Newscast: The World Tonight - Broadcast date: 11/28/96
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Copyright © 1996, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
Subject: ALL-OUT CAMPAIGN
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96President Ramos ordered the Interior Department and the PNP to intensify the war against illegal drugs. But law enforcers can only win half the battle that's why the president is also looking at the Japanese way of dealing with the problem.
3 weeks ago 30-year-old Wai Kuen Alan Tong, a Hong Kong Chinese, was arrested for drug trafficking, a suspected member of the 14-k drug syndicate, one of the most notorious in Asia. The drug bust, worth 800 million pesos, was one of the biggest in 20 years. The president has long warned the country is becoming a major transit point for drug traffickers. He ordered a crack down on the drug trade. today, Ramos told his men to keep up the pressure. In a nationwide conference on drug abuse he called for tried and tested solutions in tackling the problem. He cited Japan's case where law enforcement is strict. Public opinion is also a weapon in the war against drugs. Drug use is considered an offense against the community.
With the economy on a roll, Ramos doesn't want crime to ruin everything. The Immigration Bureau is keeping the security measures they put in place for the APEC summit. For drug traffickers and other unwelcome visitors it means keep out !
Subject: NARCOM OUT OF CRACKDOWN?
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96A major crackdown on drug trafficking has been underway since October when President Ramos gave the order. The campaign is being pursued by almost all units of the PNP except the very unit that was created to fight the drug problem the narcotics command.
The captured contrabanb was relatively small just two kilos but police say they've found a major laboratory for shabu. The raiders had an arrest warrant for five Hong Kong nationals believed to be members of the 14-k gang. The suspects barely escaped the car engine was still warm.
----------------------------It was the third major anti-narcotics operation since President Ramos ordered a crackdown in October. Yet none of the these operations had involved members of the PNP narcotics command. The raid in Tagaytay where 200 kilos of shabu were found perhaps the biggest bust ever involved members of the police security command, the escort and bodyguard service of the PNP. Narcom agents were not involved.
Suspected Drug Traffickers :
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Danny Chan
Calvin Lau aka Peter Lau
Ronald Moy
Robert Lim aka Michael Lau
Interior Secretary Robert Barbers also recently directed another unit the criminal investigation command, to step into the anti-drugs campaign. A shadowy group called Narcom clean up squad recently issued a manifesto saying legitimate Chinese businessmen were being framed for extortion while drug traffickers enjoyed police protection. Even the current Narcom Director Rex Piad said the drug business has become so big it can buy almost anyone.
Subject: SENATE COMMENDATION
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96The senate passed a resolution commending President Ramos for the success of the APEC summit. APEC seems to have also convinced a number of senators that the statesman in Ramos will make him reject the temptation of a second term. The senate counts among its members the president's staunchest critics. But even they concede the APEC summit was a triumph for Ramos. Today, they passed a resolution commending the president for a job well done. The senators also included Vice-President Estrada in the commendation.
But not everyone was caught up in the APEC euphoria. After the euphoria dies down, economist Benjamin Diokno says it's time to buckle down to work. Otherwise the alphabet soup of organizations: APEC, AFTA and GATT-WTO will boil down to nothing. The president has assured he will not use APEC to seek a second term.
Sen. Angara, "The president of the country has spoken, I hope that his partymates and allies will help make good on his promise to step down", presidential aspirant Senator Edgardo Angara is finally convinced. But not Senator Santiago. Santiago dares the president to annoint his chosen successor now to prove his word and order his supporters to stop moves to tamper with the constitution.
Subject: FREE AND AT IT AGAIN
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96The Justice Department is questioning before the Supreme Court the release of leftist leader Felimon Lagman. The Justice Department says Marikina RTC Judge Noel Tijam abused his discretion in ordering Lagman's release. Lagman is also planning counter-charges against his proseuctors for falsifying the charges against him. But at his press conference today Lagman reserved much of his anger toward his former comrades.
Ka Popoy is free again. He says he is not returning to the underground despite government's effort to keep him locked up. Filemon Lagman said, "Kung tutuusin mas effective ang mag-underground, pero mas dapat ituloy ang mass struggle ..." But Lagman was more impassioned in his attacks against rival leftist leaders, "Sila lang ang magaling, sila lang ang tama, sila ang nagbibigay ng kahirapan sa rebolusyornaryng hanay, mga arogante sila." It was while he was in jail that rival labor leader Crispin Beltran and NPA leader Sotero Llamas accused Lagman of actually being pro-APEC. They were once comrades in the communist party until Lagman led the entire Metro Manila organization of the party in breaking away from the movement still headed by Jose Maria Sison.
Satur Ocampo who is identified with Sison's faction has this to say about Lagman's statements. "I think it's normal for someone like him to hit at us if Lagman's arrest failed to unite the fragmented leftist movement the deep divisions among them will even be more pronounced now that he's free again and free to speak out."
Subject: 5 DEAD IN ELEVATOR ACCIDENT
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96In Makati, five workers were killed when a service elevator plunged 4 floors at a construction site. The workers were on their way up the 28-story Kingswood Twin Towers when a steel tube supporting the elevator was displaced. Kingswood is owned by a consortium of Aboitiz, Amanor Realty and Empire East Development. The victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at the Makati Medical Center. The Makati engineering office and the homicide division are conducting separate investigations. Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay says they want to find out whether there were lapses in safety precautions.
Subject: NO JUSTICE FOR SLAIN STUDENT
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96The Manila Regional Trial Court sentenced a former university student to life imprisonment for murder. Rommel Concepcion was convicted for the killing of fellow student Jellico Gamilla last July 1994 in front of FEU in Manila. Judge Perfecto Laguio Jr. also ordered Concepcion to pay over 2-and-a-half million pesos in damages. But Gamilla's family is unhappy because Concepcion is not around to serve his sentence. Concepcion was granted bail by Judge Felipe Tongco, who first handled the case. Gamilla's family together with the crusade against violence are seeking the help of Judge Laguio and Justice Secretary Teofisto Guingona.
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Subject: FLAVIER ON ALVAREZ
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 11/28/96Senate Ethics Committee Chairman Juan Flavier initially thought Senator Heherson Alvarez deserved a mere admonition for clearing a ranking police official when he shouldn't have. But Alvarez should have gotten more than just a slap on the wrist. Senator Alvarez should be considered lucky. He got away with only an admonition for prematurely clearing Chief Superintendent Virgilio Odulio in the 180 million peso pyramid scam. Alvarez has been admonished twice before for a similar offense. Senator Flavier presided over the Ethics Committee that recommended to admonish Alvarez a third time.
Senator Juan Flavier, Chairman, Senate Blue Ribbon Committee : " Looking back now, if in fact there was a series and I don't know the facts of that case, and they are similar in nature, then it is indeeed an aggravating circumstance."
Alvarez' first strike was in 1990 his colleagues said he caused harm to the institution by using his office to unduly influence a DENR employee. The second strike was in 1991 when Alvarez interceded on behalf of Kazuhiro Fujita an arrested high ranking member of the Yakuza. Alvarez was admonished both times. though Flavier now agrees Alvarez should have gotten a stiffer penalty he still believes he took an objective view.Sen. Flavier : "We did not consider those or the assumption that it was a different case and second I wasn't aware because I did not hold the institutional memory of this part."
Despite his third strike Alvarez is not out in fact he still insists he's right.