Saturday, June 14, 2014

Mayor Duterte of Davao City Offered 500K Reward Money To Catch King's Killer

 DAVAO City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte raised the reward offer for information regarding the killer of Cebu-based businessman Richard Lim King, 56, from the P200,000 originally offered by the family to P500,000.
It was not yet clear where the mayor will be getting the P300,000 as additional reward to the P200,000 award money raised by the King's family.
King was killed in front of a gathering of health supplement distributors in Barrio Obrero, here, Thursday night.

Investigation is still ongoing and there are several angles to be considered, including King’s businesses in Davao, Cebu, and Palawan, but the mayor asked that the details of the leads they are working on be kept off the record first.

The mayor called a press conference early evening Friday at the Royal Mandaya Hotel which he cut short for a closed door meeting with two women from the King family, who flew in from Cebu. One of the women is said to be King’s widow.

Duterte was also quick to dismiss rumors that it is drug-related saying there is nothing in the investigation to indicate such.

“Dili na drugs. Dili mamakak ang pulis niana (This has nothing to do with drugs. The police will not lie about such things),” he said.

The victim has businesses in Davao, Cebu and also Palawan and investigators have to check all these.
From the investigation report of the police, the assassination was well-planned and executed in a brazen manner as King, owner of Crown Regency Group of Hotels and Vital C, was shot dead at close range from behind by a bare-faced gunman while in a dinner gathering of his health supplement distributors inside the Vital C office along Sobrecarey Street in Barrio Obrero around 6:45 p.m.

Witnesses said they saw the man milling outside the office door, but no one gave much attention thinking that it must be a companion of one of their fellow distributors. The man then entered the room where the distributors were having dinner and listening to King. The killer with his back turned to the gathering went behind King, who was standing while talking to his distributors, then turned around to shoot the businessman pointblank at the lower left part of the skull. The bullet exited through the upper right temple.

King was in Davao City for the acceptance ceremony of the 13 wellness consultants of Vital-C. He was standing and talking to his staff, distributors, and guests at the ground floor of the two-story building when shot.

The victim was booked on the 10 p.m. flight back to Cebu.
King was a chairman and chief executive officer of J. King & Sons Co. Inc., developer of Crown Regency, Club Ultima and the City Suites Ramos Tower. He was also the founder and Director of Boracay Multiple Properties Inc.

A source, who refused to be named for security purposes, said the authorities already have the cellular phone of the victim, which contains several messages. However, the authorities had refused to go into details as everything they gathered from the crime scene is still subject for investigation.

The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Davao Region are leading the investigation.

Sta. Ana Police Chief Royina M. Garma, in a separate interview, said the authorities have a cartographic sketch of the gunman, who is described to be around 5’5 tall, medium built and boney face, who fled on board a black XRM motorcycle driven by a man wearing black helmet, red and white t-shirt and long maong pants.

"Mabilis yung pangyayari. Basta, nakita namin yung gunman una sa door, nagtaka kami kasi kung distributor siya dapat nakilala namin sya, but we didn’t mind kasi baka a friend of someone din from the inside or bago sa Vital-C… then lumapit sya sa counter hanggang sa tumabi na sya kay R1, tapos yun na," a distributor said.

"Anyone could have shot the suspect kung isa lang sana may dala ng baril sa amin. Kasi nataranta pa siya eh… after what he did. Hinahanap pa niya ang pintuan pa labas, kasi nga glass (walls and) door, tapos nung papalabas na siya, nadapa pa talaga siya bago siya tuluyan nakasakay ng motorsiklo paalis," another distributor said.

The victim's friend, who also asked to remain anonymous, said he could not believe that will happen all of a sudden in front of him.

"We've been friends for 28 years, and I kept on telling him to hire personal body guards… and he just told me that he doesn't need it kasi wala naman daw siyang kagalit dito [Davao City]. Sabi pa niya kung mamamatay siya di patay," the friend said.

Meanwhile, members of the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) recovered one deformed slug and a spent cartridge of an undetermined caliber gun. The cadaver of the victim was temporarily brought to the

Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes awaiting the arrival of his family.
The authorities in Davao City are now forming a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to address the investigative requirements and provide solution about the death of the businessman.

CIDG-Davao Regional Director Joel Pernito said the SITG will be composed of operatives from their unit, Davao City Police Office, Police Regional Office (PRO) Davao, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and other concerned government agencies.

Pernito, however, was quick to add that they will only assist on the investigation. He also said as far as their unit is concerned, the investigation will not only focus in Davao City, but also in Cebu City.

Although not known to the business circle here, King was a popular business figure in Cebu and had appeared in the news several times.

In 2002, he accused then Regional Trial Court Judge Agapito Hontanosas of soliciting P250,000 for a favorable court decision in relation to a writ of attachment on property he filed against Nelson and Lucy Go. Nelson and Lucy were business partners of Roderick Go who, according to King, owed him P97 million and allegedly tried to kill him.

In 2004, Richard and his three brothers sued Sun.Star Cebu Public Standards editor Pachico A. Seares and columnist Elias Espinoza for writing allegedly malicious statements linking the Kings to the seized pseudoephedrine. The complaint against Seares was eventually dismissed.

In 2007, Richard and brother Rafael accused then Lapu-Lapu City mayor Arturo Radaza of asking for a P15-million bribe from a contractor (Nelson Yu), who reportedly got four big projects in the city worth P500 million. The accusation prompted Radaza to file charges of grave threat and violation of the
Anti-Wiretapping Law against the King brothers.

In November 2012, members of an indigenous people’s group in Boracay claimed Richard hired armed men to attack their community and destroy the fence they had put up. The Kings built a Crown Regency Hotel and Resort in Boracay.

In September 2012, King was ordered by the Office of the Building Official in Cebu City to stop construction work of an 18-storey building in Barangay Lorega after the soil beneath the sidewalk caved in.

Amid the controversies, Richard, a chemical engineer, was known for implementing new concepts in the hotel industry. Crown Regency Hotel and Towers is the first of its kind to feature amusement facilities, including a roller coaster-like ride on the top floor of its 40-story hotel tower.

In 2006, Richard proposed a water theme park at the South Road Properties to then Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña.

(Sunstar.com.ph)

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Meet Kim Jones - Rosales: The Legal Wife

Kim Jones is a Filipino-British model who grew up in Australia. She is a fashion blogger.  Kim keeps a blog and posts about her daily looks and activities.

She has a natural beauty that is often left unmarred by makeup. “Just mascara and eyeliner,” she says when asked what she mostly likes to wear.

She’s into Insanity “because it’s a great cardio workout,” and does plyometrics at House of Pain (“very alluring, isn’t it,” she asks laughing), activities that let her maintain her enviable physique. Check it out on www.kimcamjones.com.

Kim made her TV hosting debut as one of the hosts of ETC's lifestyle show ETCetera alongside Patti Grandidge. She also hosts a 5-minute segment called ETC HQ with Julia Sniegowski and Sam Sadhwani.

Jericho Rosales first met Jones in a group dinner organized by his friend and fellow actor Dominic Ochoa.
They made their relationship official after two months of dating.



“I was really drawn to his nature, the fact that he’s so genuine,” she says of him. “He makes beso to everyone like he’s known them for like 20 years, you know what I mean? I fell in love with that… he really makes an effort to say hello to people no matter who they are.”
Physical attraction aside, “Down to his very core, (Echo) has a heart of gold,” she says. “When we were dating, we would speak for hours and hours and that’s really important to me.”

She loves the beach. Kim and Jericho share the same passion for surfing and are often spotted catching waves in La Union (PEP.ph). She also enjoys windsurfing and playing football.

Kim and Echo jive in almost everything, but they did find one more thing in common. “We can mess around as well – we bring out the worst in each other,” Kim reveals with a laugh. “He’s hilarious. We just joke around and we love playing pranks on other people,” she admits, their house helpers being the usual targets.

Still, both Kim and Echo are self-professed water babies and surfing aficionados that they will eventually turn up outdoors. “I’m always under the sun and not just for, like, an hour. I’m under the sun, in the water, sometimes for six hours a day,” Kim says.

This makes Kim a perfect brand ambassador for Neutrogena, a collaboration she describes as a “perfect partnership” because she’s been a fan of the products for some time now. Noting how affordable the products are, Kim says, “I’m a huge advocate of wearing sunscreen under your makeup. People don’t realize the effect that the sun has on their skin, daily.” This makes the brand’s Ultra Sheer sun protection range an ally to every sun and surf devotee.



Kim and Echo finally tied the knot in a private beach wedding at the Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa on Thursday. Aside from family and close friends, their celebrity guests included Piolo Pascual, Donita Rose, Gary Valenciano and family, and Iya Villania, among others. Principal sponsors were ABS-CBN head of TV production Laurenti Dyogi, Star Magic head Johnny Manahan and actress-host Coney Reyes.






(Manila Bulletin)

Hong Kong Textbook Discriminates Filipinas: Is This True?

Philippines as a country  is discriminated recently as depicted in a textbook in Hong Kong. Filipinas are now described as Maids that work in  HK to earn dollars, taking care of the children of others, cleaning their houses, and cooking their food.

A textbook in Hong Kong purportedly depicted Filipinos as domestic helpers, an activist blogger said, possibly changing the educational landscape of the city-state which does not stereotype ethnicity more than a decade ago.

Tom Grundy, who calls himself a British activist based in Hong Kong, posted the photo on his website Hongwrong.com in an entry entitled “Hong Kong Textbook Tells You to ‘Know Your Place!’”

The picture showed an illustrated textbook page containing a sketch of a dark-skinned Filipina saying: “I am a Filipino. I am a domestic helper in Hong Kong.”

Other illustrations include that of a British man as saying “I am an English teacher;” a Japanese woman saying “I have a sushi restaurant in Hong Kong”; a Chinese woman saying “Shanghai is my hometown”; and an Indian boy saying “I study in an international school.”

The page which contained the sketches was a “Fill in the blanks” activity under the section “Racial harmony.”
“In case you were wondering about your destiny in Hong Kong, a primary school textbook is here to enlighten you with this fun ‘fill-in-the-blank’ task entitled ‘racial harmony’!” blogger Grundy said.

Grundy said the page was from a textbook entitled “New General Studies P3” and the sketches were included in the chapter “Living in Hong Kong.” The book was published by Educational Publishing House Ltd., he added.

(Inqurier.net)

Richard King: Crown Regency Hotel Owner Murdered!

CEBU  - Businessman Richard L. King, the owner of Crown Regency Group of Hotels, was shot dead inside the Vital C Building on Sobrecary St. in Davao City at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

Major Warren Dablo of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Davao said that King, 57, suffered multiple gunshot wounds. He died on the spot.

The CIDG and the local police in Davao are jointly investigating the attack.
In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu Thursday night, Dablo said that based on the team’s initial investigation, King was in Davao for the closing ceremony of the wellness training for Vital C, one of his many business ventures.


King was chairman and chief executive officer of J. King & Sons Co. Inc., developer of Crown Regency, Club Ultima and the City Suites Ramos Tower. He was also the founder and Director of Boracay Multiple Properties Inc.

He was eating with his employees and the participants and guests at the ground floor of the two-story building when the gunman, who was not wearing a mask, walked in and shot King several times.

After the attack, the gunman, described to be about 5’5” tall and with medium build, fled on board a black XRM motorcycle driven by a companion who was waiting outside.

Dablo said the building has no security camera. There was also no security guard on duty when the attack happened.

Witnesses are helping the police in coming up with an sketch of the gunman, Dablo said.

Dablo said the joint team is still establishing the motive of the attack, but they are not discounting the angle that the attack was business-related.

King was a popular business figure in Cebu and had appeared in the news several times.

In 2002, he accused then Regional Trial Court judge Agapito Hontanosas of soliciting P250,000 for a favorable court decision in relation to a writ of attachment on property he filed against Nelson and Lucy Go. Nelson and Lucy were business partners of Roderick Go who, according to King, owed him P97 million and allegedly tried to kill him.

In 2004, Richard and his three brothers sued Sun.Star Cebu Public Standards editor Pachico A. Seares and columnist Elias Espinoza for writing allegedly malicious statements linking the Kings to the seized pseudoephedrine. The complaint against Seares was eventually dismissed.

In 2007, Richard and brother Rafael accused then Lapu-Lapu City mayor Arturo Radaza of asking for a P15-million bribe from a contractor (Nelson Yu), who reportedly got four big projects in the city worth P500 million. The accusation prompted Radaza to file charges of grave threat and violation of the Anti-Wiretapping Law against the King brothers.

In November 2012, members of an indigenous people’s group in Boracay claimed Richard hired armed men to attack their community and destroy the fence they had put up. The Kings built a Crown Regency Hotel and Resort in Boracay.

In September 2012, King was ordered by the Office of the Building Official in Cebu City to stop construction work of an 18-storey building in Barangay Lorega after the soil beneath the sidewalk caved in.
Amid the controversies, Richard, a chemical engineer, was known for implementing new concepts in the hotel industry. Crown Regency Hotel and Towers is the first of its kind to feature amusement facilities, including a roller coaster-like ride on the top floor of its 40-story hotel tower.

In 2006, Richard proposed a water theme park at the South Road Properties to then Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña. (Sun.Star Cebu)







'The Legal Wife' finale

MANILA – Maja Salvador said the audience could expect a very realistic ending as the top-rating series “The Legal Wife” approaches its dramatic finale this Friday.

In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Salvador assured love will still prevail at the end of the soap but the viewers have to find out how the show’s writers will work around it.
“Hindi niyo po mahuhulaan kung ano yung ending. Siguro yung mga lumalabas [na leak sa social media], talagang buhay teleserye. Ito po, as much as possible, ang binibigay ng ‘The Legal Wife’ ay yung totoong pakiramdam ng mga taong involved doon sa sitwasyon. Totoong pangyayari sa buhay ang ipapakita namin sa ending,” she said.

As “The Legal Wife” is now down to its last three days, Salvador said it is an overwhelming feeling that Filipino viewers are continuously raving about the show, with each episode trending on social media every night.
“Ang dami pang pwedeng puntahan ng kwento ng ‘The Legal Wife’ pero sa mga schedules namin, may ibang projects na naghihintay na. Malungkot man pero sobrang saya namin dahil kahit mag-e-end na kami, mas tumitindi yung suporta. Ang sarap sa pakiramdam na sinasabi nilang ‘wag muna magtapos,” she said.

Now that they’re done taping, Salvador said she will terribly miss working on “The Legal Wife,” which marked a milestone in her career.
“Sobrang mami-miss ko yung ‘The Legal Wife’ kasi ang laki ng naitulong niyan sa akin sa career ko. Isa yang malaking step. Anong role yan na ang hirap pero sa awa ng Diyos nagagampanan ko nga nang maayos,” she said.

“Pero sobrang stressful maging mistress. Iba yung mga pinagdadaanan nila. Hindi ko alam kung ano yung emotion na meron sila. Alam mong mali yung ginagawa nila pero ang hirap pa rin intindihin. Kahit ako mismo, litong-lito na ako kung anong emosyon ba kasi ang daming pain, ang dami nilang pinanggagalingan pero nagmamahal lang naman sila,” she added.

Asked what is the biggest lesson she learned from the show, Salvador said, “Huwag mo ilalagay yung sarili mo sa isang sitwasyon na buhay ka pa pero pinapatay mo na yung sarili mo. Parang sa akin, kung kaya mong positive all the time, maging positive ka. Yung mga decisions na gagawin mo, yung makakapagpasaya sayo. Hindi yung sinasabi mo sa sarili mo na masaya ka pero deep inside nahihirapan ka. And kung pwede lang, huwag na kayo maging mistress. Kasi ang hirap makasakit ng pamilya.”

"The Legal Wife," which is under the direction of Rory Quintos and Dado Lumibao, airs weeknights after "Ikaw Lamang" during ABS-CBN's primetime block.

ABS-CBNnews.com

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Nurse seals baby’s mouth with a tape

CEBU, Philippines - A Facebook post of a father about his seven-day old baby whose lips were sealed with a tape while in a nursery at a private hospital in Cebu City stirred the social media yesterday.

He said he and his wife found out that it was a nurse who taped the baby’s lips because the child was reportedly noisy.

“Was there just NO TIME to check that? Do you just put tape over a baby’s mouth just because he’s too noisy? Did you take time to inspect and do your job properly? ARE YOU RESPECTABLE,” the post on Facebook reads.

He said they saw what was done to their child when they visited the nursery at around 8 p.m. Thursday. When they asked the nurse on duty, the nurse reportedly replied that the baby was crying non-stop and became too noisy.

When his wife asked the nurse to remove the tape, the nurse reportedly replied simply, “You can go ahead and take it off yourself, Ma’am.”

He said they tried but failed to remove the tape themselves so the nurse eventually intervened.

“The attending nurse had to eventually take it off herself and eventually do (sic) it and in the process, a piece of his upper lip’s skin ripped off with the tape as the nurse removed the tape,” the post reads.

The father said what they have experienced “is not even close to being professional or humane” especially after his wife found out later that the baby was crying because his diaper was already too wet.

He said they reported the incident to the desk officer on duty and they were instructed not to delete the photos he had taken.

The FREEMAN tried to get the side of the hospital and was informed that investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The father said the family is willing to give the hospital time to look into the incident thoroughly.

“The hospital has not really satisfied our concerns and they will have an emergency meeting about the situation,” he said, adding, that the baby remains in the hospital for other reasons.

“They handle your children there like puppies out of a dog pound. I personally have seen this with my own eyes and I am very surprised this is what people call ‘a respectable establishment’,” his Facebook post reads.

Reaction

The post drew a slew of comments from Facebook users.

One user said the incident is inexcusable and should not be part of any standard operating procedure of any hospital. Another user said the incident should serve as a wake-up call for all hospitals and nurses. Other users even advised the parents to pursue legal action.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the parties involved in the incident while investigation is ongoing. — /JMO (FREEMAN)

2 ships collide off Cebu, 4 rescued

CEBU - Two ships collided in the Hilutungan Channel off Cebu on Friday afternoon, the Philippine Coast Guard said.
Initial investigation showed that M/B Superblue was pulling a wrecked motorboat towards Maribago, Lapu-Lapu City when it collided with M/V SF Provider of Seaford Shipping Lines, which came from Davao and was bound for San Fernando, Cebu.
The accident occurred at around 3:40 p.m.


The M/V SF Provider did not incur any damage in the collision.


The M/B Superblue, however, was damaged. Half of the ship sank in the waters.


Its captain and three crew were rescued and then transferred to the motorboat.
Investigation is still ongoing as to what caused the collision.


Source: Edgar Escalante, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas