FEBRUARY 4 - 7, 2010 * THURSDAY-SUNDAY * Iloilo City, Philippines

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Arrest warrants hang

SC hears Tans’ motion for recon

 

DEVOTEES. Thousands of devotees flock to the Jaro Cathedral as the district observes one of Iloilo City’s most celebrated fiestas last Tuesday. The fiesta, in honor of the Lady of Candle, features an agro-industrial fair at the plaza, a religious procession, the crowning of the fiesta queen, and the world renowned annual gamecock derby. Photo by CARL SARDUA/PPP

 

n Florence F. HIBIONADA

The legal battle on the continuing saga of one of Iloilo’s prominent Filipino-Chinese family is back at the Supreme Court (SC).

With last week’s SC ruling reversing a Court of Appeals (CA) decision and affirming a lower court’s ruling, a motion for reconsideration is now pending.

Docketed as G.R. No. 182310, respondents in the case are brothers Jan Michael and Archie Tan, charged on the grisly killings of their father, Francisco "Bobby" Tan, stepmother Cindy Zayco and half-sister, six year old Katherine.

The incident occurred at the family mansion in Molo district, Iloilo City in January of 2006. Since then, the case dragged with the rest of the Zayco-Tan siblings now in the custody of the maternal relatives.

The SC Second Division in a recent ruling affirmed the decision of the Regional Trial Court finding probable cause against the Tan brothers.

Arrest warrants were then issued yet counsel for the duo managed to seek a CA order that dismissed the criminal cases and set aside the RTC arrest warrants.

The SC after a thorough review decided not to subscribe to the CA’s position.

"What is important is that there is some rational basis for going ahead with judicial inquiry into the case. This Court does not subscribe to the CA’s position that the prosecution had nothing to go on with. Wherefore, the Court REVERSES and SETS ASIDE the Court of Appeal’s Decision dated December 19, 2007 and resolution dated March 25, 2008 and AFFIRMS and REINSTATES the Regional Trial Court’s order dated April 23, 2007," said the SC ruling penned by Associate Justice Roberto Abad.News Express (NE) in a follow-up learned from lawyer Joviel Edama that a motion was filed for the issuance of arrest warrants. Tan’s counsels though managed to file a timely motion for reconsideration on the SC ruling.

Pending resolution of the motion for reconsideration, any issuances of arrest warrants are expected to be on hold.

Loren to go for

‘slow but sure

ascent to victory’

 

With the latest So-cial Weather Stations survey showing her garnering 28 percent as against the 49 percent of her closest rival in the vice presidential race, Sen. Mar Roxas of the Liberal Party, Senator Loren Legarda today said she remains confident that she would ultimately prevail in the May elections.

"The official campaign has not started and survey results vary. With the election several months away, it’s really too early to tell what the people want or to predict what would be the final outcome of the voting, Loren said.

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Iloilo Paraw Regatta Festival launched

 

n Jun TILLAFLOR

The 2010 edition of the Paraw Regatta Festival will be launched tomorrow, Friday at 4:00 in the afternoon at SM City Activity Center with the announcement of its schedules of activities, official events and venues during the duration of the festivities.

Now on its 38th year, the Iloilo Paraw Regatta is dubbed as the oldest traditional craft event in Asia and the largest sailing event in the Philippines. The festival was recently adjudged as the Best Sports Tourism Event in the Philippines in 2009 by the Association of Tourism Officers of the Philippines (ATOP). It aims to showcase the skills of the Ilonggo paraw sailors and bring a festive mode in their lives.

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