1. Quezon City cops kill cell-phone robbery suspect
MANILA, Philippines—Quezon City policemen shot and killed late Saturday afternoon a
36-year-old man who tried to escape after he was arrested for allegedly stealing a mobile
phone. Jojo Soler, a resident of the Gawad Kalinga Espiritu Santo Village, Sitio (settlement) Pajo
in Barangay (village) Baesa, died while undergoing treatment at the Quezon City General
Hospital (QCGH) from a gunshot wound in the body. A report from the Quezon City Police
District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (QCPD-CIDU) revealed that the shooting
happened around 3 p.m. Saturday along Canada Street near Soler’s home. Police investigators
said that before the shooting, Police Officer 1 Johnny Boy Banza and a colleague from the QCPD
District Police Security Battalion were aboard mobile unit QC-142 patrolling the stretch of Edsa
in the Barangay Bahay Toro area when an Erwin Balagtas flagged them down. Balagtas pointed
to Soler as having taken his mobile phone prompting Banza and the other policeman to take
along the complainant and possibly make an arrest. The policemen chanced upon Soler along
Canada Street where he was playing “cara y cruz,” an illegal gambling game. Banza immediately
arrested Soler but he was able to run toward an alley. The DPSB men pursued the suspect and
fired at him when he refused to surrender and allegedly tried to shoot at his pursuers. The
wounded Soler was brought to the nearest hospital but was declared dead by QCGH attending
doctors at 3:45 p.m. Recovered from Soler was a .38-cal. revolver.
Protest remembers massacre, sparks HOPE
MANILA, Philippines—Media groups and other organizations are holding a day-long protest
in Manila in commemoration of the third anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre where 58 people,
including 32 journalists, were brutally killed and buried in mass graves.
The day’s activity kicked off with a mass at 10 a.m. in San Agustin in Intramuros as Church leaders,
Caloocan Diocese Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, students, personalities and political aspirants came
together to pray for Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Election in 2013 (HOPE 2013).
The mass will be followed by “Walk for HOPE 2013” to the Commission on Elections office as groups
urge the poll body to ensure clean and fraud-free elections in 2013.
Apart from the mass and walk protest, a covenant signing for HOPE 2013 will also be held where
participants will light 58 candles at the Maguindanao Masssacre commemorative marker at the
National Press club to symbolize their call for swift justice for the slain victims.
A march to the Supreme Court for a short program will be next before heading to Mendiola to burn
an 11-feet effigy called the “Impunity Monster.”
“The burning of the Impunity Monster effigy will symbolize the Filipino people’s desire to put an end
to the culture of impunity in the country,” said Crisanto de Leon, chairman of the UGATLahi Artists
Collective, a group of visual artists who mounted the effigy.
De Leon also said they call on President Benigno Aquino III “to be true to his words” that he will
bring speedy justice to the victims of the Maguindanao Massacre.