Sun.Star Pampanga

DOJ issues lookout order vs 16 fraternity members

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The Immigratio­n Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) signed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II covers the following: Arvin Balag, Mhin Wei Chan, Marc Anthony Ventura, Axel Munro Hipe, Oliver John Audrey Onofre, Joshua Joriel Macabali, Jason Adolfo Robiños, Ralph Trangia, Ranie Rafael Santiago, Danielle Hans Mattew Rodrigo, Carl Mattew Villanueva, Aer on Sal i ent es, Marcelino Bagtang, Zimon Padro, Jose Miguel Salamat, and Paul John Solano.

The DOJ said the names of the 16 individual­s were provided to DOJ Undersecre­tary Erickson Balmes by police officers who were investigat­ing the death of Castillo.

"As of the moment, the ILBO is the least we can do," Aguirre said.

Aguirre urged the subjects in the lookout order to come out and divulge what they know about the incident.

"I call upon the persons named in the ILBO or anyone who has knowledge of what happened to Mr. Horacio Tomas Castillo III, to come forward and to clear their names and share what they know," he said.

The Manila Police District on Wednesday identified John Paul Solano, a law student at UST, as a principal suspect in the killing of Castillo.

Solano earlier claimed he found the "motionless" body of Castillo on a sidewalk in Infanta Street in Tondo, Manila and brought it to the Chinese General Hospital.

The MPD is also looking for six other persons of interest, including the Aegis Juris Fraternity head and two recruiters.

The National Bureau of Investigat­ion upon orders from Aguirre is also conducting its own probe into Castillo's killing. THE

House committee on justice on Wednesday, September 20, decided to dismiss the impeachmen­t complaint filed against Commission on Elections Chairman Juan Andres Bautista after its members found it insufficie­nt in for m.

In a vote of 26-2, members of the committee said the complaint failed to satisfy the standard they set during their previous impeachmen­t proceeding­s on President Rodrigo Duterte and Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

The impeachmen­t rap was filed by former lawmaker Jacinto Paras and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio last August 23.

Only Representa­tives Harry Roque and Gwendolyn Garcia, the endorsers, voted to approve the complaint.

The panel said the complaint was defective since the complainan­t had no personal knowledge of Bautista's alleged offenses.

Before voting on the sufficienc­y of the complaint's form, Roque and Garcia tried to modify the verificati­on document as a remedy to its defect, but panel members opposed the move.

The complaint was mostly based on Patricia Bautista's accusation­s against her estranged husband. She said the poll chief accumulate­d ill-gotten wealth using his positions in government.

Bautista took to Twitter to welcome the decision of the House justice panel to dismiss the impeachmen­t complaint filed against him.

"I welcome the decision of the House of Representa­tives committee on justice to dismiss the impeachmen­t complaint filed against me," he said. "I would like to thank the Committee and the House leadership for upholding the rule of law and for their objectivit­y and fairness."

Bautista said the lawmakers' decision to junk the impeachmen­t complaint is a first step to clear his name.

"This proves to be a significan­t step in clearing my name after the malicious accusation­s hurled against me. As I have always maintained, the allegation­s are fabricated and baseless," he added.

Bautista said that with the impeachmen­t complaint being junked, the work continues at the Comelec.

"With the dismissal of the complaint, it is business as usual at the Commission on Elections. We, at the Comelec, will continue to perform our mandate in respect of the credible conduct of Philippine elections," he added.

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