Man driven to suicide by girlfriend’s abusive

texts, prosecutors claim

The texts pinged back and forth at a dizzying rate, with the young couple
exchanging tens of thousands of messages during their 18-month
relationship.
But on 20 May, a few hours before he was set to graduate from Boston
College, Alexander Urtula stopped responding. The texts Inyoung You
sent to her boyfriend became increasingly desperate. She swore at him,
she pleaded, she typed in all caps. No reply. She tracked his location to a
tall parking structure in Boston’s Roxbury neighborhood. She was there
when he leapt to his death from the top floor and she did nothing to stop
him, authorities said.
In the months that followed, investigators would accuse the 21-year-old
Ms You, a former Boston College student, of driving Mr Urtula to
suicide, and they’d use the couple’s massive cache of text messages as
proof, alleging the conversations revealed Ms You’s near-constant
physical, verbal and psychological abuse.
This week, as Ms You pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter,
both the prosecution and the defence released texts from the trove,
claiming each set of messages bolstered their respective case. It marked
the first time the public was able to see how the couple interacted in
private, and the messages revealed the final moments of what both sides
agree was a toxic, tumultuous relationship.
Ms You, prosecutors said, had “complete and total control” over Mr
Urtula, who was 22. The power dynamic played out over more than
75,000 text messages, at least 47,000 of which came from Ms You – a
stream of unrelenting abuse, they said.

https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/suicide
Mother sues priest after he said her teenage son’s
suicide was ‘against God’ at funeral
The homily at Maison Hullibarger's funeral began typically enough: the
priest acknowledged the anguish of the 18-year-old's parents and asked
God to use his words to bring them light.
Then the reverend Don LaCuesta's message took a sharp turn.
“I think that we must not call what is bad good, what is wrong right,” Mr
LaCuesta told mourners at his parish in Temperance, Michigan.
“Because we are Christians, we must say what we know is the truth -
that taking your own life is against God who made us and against
everyone who loves us.”
Jeffrey and Linda Hullibarger were stunned. They had not revealed how
their son had died outside of a close circle of friends and relatives, but
Mr LaCuesta went on to say the word “suicide” six times and suggest
that people ending their own lives was an affront to God.

https://www.independent.co.uk/topic/suicide
After 6 years, killers of ad exec Kae Davantes
convicted
MANILA, Philippines – A Las Piñas court on Friday, November 15,
convicted 4 men for the gruesome killing of 25-year-old advertising
manager Kristelle "Kae" Davantes in a sensational case of homicide in
2013.
The Las Piñas Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 253 found the
following guilty of robbery with homicide, and sentenced each of them
to reclusion perpetua or a maximum of 40 years.
Llloyd Benedict Enriquez
Samuel Decimo
Kelvin Jorek Evangelista
Jomar Pepito Erlina
The 4 were also ordered to jointly pay the Davantes family P50,000 as
death indemnity, P50,000 as moral damages, and P25,000 as temperate
damages.
What happened?
Davantes' killing was a high-profile case in 2013, where no less than
former president Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III called for a prompt
investigation.
Davantes was held at gunpoint by the men in front of her house in Las
Piñas on September 7, 2013. She was taken to her car and driven by her
killers to Silang, Cavite, where they strangled her using her laptop cable
charger, stabbed her, and then threw her off a bridge.
The pivotal moment came when a man named Rex pointed the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to Decimo, who confessed to the crime
when he was arrested.
Rex's girlfriend Elena was at Decimo's house the day after the killing,
September 8, where she was hanging out with Anita, the mother of
Decimo's live-in partner Annie. Anita casually told Elena that Decimo
had held up a girl and killed her the night before.
When Decimo joined them for dinner, he also casually told the same
story.

Elena told her mother and Rex. Elena's mother had wanted her to keep
quiet, but Rex went to the NBI.
When Decimo was caught, he told the NBI and the media what they had
done to Davantes, including where they sold the victim's gadgets in
exchange for clothes. The other suspects surrendered afterwards.
Reggie Diel, who was with the 4 men during the incident, turned state
witness. He claimed to have disagreed with the plan to kill Davantes.
"Jomar Pepito, Lloyd Benedict Enriquez, and Jorek Evangelista all
denied killing Kristelle Davantes. Lloyd Benedict and Jorek admitted
their presence when Davantes was taken in her car driven away from her
home, but they were not active participants. They just happened to be
with the other men," court records said.
Ruling of the court
"While Diel was not able to confirm who really killed Kristelle
Davantes, pinpointing the actual perpetrator is not necessary," the court
said.
It added: "Case law establishes that whenever homicide has been
committed by reason of or on the occasion of the robbery, all those who
took part as principals in the robbery will also be held guilty as
principals of robbery with homicide although they did not take part in
the homicide, unless it appears that they sought to prevent the killing."
Although Decimo confessed to the crime in front of the media, he still
registered a not guilty plea upon arraignment.
He only changed it to a guilty plea at the start of the defense
presentation.
At this time, there were no rules yet on continuous trial. It only became
effective September 2017, which compels the court to expediently
decide cases by holding marathon hearings, prohibiting motions that are
the usual causes of delay, and standardizing pleading formats for a
quicker process.

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BuCor's Bantag acquitted in deadly jail blast case
MANILA, Philippines – Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director
General Gerald Bantag was acquitted of homicide charges over the jail
blast that killed 10 detainees in August 2016.
This was confirmed to Rappler by Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete
in a text message on Wednesday, January 8.

What's the accusation? Bantag was accused of orchestrating the

explosion to kill inmates.
But for a Parañaque City court, there was not enough evidence to
convict Bantag and two other jail officers.
Bantag's rise: The acquittal came just 3 months after Bantag was
appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte to head the BuCor. (READ:
Bantag tries to slay Bilibid's old monsters, Duterte-style)
Bantag, known for his radical style, began his term by demolishing
shanties inside the New Bilibid Prison, saying that the inmates "had no
right" to build them.

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Husband of kidnapped Chinese woman claims
she is back home
MANILA, Philippines – The husband of the Chinese woman who was
recently kidnapped in Makati City is now claiming that his wife has
returned to their house, Makati police said.
Zhou Mei, an area manager of a Philippine offshore gaming operations
(POGO) firm, was reportedly abducted by 4 Chinese men aboard a
Chrysler van along Paseo de Roxas in Barangay San Lorenzo, Makati, on
December 9.
However, Major Gideon Ines Jr, Makati Police Investigation Unit chief,
said they have yet to verify the information.
"We still have to verify whether his wife is already back. He said that
the doctor told them not to disturb her for a few days," he said.
Here is the text message that Chen Tangbin sent to Ines on Monday
morning, December 16: "Hello sir, my wife is back. The doctor said that
she can't disturb her these days, she needs to rest now. Her mood is
very unstable. I will go to your office or meet with you in a private club
after I have a meeting with a lawyer tomorrow."
Her husband, Ines said, promised to bring his wife to the police station
to prove that she is all right and already free. (READ: Number of
Chinese kidnapped in PH jumps by 71% in 2019)
Last Sunday, December 15, Ines disclosed that they have identified 4
suspects behind the kidnapping, namely Song Xifei, Guo Ebin, Zhang
Xipeng, and Guo Wanshun. Ines said they learned that all 4 are POGO
employees.
Earlier, the husband of the victim said that the suspects were asking
him to pay a P60-million ransom payment. But, according to Ines, he
has given inconsistent statements and has not showed any eagerness
to file a case against those who abducted his wife.

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Number of Chinese kidnapped in PH jumps by
71% in 2019
MANILA, Philippines – The number of kidnapped Chinese has risen by
71% from 2018 to 2019, according to the latest data from the Philippine
National Police (PNP) Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG).
In a data set obtained by Rappler, the PNP AKG counted 34 victims of
kidnappings in 2018. In 2019, the number jumped to 58 as of November.
Just on Monday evening, December 9, a woman believed to be a
Chinese worker for a POGO company was abducted in a high-end
commercial district in Makati City. The incident was recorded by a
bystander who then posted online, sparking fear for thousands on social
media. (POGO refers to Philippine offshore gaming operators.)
Thousands of Chinese workers have flocked to the Philippines following
the rise of online gambling operations here, the influx of infrastructure
projects run by Chinese businessmen who hire only Chinese laborers,
and the warming of ties between Manila and Beijing under the Duterte
administration.
The AKG divided its cases into 3 types: kidnap-for-ransom cases,
casino-related cases, and POGO-related cases. The PNP AKG has
counted KFR cases since 2012, casino-related cases since 2017, and
POGO-related cases since 2018.

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Gunmen abduct British man and Filipino wife in
Zamboanga del Sur
MANILA, Philippines (3RD UPDATE) – Several unidentified gunmen
abducted a British man and a Filipino woman in Tukuran, Zamboanga
del Sur, on Friday evening, October 4, according to local police.
Allan Hyrons, 70, and his wife Wilma Hyrons had just arrived on a van
at Hyrons Beach Resort, which they own, at about 6:50pm when 4
armed men approached and held the couple at gunpoint then took them
to the beach front. There, they joined two other gunmen onboard two
motor boats and sped off with the victims.
An initial investigation revealed that two of the suspects had checked in
at the resort a day before the abduction.
Other guests have since left the resort, shaken by the incident.
The police, military, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are
working together and exhausting “all resources, mobilizing all forces” in
a rescue operation, said Police Major Helen Galvez, spokesperson of
Police Regional Office 9 in Zamboanga City.

Doctor abducted in Jolo, Sulu – military

MANILA, Philippines – Four unidentified suspects abducted a man in
Jolo, Sulu, on Tuesday evening, February 4, the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom)
confirmed.
Daniel G. Moreno, a doctor, was seized by 4 fully armed men at
Barangay Walled City, Jolo, Sulu at around 7 pm on Tuesday, AFP
Westmincom chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana confirmed in a
message to reporters.
An initial investigation revealed that the abductors drove off with
Moreno aboard a maroon Tamaraw FX van toward the Santanina Rasul
Sports Complex and headed toward Kilometer 3 station in neighboring
Indanan municipality.
The AFP Westmincom immediately launched pursuit operations, and its

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After 2 and a half years, martial law ends in
Mindanao
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The fourth iteration of martial
law in Mindanao lapsed at 11:59 pm Tuesday, December 31, seen to end
two and a half years of heightened military tension on the country’s
southern main island.
"As martial law expires at 11:59 tonight, we are confident of an
improved security climate in Mindanao that will work for the benefit of
fellow Filipinos," military spokesman Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo
said in a statement.
"Specifically, where ML was an issue, it is expected to boost economic
activities due to added investors' confidence," he added.
Still, Arevalo urged local governments and communities in Mindanao to
"press on and build from the gains of [martial law] to maintain the
strong security posture now in place."
Arevalo also noted that Proclamation 55, or the declaration of a state of
national emergency on account of lawless violence, is still in effect in
case "isolated incidents of violence and lawlessness erupt in Mindanao."
"Our people can then be assured that the Armed Forces of the
Philippines will deploy to suppress any and all forms of lawless violence
to prevent them from spreading and escalating not only in Mindanao but
elsewhere in the Philippines," he said.
In a statement on Friday, January 3, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador
Panelo said that Proclamation 55 would help authorities deal with
terrorism and the communist insurgency in Mindanao.
Duterte signed Proclamation 55 on September 4, 2016, following Davao
City night market bombings on September 2 of that year. It has remained
in effect since then.
The security situation in the region has improved much since President
Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law on May 23, 2017, when terrorists
from the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate Maute group laid siege to Marawi
City in Lanao del Sur, security officials said earlier in December.
Upon the recommendation of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana,
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, the military, and the police, Duterte no
longer asked Congress to extend the measure, as he did when it was
supposed to expire in July 2017, and then in December 2017, and again
in December 2018.
On Tuesday, Lorenzana reiterated the confidence of security officials on
maintaining the gains of the two-year martial rule in Mindanao.
"The security sector believes that the objective of the martial law has
been achieved. The rebellion in marawi, Lanao del Sur and other areas
in Mindanao have been effectively stopped. They are confident that they
can maintain the current peace and order in Mindanao and that an attack
similar in scale to Marawi cannot be waged by the remnants of the
Mautes or by any other terrorist groups in the future," the defense chief
said.
A recent survey of private pollster Social Weather Stations revealed that
65% of Filipinos wanted martial law in Mindanao to end on December
31.
The 5-month battle that left Marawi in ruins, sporadic attacks from
terrorists, and the lingering presence of several armed groups in
Mindanao warranted increased powers for the police and military,
Duterte and his security officials argued each time they lobbied for the
measure’s extension.
The Bangsamoro plebiscite in January 2019 and the national midterm
elections the following May were added reasons to keep the island under
martial law for another year, the Executive argued before Congress in
December 2018.
The measure faced strong opposition and criticism throughout, from
lawmakers, civic organizations, and leftist groups, who argued that
martial law could lead to human rights violations and other abuses by
government forces.
Martial law meant increased police and military patrols and checkpoints.
It also included the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus for rebellion
and terrorism suspects, which meant they could be arrested and detained
even without a warrant from a judicial court.
Some civic leaders and a member of Congress said they have either
witnessed or suffered such abuses by the police and military.
Critics of martial law said it did not address the problems it was meant
to solve, but instead bred more resentment among vulnerable
communities, which could lead to more violence.
However, a study by conflict monitoring group International Alert
Philippines released in September 2019 showed that the imposition of
martial law was the “single most important reason” behind a
considerable decline in conflict and violence in Mindanao in 2018.
The study noted a 30% drop in the number of conflict incidents from
2017 to 2018, as well as a similar decrease in the number of conflict-
related deaths.
The establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (BARMM) in January 2019 marked a milestone in
government efforts to establish peace in Mindanao. Led by members of
the country’s largest Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front, the BARMM replaced a less powerful autonomous regional
government, and it is expected to significantly lessen the impetus for
violence among Mindanao’s Moro people.
As the Executive kept prolonging martial law, opposition lawmakers
warned that it could become the “new normal” in Mindanao, which
would affect not only its security but its economy, too.
In June 2019, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, the President’s daughter,
voiced her opposition to martial law. It spooked investors and tourists,
thus hampering economic growth, she said, adding that she would ask
that her city be exempted if the measure was to be extended for another
year.
Echoing the younger Duterte, the military said in late November 2019
that Mindanao was peaceful and stable enough to carry on without
martial law, even with terror groups such as the Abu Sayyaf, the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and the Dawlah Islamiyah
Torayfie Group still threatening parts of the region. Security forces
could continue battling them without martial law.
Terror attacks in some parts of Mindanao, including suicide bombings in
Basilan in 2018, and in Sulu several times in 2019, raised questions
about the efficacy of martial law. The military said then that there could
have been more attacks if the region wasn’t under martial law.
The same threats from the same groups continue to hound Mindanao.
Nevertheless, it’s time for it to move on, security officials said, which
was why this time, they let martial law expire without anymore seeking
another extension.

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%20the%20philippines
Families displaced by Maguindanao clashes cry
for help
MANILA, Philippines – As government forces battle terrorists in the
central Mindanao province of Maguindanao, thousands of people are
forced to leave their homes and stay in flimsy makeshift booths in
coconut groves and other open spaces.
"Na-trauma na sila sa pagsabog ng kanyon at saka pagputok ng IED
(They're traumatized by the blast of cannons and IED explosions)," a
Moro community leader from Barangay Libutan told Rappler on
Tuesday, December 10. He asked to be kept anonymous for fear of riling
up local leaders whom he said might be displeased that he publicized the
information.
Since fighting broke out between the military and terrorists from the
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the pro-Islamic State
(ISIS) Dawlah Islamiyah Torayfie Group (DITG) on December 3, more
than 2,000 families have fled to Libutan in Mamasapano municipality
from barangays Tina and Bialong in Shariff Aguak municipality, and
Pusao in Shariff Saydona Mustapha municipality, the community leader
said.
Many of the evacuees have built booths from tree branches and drapes,
while others, thinking they will be displaced for a long time, have started
building cottages.

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Sexual abuse
Homicide
Kidnapping
Abduction
Act of terror
Suicide
Canada's Jesuits to name priests accused of
sexual abuse
OTTAWA, Canada – Canada's Jesuits, after sifting through personnel
files dating back to 1950, will publish a list of priests credibly accused
of sexual misconduct, the Catholic order announced Tuesday, December
17.
"It is the right thing for us to do," and for victims of abuse it is
"important to healing," said Erik Oland, the head of the Jesuits of
Canada.
(READ: Pope lifts 'pontifical secret' for sex abuse cases)
The move is in response to growing calls from victims for more
transparency and accountability from the church about abuse cases, and
will also help to prevent future acts of abuse, he said.
The list of names, as well as when and where the accused clergy worked,
is expected to be published by January 2021, after private investigators
King International Advisory Group complete a review of the personnel
records and other archival documents.
The decision follows a wave of disclosures in the United States since a
grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania said in a 2018 report it had
found that priests had abused more than 1,000 children. (READ: U.S.
bishop steps down in Church abuse scandal)
But while the US lists were comprised of individual clergy who were
convicted of abuse in a criminal court or forced to pay compensation in a
civil action, the Canadian Jesuits will go further.
Their list will include cases "where it appears more likely than not that
an offence occurred," even if no criminal charges or civil actions were
ever forthcoming, and priests who died before accusations were made or
resolved, said the statement.
It may also include "plausible hearsay evidence" that would not be
included in court proceedings.
The church explained that many complainants of child sexual abuse may
not have come forward years back.
"It is a tragic consequence of the esteem that clergy were held in, that
victims did not come forward because of fear that they would not be
believed, or that there would be reprisals," it said.
So far, 90% of complaints made against Jesuits in Canada involved the
actions of two people: Reverend George Epoch and Brother Norman
Hinton.
The pair were named in lawsuits alleging historic sexual abuses against
minors in Ontario and Nova Scotia provinces.

Part 1: Ex-Jesuit accused of sexual abuse

MANILA, Philippines – The Society of Jesus in the Philippines is facing
its first sexual abuse scandal after a former student in one of the Jesuit
high schools recently surfaced and alleged he had been sexually abused
by a Jesuit 30 years ago.
Now 46 years old, the alleged victim who was born and raised in
Zamboanga City said he converted from Islam to Roman Catholicism
upon the invitation of a Jesuit seminarian then teaching at the Ateneo de
Zamboanga. A 15-year-old boy at the time, Lucas (not his real name)
said he was sexually abused “a few hundred times” from 1984 to 1987.
His complaint, which reached the Office of the Provincial of the
Philippine Province of the Society of Jesus on October 15, is now the
subject of a “preliminary investigation” that seeks to verify the
allegations.
This marks the first time that a formal complaint about sexual abuse has
been put on record with the Society of Jesus' Philippine Province.
The Society of Jesus is the largest male religious order in the Catholic
Church. They run several Ateneo schools in the Philippines – in
Cagayan, Davao, Manila, Naga, Iloilo, Cebu, and Zamboanga. First
arriving on Philippine shores in 1581, the Jesuits were banished in 1768
before returning in 1859. They have been here for over 300 years.
No less than Pope Francis, a Jesuit himself, has spoken on the issue of
sexual abuse. Speaking to victims of abuse in Philadelphia last
September 27, he said the "sins and crimes of sexual abuse of children
must no longer be held in secret and in shame." He also said their
"continued healing" will be supported by the Church which will "always
be vigilant to protect the children of today and tomorrow."
In a letter dated November 16 addressed to the complainant, the Jesuit
Provincial, Fr Antonio Moreno SJ said, “Out of compassion, but without
pre-empting the ongoing investigation, I am open to offering you some
professional help and assistance in all forms. To enable us to determine
what sort of assistance is needed, I propose that there be an independent
assessment of your current situation now so that we can properly address
your concerns.”
Lucas asserts that beyond individual culpability, there should also be
“institutional culpability”, meaning, the Society of Jesus Philippine
Province should be held to account for the abuse that happened to him as
a minor.
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