Hamon ng NPC kay Atty. Calleja

MULING nagpalabas ng kalatas ang National Press Club of the Philippines para iparating kay Atty. Calleja ang mga katanungan na gustong maliwanagan ng nasabing association.

Ang kalatas ng NPC ay en toto na ilalabas ng Chief Kuwago para mabasa at makarating sa kaalaman ng madlang people upang ang mga ito ang humugas este mali humusga ng mga isyung bumabalot sa mga katanungan ng press club.

The National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC) yesterday asked Atty. Howard Calleja to convince his client, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, to prove his innocence by testifying against family members who are also named principal suspects  in the gruesome Maguindanao Massacre.

NPC President Jerry Yap said Calleja, a well-reputed lawyer whose other clients include the election watchdog, Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), said that while the ARMM governor is still considered among the prime suspects, he could still qualify as a witness if he would “spill the beans” on everything he knows about the killings.

“Atty. Calleja is a respected lawyer. It came as a shock to us that while his image in the legal community is akin to righteousness, he agreed to defend Zaldy Ampatuan. We believe, however, that maybe through him and if he truly believes that his client is innocent, he should convince him to denounce such evil and help in the prosecution of the other Ampatuans involved,” Yap said.

The NPC president was referring to former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. and Andal Jr., co-accused in the massacre case which is still being heard by a Quezon City court.

The call was made by the NPC leadership after NPC Director and Press Freedom Committee chairman, Joel Sy Egco, reported following a meeting with Calleja that the lawyer was confident of his client’s innocence and that among the prime suspects, the ARMM governor is the “least responsible.”

“He was not there when it happened. He was not part of it because he was meeting the president (Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) when it happened. I took the case because I believe that anyone should not be considered guilty unless proven. That is everyone’s right. The right to due process and that’s how our justice system works,” Egco quoted Calleja as saying.

Calleja was criticized for accepting the ARMM governor as his client, especially since he has been known to be offering pro bono services to indigents and various advocacy groups such as the PPCRV.

“If Atty. Calleja is morally convinced that Zaldy Ampatuan is innocent, he should work to turn him into a witness. Otherwise, he should just drop the case and turn around rather than face the wrath of an angry people,” Yap further said.

On November 23, 2009, a convoy of vehicles carrying 58 people, mostly journalists, was waylaid by the group of Andal Jr. The victims were then shot to death and buried in deep graves at a hilly portion of Ampatuan town along with their vehicles. The group was en route to the provincial capitol to file the certificate of candidacy of Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu for governor.

Mangudadatu’s wife, sister and cousins were among those killed.

Last November, the NPC petitioned the Supreme Court to assign a “special court” to handle the massacre case and to hold marathon hearings to fasttrack the conviction of all the suspects.

Mayor Lim, pro-poor!

PINAGTAWANAN lamang ni Manila Mayor Alfredo “Dirty Harry’ Lim, ang mga tsismis na siya ay anti-poor regarding ito sa isyu ng pagbabawal ng mga abusadong ‘kuliglig’ sa Manila.

Lumabas ang isyung ito ng makipagkita si Fred kay Commission on Human Rights  chairperson, Loretta Ann Rosales matapos niyang tiyakin na kailanman  ay kapakanan ng mahihirap ang kanyang priority kaya lang ang problema  kailangan sumunod ang lahat sa batas at regulasyon na ipinaiiral ng city government.

Sabi ni Lim sa mga asset ng mga kuwago ng ORA MISMO, ang pagbabawal sa kuliglig ay alinsunod sa batas dahil hindi ito nakarehistro sa  Land Transportation Office at ang sasakyan ay mapanganib.

Sabi ni Lim, kung wala silang problema sa kanilang mga sasakyan tiyak hindi niya ito pagbabawalan para kumita sila at kahit paano ay mapakain ang kanilang pamilya.

Ayon kay Lim, wala siyang magagawa dahil may batas na ipinatutupad ang Manila.

Sabi nga, ang batas ay batas kaya dapat ipatupad ang batas!