MAY KILALA BA KAYONG GANITO???
ANO ANG REACT TION NYO DITO PARANG DI YATA MANG YAYARI YAN MGA BOYS APAYAG BA KAYO??? Isang KAKAIBANG URI NG NILALANG Ganyan daw ang susunod na itsura ng lalake sa bagong HENERASYON...
Kerry: No special treatment for Pemberton
No special treatment for Pemberton
Pemberton, hindi humarap sa preliminary investigation
JAKARTA - US Secretary of State John Kerry assured the Philippines that no special treatment was being sought for an American marine who is charged with the murder of a transgender Filipino outside a former U.S. Navy base.
US Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton is accused of murdering Jennifer Laude in the northern port city of Olongapo.
Pemberton is under the custody of his superiors aboard USS Peleliu, an amphibious assault ship docked in Subic Bay, a former US Navy base next to Olongapo, northwest of Manila.
"We're not seeking a special privilege, and everybody's rights will be appropriately protected. And that is exactly what we will do here," Kerry told reporters after meeting his Filipino counterpart, Albert del Rosario, on Monday.
"Due process will play out, and we will work with the Philippines in order to make certain that rule of law and the agreement are upheld," he added.
Under the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), the Philippines is supposed to exercise jurisdiction over such a crime. Some lawmakers and activists have called on the government to terminate the VFA unless the United States hands him over.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino on Monday rejected calls to tear up the Visiting Forces Agreement.
"We do have all the mechanisms in place so that justice can properly be served," said the Philippine Foreign Minister Rosario, who described the incident as "unfortunate" and "tragic".
The two sides in April signed a new 10-year security pact that allows for a larger US military presence in the country as it struggles to raise its defence capabilities amid territorial disputes with China.
ANGER IN SNUB
Pemberton snubbed a summons by prosecutors Tuesday, sparking outrage by the victim's family who said they feared he would evade justice.
Pemberton failed to appear at a preliminary murder hearing to answer a Filipino police complaint naming him as the suspect in the killing.
"We hope the Americans will bring him out. They're coddling a worthless man," Julita Laude, mother of the murder victim, told a news conference after the hearing.
Police said Pemberton was the last person seen with Laude before she was found dead in a hotel bathroom on October 12 with his head in the toilet and marks of strangulation on her neck.
US Marines had taken part in joint military exercises and some US soldiers then headed to Olongapo, a well-known red light district, to wind down on the night of Laude's death.
Philippine courts have jurisdiction in cases involving US soldiers wanted for crimes committed in the Philippines..
But after Pemberton failed to appear before the hearing, Laude's sister expressed concern over whether he would be brought to justice.
"Who will catch him? Who can we turn to to make him pay?" Malou Laude said.
Pemberton's Filipina lawyer, Rowena Garcia Flores, told a panel of prosecutors her client was still studying the police complaint and he did not have to appear on Tuesday.
"The subpoena did not require the personal appearance of Pemberton," Flores said.
Flores did not say whether Pemberton had told her whether he was innocent or guilty.
However the city prosecutor, Emilie de los Santos, said Pemberton was required to attend and ordered him to show up at the next hearing on October 27.
"The attendance of the Marine will serve as a very good assessment of the willingness of the US government to comply with the provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement," de los Santos said.
The death has placed defence ties between the longtime allies under scrutiny.
A foreign affairs department spokesman on Tuesday reacted coolly to Pemberton's non-appearance.
"We are of course disappointed that the respondent did not appear in today's preliminary investigation," said spokesman Charles Jose.
De los Santos said the state prosecutors had up to 60 days to conduct preliminary hearings and reach a decision on whether to file charges in court. - with a report from Agence France-Presse
Ministry takes countermeasures to curb MERS infections in Taif
This was announced Monday by the ministry, which confirmed through the MOH Command & Control Center, headed by Acting Minister of Health Adel Fakeih that nine cases of the virus infection were found in Taif area over the last two weeks.
The measures were taken following the minister’s inspection tour on Sunday of both King Faisal and King Abdulaziz hospitals in the city to check the cases of MERS-CoV.
The minister was joined during his visit by Deputy Commander of Command & Control Center Dr. Anees Sindi and Dr. Abdullah Assiri of the World Health Organization focal point and assistant deputy minister for preventive health.
The immediate actions taken by the ministry included detecting the people who came into contact with the MERS-CoV patients by public health specialists; reducing overcrowding on dialysis machines by providing up to 20 additional dialysis machines to King Faisal Hospital, which will also receive referrals of dialysis patients by King Abdulaziz Hospital; and transferring MERS-CoV patients from King Abdulaziz Hospital to King Faisal Hospital, the designated MERS-CoV hospital for Taif.
The other measures were providing Taif with a mobile laboratory to accommodate the need for additional testing and expediting the delivery of test results; transferring some of the intensive care patients of King Abdulaziz and King Faisal hospitals to Riyadh ad Jeddah; and assessing and monitoring the infection control measures at the MOH facilities. This includes testing the face masks that health care workers wear while treating patients.
Splitting the isolation ward for MERS-CoV patients at King Faisal Hospital into two wards, one for suspected cases and one for confirmed cases, and adding an additional shift to MOH dialysis units in Taif with the goal of preventing infection by reducing the number of patients who are being treated in each session were among the other measures.
Also, the ministry said that the ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture will be expanded in Taif because some of the infection cases are thought to be associated with exposure to infected camels.
“The concerning rate of infection in Taif suggests we may see additional cases of MERS-CoV there in the coming days. This is a reminder of the dangers to the public of unprotected contact with camels and the need for health care workers to follow proper infection control procedures,” Fakeih said.
“We might not be able to eradicate MERS-CoV, but the ministry must do everything possible to protect patients and health care workers from this disease,” the minister said. “Even one MERS-CoV infection acquired in the hospital is a crisis that demands an immediate and comprehensive response,” he added. “The response to coronavirus will continue to involve all those who can add value to our efforts to control the virus, including the World Health Organization and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Fakeih said.
“There is no vaccine for MERS-CoV, but we can work together to reduce the number of infections. That’s why some of the greatest minds in Saudi Arabia — eminent professors and doctors from universities and hospitals across the Kingdom — are working with the ministry to fight the spread of this virus,” he pointed out.
Since last week, the Command & Control Center has been conducting a comprehensive review of the operations at both Taif hospitals. The deputy commander toured both facilities on Saturday with the head of clinical operations at the center. The head of the infection-control team has been working on site in Taif.
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