go to Cadiz Graft Watch Facebook group for details

Co-author of the law expanding benefits (20& discount, VAT exemption) to senior citizens, the magna carta of women act, and other important legislations, Pia Cayetano is tireless, humble, studios, prayerful, and honest. Notwithstanding her rigorous work as senator, she is a hands-on mom to two daughters.

She is the leading woman (re-electionist)candidate for senator, so far 4th in the survey, next to two male action actors and an elderly male lawyer. Pia is our best legislator for women’s and children’s rights, the rights of the elderly, healthcare, and economic rights of women and workers. I hope you will support her too.

She has a Bill proposing to increase the salary of public school teachers and health workers, jobs that are predominantly held by women.

To view more about Pia, visit http://whereispianow.com/

To view photos of the Deltan Ball 2009, go to gallery, click Delta Lambda Sigma.

There is a midnight run protest on tuesday, march 9, in the university of the Philippines. Assembly in front of Malcolm Hall, UP College of Law

“Victim of Gender Violence Bucks Appointment of City Prosecutor to Court“

- Maria filed an opposition to the application of judgeship of Prosecutor Armando Abanado before the DOJ, Supreme Court and JBC.

Click the link for the whole story http://ndb-online.com/jun0210/negros-local-news/Victims-of-Gender-Violence-Bucks-Appointment-of-City-Prosecutor-to-Court

Update 29 May 2010

Criminal complaints filed
vs. 2 Bacolod prosecutors
BY NIDA BUENAFE

Bacolod Daily Star : Top Stories

A criminal complaint against City Prosecutor Armando Abanado and Assistant City Prosecutor Hermes Ariño of Bacolod City was filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by a city resident.

In her complaint, ”MARIA” said the two members of the judiciary were liable for gross misconduct and injustice for rendering an unjust decision that resulted to her imprisonment for 44 days at the Bacolod Handumanan Jail.

“Maria”, 27, claimed that Abanado and Ariño rendered an unjust resolution in the qualified theft case filed against her by her then common-law spouse, Benedict Gochangco.

Gochangco died on March 30, 2010 after he was shot allegedly by their male house helper at his father’s house in an exclusive subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City.   

In her complaint, ”Maria” said that Abanado and Ariño amended the information on her case to qualified theft of more than a million pesos worth of jewelry of Gochangco, to make sure that she could not post bail.

The complainant said she was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Cavite and together with her three-month old baby girl, was imprisoned at the Handumanan Jail for Women in Bacolod City from Jan. 5, 2010 to Feb. 11, 2010.

The complaint was dismissed by Assistant City Prosecutor Dennis Jarder, after Gochangco failed to prove that there was a robbery or theft of his jewelry, ”Maria” stated in her affidavit. The court ordered her release on Feb. 11, 2010.

In her Ombudsman case against Abanado and Ariño, Landazabal said both prosecutors violated her right to due process by not ensuring that she received a subpoena and by not conducting a single clarificatory hearing during preliminary investigation.*NAB

Update 31 March 2010

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2010/March/31/topstory1.htm

Update 6 March 2010

The Regional Trial court of Bacolod city Branch 51 issued a Permanent Protection ORdering Gochangco, among others, to pay support, return belongings, return the petitioner’s dogs with provision for maintenance and care, leave the house, post bond to keep the peace (P500,000); Up to now, Gochangco refuses to comply.

We filed a complaint for Indirect contempt, for disobeying the court order (Temporary Protection Order and Permanent Protection Order). we will also file a complaint affidavit with the Prosecutor’s Office for violation of RA No 9262, for violation of the protection orders.

=========

Update 16 Feb 2010

After the Court ordered a reinvestigation, we filed Maria’s counter affidavit to the Qualified Theft complaint filed by her former live-in partner and father of her 4 month old baby girl.  The Prosecutor dismissed the complaint and moved for the withdrawal of the Information.

Maria was released by order of the Court on February 11, 2010, a Thursday, at 3 in the afternoon.  She was unjustly incarcerated for 44 days.  While in jail, she wrote a journal, and interviewed her roommates. She is now reunited with her baby Kaehlen, in an undisclosed place. She is afraid of further harassment by her former live-in partner.

While she was in jail, we filed a got a Temporary Protection Order (under Republic Act 9262), which included an order of Support (for the baby) and medical expenses, and removal of Benedict Gochangco from the house in Santa Clara Subdivision, where Maria and he lived as common-law spouses before she separated from him due to his violence.

We filed these criminal actions against Gochangco:  Grave Threats, Violation of Republic Act No. 9262, Serious Illegal Detention.  We also filed an administrative and criminal complaint against the agents of the National Bureau of Investigation who arrested Maria and her then 3 month old baby girl and incarcerated them in the NBI jail in Manila. The complaint is being investigated by the Commission on Human Rights and will be endorsed or filed with the Ombudsman.  We are preparing an administrative complaint (on ground of grave misconduct and gross incompetence, and willfully causing a grave injustice) against the two public prosecutors who filed the case for Qualified Theft and caused the issuance of the warrant of arrest.

———-

I am in Bacolod City, trying to get a battered woman out of jail.
She is the common-law spouse of a Filipino-Chinese businessman, B. Gochangco, who fled to Manila due to his violence. She was pregnant when she fled Bacolod. She had his acts of violence recorded in the police blotter before leaving the city. She sought help from the Women’s Crisis Center, Inc., filed a complaint for Violation of the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act in the National Bureau of Investigation.

but on dec 29, 2009, she was arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents, together with her 3 month old baby. They were incarcerated int he NBI jail
She was brought by the NBI agents to bacolod on Jan. 5, to the Regional Trial Court of Bacolod Branch 50. Nuns from St. scholastica’s College arrived, and I went to court after Mother Mary John called me up. Atty. Andy Hagad was also there.

Maria was arrested for qualified theft , Gochangco alleged she stole his jewelry worth more than One Million.

The judge ordered a reinvestigation by the prosecutor; we filed her counter-affidavit and moved to inhibit the city prosecutor. Upon reinvestigation, the acting city prosecutor, Dennis jarder, dismissed the complaint and filed a Motion to withdraw information in court. we had a hearing yesterday, Feb. 1, 2010. We await the order of the court.

We filed a criminal action for violation of the Anti Violence Against Women and their Children Act of 2004 against Gochangco, and Grave threats. Subpoena was issued.

As soon as I got in the car after arriving in Bacolod City airport, I sensed a slow pace which felt like every second was one-third of real time. I knew then that I was home in the province, one hour by plane from Metro Manila, where all my siblings (except Mat who is a surgeon in the US) and my parents live. Two weeks here would be enough to visit relatives and friends, read novels, and watch movies.

I finished by third book, which is now in Rex bookstores nationwide, and I need this break. Will post photos soon.

The sugar farmers are the happiest this season, with sugar at its highest price in 7 years, hitting 1,800 pesos per picul (50 kilogram bag) a few weeks back and now at around 1,500. Negros Occidental, half of the island shared by Negros Oriental where Silliman University is, is largely agricultural and planted to sugarcane. it is this monocrop economy that has made the province vulnerable to the world market price of sugar. I hope that with this recent abundance, the sugar farmers will pay minimum wage and help send the children of their laborers to school.

I see a new middle class has emerged, just like in many provinces, and this is the class of the filipino overseas workers, who bring in billions of dollars into our national economy and has kept this country afloat. The only significant new businesses here are the call centers, where our young people work, mostly underemployed for the kind of work that they do. But it pays well, and for those that are fresh out of college, this is the best paying job they can get in the city.

Every time I come home for the holidays, I get into a tourist mode.The batchoy in 21 restaurant, pancit molo in L’Fisher hotel, valenciana in Greens Cafe, chicken inasal (barbeque) in Chicken Haus, and the chicken ala king and dinuguan in Pendy’s are the best. I intend to feast on these before I go to my sister doctor for lab tests.

HAPPY NEW YEAR !

The following day, I didn’t see people moving about in that part of Marikina, across the river from my condominium building. I went down my building and asked the guards if there was a way we could cross down there to bring food and water, but I was advised that the only way is through Marikina. I felt helpless. I asked the admin office if we could place empty boxes in the lobby for used clothes and food. Well, Miriam quiambao beat me to it, because she did it earlier, so our residents were able to donate things and food. From now on I will greet her when I see her in the elevator.

That Sunday, the friends of my niece told me they were going to Cainta because their friends there had no water and little food. On Monday the road to cainta was passable by car, so my bodyguard rented a jeepney, and we bought several large containers of water and I emptied my pantry of all my groceries except my bacolod biscuits (Biscocho) and we went to Cainta. It was like a scene from the movie I am Legend. Cars were piled up, muck and mud everywhere. There was a long line of people waiting for relief goods, people lining up outside stores. They had no electricity, no drinking water, no phones, no internet. They were cut off from the rest of us.

I offered my house in Antipolo to the family of my niece’s friend, but they refused to leave for fear that their house would be looted. Her mom told me that 5 of them survived on one liter of water on friday night. They retreated to the second floor of their house, and planned to go up their roof if the water did not stop rising. By God’s grace, the water did not reach their second floor, and they just had to stay awake to survive.

This government is not only corrupt, it is incompetent. we cannot trust that government can save lives during disasters. It was a good thing that the MRT did not shut down that day, or more people would have been harmed or perished. Now the government officials are passing the buck, blaming each other. DENRs Atienza wants the mayors jailed for failing to keep the waterways clear of garbage. Gloria let the poor take shelter in malacanang. Teodoro apologized. In other countries, people in charge commit harakiri to atone for lost lives.

We will talk more about local government’s roles in disaster prevention, laws that are relevant in times like these. I hope that I am not only able to teach you loc gov law, I hope that I can teach you how to become the best mayors and officials your towns and cities ever had.

This saturday, join me in a barangay (barrio) in

 Pateros, one of the areas which was flooded by

typhoon Ondoy.  We will join students from

U.P. and my niece Teresa sponsor a kids, day and

entertain the kids with fun, food and games. A

dermatologist friend, Elaine Andaya, will join

us with friends Myrene, Jenny and Tina. She will

check the kids for skin diseases, and they will

bring anti-fungal cream and yakult. We, our

class, will conduct a short seminar on the
Barangay Protection Order for the mothers and

barangay officials. Bring your own lunch.

* Professor R.V. Guanzon

I hope you will find the material useful.

=================

Dear experts,

We are very pleased to enclose the final
report of the expert group meeting on good practices in legislation. The
report will be available for download from our website at: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/egm/vaw_legislation_2008/Report%20EGMGPLVAW%20(final%2011.11.08).pdf

Regional Trial Court of Malabon City Branch 170, Judge HEctor Almeyda, presiding; Atty. Manuel Jimenez, Jr., accused in the murder of Ruby Rose Barrameda was arraigned today, and pleaded not guilty. He was brougt to the courtroom in a stretcher, with attendants from the Angono Medics Hospital, a small private hospital. His lawyer alleges that Jimenez, Jr is too ill to be taken out of the Angono Medics Hospital, and there is no room in the Philippine General Hospital and the Philippine Heart Center.

The Judge ordered that he can remain in Angono Medics up to tuesday, September 22, 2009. The prosecutors requested an order that the chief of hospital of the Philippine Heart Center conduct a definitive diagnosis of the medical condition of Jimenez, Jr.  We, the prosecutors, insist that he should be in prison while the judge is hearing his petition for bail, or in a government hospital if indeed he is too ill to be brought to prison.

I and my colleague in the Gender Justice Network, Attorney Ana Cristal, accepted the murder and parricide cases of Ruby Rose Barrameda filed by her parents because it is a case of violence against women. Ruby Rose was not only murdered, she was tortured. We also believe the testimony of the witness, Montero, who was a conspirator in the murder and desribed in detail the clothes that Ruby Rose wore on the day of her murder, and how she was abducted two years ago on March 14, 2007, handcuffed, both legs tied with a nylon cord (rope), mouth gagged, and stranggled using a nylong cord, stuffed in a drum filled with cement, and the drum placed in a steel casing filled with cement. Montero described how and where they dropped the steel casing in the sea near the property of the BSJ Fishing and Trading company owned by the Jimenez family.

The mother of Ruby Rose is a retired public school teacher, and her father, a retired sergeant in the Philippine Air Force.

The respondents, Atty. Manuel Jimenez, Jr, his son Manuel Jimenez III the husband of Ruby Rose (against whom she filed a custody suit which was pending on May 12, 2007 the day she disappeared), Lope Jimenez the brother ofJimenez, Jr., Spyke and several others, filed their counter-affidavit, except for one, Obet. We filed our Manifestation that we are not filing a Reply-Affidavit of the complainants, but stated our observations of the counter-affidavits. I will post our Manifestation here in a few days.

In the last preliminary investigation hearing which was held in the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory, the forensic consultant of the respondents Jimenez took photographs of the specimen collected by the police from the cadaver. These, they said, will be the basis of their supplemental affidavits, which is due for submission on tuesday in the Department of Justice. Whether or not the respondents will file a supplemental affidavit, this case will be submitted for resolution.

In the media, the Jimenez’ lawyer keeps on saying that the identity of the cadaver cannot be ascertained as that of Ruby Rose’s, despite the fact that the PNP crime lab dentist submitted a report to the prosecutors that the teeth of the cadaver match those of Ruby Rose’s in a panoramic dental xray given by the school dentist. Identifying cadavers through the examination of their teeth and comparison with dental records have been used as conclusive method of identification by our courts in many Supreme Court decisions. In the murder of Julia Campbell, the American peace corps volunteer who was murdered in Banaue, the trial court also accepted the report and conclusion of the Philippine National Police orthodontolist that the cadaver was that of Julia Campbell. That dentist, Dr. Dindo Herrera, is the same orthodontologist who examined the teeth and mandible of the cadaver and concluded that it was Ruby Rose Barrameda -Jimenez.

Aside from that, the clothes found on the cadaver are the same clothes described by the parents of Ruby Rose in their statement to the police in May, or about a month before her cadaver was found on June 10, 2009. That goes the same for Montero, in whose statement he also described that on the day of Ruby Rose’ abduction and murder on in March 2007, she was wearing khaki pants, lacoste shirt with brown, black biege stripes.

The defense tries to create a doubt as to the identity of the cadaver by saying that there appears to be a hole in the chest (meaning that if there is, it could be a bullet hole), based on the photos of the PNP crime laboratory. In the last preliminary investigation hearing, I replied that the PNP crime lab medico legal stated that it is not a hole, it is the standard incision when they conduct an autopsy. There is no hole in the chest. There are 126 colored photos submitted to the prosecutors by the PNP crime laboratory SOCO team, which include photos of Ruby Rose’ bra and panty, lacoste shirt, and khaki pants.

During the viewing of the specimen collected by the PNP crime labrotary from the cadaver, Atty. Jimenez did not enter the specimen room.