Category: Peace and Order

Concerned citizens urge Philip Morris to fire executive who mauled MMDA traffic enforcer

Published by Ellen on August 15, 2012

Carabuena mauls Fabros — Philip Morris’ poster boy in action

Update: Philip Morris announced today that it has “has suspended Mr. Carabuena pending the outcome of the investigation.”

” PMFTC reiterates that it does not condone inappropriate conduct by any of our employees,” the statement said.

Concerned citizens are asking multinational cigarette company Philip Morris to fire one of its executives who was caught on video mauling a Metro Manila traffic enforcer.

The appeal is being done through an online petition initiated by University of the Philippines professor Prospero de Vera and concerned citizen Malou Tiquia. The petition was given the title “Robert Blair Carabuena is Bad for your Corporate Health.”

“Whether it (Philip Morris) likes it or not, ROBERT BLAIR CARABUENA has now also become the poster boy of Philip Morris International. His behavior is a disservice to the corporate image of PMI and the global goodwill it has earned all these years. We call on PMIU to immediately act on this unforgiveable incident and accordingly fire him,” the petition said.

The killing of Nixon Kua and Pnoy’s fantasy picture of the country’s peace and order situation

Published by Ellen on July 24, 2012

3rd Sona — Is he aware of peace and order situation outside Malacanang?

We mourn the passing of a colleague and friend, Nixon Kua, former head of the Philippine Tourism Authority, who passed away late Monday evening, two days after he was shot by what police said was a robbery incident in the posh Ayala Greenfields in Calamba, Laguna.

The incident happened in front of the house of his brother, Allyxon, who was also shot several times but survived.

Aside from his brother. Nixon was with his wife, Susan, and two children, Sue Anne and Daryl. Imagine how traumatic it must be for the wife and children.

Nixon’s wake is at Sanctorium on Araneta Avenue, Quezon City.

Nixon’s started his journalism career in the mid-80’s with Tempo, the tabloid sister publication of the Manila Bulletin. He was one of the pioneers of the Philippine Star after the 1986 People Power Revolution. He was assigned at the Presidential Commission and Good Government and that was where I first met him.

Columnist Nixon Kua in critical condition after robbery incident

Published by Ellen on July 22, 2012

Update: Just got this text from NFA Administrator Lito Banayo (July 23, 2012, 11:39 pm.) Our friend Nixon has gone back to the Divine Creator.

Let’s pray for Nixon Kua, former head of the Philippine Tourism Authority, is now in a criticaI condition at the Calamba Medical center after he was shot at close range Saturday night in front of his brother’s home inside the exclusive Ayala Greenfields in Calamba, Laguna.

According National Food Authority Administrator Lito Banayo, Nixon’s close friend and predecessor at PTA, doctors are giving Nixon, who is at the Intensive Care Unit a 50-50 chance of surviving.

News reports, quoting Laguna police chief Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, said that amid a downpour, four unidentified armed men shot and seriously wounded Kua and seized from his daughter, Sue Anne, a bag containing P90,000 in cash intended for wages of people working in their house. Robbers also got Sue Anne’s IPhone.

Dapat amyendahan ang batas sa menor-de-edad na sangkot sa krimen

Published by Ellen on March 13, 2012

Nakakapanghilakbot, nakakagalit, at nakakasuka ang nangyari sa pitong taong gulang na batang babae na hinalay at pinatay nang dalawang menor-de-edad.

Ang isa sa dalawang nanggahasa ay 17-taong gulang at ang isa naman, ayun sa report, ay Grade 5. Kung pitong taon ang batang lalake nang siya ay Grade 1, mga 11-taong gulang ang batang sinasabing Grade 5.

Dahil menor-de-edad ang mga gumawa ng krimen, hindi sila makukulong dahil meron tayong batas na hindi maaring makulong ang mas mababa sa 18 taon gulang.

Ayun sa report noong Pebrero 20 huling nakita ang biktima na si Clariza Pizara mga ika-lima ng hapon sa harap ng isang sari-sari store sa Barangay San Dionisio, Paranaque City.

A traumatic taxi ride

Published by Ellen on October 6, 2011

My VERA Files colleague, Yvonne Chua, forwarded to me a note from Jose Ramon Albert, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies,enclosing a first-person account by his niece Carina Linao, titled “Near-death experience.”

It was dated Sept. 26, 2011.I’m sharing this letter to warn others to be careful in taking taxis.

Here’s Ms Linao’s story:

“I don’t think I’ll ever go to Mall of Asia ever, again. I don’t like that mall anyway. Besides, it’s too big and far for me. I won’t go there ever.

‘Kung nahuli mo ang karelasyon mo na nagtataksil sayo, saang SM branch mo sya babarilin, and why?’

Published by Ellen on September 24, 2011

Nilagay ni Joey Reyes, direktor ng pelikula, sa kanyang Facebook wall ang natanggap niyang text tungkol sa magkasunod na barilan sa magkaibang branch ng SM at patok na patok. Ang daming nag-repost.

Ito ang nasa FB status ni Direk Joey:”Miss Universe question: Kung nahuli mo ang karelasyon mo na nagtataksil sayo, Saang SM Branch mo sya babarilin? and why?

Sumakit ang tiyan ko sa kakatawa. Pamatay talaga ang sense of humor ng Pinoy.

Hindi ko tinitingnan itong mga nakakatawang kumento na pinagtatawanan natin ang trahedya ng mga nawalan ng mahal sa buhay. Nakaka-shock ang nangyari at nakikiramay ako sa mga namatayan.

Presence of mind

Published by Ellen on September 22, 2011

Hold-up — Thanks to mylot.com for photo.

My sharing of my experience as a victim of snatching last month elicited amusing ways to deal with the petty crime which is alarming in the boldness of the criminals. They choose no time and it seems they are everywhere.

My earrings were snatched by a woman, in her thirties, who held my ears hard simultaneously from behind, while I was flagging down a bus on Taft Avenue last Aug. 19, at about 3 p.m.

I was so shocked by the incident. I had been a victim more than once of a pickpocket and it was always emotionally unpleasant, aside from the financial loss. But the experience of being touched by a criminal was more traumatic.

I was thankful though that I was not hurt. Anti-crime crusader Teresita Ang-See said a staff member of the Kaisa, an organization of Filipino-Chinese, was also a victim of earrings snatching, also along Taft Avenue, in front of the Philippine General Hospital where Kaisa members do weekly assistance to charity patients.

Sana hindi maging Bonayog si Fiala

Published by Ellen on September 11, 2011

Mabuti naman at sinabi ni Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino na magsasampa sila ng kaso laban kay Edward John Gonzales, ang 30-taong gulang na nambaril sa MMDA traffic enforcer na si Larry Fiala, na ngayon ay nasa-ospital pa rin.

Dapat talagang panagutin si Gonzales sa kayang ginawa. Dapat maparusahan ang mga taong kapag nakakotse ay akala mo hari sila.

Sana hindi matulad itong kaso sa nangyari sa security guard na si Ricardo Bonayog na takot ipagpatuloy ang pagsampa ng kaso sa abusadong kongresista ng Lanao del Sur na si Rep. Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman.

Kung sabagay, iba ang sitwasyun ni Bonayog dahil opisyal ng pamahalaan ang kanyang nakabangga at hindi sigurado kung susuportahan siya ng kanyang kumpanya.

Nabiktima ng snatcher

Published by Ellen on August 21, 2011

Noong Biyernes, galing sa San Agustin church sa Intramuros kung saan binisita namin ang ‘libingan’ ng aming dating kasama sa VERA Files na si Chit Estella (birthday niya Aug. 19), ibinaba ako ng aking mga kasamahan sa kanto ng T.M. Kalaw at Taft Avenue mga alas-tres ng hapon.

Lumalakad ako sa Taft Avenue papuntang bus stop malapit doon sa Rizal Park nang may biglang humawak ng malakas sa aking dalawang tenga mula sa aking likuran at sa isang iglap, natanggal ang aking dalawang hikaw.

Biglang tumawid ang snatcher sa Taft Avenue. Tumalon pa sa konkretong island. Babae siya, parang nasa edad 30 anyos.

Butangerang mayor ng Davao

Published by Ellen on July 2, 2011

Fist of fury — Thanks to Inquirer for the photo

Ang mas nakakabahala sa akin kaysa yung pambubugbug ni Mayor Sara Duterte sa sheriff na magde-deliver sana ng demolition order sa mga bahay ng mga squatters sa barangay Agdao sa Davao City ay ang mga pumapalakpak sa ginawa niya.

Nasaan na ang ating respeto sa batas?

Siyempre ang mga kakampi ni Duterte, pinagtatanggol ang kanilang butangerang mayor. Maraming nagawang mabuti raw sa Davao.

Hindi naman isyu ang kanyang mabuting ginawa sa Davao. Dapat lang, mayor ka dapat gumawa ng mabuti para sa bayan mo. Ang pinag-usapan dito ay ang pananakit niya kay Sheriff Abe Andres.