Page 14 - NOVEMBER 2017 'A' ISSUE

14 www.hello-philippines.com
SUSPECT IN NYC ATTACK MAY HAVE WANTED TO BRING RENTAL
TRUCK TO HALLOWEEN PARADE—PINOY COMMUNITY LEADER
SOME Filipinos in New York City
believe the suspect behind the “terror
attack” that killed eight and injured
more than a dozen others may have
Duterte orders HUDCC chair to supervise housing for displaced Marawi residents
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte
had tasked Housing and Urban
Development Coordinating Council
(HUDCC) chairman retired General
Eduardo Del Rosario to supervise the
construction of housing units for the
residents of Marawi City who were
displaced by the five-month firefight.
According to a report on Unang
Balita by Vonne Aquino on Wednesday,
Duterte bared the government’s plan
for the rehabilitation of Marawi,
saying that he had “overruled” a
number of proposals in the Cabinet.
“There were many proposal
in the Cabinet which I overruled
because I hate ‘yung mga committee,
committee, mauubos lang pera diyan.
So from the table of the Defense
Secretary it goes to one person, the
De Lima gets
LIBERAL International (LI) is
giving its “highest human rights honor”
to Senator Leila de Lima, whom the
organization described as a “political
prisoner” and a critic of “authoritarian” Africa.
President Rodrigo Duterte.
wanted to bring the rental truck to the
Halloween Parade in the city.
Speaking in an interview on Super
Radyo dzBB, Vid Figueras, a Filipino
COO [chief operating officer]... and
that is General Ed Del Rosario... The
Secretaries are under the orders to
report to General Del Rosario in matters
about Marawi including financing,”
Duterte said in a press conference in
Davao after arriving from his two-day
official visit to Japan.
“Ang concern ko ‘yung mahirap,
and ang set-up is ganito: the Defense
department is the overall entity.
It should be Defense Secretary
Lorenzana. Marami naman siyang mga
undersecretaries that can work out
something for Marawi then it goes to
one single person,” he added.
“It will be under the supervision
of one man. So that pagka pumalpak,
si Del Rosario ‘yan. ‘Pag hindi sang-
ayon sa policy ng gobyerno, Secretary
In its news release Tuesday, the LI
said De Lima was chosen to receive the
Prize for Freedom during their 199th
executive committee meeting in South
“Politicians from around the world
IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS
community leader, said: “May parada
bukas, ang hinala nila doon dadalin ang
truck sa parada bukas... ang hinala nila, mayor said the parade
baka doon pupunta.”
Figueras, however, did not say if the
intention was to wreak havoc in the
parade.
A spokesperson for the New York
City mayor said the parade would
continue—and it has—with added
police protection.
Figueras reiterated an earlier
announcement from the Philippine
consulate in New York that there is no
immediate report of Filipinos who were
killed or injured in the attack.
He said the consulate usually
releases official reports within a day
of the incident. Filipinos in New York
City are reportedly thankful that police
officers were immediately able to
neutralize the suspect.
Lorenzana will answer for it,” Duterte
said.
Duterte said Japan will be the
country’s partner in rebuilding Marawi
“as the center of moderation and
tolerance.”
The President announced the
liberation of Marawi City after the
deaths of terror leaders Isnilon Hapilon
and Omar Maute.
However, a Maute straggler was
killed in a firefight on Tuesday morning
as troops spotted the former inside the
main battle area.
Colonel Romeo Brawner Jr., Task
Force Ranao deputy commander, told
GMA News Online that the straggler
seemed to be escaping. He added that
another straggler who wanted to enter
the main battle area was killed by
human rights
voted to award Liberal International’s
highest human rights honor—the
Prize for Freedom—to imprisoned
Philippines political prisoner, Senator
Leila de Lima,” it said.
“Senator De Lima, a vocal and ardent
critic [of] the Philippines authoritarian
president Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called
‘war of drugs’, has been held in pre-
trial detention on politically motivated
charges since February 2017,” it added.
De Lima is presently detained at
Leila De Lima has been
a flag-bearer for human
rights in the Philippines
and beyond, setting
a shining example for
other human rights
defenders.”
November 2017 – No. 21 • UK & Europe Edition
A spokesperson for
the New York City
would continue—and
it has—with added
police protection.
When asked if the actions of
the suspect, whom Figueras and
international media have reported
to be identified as Sayfullo Saipov,
29, an Uzbek national, should deter
people from visiting the iconic city,
Figueras said terror attacks can happen
anywhere.
“Alam mo, ako, sa akin naman eh
all over naman yung nangyayaring
ganyan, kapares nung nangyari sa Las
Vegas, hindi natin masasabi ito kung
kailan gagawin ito ng mga terorista eh,
government troops the other day.
Latest data showed that a total of
47 civilians, 165 soldiers and police
officers, and 920 Maute members have
the Philippine National Police’s (PNP)
Custodial Center in Camp Crame,
Quezon City over allegations that she
was involved in the illegal drug trade
inside that national penitentiary during
her stint as Justice secretary.
De Lima has repeatedly denied the
charges against her, saying she is a
victim of political persecution.
“Leila De Lima has been a flag-bearer
for human rights in the Philippines and
beyond, setting a shining example for
other human rights defenders. Even
from inside the prison she keeps fighting human rights and political freedoms.”
for the rule of law and the dignity of
individuals. She should immediately
be released from pre-trial detention,”
the chairman of the LI’s Human Rights
Committee, Markus Löning, said.
Löning visited De Lima in her
detention facility last July. During the
same visit, LI president Juli Minoves
at saka yung mga talagang pumapatay
ng mga inosenteng tao eh,” he said.
“Hindi mo masasabi kung anong
nasa isip ng taong ito eh,” he added.
He said he had left Las Vegas, the site
of one of the deadliest mass shootings
in recent US history, merely three days
before a gunman rained gunfire on a
country music festival.
Figueras said Saipov, who is reportedly
in critical condition after being shot
by police, came from Tampa, Florida,
drove to New Jersey to rent a truck, then
through Holland Tunnel, after which he
plowed through the bike lane.
There are 222,109 Filipinos living
in the New York-Newark, New York-
New Jersey-Connecticut-Pennsylvania
area, according to the United States
Census Bureau in 2016. n Nicole-Anne C.
Lagrimas, RSJ, GMA News | Published November
1, 2017 11:07 AM
been killed in the firefight in Marawi
City since May 23. n Marlly Rome Bondoc,
KG, GMA News | Published November 1, 2017
10:37 AM
award
was barred from entering the facility
after authorities said they could not find
the memo requesting for the official
visit.
De Lima, a member of the former
ruling Liberal Party (LP), is second
Filipino to receive the Prize for Freedom,
after former President Corazon Aquino
in 1987.
In its website, the LI said the Prize
for Freedom is awarded to “to honor an
individual who has made an exceptional
contribution to the advancement of
Previous recipients include the
imprisoned Saudi liberal blogger Raif
Badawi (2016); Helen Suzman (2002)
for her work in South Africa; and Martin
Lee (1996), leader of the Democratic
Party of Hong Kong. n Kathrina Charmaine
Alvarez, RSJ, GMA News | Published November
1, 2017 12:36 PM