SC okays Maria Ressa travel to US, Canada, others

MANILA The Supreme Court has allowed Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa to travel abroad for speaking engagements.

In a statement, the High Court said its First Division granted Ressa’s motion for permission to travel abroad.

The high court allowed the Filipino American journalist to travel to Canada, France, South Korea, and the US from March 13 to April 1 on condition that she “refrain from making any comment on or discussing in public her case and other related matters, and to travel

Assassinated...

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The plea was made as far back as Sept. 21, 2020 and was addressed to then Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto, and Senators Cynthia Villar, Francis Tolentino, and anfilo ing acson.

Written in the vernacular, Degamo said his and his wife – Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona town – were in grave danger.

Much of what he wrote came to pass. The governor was shot to death on March 4 inside his compound. e had specifically entioned in his letter that the head of the plot to assassinate himself and his wife was Congressman Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves, whom Degamo described as a “known warlord, gambling lord, and drug lord” who had at his disposal a “private armed group (of) goons.”

He related how the Philippine National Police had caught a team of three alleged guns for hire at the Caticlan airport attempting to bring in guns and ammunition, but were caught. The supposed goons under Teves were able to post bail, however, and nothing was heard from the group again.

The atte pt to s uggle the firear s occurred on June 29, 2020 and is in the record books of the PNP, said Degamo.

The Teveses and the Degamos are longtime political enemies. In the last election, a brother of Congressman Teves, Pryde Henry Teves, ran against re-elec-

Hate...

(From page 1) we’re in with elevated historic levels across many years.” ate cri e is defined by the as any cri inal

The top five bias categories in the report were anti-Asian, anti-Black, anti-White, anti-gay males, and anti-Jews.

Anti-Asian bias incidents soared by 167 percent, but “there was an explosion of racial hatred across the board,” said Levin.

(From page 1) was strange that the man left his camera at the scene in his hurry to a getaway car after finally wrestling it fro Arriola. “We were almost run over, though, by the getaway car who backed hurriedly towards us as the man escaped,” he added.

Arriola and wife are still in much pain from the injuries they sustained and may take some time before they get fully healed emotionally and psychologically aside from physically. The couple is asking for continued prayers for their recovery.

“We are also thankful that we were not shot or stabbed by our assailant. I was really not going to let him get my camera, my source of living,” said Arriola. “I want to thank the Sacramento Police for doing their best in apprehending the attacker and I was told that the driver of the getaway vehicle would be next.”

Arriola said he still keeps seeing images of what hap- on the cash bond of 1 , she previously posted pursuant to an earlier Resolution of the Court.” tionist Degamo and was initially declared the winner. ega o, however, filed a case before the Co ission on lections, stating that Teves had fielded a nuisance candidate with a name very similar to his. offense otivated by the offender s bias es against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity.” The most commonly reported hate crimes in the previous year were intimidation, simple assault and destruction, damage and vandalism. senior o cial said they resorted to an interi measure,” after which data was collected under the old pened to them and could not stop talking about the horrible scenarios, which could be therapeutic for him.

The SC said Ressa must also submit to the SC an advice in writing of her return to the country within five days from her arrival.

The Court of Appeals denied last year the plea of Rappler CEO Ressa and former researcher-writer Reynaldo Santos to reverse their cyber libel conviction. The case is currently pending before the high court.

The Comelec would rule in favor of Degamo, and all the votes cast for that nuisance candidate were credited to Roel Degamo, enough to overcome the lead of Teves over him. Pryde Henry Teves was a former governor of Negros Oriental, who had earlier been unseated by Degamo.

The fallen governor said in his letter to the Senate that the Teveses had so much clout in the province that they were able to have his police security removed.

As a result, Degamo said he had to turn to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to provide him a security team.

Degamo said he was ready to die after exposing the alleged syndicated criminal activities of the group of Congressman Teves.

Degamo’s letter was forwarded to the Senate committee on public order, then headed by Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa. That committee held hearings and concluded that the unsolved killings in Negros Oriental were committed by a vigilante group against communist insurgents.

Later, however, Dela Rosa asked that a Senate investigation be held to look into the killings that were being linked to Congressman Teves.

While the report was issued in December, last year, the ad itted that the figures were based on incoplete data. Some 4,000 law enforcement agencies were unable to switch to the Bureau’s new data collection system.

“That guy is full of hate. There were also others taking pictures of themselves but it seems we were the only Asians he chose to hurt. It was so horrible I thought that was the end of us at that time,” Arriola recalled. “For now, I’m staying home and most of the time watching news about Asian Hate Crimes all over the US. I am praying for all those victims especially those who died.”

Before the incident, Arriola covered a number of Asian hate crime incidents, including the ongoing trial of Nicholas Weber at the Van Nuys Superior Court. Weber is accused of hate crimes having attacked members of the Roque family at a McDonald’s drive-through on Victory Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Arriola rued that “a lot of people hate us even though we are contributing a lot in this country.”

“It really pains me to realize this,” he added. He maintains though that covering Asian Hate Crime re-

This week, Mayor Degamo asked the Senate to resume its probe on the unsolved rash of killings in Negros Oriental.

She said she wanted the culprit behind her husband’s assassination to be revealed “whoever it may be.” t is worth noting that five of the six security en of Degamo were strangely absent at the time of the governor’s killing, which also resulted in eight others killed, and 15 wounded. The crime was caught on CCTV and has since gone viral.

The PNP and the AFP launched a manhunt for the assassins of Degamo, and four were apprehended while one was killed in a firefight. ll were for erly with the Armed Forces, but had gone AWOL. One said that the mastermind of the killing was “Congressman Teves.” system from some 3,000 agencies. mains his advocacy.

Four more suspects remain at large.

Ferdie Topacio, the lawyer of Teves, said they will answer all the allegations once the lawmaker returns to the country.

Teves has been in the US undergoing medical treatment, but has been asked by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to return home immediately.

But Teves’ camp said he will only come home if his security is assured. Teves has also brought his case before the Commission on Human Rights, saying that he was being udged unfairly. The firear s and explosives found in his properties were planted, he claimed.

The increase in reported hate crimes was expected as previously police departments from California, New York, and Chicago took part in the latest report.

Data, however, was submitted on a voluntary basis by police departments, which critics say results in undercounting of hate crimes.

Data for 2022 is not expected to be released until the early part of 2 2 . ore honest figures will almost certainly indicate that hate crimes against AsianAmericans and other groups have not abated.

The Asian American Press Club of the U.S. issued a statement condemning the incident.

“We, the (members of the) Asian American Press Club of the U.S. condemn the wrong that had been done to one of our own AAPCUS family member, our president Nicanor “Nikki” Arriola and his wife. On the afternoon of February 1st, 2023, while on a leisure trip at the Capitol premises in Sacramento, California, both he and his wife were attacked and beaten by a stranger. The initial premise is that the perpetrator was after his camera equipment. As we all know, Nikki’s camera represents his profession, personhood and his livelihood. He did what any human being would have done. He protected his prized possession with his life,” the club stated. “… We solidly stand behind Nikki Arriola and will do all we can to give him the justice he deserves…,” the club added.

Degamo...

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Teves, whose travel authority from Congress for supposed medical treatment in the United States expired on March and has asked for two-month extension, earlier was charged with murder in connection four separate killings in the province since 2019.

At press time, Degamo was being buried in his hometown in Negros and Malacanang declared a special holiday in Negros Oriental to enable the people to mourn and join the burial rites. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, several senators, congressmen and leaders visited Degamo’s wake as they called for justice for the slain governor.

Marcos, who denounced the brazen killing of the governor, has ordered the creation of a special task force on the Degamo assassination as thousands of Army soldiers and police operatives have been assigned in the province to beef up local forces even as an overhaul of police officers assigned in egros riental, especially in Bayawan City, was enforced.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Benhur Abalos Jr. disclosed murder and other cases have been filed against the suspects in the killing of the Negros Oriental governor.

Facing reporters, Abalos said apart from the eight murder charges, authorities filed six cases of frustrated urder, one case of illegal possession of firear s, and two cases of Illegal possession of explosives against the suspects.

Abalos also said 13 more cases were expected to be filed a urder case, nine frustrated murder cases, and three attempted murder cases.

There were 27 victims in the Degamo slay; nine of whom were killed while 15 were injured, he added.

Degamo was gunned down by 10 former soldiers clad in military uniforms and bulletproof vedsts with powerful long firear s inside his residential co pound in Barangay San Isidro in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental on March 4 while he was meeting with his constituents when around 10 armed men entered his co pound and opened fire.

The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group

-C has also filed before the epartment of Justice complaints for illegal possession of firear s against the egros Oriental congressman and his sons after police en recovered firear s, a unition and grenades from one of six Teves’ homes raided by the lawmen, according to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla. e will look at these cases filed against Congressman Teves, his two sons,” Remulla said.

The raids as well as the complaint is connected to the complaints for three counts of urder the C filed against Teves for allegedly masterminding killings in 2019 in Negros.

“We will ask them to answer these charges already filed before the epartment of Justice,” Remulla said.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand Topacio, lawyer of Teves, said the Negros solon has rescheduled his return to the country reportedly due to concerns about his security.

Remulla earlier assured Teves that he will be secured and safe once he returns.

Remulla has said Teves already left the United States and was “somewhere in Asia,” but he later said nothing is yet definite on where the law aker ight be staying.

Teves had asked the House leadership to grant him a two-month-long leave of absence, citing a “very grave threat” to his life and his family.

Teves, who has been linked to the assassination of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, made the request in a letter addressed to Speaker Martin Romualdez who had asked the solon to return immediately to face the issues against him.

The House ethics committee, meanwhile, took jurisdiction over Teves’ case and asked the solon to explain his side on the issue and failure to do so may mean he could face expulsion from the House.

In another development, members of the -C arrested a staff e ber of e battled egros law aker and five others in connection with the raid on several houses owned by the lawmaker aimed at sei ing illegal firear s.

In a statement on Tuesday, the CIDG said the six individuals including Hanna Mae Sumerano Oray, Teves’ secretary, were arrested following the raids conducted in five different houses in asay town and Bayawan City Negros Oriental province on March 10 during the service of a search warrant. arious long and short firear s, amunition and explosives were recovered during the operations.

“The six arrested persons are all detained at CIDG National Capital Region Field Unit (NCRFU), last Sunday (March 12) and also (underwent) inquest at CIDG Camp Crame,” CIDG Public Information ce chief t. Col. arissa runo told the Philippine News Agency.

Complaints for violations of Republic Act (RA) 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Law on Explosives (RA 9516) were filed against ose ablo i arangan and Roland Aguisanda Pablio.

The CIDG said Teves was also “impleaded as respondent” in the cases.

Complaints for infringement of RA 1 1 were also filed against ray, eracleo Sangasin Oray, Rodolfo Teves Maturan, and Joseph Kyle Catan Maturan.

“Unfortunately, Congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. Kurt Mathew Teves, and Axel Teves were not around during the said implementation of the SWs in their house; however, the criminal complaints against them for violation of RA 10591 and RA 16 will be filed as soon as possible, the CIDG said in a statement.

CIDG director, Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat, said the CIDG enforces the law regardless of one’s status in society.

“We will assure impartiality in the conduct of the investigation and will hold cri inals accountable for the offense they committed,” said Caramat.

The raid is related to the murder charges filed by the C against Teves and five other individuals last arch in connection to the 2019 killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental.

The CIDG charged Teves and a certain Hannah Mae, allegedly his secretary, before the Department of Justice.

Two counts of murder were likewise lodged against Richard Cuadra alias “Boy Cuadra,” Jasper Tanasan alias “Bobong Tansan” and Rolando Pinili alias “Inday,” and one count of murder against Alex Mayagma.