7 get life for kidnap of elderly woman

From humorous and amusing questions on the impeachment trial, netizens, mostly from the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte, have also noticed prosecution lawyer Lorna Kapunan’s pair of sneakers.

MANILA, Philippines — A Quezon City court has convicted seven people for kidnapping a 78-year-old Filipino-Chinese woman whose family paid P8.1 million in ransom for her release in 2025, the Department of Justice said yesterday. According to the DOJ, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 225 found the accused guilty of kidnapping for ransom. They were sentenced to life in prison, without eligibility for parole. In a June 30 decision, the court ordered each accused to pay the complainant civil, moral and exemplary damages. The kidnappers had demanded P500 million for the victim’s release, but it was reduced to P8.1 million after negotiations. Despite payment of ransom on Sept. 7, 2025, the kidnappers held the victim captive until she was rescued by the police Anti-Kidnapping Group four days later. Four others were acquitted by the court after “their guilt was not established beyond reasonable doubt.” Court records showed that the woman was kidnapped at the corner of Biak na Bato and N.S. Amoranto streets in Quezon City on Sept. 2, 2025. She was brought to Bacoor City in Cavite and in Batangas. The DOJ did not disclose the names of the accused. No reason was given for not identifying the convicted kidnappers.

A court stenographer in Paniqui, Tarlac has been dismissed for grave misconduct after she allegedly duped a complainant into paying P250,000 in exchange for a fake annulment ruling, the Supreme Court (SC) reported yesterday. Aside from dismissal, the SC forfeited the retirement benefits of Rosalie Sarsagat, stenographer III of the Paniqui Regional Trial Court Branch 67, and disqualified her from seeking reemployment in government.

Meta knowingly hooked and exploited children, a US federal court heard on Tuesday in a trial against the social media giant on charges that it deliberately made Instagram and Facebook addictive to young users.

Day 17 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is canceled today, according to Senate impeachment Clerk of Court Renato Bantug Jr., upon the orders of Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero due to the expected heavy rains.