Philippine Asian News Today Vol 21 No 01 | Page 28

RP NEWS
28
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY January 1 - 20, 2019
RP News and More...
Filipino couple drowns while on honeymoon in the Maldives
A Filipino couple drowned while
they were on their honeymoon
in the Maldives, the Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on
Monday.
In a statement, the DFA said
local authorities reported that the
29-year-old woman and her 30-
year-old husband were guests in a
resort on Dhiffushi Island and were
snorkeling when they drowned on
Sunday.
The names of the Filipino
victims were identified as Leomer
and Erika Joyce Lagradilla, high
school sweethearts who tied the
knot before 2018 ended.
Both were rescued by resort
workers but were pronounced dead
upon arrival at a local hospital, the
agency added.
The DFA expressed its
sympathies to the families of the
couple and said that they are now
in touch with their next of kin.
The agency gave assurances of
assistance in the repatriation of the
victims’ remains.
The DFA added that the
Philippine Embassy in Dhaka,
which has jurisdiction over the
Maldives, were instructed to
coordinate with local authorities
in making arrangements for the
repatriation of the remains of the
couple.
The couple, both from Laguna,
were married on December 18,
2018 and left Manila for their
honeymoon on January 9.
Friends of the married couple
are appealing
for donations
to help them
bring
their
r e m a i n s
back to the
Philippines.
As of this
date,
DFA
said they will
cover all the
expenses to
bring back the
bodies of the
couple home.
( C . M .
Ramos
/ee/
Inq.net)
2 US men in woman’s slay moved to city jail
The two Americans, who were
arrested last December after
dumping the body of a woman into
the Pasig River, were moved to the
Mandaluyong City Jail last week, a
police official said Monday.
Senior Supt. Moises Villaceran,
Mandaluyong City Police chief, said
suspects Troy Woody Jr., 21; and
Mir Islam, 22, will have a brief stay
at the city jail before their transfer
to the Bureau of Jail Management
and Penology (BJMP) facility in
Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
“May directives ang BJMP na
all foreign nationals should be
detained in BJMP Bicutan at dapat
i-transfer nila ang mga nasa district
and city jails,” Villaceran said.
Through the report of a Grab
driver, the duo were arrested after
they dumped into Pasig River a box
containing the body of their fellow
American Tomi Michelle Masters,
23, in the early hours of December
23, 2018.
Authorities fished out the box
where they found the body of
Masters duct-taped and wrapped
in a garbage bag.
The two suspects were turned
over to the Mandaluyong City
Jail on January 9, according to
Villaceran. They were previously
detained at the Mandaluyong City
Police custodial facility.
Woody and Islam, chief
executive officers of Luxr Limited
Liability Co., were charged with
murder before the Mandaluyong
City Prosecutors’ Office on Dec.
24, 2018 for the death of Masters.
Meanwhile, Villaceran said
liaisons of the US Embassy are
still processing the papers for the
cremation of the body of Masters. (
Jhon Aldrin Casinas,mb.com)
Davao court turns down HDO against Trillanes
A Davao City court turned
down prosecutors’ request for the
issuance of a hold departure order
against Senator Antonio Trillanes
IV, who is facing libel raps before
the said tribunal.
“All told, this court finds that
accused Antonio Trillanes IV
is not a flight risk and that he
will abide with the conditions
imposed for his provisional liberty
including his appearance before
this Court when required,” Davao
City Regional Trial Court Branch
54 Judge Melinda Alconcel-
Dayanghirang said in an order
dated Dec. 12, 2018 released on
Tuesday.
The judge noted that Trillanes’
travels were allowed by Senate
President Vicente Sotto III.
“While it is true that the
accused has already left the
country on December 11, 2018
and thus beyond the reach of this
Court, however, the said travel
is supported by Travel Order
2018-SR-090 dated October 8,
2018 issued by Senate President
Vicente Sotto III. The accused’s
succeeding travel on January 27
to February 10, 2019 is likewise
with authority of the Senate
President,” the magistrate said.
The court explained that from
its viewpoint, the trips or speaking
engagements abroad “cannot be
equated to flight or the voluntary
withdrawal by the accused in
order to avoid continuance of the
criminal proceedings.”
Trillanes, meanwhile, pleaded
not guilty to the four libel cases
filed against him by President
Rodrigo Duterte’s son, Paolo, as
he appeared before a local court
in Davao City.
Trillanes said the cases were
a form of “harassment.” The
senator said he flew to Davao to
show that he was ready to face his
accusers.
He added that he chose
not to defer the arraignment
to “demonstrate that we are
recognizing the authority and
jurisdiction of the Davao courts.”
The libel cases were filed by
the younger Duterte, the former
Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo
Duterte, and the President’s son-
in-law, lawyer Maneses Carpio
– whom Trillanes linked to alleged
drug smuggling and extortion.
Trillanes earlier posted bail of
P96,000 for the libel cases.
“Mga harassment cases lang
po ito talaga just to inconvenience
me para ma-distract ako. Pero di
ako madi-distract, I will continue
with my mandate as a member
of the opposition,” he told
reporters.
(These are all harassment
cases just to inconvenience
and distract me. But will not be
distracted. I will continue with
my mandate as a member of the
opposition.)
“Nandirito tayo ngayon sa
Davao para harapin ito, para ipakita
WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM
natin na hindi natin tinatakbuhan
o tinatalikuran ang mga ganitong
hamon,” he added.
(We are here in Davao to face
this, to show that we will not
run or turn our back from these
challenges.)
This is actually the first time
that Trillanes set foot in Davao
City, the President’s hometown,
since he was declared persona
non grata a year ago after saying
it was the most dangerous
Philippine city.
Trillanes, however, said Davao
that residents were “surprisingly
warm” but he understood that
some were hurt by his opposition
stand.
Asked if he felt safe in the city,
Trillanes said he was surrounded
by police officers and the media
so “it’s difficult to do anything
malicious.” (MS)