BOSTON. Climate change protesters dropped their pants at the Massachusetts Statehouse during a debate on a proposed tax relief package Thursday to bring attention to what they say is the need for swifter action against the use of fossil fuels.
About 1 p.m., protesters stood, turned their backs to the Senate chamber and lowered their pants to reveal letters that spelled out STOP PASSING GAS! on their bare backsides.
The protesters were all wearing pink thongs.
A short time later, the session was put into recess while the protesters were arrested and escorted out of the chamber. The senators then returned and continued their debate.
The group Extinction Rebellion has staged other protests at the Statehouse. They say they plan to continue their efforts until lawmakers approve legislation banning new fossil fuel infrastructure.
Former Gov. Charlie Baker last year signed a major climate bill meant to bring the state closer to its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The new law encourages the development of offshore wind and solar energy and gives some local authority to limiting the use of fossil fuels in building projects.
PADRE GARCIA, Batangas. Isang 32-anyos na security guard ang nasawi matapos pagbabarilin ng kanyang pinsan na isang ahente ng Small Town Lottery (STL) sa bayang ito sa Batangas, noong Miyerkules ng hapon.
Ang biktimang security guard ay kinilalang si Berinie Dimaculangan, naninirahan sa Brgy. Banay-banay, Padre Garcia, Batangas.
Ang suspek na agad na nahuli ay natukoy na si Victorino Dimaculangan, 42 anyos, isang STL agent at residente rin ng nabanggit na barangay.
Ayon sa ulat, nagsimula ang alitan ng dalawa nang tanungin ni Berinie si Victorino kung may relasyon ito sa kanilang pinsan. Nagkaroon sila ng sagutan at nagkagulo ng bandang alas-5:00 ng hapon.
Pagkatapos ng mainit na pagtatalo, umuwi si Victorino at kumuha ng baril na ginamit sa pagpatay kay Berinie.
Dinala ang biktima sa Dr. R Rosales Memorial Medical Hospital ngunit idineklara na siyang patay pagdating.
Naaresto naman si Victorino sa isinagawang hot pursuit operations kung saan nakumpiska ang isang baril na kalibre 45 at mga bala.
SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna. Binigyang diin ni Dr. James Lee Ho, ang City Health Officer ng lungsod na ito, ang kahalagahan ng bivalent vaccine sa paglaban sa mga panganib ng mga subvariant ng Omicron na maaaring makuha ng komunidad sa isang forum na ginanap sa Liga ng mga Barangay Office sa lungsod na ito kamakailan.
Ang forum na dinaluhan ng mga health workers, kinatawan ng mga pribadong ospital at mga hepe ng kaukulang local department units ay pinulong ni Dr. Lee Ho matapos ipahayag ng Department of Health (DOH) na dumating na ang 390,000 doses ng bivalent vaccine na donasyon ng Lithuania.
Ayon sa kanya, bago kumuha ng bivalent vaccine ay kailangang nakakuha na ng dalawang primary shots at dalawang booster shots upang masiguro ang epektibong proteksyon.
Ayon kay Dr. Ho, ang dalawang primary shots ang magbibigay ng pangunahing proteksyon laban sa mga sakit na ito. Kasunod nito, ang dalawang booster shots ay kailangang gawin upang mapalakas ang immunity at masiguro ang pangmatagalang proteksyon. Samantalang ang bivalent vaccine ay panlaban sa omicron variant BA.4 at BA.5.
Hahatiin sa health workers at senior citizens ang paunang batch ng bivalent vaccines na ipapadala ng DOH sa San Pablo City, ayon kay Dr. Lee Ho.
“Mahalaga ang pagkakaroon ng kumpletong dalawang primary shots at dalawang booster shots para sa bivalent vaccine. Sa pamamagitan nito, malaki ang posibilidad na maiwasan ang omicron variant BA. 4 and BA. 5 lineages,” ayon sa paliwanag ni Dr. Lee Ho.
Sa kasalukuyan, pinapaalalahanan niya ang lahat ng mga residente na dapat sumailalim sa tamang proseso ng pagbabakuna, na kinabibilangan ng dalawang primary shots at dalawang booster shots, upang magkaroon ng buong proteksyon laban sa mga sakit na target ng bivalent vaccine.
Hinikayat niya ang mga residente ng lungsod na makiisa sa kampanya ng pagbabakuna at kumpletuhin ang kanilang apat na bakuna upang makakuha ng bivalent vaccine.
Ayon aniya sa mga eksperto, ang bivalent vaccine ay kumikilos sa pamamagitan ng pagpapalakas ng immune system ng tao upang labanan ang mga sakit na ito. Ang pagkakaroon ng kumpletong dosis ng bakuna ay mahalaga upang masiguro ang matatag na proteksyon at maiwasan ang pagkakasakit.
Ang mga residente ay maaaring kumuha ng primary at booster dose sa SM San Pablo tuwing Martes at Biyernes mula 8:00 ng umaga hanggang 12:00 ng tanghali, ayon sa city health officer.
Sa pamamagitan ng kolektibong pagkilos at pagtutulungan, maipagtatanggol natin ang ating mga sarili at ang ating komunidad laban sa mga sakit. Patuloy nating suportahan ang mga inisyatibo ng Department of Health ng lokal na City Health Office upang matiyak ang kalusugan at kapakanan ng bawat isa. Hangad nating magpatuloy ang maayos na pag-unlad ng ating komunidad sa pamamagitan ng agarang pagbabakuna at pag-iingat sa ating mga sarili,” ang pagtatapos ni Dr. Lee Ho.
WASHINGTON. The FBI investigators who searched Harold Martin’s Maryland property in the fall of 2016 found classified documents — including material at the top secret level — strewn about his home, car and storage shed.
Unlike former President Donald Trump, the former National Security Agency contractor didn’t contest the allegations, ultimately pleading guilty in 2019 and admitting his actions were “wrong, illegal and highly questionable.” But his expressions of contrition and guilty plea to a single count of willful retention of national defense information didn’t spare him the harsh punishment of nine years in prison.
The resolution of that case looms as an ominous guidepost for the legal jeopardy Trump could face as he confronts 37 felony counts — 31 under the same century-old Espionage Act statute used to prosecute Martin and other defendants alleged to have illegally retained classified documents. Even many like Martin who have pleaded guilty and accepted responsibility have nonetheless been socked with yearslong prison sentences.
“When they decide to pursue a willful mishandling case, it’s to send a message: that we take these cases very seriously,” said Michael Zweiback, a defense lawyer and former Justice Department prosecutor. “They almost always are seeking jail time.”
How much prison time the former president could face in the event of a conviction is impossible to say, with such a decision ultimately up to the trial judge — in this case, a Trump appointee who has already demonstrated a willingness to rule in his favor. It’s also hard to know the extent to which other factors — including the logistical and political complications of jailing a former president — might play a role.
The Espionage Act offense is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, though it’s rare for first-time federal offenders to get close to the maximum. But beyond the retention, prosecutors have also identified multiple aggravating factors in Trump’s alleged conduct, accusing him of seeking to enlist others — including a lawyer and aides — to hide the records from investigators and showing off some to visitors. Some of the other counts in the indictment, including conspiracy to obstruct justice, call for up to 20 years in prison.
Justice Department prosecutors in recent years have used the Espionage Act provision against a variety of defendants, including a West Virginia woman who retained an NSA document related to a foreign government’s military and political issues. Elizabeth Jo Shirley pleaded guilty in 2020 to a willful retention count and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
This month, a retired Air Force intelligence officer named Robert Birchum was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to keeping classified files at his home, his overseas officer’s quarters and a storage pod in his driveway.
Many defendants have pleaded guilty, rather than face trial, though not all have gone to prison. Trump — who also faces charges related to hush-money payments in New York state court — has shown no signs that he could be headed toward a plea deal, vigorously insisting he is innocent and personally attacking Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith hours after appearing in Miami federal court Tuesday.
Despite the details in the indictment, Trump does have some avenues to try to contest the charges.
For one thing, he’s drawn Judge Aileen Cannon, who sided with Trump last year in the former president’s bid to appoint a special master to conduct an independent review of the seized classified documents. Citing the “stigma” she said was associated with an FBI search of Trump’s home, she said a “future indictment” based on items that should’ve been returned to Trump “would result in reputational harm of a decidedly different order of magnitude.”
Over the next several months, Cannon will make decisions that will shape the trial, including how quickly it will happen and whether any evidence will be kept out.
Prosecutors also face the challenge in Florida — where Republicans have made steady inroads in recent years — of a jury pool likely to be more favorable to Trump than if the case were tried in overwhelmingly Democratic Washington, D.C.
Still, “I think that it might very well be that Jack Smith welcomes a Florida jury because if there is a conviction, it will be much harder to say, ‘Well, that jury was somehow anti-Trump,’” said Stephen Saltzburg, a George Washington University law school professor and former Justice Department official.
Experts anticipate Trump’s lawyers to echo the former president’s public remarks in trying to get the case dismissed by arguing he was entitled to have the documents and is the victim of prosecutorial overreach. Trump could also try to block prosecutors from being able to use key evidence, such as notes from his lawyer detailing conversations with the former president.
If the case gets to trial, experts say Trump’s attorneys may attempt what’s called “jury nullification” or try to convince jurors that he should be acquitted even if they believe Trump broke the law because the violation wasn’t serious enough to warrant charges and he is being singled out.
“The theme of the defense can be riddled with suggestions of unfairness and selective prosecution — basically trying to convince a jury that even if the former president did what the government says he did, none of this should have ever ended up in a criminal prosecution,” said Robert Mintz, a defense attorney and former Justice Department prosecutor.
Robert Kelner, a Washington criminal defense lawyer, said while an outright acquittal seems unlikely given the volume of evidence, a pathway for a mistrial exists if Trump attorneys can persuade even one juror to acquit on grounds that the president enjoyed the absolute authority to declassify information.
That authority ended the moment Trump left the presidency, but even so, “some jurors will likely find it hard to rationalize convicting him for something that he previously had the absolute authority (to do) simply because he didn’t file the right forms and do it at the right time,” Kelner said.
In the end, facing a mountain of evidence and the prospect of years in prison, Trump’s best hope may be a tactic he often pursues: Delay, delay, delay, said Cheryl Bader, a former federal prosecutor and head of Fordham University Law School’s Criminal Defense Clinic.
“His best defense may be to try to ride out the election cycle, be elected as president and therefore be in charge of the Justice Department before the case goes to trial,” she said.
This image, contained in the indictment against former President Donald Trump, shows boxes of records in a storage room at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., that were photographed on Nov. 12, 2021. Trump is facing 37 felony charges related to the mishandling of classified documents according to an indictment unsealed Friday, June 9, 2023. (Justice Department via AP)
WARSAW, Poland. There will be no more going to Hel on bus 666.
The bus to the town of Hel on Poland’s Baltic coast has long been popular with tourists. But some Christian conservatives have protested the number signifying the devil on a bus leading to a place that sounds like the word “hell” in English.
The local bus operator, PKS Gdynia, announced this week that bus 666 will no longer run to Hel. It said it had flipped the last number and would now run the line under the number 669 starting on June 24.
Local media said the bus company acted under the pressure of Christian groups who had pushed for the change, but were already thinking of returning to the old number amid a public outcry over the change.
The local news portal Trojmiasto.pl said that the line operated under the number 666 since 2006, first as a local joke before attracting riders from across Poland and beyond. Some people rode the bus simply to say they had taken the 666 bus to Hel, Polish media reported.
Fronda, a Catholic publication, has for years called for the 666 bus to be renamed, arguing that it had Satanic overtones and that “to present the reality of eternal damnation as amusing in any way is just plain stupidity.”
It lamented that fact that many Polish journalists, even Catholic ones, took pleasure in the joke.
Sa pamamagitan ng Proklamasyon Bilang 258 na nilagdaan noong Hunyo 13, idineklara ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ang Hunyo 28 bilang isang regular na pambansang holiday ngayong taon, bilang pagdiriwang ng Eid’l Adha.
Ayon sa nasabing proklamasyon na isinapubliko ng Malacañang, ang pagdedeklara ng holiday ay batay sa rekomendasyon ng National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, na sumusunod sa 1444 Hijrah Islamic Lunar Calendar.
Ang Eid’l Adha, na kilala rin bilang “Feast of Sacrifice,” ay isa sa pinakamahalagang kapistahan na ipinagdiriwang ng mga Muslim sa buong mundo. Ito ay nagpapahayag ng pagkilala at pag-alala sa pagsunod ni Ibrahim (o Abraham) sa utos ng Diyos na ialay ang kanyang anak bilang tanda ng kanyang pananampalataya.
Sa pagdeklara ng Hunyo 28 bilang regular na holiday, binibigyan ni Pangulong Marcos ng pagkakataon ang mga Pilipino, lalo na ang mga kapatid nating Muslim, na ipagdiwang ng malaya ang mahalagang okasyon na ito. Ito ay magbibigay-daan sa mga pamilya na magsama-sama at magbahagi ng mga panalangin, salu-salo, at pagpapahalaga sa kahalagahan ng pag-aalay at sakripisyo.
Sa mga darating na araw, inaasahang maging mapayapa at makabuluhan ang pagdiriwang ng Eid’l Adha sa buong bansa.
LONDON. Lawmakers in Europe signed off Wednesday on the world’s first set of comprehensive rules for artificial intelligence, clearing a key hurdle as authorities across the globe race to rein in AI.
The European Parliament vote is one of the last steps before the rules become law, which could act as a model for other places working on similar regulations.
Here’s a look at the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act:
HOW DO THE RULES WORK?
The measure, first proposed in 2021, will govern any product or service that uses an artificial intelligence system. The act will classify AI systems according to four levels of risk, from minimal to unacceptable.
Riskier applications, such as for hiring or tech targeted to children, will face tougher requirements, including being more transparent and using accurate data.
It will be up to the EU’s 27 member states to enforce the rules. Regulators could force companies to withdraw their apps from the market.
In extreme cases, violations could draw fines of up to 40 million euros ($43 million) or 7% of a company’s annual global revenue, which in the case of tech companies like Google and Microsoft could amount to billions.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS?
One of the EU’s main goals is to guard against any AI threats to health and safety and protect fundamental rights and values.
That means some AI uses are an absolute no-no, such as “social scoring” systems that judge people based on their behavior.
Also forbidden is AI that exploits vulnerable people, including children, or uses subliminal manipulation that can result in harm, for example, an interactive talking toy that encourages dangerous behavior.
Lawmakers beefed up the original proposal from the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, by widening the ban on real-time remote facial recognition and biometric identification in public. The technology scans passers-by and uses AI to match their faces or other physical traits to a database.
A contentious amendment to allow law enforcement exceptions such as finding missing children or preventing terrorist threats did not pass.
AI systems used in categories like employment and education, which would affect the course of a person’s life, face tough requirements such as being transparent with users and taking steps to assess and reduce risks of bias from algorithms.
Most AI systems, such as video games or spam filters, fall into the low- or no-risk category, the commission says.
WHAT ABOUT CHATGPT?
The original measure barely mentioned chatbots, mainly by requiring them to be labeled so users know they’re interacting with a machine. Negotiators later added provisions to cover general purpose AI like ChatGPT after it exploded in popularity, subjecting that technology to some of the same requirements as high-risk systems.
One key addition is a requirement to thoroughly document any copyright material used to teach AI systems how to generate text, images, video and music that resemble human work.
That would let content creators know if their blog posts, digital books, scientific articles or songs have been used to train algorithms that power systems like ChatGPT. Then they could decide whether their work has been copied and seek redress.
WHY ARE THE EU RULES SO IMPORTANT?
The European Union isn’t a big player in cutting-edge AI development. That role is taken by the U.S. and China. But Brussels often plays a trend-setting role with regulations that tend to become de facto global standards and has become a pioneer in efforts to target the power of large tech companies.
The sheer size of the EU’s single market, with 450 million consumers, makes it easier for companies to comply than develop different products for different regions, experts say.
But it’s not just a crackdown. By laying down common rules for AI, Brussels is also trying to develop the market by instilling confidence among users.
“The fact this is regulation that can be enforced and companies will be held liable is significant” because other places like the United States, Singapore and Britain have merely offered “guidance and recommendations,” said Kris Shrishak, a technologist and senior fellow at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
Businesses and industry groups warn that Europe needs to strike the right balance.
“The EU is set to become a leader in regulating artificial intelligence, but whether it will lead on AI innovation still remains to be seen,” said Boniface de Champris, a policy manager for the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a lobbying group for tech companies.
“Europe’s new AI rules need to effectively address clearly defined risks, while leaving enough flexibility for developers to deliver useful AI applications to the benefit of all Europeans,” he said.
Others are playing catch up on AI rules. Britain, which left the EU in 2020, is jockeying for a position in AI leadership. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak plans to host a world summit on AI safety this fall.
“I want to make the U.K. not just the intellectual home but the geographical home of global AI safety regulation,” Sunak said at a tech conference this week.
WHAT’S NEXT?
It could be years before the rules fully take effect. The next step is three-way negotiations involving member countries, the Parliament and the European Commission, possibly facing more changes as they try to agree on the wording.
Final approval is expected by the end of this year, followed by a grace period for companies and organizations to adapt, often around two years.
Brando Benifei, an Italian member of the European Parliament who is co-leading its work on the AI Act, said they would push for quicker adoption of the rules for fast-evolving technologies like generative AI.
To fill the gap before the legislation takes effect, Europe and the U.S. are drawing up a voluntary code of conduct that officials promised at the end of May would be drafted within weeks and could be expanded to other “like-minded countries.”
Lawmakers vote on the Artificial Intelligence act Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France. Authorities worldwide are racing to rein in artificial intelligence, including in the European Union, where groundbreaking legislation is set to pass a key hurdle Wednesday. European Parliament lawmakers are due to vote on the proposal — including controversial amendments on facial recognition. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)
MALVAR, Batangas. Nahuli ang dalawang suspek sa isinagawang operasyon sa Malvar, Batangas matapos ang madugong pamamaril na nagresulta sa pagkamatay ng manager ng isang textile company.
Kinilala ang biktima na si Clarence Sualog, 42 anyos, na kasalukuyang officer-in-charge ng Mariwasa Company sa Batangas.
Ayon kay Major Jonathan Amutan, hepe ng Malvar Police Station, nangyari ang insidente alas-6:30 ng umaga habang si Sualog ay nasa labas ng kanyang inuupahang apartment malapit sa Uno gas station sa JP Laurel Highway sa Malvar. Bigla na lamang lumitaw ang dalawang lalaki na sakay sa motorsiklo at agad na pinagbabaril ng malapitan ang biktima.
Sa ulat ni Amutan, ang isa sa mga suspek na natukoy na si Onisemo Bernil Jr. ay agad na nahuli ng pulisya matapos ang insidente.
Nakarinig ang mga nagpapatrulyang pulis ng dalawang putok ng baril kaya’t agad silang tumugon at nahagip ang dalawang lalaki na nakasuot ng itim na jaket at may hawak na baril habang umaalis na pasakay sa motorsiklo patungong Barangay Luta Norte.
Sinabi din ni Amutan na ang isa pang suspek na si Freddy Bhoy Hinaut, isang security guard na taga-Mindanao, ay nakatakas sa lugar ng krimen, ngunit nasukol din ng mga pulis sa isinagawang hot pursuit operation sa Brgy. Pantal Bugallon, Pangasinan.
“Natukoy natin ang kinaroroonan ng tumatakas na suspek sa tulong ng kanyang kapatid na kusang nakipagtulungan sa mga tauhan ng tracker team,” pahayag ni Amutan sa PSN sa isang panayam sa telepono.
Sa imbestigasyon, lumalabas na ang motibo ng krimen ay ang matagal ng alitan sa pagitan ng mga sangkot.
Enrollees in various colleges of mass communication, including journalism and broadcasting, keep on increasing. Is the number of professors enough for them? They mainly mentor how to be responsible and active netizens. This type of teaching becomes more challenging. It is also a hot topic of research. That is why, whenever there is a study result that is released to the world, journalists ask the audience not to use the studies to emphasize their shortcomings and add to concerns about them.
“In the Philippines we can win our battle for facts, for democracy – but not if our perceived allies, the people who are supposed to be helping journalism survive, are killing us,” said Maria Ressa, asking scholars not to turn such studies into an attack on journalists.
The University of Oxford had an answer to that. It said there are steps being taken to mitigate the risk of abuse in the use of such studies while continuing to refer to the policy of maintaining integrity in academics and research. Good then. But usually, politicians and their supporters are pasaway at nang-aaway.
From June 2016 to March 2023, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) monitored nearly 50 journalists facing libel or cyber libel charges. The data was released under the Initiative for Media Freedom implemented by Internews and supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
Atty. Toby Pavon wanted to know how many of these cases have prospered. He said, “Libel laws no longer work to protect the reputation against malicious claims, instead serve as a weapon for people and institutions with something to hide, despite fair criticism.”
In the rigors of journo life, we side with ways on how to better protect their ranks. It does not come from motherhood statements, but in the laws that are passed and the actions of law enforcement officers. Mga mamamahayag pa ba ang bobolahin? They perform their duty at their own peril, whether it be online and offline. It is not enough to say that press freedom is alive in the country when they face intimidation, lawsuits, imprisonment, closure of their media company or non-granting of their franchise, or worst, when journalists get killed in the line of duty.
Not all journalists can be Raffy Tulfo. Although we understand many of our countrymen who want quick fixes to their problems as well as their grievances against government officials they find abusive or tulog sa pansitan, we also do not recommend Tulfo’s justice style. It is debatable whether everything he does is journalism, although we know there is public service in it. It is always important for society members, especially journalists, to observe due process. The Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) rightly asks that if the camera is off, is the root of the problem being addressed or is it just be treated with a band-aid solution to be better shown on TV or heard on the radio?
On the other hand, Carolyn Arguillas of MindaNews was recently added to the pride of the race. He received international recognition as the 2023 Luxembourg Peace Prize awardee for Outstanding Peace Journalism.
The Luxumbourg Peace Prize considered the veteran journalist to have made a great contribution to “peace journalism (that) has helped shape the media landscape towards a better reporting and understanding of Mindanao.” It added, “Her commitment to responsible reporting combined with her unwavering dedication to peacebuilding, has made her an influential figure in the pursuit of a more inclusive society.”
Indeed, the relationship of powers has a great influence on communication, so it is time to go back to the basics in the field. Communication should be kept in a safe space, open on all sides, and honest with any disclosure, with no threats to life from anyone who wants to get back to the person doing his or best with all good fidelity to the field.
Ultimately, it is not about the quantity of journalists but the quality of their service. And we still hope to see more and more courageous authors and personalities in mass communication.
Dazzling Dubai: A journey into extravagance and wonder
Time flew so fast. Sometimes, due to hectic schedule at work and at home, Romy and I had to transform from an ordinary mortal to a make-believe super (wo)man – cleaning the house, doing the laundry, cooking, and almost everything related to parenting. Romy was busy as a bee yet despite his loaded timetable, he never failed to write short stories and poems for his columns.
In 2004, we were invited by his children to fly to Dubai with Dindin, all expenses paid. It was a walk in the park trip because we were given a diplomatic exit thru the courtesy of Atty. Benjamin Kalaw, first cousin of Romy’s first wife Nelia. Atty. Kalaw was head of the Bureau of Immigration at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) during that time.At the airport, Roreen, Ronel and Ruth who already migrated to London, England would alternately check on us until we finally boarded the Emirates, reminding us to relax and enjoy the trip.
When we reached Dubai International Airport, we were surprised to see our names being flashed in a large digital screen with a couple of young ladies in uniform greeting us with a smile. They call it ‘Marhaba’. A young man approached us and told us to take a seat because they will be the ones to process all our documents. That was fantastic or so I thought! I learned later that the children paid a good sum of money for Romy, Dindin and I to experience that kind of welcome.
We stayed in a grand Villa at Abu Hail, Dubai, UAE with Roreen and Raquel. Rona was residing in a separate house. After a week, Ruth, her husband Winston Gregorio Dayrit and only child Nicole arrived from London. We had a wonderful family reunion after five long years – visiting Dubai Museum and a battery of malls, swimming at Wild Wadi, shopping for novelty items and eating sumptuous meals at fabulous restaurants. For a while Romy and I enjoyed the lifestyle of the rich and the famous with his kids paying all the bills!
After a couple of weeks, Ruth flew back to London while we flew back to the Philippines to continue our normal daily life. Romy who wanted so much to serve the people of San Pablo met with SPO4 Reynaldo T. Paras and suggested that they organize one dedicated solid group who would conduct seminars in the different barangays of Laguna about many things that would alleviate their way of living. It was during this time that the Community on Peace and Security (COPS) was born with the approval of then Laguna Governor Teresita “Ningning” Lazaro.
The first thing that Romy And Rey Paras did was organized all the barangays of Laguna’s 3rd District into several clusters with the help of Rey’s wife Marina Biglete-Paras and Asst. Provincial Prosecutor Florante D. Gonzales. After a series of brainstorming, the following topics and lecturers were agreed upon: Crime Prevention for Rey Paras; Fiscal Ante Gonzales for Barangay Justice System; Romy M. Evangelista for Leadership Training; Dr. Armand Vallejo for Mental Health; Mel B. Evangelista for Moral Value Formation and Moral Recovery; and Dra. Leah Medina for Dental Health.
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