THE police force in Calabarzon is ignoring the order of a judge in Catanuan, Batangas to release film director Jade Castro and three others due to the prosecution’s “disconnected evidence and statements.” Castro and his companions were arrested by the Catanuan police for allegedly hijacking a minibus and setting it on fire. They were arrested without any warrant while were vacationing in a nearby town.
As most of us are aware, warrantless arrests can only be served while a crime is in progress and the police have a personal knowledge of the identities of the suspects.
A witness presented by the police who initially identified Castro and the three others has withdrawn his statement. The real suspects were wearing masks and there was no way the witness could have identified them.
The PNP spokesperson said they will pursue the case by gathering new evidence which, we are almost sure, would be fabricated. The PNP courts further public embarrassment this way.
This is another glaring example of how the PNP relishes criminal impunity as its operatives continue to shamelessly break the laws protecting ordinary citizens, the consequence of former President Rodrigo Duterte openly condoning the brutal killings of suspected drug addicts and pushers.
As public opinion rages against the patent police oppression, Malacanang should step in before the mishandling of this case further damages the credibility of the PNP and its leadership, along with many in uniform who remain upright, honest and trustworthy.
Another embarrassment to the national government is how the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) has willfully allowed the construction of a resort at the world-famous Chocolate Hills in Bohol. Many are asking: What happened here, especially to local officials in the region and Department of Environment and Natural Resources personnel.
When Sen. Cynthia Villar, who chairs the Senate Committee on Environment, opens a public hearing on this one, she should make sure those responsible are punished.
The Senate inquiry should not be confined to criminal or accountability but to more essential, holistic and deliberate strategies meant to obliterate it. The moral and spiritual aspects that should otherwise come from deep moorings in the family should no longer be ignored.
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The Head Pastor of Live in Victory Ministries (LIV), Manny Manansala, will be leading a two-day seminar on healings and deliverances at its main office at the ground floor of the ATC Bldg., Emerald Avenue near corner Ortigas Avenue on March 29-30. Spiritual Healings and Deliverances, which are indisputably biblical, should be widely preached and practiced in many Christian churches in the country.
Sickness, pain and depression are not secondary to fulfilling the Gospel’s crucial messages from our kind, loving, compassionate and healing Savior. The seminar is for free. For details, you can please call this columnist who is an active member of LIV at tel. nos. 09158032252.