Wednesday, September 21, 2011

SM Pampanga shooting victims ‘brain dead’, says doctor

MANILA, Philippines – Two minors involved in a shooting incident inside a popular shopping mall in Pampanga Tuesday are both brain dead, a report on Radyo Inquirer 990AM said Wednesday.


Quoting Dr. Alfonso Danac, head of the emergency room of Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital, the report said that the kin of the 13-year-old boy who attempted suicide after shooting his 17-year-old male friend in SM Pampanga, have decided to donate his cornea and kidneys once his life support system is shut off as per the family’s decision. (The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the older victim was 16 years old)
Danac said he has yet to hear from the family of the 17-year-old, according to Radyo Inquirer.
The identities of the two have been withheld.

The incident happened between 11:45 and 11:50 a.m. Tuesday as the two walked out of the Congo Grill in Building 3 of SM shopping mall. No shopper was hurt, police said.
Superintendent Wilson Santos, police chief of Mexico town, said investigators found a suicide note in one of the pockets of the boy, a resident of Olongapo City.
“I’m willing to die together with [name of his friend],” the boy’s note said.

Another source, who read the note, said the boy also wrote: “I’m happy to kill you. No one else would own you.” The boy’s friend is a native of Bulacan. He was shot in the back of the head.

The families of the two boys, who arrived Tuesday evening, denied knowing anything about their relationship.
In a statement, SM management said it was cooperating with police in the investigation.

A separate radio report said Wednesday that SM Pampanga was doing its job of ensuring the safety of its shoppers but admitted that its metal detector failed to uncover the pistol used by the boy in the shooting. Karen Boncocan, Jamie Elona, INQUIRER.net





Philippines Current Events

Military turns over declassified martial law documents to CHR, civil society



Defense Secretary Voltaire T. Gazmin turns over to committee on human rights chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales declassified military documents on martial law in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011 as House committee on human rights chairperson Rene L. Relampagos, (far left), and National Defense College of the Philippines President General Fermin De Leon, Jr., (far right) watch. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines turned over declassified documents of the martial law era to the Commission on Human Rights and other civil society groups in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday.
Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales received the documents in a ceremony commemorating the 39th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by the late president Ferdinand Marcos.
Rosales said these documents would help to “reconcile and develop the healing process” between civil society groups and the military.
The documents will be preserved and made public so they could be studied by schools, legislators and survivors of the Martial Law Era.
Aside from Rosales, also present in the ceremony were Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Bohol Representative Rene Relampagos, House of Representatives chairman on the committee on human rights; Dr. Fermin de Leon, National Defense College of the Philippines president; Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates Chairman Teodoro de Mesa, and AFP deputy chief of staff Major General Anthony Alcantara.

Some of the declassified documents bearing the name of martyred senator Benigno S Aquino Jr. were turned over to Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales in commemoration of the 39th anniversary of the declaration on martial law. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net
De Leon has expressed appreciation and support for the turnover of the documents which he hoped would reverse the ill political effects of martial law.
Congressman Relampagos said these documents would teach the youngsters, who never experienced Martial Law, to “savor the freedom they now enjoy”.
The National Archives and the National Historical Commission, among others, will help in the preservation of these documents, Rosales said.

DECLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS. Some of the declassified documents bearing the name of martyred senator Benigno S Aquino Jr. were turned over to Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann P. Rosales in commemoration of the 39th anniversary of the declaration on martial law. MATIKAS SANTOS/INQUIRER.net
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Single engine plane crashes in Bulacan; pilot, co-pilot unhurt

MANILA, Philippines — A single engine plane crashed into a rice field in Bulacan Wednesday morning, police said.
The unidentified pilot and co-pilot of RP C7087 were unhurt, said Pulilan police chief Superintendent Myrna Reyes.
The accident at 11:50 a.m. happened in Barangay (village) Penabatan, Pulilan town, said Reyes.





Local News in the Philippines 

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Ateneo back in the finals after escaping UST


Ateneo’s Kirk Long gives UST’s Jeric Fortuna a pat on the head after the Blue Eagles defeated the Growling Tigers, 69-66, for a Finals’ berth in the 74th season of the UAAP. Meanwhile, Coach Pido Jarencio could only cover his face in despair after the loss Thursday, Sept. 15, 2011. AUGUST DELA CRUZ

MANILA, Philippines – Ateneo barged back into the finals of the 74th UAAP men’s basketball tournament after carving out a taut 69-66 victory over a resilient University of Santo Tomas Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

The Blue Eagles, though, played far from impeccable, committing 17 turnovers, and even allowing the Growling Tigers to nearly snatch the game away in the winding seconds.

Nico Salva, one of Ateneo’s more consistent offensive threats, nailed two from the stripe with 2.7 seconds left which gave them a 69-68 refuge from UST’s last heave.

Star guard Jeric Fortuna did have a chance to win the game for the Tigers but missed a contested triple from way out which could have sent the game into overtime.
“We came out to play today [Thursday],” said Ateneo coach Norman Black, who carried his squad to the finals five times in the last six.

UST trailed Ateneo for most part of the game, with the defending champions leading by as much as15 points.
Seven-foot center Greg Slaughter and Salva uncorked back-to-back buckets with 3:09 to play and pushed Ateneo to a seemingly-comfortable 65-55 buffer.

But UST, which has been missing shots all night, finally connected from beyond the arc with Chris Camus, Jeric Teng and Fortuna unleashing three straight treys.
Teng’s trey put UST within a point, 67-66, with 5.5 ticks left, after Justin Chua’s split from the charity line broke Ateneo’s scoring drought in the last three minutes.

“Luckily, our transition defense held up. UST is a tough team to be in the final four,” added Black.
Slaughter, runner-up in the MVP race, was pulled out in the last minute due to cramps but still finished with a game-best 17 points along with eight rebounds and three swats.
Kiefer Ravena, who helped repel any of UST’s spurts early in the fourth quarter, added 13 points while Salva had 12 points and four assists.

The Growling Tigers, who never overcame the Blue Eagles the entire season, put on a tough fight behind Karim Abdul’s 16 points and 16 boards, but still not enough to bring them to the finals, which they last played in in 2006.

Camus, the veteran forward, had 13 points on 3-of-4 shooting from three point area, while rookie Kevin Ferrer, who was tasked to guard Ravena all game, added 11 points.
Teng finished with 11 points while Fortuna had eight.



Philippines Current Events

Fire victims near White Gold restaurant remain

THE owner of  White Gold House Restaurant repeated his appeal to the Cebu City government to remove fire victims of  Tejero and Carreta fire victims living in sidewalks near his establishment.
Alex Gaisano, who visited City Hall yesterday, said  three weeks have passed since he wrote Mayor Michael Rama about the problem,  which is  driving customers away.

Philip Zafra, the mayors chief of staff, assured Gaisano that action would be taken on his request.
Mayor Michael  Rama told Cebu Daily News last night that he would  visit the  fire victims today to persuade them to return to the areas where their homes used to stand.

“The reblocking is done and so it’s just right to let them return to their homes,” he said.
He said City Hall already released free construction materials for fire victims  to rebuild their homes.
Gaisano wrote Rama on July 17 to complain about the presence of fire victims living in sidewalks near his restaurant at  the North Reclamation Area.

He said customers were afraid to come in because of the sight of the  sidewalk settlers and fear that their vehicles may be vandalize. Fire victims already occupy David Gaisano Street in front of his store and nearby sidewalks, leaving no space for parking.
Their stay was supposed to be only temporary  since the  Tejero and Carreta sports centers were already filled with fire victims.

About  300 families now occupy  shelters built on the sidewalks and street.
Some have begun relocating to a  lot owned by Robinsons a few blocks away.
Meanwhile, Mayor Rama ordered  the city engineering office to reblock the site of Wednesday night’s fire in sitio Baka in barangay Apas.
About 14 houses were razed in the late afternoon fire in a private lot near the Gaisano Country Mall. /Correspondent Edison A. Delos Angeles
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Local News in the Philippines


Citom ready for strike

THE threat of a nationwide transport strike on Monday  has lost steam but the Cebu  City government is ready  in case it pushes through.
Twenty-four  Kaoshiung buses will be standing by to ferry stranded passengers, and checkpoints have been identified, said Sylvan Jakosalem, chairman of the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management.
While no Cebu transport group announced  it would join the protest against rising fuel prices  by the group Piston, Citom is prepared for a worst-case scenario.
““That could be  a tactic to announce that you aren’t joining a strike.   But you  never know, so we’ll just be prepared,” he said.
Citom already met with heads of the  Land Transportation Office,  Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board  and the  police for contingency measures.
The threat of a nationwide strike  was lessened after a meeting Wednesday with President Benigno Aquino III and other government officials  with transport groups.
Only the militant Pinagkaisang Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) said it will push through with the strike on Monday.
The other three transport groups—the Alliance of Concerned Transport Operators and the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association of the Philippines—agreed not to  proceed.
“We did not get any guarantee from the President that he will do something about high fuel prices,” Piston secretary general George San Mateo said in an interview.
Mateo said Piston respected the decision of the other transport groups to back out but he claimed that Piston had the backing of smaller transport groups. /Correspondent Edison A. delos Angeles with  INQUIRER
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Local News in the Philippines