using his training tactics to maneuver and evade the hard punches Boom Boom was able to counter the aggressiveness of Barrera that left him open and shutdown the Mexican fighter. It was in the third round that Barrera was hit hard by the punch in the body that kneels him down and closes his opportunity to win the fight.

Both are great fighters which has shown their skills and emotions in the fight with the forays of power punches. Luckily Boom Boom survived in the assault of the Mexican fighter and end up victorious in the fight.

Congratulations to both fighters.

Summer time, rainy time?

2011-01-28T21:45:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about the coming summer season in the next 2 months not because of our planned vacation but I want to find out what will be our weather condition. We don't have any idea yet what we will have at summer which is usually a dry season in our country. Summer has lot of fun because of vacations, fiestas, homecoming and a lot more of celebrations.

But with the recent weather patterns we experience I don't see a summer season at this point. The weather condition now has changed a lot which will give us second thought if summer time is rainy time. I believe a lot
are already planning a vacation and I hope summer will come as we expected it to be a dry season.

FLOODING in the Metro

2011-01-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

Whats is surprising in yesterdays' rain is the flooding that easily rise as high as our waistline. Worst, it killed one 8 year old kid. The downpour that started early in the morning and lasted for two hours only had caused major disarrays in the metro's major thoroughfares and the community. In what I expected as an ordinary rainfall and yet it causes major threat in the community. We can not repair the damage to the life of the eight year old boy but the community can repair its own drainage system and start from each of our backyard.

We might blame our City government, our barangay but let us take a look why it happened and how it happened. We maybe partly to blame for an ordinary rainfall that turned into a catastrophe. As expected we will request our LGUs to do something on our drainage system, to repair our dilapidated roads and ourselves also should take part in keeping our garbage at its proper disposal. In this way, we may be able to minimize the effect of flooding.

Sinulog; The Feast of all Feast

2011-01-23T22:03:00.000-08:00

Cebuano catholics are celebrating the feast of the Sto. Nino the Child Jesus. The celebration has once again brought the spirit of Cebuanos showing their unparalleled and unsurpassed devotion to the Child Jesus. Since its inception in the 1980's, the sinulog festival continuously grows and had become one of the grandest celebration in the country. The event is considered as the Feast of All Feast in the country with visitors and balikbayans from different parts of the world are coming to Cebu to pay homage to the batang Santo Nino and watch the grand parade.

May the devotion of each devotee will translate to a God fearing community and brings unity to all.

VIVA! PIT SENYOR!!!!!

The Infinite World

2011-01-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

Our world has never been so open with the application of the technologies today, communication now is so close that news spreads like a beam of light. But even we have come to these age, technologies has not resolved science greatest mystery of the black hole although it helps to identify and support some theories but it still remains a mystery. No one and even genius of this time never came too close to any clue on how the black hole started.
The inability of science to relate God's creation of the universe pushes scientists to infinite uncertainties in their quest of the truth behind black hole. Although people are one in adopting the latest advancement of these new tools a lot more has to be done to break the science insufficient theories.