Wearing of face shields is no longer mandatory in Manila except in different hospitals

By Edward Era Barbacena

   

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 8) — Use of face shield is no longer mandatory in the City of Manila, except in hospitals, effective Monday.

Manila Mayor Isko Moreno on Monday signed Executive Order No. 42, citing the latest stance of the Department of Interior and Local Government that favors the removal of the face shield requirement.

"Ang kailangan na lang natin gawin ay mag-mask, para kahit paano maibsan ang inyong gastusin dahil sa face shield na yan. Kailangan ko ang kusang disiplina niyo. Magpabakuna kayo," the local official said.

[Translation: You just need to wear your mask, so we can somehow lessen your spending due to the face shields. I need your cooperation. Please get vaccinated.]

It is the first local government in the National Capital Region to scrap the policy.

MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos told Teleradyo that the 17 local chief executives in the capital region agreed to only require face shields in "critical areas," such as hospitals, health centers, and public utility vehicles. He said they will forward their "official position" to the Inter-Agency Task Force, which will have the final say.

Last week, the Department of Health said it also supports the easing of face shield use in enclosed spaces, but it requested for more time to reevaluate evidence before making a formal recommendation

DOH spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency's officials will meet with the IATF on Monday to submit their formal recommendation.

The effectiveness of face shield has been a contentious issue among the public and lawmakers. A wind engineer from the University of the Philippines earlier said face shields would only trap COVID-19 airborne particles, stressing these do not offer an additional layer of protection.

 

Legal experts see weakness of petitions for Marcos disqualification

By Edward Era Barbacena

Manila - Two legal experts think the petitions seeking the disqualification of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in the 2022 presidential race will not succeed.

University of Santo Tomas Faculty of Law Dean Nilo Divina said the petition filed by civic leaders last Nov. 2 with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) focused only on the Marcos family and failed to present any factual and legal basis on why Bongbong must be disqualified from the presidential polls.

"It's ad hominem, or an attack against the character of the respondent, that may weaken the petitioners' position. It is the law, always, that matters," said Divina.

Meanwhile, former Justice Secretary Alberto Agra said that he sees no defects in Marcos' certificate of candidacy (COC) as the case filed against him is not concerning tax evasion but only a failure to file his income tax returns (ITRs) from 1982 to 1985

Under the Omnibus Election Code, a candidate's COC may be cancelled if the person is convicted of a crime involving moral turpitude or found guilty and punished with more than 18 months of imprisonment.

"Ang nakalagay sa batas ay kailangan sentenced, may final judgement of imprisonment. Ang nangyari nang binasa ko ang kaso, wala si presidentiable BBM, hindi siya sentenced to imprisonment. Guilty siya to pay fine," said Agra.

[Translation: What is provided in the law is the candidate should be sentenced and there is a final judgement of imprisonement. When I read the case, presidentiable BBM was not sentenced to imprisonment. He's only guilty to pay fine.

The two petitions set to be filed this week by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chairperson Carol Araullo and Dr. Rommel Bautista highlight that Marcos lied in his COC, after checking the box that stated he is qualified to run for office even though he was found guilty for not filing his ITRs.

The petitions also pointed out that based on the National Internal Revenue Code, those who have violated tax laws are perpetually banned from holding public office.

 

Lacking empathy: William Davis showed no emotion and no remorse
during the trial and at sentencing , except to weep for himself

 

Texas former ICU nuse William Davis gets death penalty for killing 4 patients just for fun and money

The white serial killer, prosecutors said, murdered four patients ‘for fun’ by injecting them with air

By Edward Era Barbacena

A jury sentenced a former Texas white nurse to death Wednesday for killing four patients by injecting air into their arteries after heart surgery.

He worked in the cardiovascular ICU wing at Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, Texas when he killed four patients between 2017 and 2018

Deprave serial killer Texas nurse William George
Davis, 37, [photo], has been sentenced to death
for killing four patients after he injected them with air
for fun following their heart surgeries at a Dallas
 area hospital a one year span

The Smith County jury deliberated about two hours before condemning William George Davis to death. The 37-year-old Hallsville man’s sentence will be automatically appealed.

Jurors agreed with prosecutors that Davis killed four patients at a Tyler hospital in 2017 and 2018. John Lafferty, Ronald Clark, Christopher Greenway and Joseph Kalina suffered unexplained neurological problems and died while recovering from their heart surgeries at Christus Mother Frances Hospital.

Davis injected air into their arteries and CT scans showed stroke-like symptoms and fatal brain damage

During the trial's sentencing phase, prosecutors played for the jury recordings of telephone calls Davis made from jail shortly after the Oct. 19 guilty verdict. In a call to his ex-wife, Davis — a nurse in the hospital's cardiac intensive care unit — said he would find ways to prolong patients' ICU stays so he could work more overtime and make more money.

Prosecution experts testified that all four victims showed signs of air in their brains that caused irreversible damage. After the fourth death, security video showed Davis was the last person to see the victim before the man's condition deteriorated.

The sentence was announced by 114th District Court Judge Austin Reeve Jackson a week after Davis was convicted of the capital murders of Christopher Greenaway, 47; Jose Kalina, 58; Ronald Clark, 68; and John Lafferty, 74.

 

Patrik Matthews seen in a gas mask in an undated
 photo provided to ABC News by the FBI.

Newly released FBI tapes show white supremacist members of 'The Base' plotting terror attacks

By Edward Era Barbacena

For a month, FBI agents listened in as two members of a white supremacist group discussed their sinister plans: a plot to use a pro-gun rights rally in Richmond, Virginia, to engage in mass murder and attacks on critical infrastructure, which they believed would mark the start of a racial civil war.

Patrick Mathews

Patrik Mathews, a former Canadian Army reservist illegally in the U.S., and Brian Lemley, a Maryland resident and self-described white nationalist, fantasized about the brutal murders they'd soon carry out against law enforcement and Black people, all with the goal of bringing about the "Boogaloo," or the collapse of the U.S. government in order to prop up a white ethno-state, according to recordings of the pair's discussions.

"We need to go back to the days of ... decimating Blacks and getting rid of them where they stand," Mathews said in one recording. "If you see a bunch of Blacks sitting on some corner you f***ing shoot them."

"I need to claim my first victim," Lemley said in another recording. "It's just that we can't live with ourselves if we don't get somebody's blood on our hands."

The two men were each sentenced in late October to nine years in prison, and ABC News has now obtained newly released audio from the FBI's secret recording of Mathews and Lemley at their Delaware residence in late 2019.

The tapes offer a chilling look into the private plotting of the two members of "The Base," a white supremacist extremist group that the FBI says has, since 2018, recruited members both in the U.S. and abroad through a combination of online chat rooms, private meetings, and military-style training camps. In their plea agreements and at sentencing, Mathews and Lemley both acknowledged their membership in the group.

After the two men were arrested in January 2020, just days before the Richmond rally was set to take place, law enforcement found tactical gear, 1,500 rounds of ammunition, and packed cases of food and supplies in their residence.

In the course of their investigation they also found that Lemley and Mathews had both attended military-style training camps with other members of The Base, and had built a functioning assault rifle that they tested out at a gun range in Maryland.

The recordings captured by the FBI included Mathews and Lemley discussing potential acts of terror they could carry out around the Richmond rally that would lead authorities and, eventually, the U.S. government, to capitulate to the chaos and bloodshed taking place.

"You wanna create f***ing some instability while the Virginia situation is happening, make other things happen," Mathews said. "Derail some rail lines ... shut down the highways ... shut down the rest of the roads ... kick off the economic collapse of the U.S. within a week after the [Boogaloo] starts."

"I mean, even if we don't win, I would still be satisfied with a defeat of the system ... and whatever was to come in its place would be preferable than what there is now," Lemley said. "And if it's not us, then you know what, we still did what we had to do."

Prior to their sentencing, Mathews and Lemley had pleaded guilty to firearms and immigration violation-related charges. At their Oct. 28 sentencing hearing, U.S. district judge Theodore Chuang went above the sentencing guidelines in applying a terrorism enhancement to each charge, sentencing both men to nine years in federal prison.

FBI Director Christopher Wray testified earlier this year that the number of domestic terrorism investigations into white supremacist individuals and groups has tripled since he joined the bureau in 2017.

 

Two white teen students face homicide for the killing of Spanish teacher in SouthEast Iowa

The two juveniles will be tried as adults and the horrendous crime is believed to be racially motivated

By Edward Era Barbacena

Two 16-year-old students were charged with homicide in the death of a high school teacher whose body was found concealed in a park in southeast Iowa, authorities said Thursday.   

Investigators said Nohema Graber, a 66-year-old Spanish teacher at Fairfield High School, was reported missing on Tuesday and her remains were found later that day at the Chautauqua Park in Fairfield, located about 95 miles southeast of Des Moines, The Ottumwa Courier reported.

Willard Noble Chaiden Miller and Jeremy Everett 

Willard Noble Chaiden Miller and Jeremy Everett Goodale, both 16, and students at the school, have been charged as adults with first-degree homicide and conspiracy to commit first-degree homicide, the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department said. 

Authorities said the two juveniles will be tried as adults, citing circumstances and their ages. They are both being held on a $1 million bail, records show. 

Court documents filed Thursday from their initial appearance in court indicate they did not yet have attorneys. Both appeared via video conference. 

Magistrate Stephan Small ordered a state public defender to represent Goodale. Documents said Miller did not request a court-appointed attorney and it wasn't immediately clear who would represent him. 

According to court filings made public Thursday afternoon, Graber suffered 'inflicted trauma to the head.' Her body was found concealed under a tarp, wheelbarrow and railroad ties at the park, where she frequently walked in the afternoons. 

It's believed the crime was carried out late Tuesday afternoon

Police received a tip that Goodale posted details about planning the killing and a possible motive on social media, according to court documents. The court filings did not detail the possible motive.

A search warrant at the suspects' homes uncovered clothing items that appeared to have blood on them, police said. 

Police confronted Miller, who 'admitted to being in Chautauqua City Park as the murder was taking place,' a criminal complaint states, 'providing materials utilized in committing the murder, and aiding in actions taken to conceal the murder.' 

Nohema Graber

Graber, originally from Xalapa Mexico, taught Spanish classes at Fairfield High School since 2012, though it was not disclosed whether she had been the teens' teacher. She previously taught in the Ottumwa Community School District. 

'An act like this is unspeakable, and we are torn that one of our education family is a victim to such a senseless act,' a statement from Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek read.

'Every day educators work tirelessly to protect the students in their care. With full hearts and deep commitment, educators have been the backbone of our state and our nation during this unprecedented time. We cannot understand this, or any violence aimed at such guardians.' 

Fairfield students were dismissed from classes Thursday and all classes on Friday were canceled, the district said. The school said its counseling services will remain open for students and staff.

'We extend our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mrs. Graber,' Fairfield superintendent Laurie Noll said in a statement Thursday. 'At this time our students' and staffs' wellbeing is our top priority. As a community, we will remain united in this time of tragedy.'

The investigation remains ongoing, with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assisting the Fairfield Police Department, Fairfield Fire Department, Iowa State Patrol, Jefferson County Emergency Management, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Jefferson County Attorney's Office. 

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 11 a.m. Nov. 12 for Miller and at 11:30a.m. the same day for Goodale at the Jefferson County Courthouse.

 

A Russian diplomat found dead in Berlin was 'spy' according to a new report

By Edward Era Barbacena

Berlin - Germany's Foreign Ministry on Friday confirmed the death of a diplomat outside the Russian Embassy in Berlin last month, but did not offer any further details.

News magazine Der Spiegel reported the 35-year-old was found early on October 19 after having fallen from an upper floor of the embassy.

Police in Berlin declined to comment and referred questions to the public prosecutors.

The Russian Embassy had not agreed to an autopsy, according to sources in the security services cited by Der Spiegel. It was therefore unclear how the reported agent died.

The man was officially serving at the Russian Embassy in the capacity of second secretary. Der Spiegel reports the embassy would only call it "a tragic accident" and said it would refrain from further comment "for ethical reasons."

Bellingcat reports that the diplomat is the son of Gen. Alexey Zhalo, the deputy director of the FSB's Second Directorate and head of the FSB's Directorate for Protection of Constitutional Order, which handles terrorism cases. 

Officers from the latter directorate shadowed Alexei Navalny prior to his poisoning and are linked to the poisoning of another opposition figure, Vladimir Kara-Murza.

 

Philippine Court of Appeals ruled out tax evasion case against Bongbong Marcos

Leni Robredo's political allies on desperate moves to disqualify Marcos from the 2022's Philippine  presidential race

By Edward Era Barbacens

A 1997 Court of Appeals (CA) ruling found no proof to pin down presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on tax evasion charges, but cited him for failure to file income tax (ITR) returns, which carries just a fine.

The Oct. 31, 1997 ruling of the court's Special 3rd Division was penned by then Associate Justice Gloria Paras as the division's chairman and concurred by Associate Justices Lourdes Tayao-Jaguros, the senior member, and Oswaldo Agcaoili, the junior member.

The ruling, a copy of which was obtained by The Manila Times from the CA, affirms that Marcos paid income taxes from 1982 to 1986.

‌Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio has claimed that the son of ousted President Ferdinand Marcos committed tax violations, grounds for his disqualification as a candidate.

On Tuesday, a group of political detainees, human rights and medical organizations petitioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel Marcos' certificate of candidacy (CoC) for president.

In the 57-page petition, the group claimed that Marcos, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard bearer, is not eligible to run for public office after the Quezon City Regional Trial Court convicted him in 1995 for tax evasion.

Marcos brought the case to the appellate court, which overturned the tax evasion conviction.

The Paras ruling said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) did not issue a tax assessment against Marcos before he was charged in court, denying him the right to due process.

An assessment would have apprised him of any income tax liability and given him the chance to settle his dues, the ruling stated.

Based on the accounts from the ruling, the notices from the BIR were received by a caretaker of Marcos on Aug. 23, 1991 and Sept. 12, 1991. The cases were filed before the Quezon City court between Sept. 20, 1991 and Oct. 10, 1991, not enough time for Marcos to react to the notices and pay the deficiencies, the ruling noted.

Marcos appealed the case to the Supreme Court only to withdraw it later. He settled the fines on Oct. 31, 1997.

Several justices who talked to The Times said it was very clear that Marcos cannot be further prosecuted for tax evasion after being acquitted by the CA because of the principle of res judicata.

One magistrate, who spoke on condition that the person is not identified, commented: "In view of the above circumstances, and considering that the appellant was then out of the country, a fact known to the appellee (BIR) and could not, therefore sufficiently react to the notices then sent to him, it was as if no opportunity had been given him to present his side of the case and to pay the tax liabilities before he was prosecuted."

Another magistrate told the Times that Marcos cannot be disqualified since a penalty involving a fine does not carry the effects of moral turpitude.

On Thursday, an election law professor also doubted if the disqualification case against Marcos will prosper.

Alberto Agra from the Ateneo de Manila University said the petition "lacked a crucial component."

One of the bases for barring someone from holding public office is if that person had been sentenced to more than 18 months or a crime involving moral turpitude, Agra said.

"Ang nangyari siya ay nahatulan pero ang kanyang parusa ay walang imprisonment (What happened was he was sentenced, but his punishment did not entail imprisonment)," he said.

In a statement on Thursday, Marcos' camp said Agra's position showed the "ill-natured intent of those pushing for his disqualification."