Dozens of former MPs have reportedly been forced to repay tens of thousands of dollars in wrongly claimed travel entitlements.
The Herald Sun newspaper says 38 MPs wrongly claimed flights for spouses and children, taxi of chauffeured car trips, rail trips or valet parking under the Gold Pass scheme.
Among those under the microscope were former ministers Peter Reith, Graham Richardson, Larry Anthony, Alan Griffiths, Ian Sinclair, Alexander Downer, Brian Howe, John Brown, Barry Jones and Dame Margaret Guilfoyle, the newspaper said.
The revelation comes as the federal government considers winding back or ending the scheme.
Mr Reith has repaid $2,841 for flights his wife Julie took to Launceston, Cairns and the Gold Coast, and $47,707 worth of phone calls made by his son and other people while he served as a minister.
Former Labor senator Margaret Reynolds repaid $8,556 for exceeding the limit of 25 free return flights a year.
Mr Sinclair repaid $3,081 for Comcar trips and a further $915 for flights to his Lord Howe Island holiday house taken by his wife Rosemary.
The scheme entitles former MPs to anything between six months and five years of free business class travel, depending on their length of service.
Their spouses can travel free as long as they travel with them.
Those MPs with at least 20 years' parliamentary service or six years as a minister qualify for a lifetime Gold Pass.
Since 2001, about 270 former MPs have taken 20,000 fights under the Gold Pass scheme, costing taxpayers $8.3 million.
Are they, or aren't they? For so long, people have been asking what the real score is between Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera.
The long wait is over! In the YES! February 2010 issue, the two primetime stars of GMA-7 give an exclusive talk about their special relationship in an exclusive interview.
Marian and Dingdong share a love story that started with an uneventful first meeting and went on to a highly successful team-up in Marimar, where they had a strictly professional relationship despite their onscreen chemistry.
"We would connect on the most important scene, and then after that, wala na," Dingdong recalls. "Siguro, wala lang sa tipo namin ang magpa-cute sa set." Marian adds, "Hindi si Dingdong ang tipo na pa-cute, e. Hindi rin ako 'yong tipong pa-cute."
SLOW REVELATION. As the pair continued to work together, things changed, subtly at first. Dingdong realized that he had feelings for Marian while on a trip to New York together with two other friends.
"Nag-dinner kami. Wala lang. Saya-saya lang. We took some pictures and then, when we went home, na-realize ko lang," he says.
For Marian, the epiphany happened during one of their trips to Los Angeles. She tells YES!, "Do'n ko na-realize na love ko siya."
UNEXPECTED. The relationship works because, as Marian sees it, they started by getting to know each other's absolute worst first. Today, the worst and the best work in full complement.
"Aminin man namin o hindi, kung anong kahinaan ko, meron siya. At kung ano ang kulang sa akin, napupunan niya. Swak kami. Kaya balance kami. Hindi kami parehas, e," says Marian.
She gets a little emotional as she reveals, "Iyong last Christmas, meron siyang sinabi sa 'kin na hindi ko ine-expect na masasabi niya sa 'kin no'ng Christmas na 'yon."
Prodded to share the heartfelt words, Dingdong obliges and says, "More or less, it's 'Let's do this every year... As long as I live.'"
So, exactly what are they to each other? Find out by grabbing your copy of the February issue of YES!, available in newsstands and bookstores nationwide. An online version of YES! is available for international subscribers. Visit PEP.ph for more details.
MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) - Press Secretary Cerge Remonde died Tuesday morning after suffering a major heart attack.
Doctors at the Makati Medical Center declared him dead at 11:51 a.m..
Remonde was found unconscious in his home Tuesday morning and was brought to the Makati Medical Center (MMC).
In an statement issued at around 1 p.m., Dr. Eric Nubla of the MMC said "Remonde was brought to the emergency department at Makati Medical Center at about 11:20 a.m. He was unconscious, not breathing, there was no heart beat."
"Attempts were made to resuscitate him. Despite heroic measures, he expired at 11:51 a.m. He was 51 years old," Nubla said.
Asked what the cause of death was, he said: "We cannot say that because no autopsy was made."
Deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar earlier told dzMM that Remonde, suffered a "major heart incident" in his house in Bel-Air, Makati City.
He was found slumped and unconscious inside the bathroom.
Prayer in Facebook profile
Strangely, Remonde's last post on his Facebook profile was a prayer to be "released from fear and worry." The shoutout, which was posted at 6:51 p.m., reads as follows:
"Lord, thank You for the infinite love that meets our every need and provides all the beautiful and wonderful things we experience in life. Release our hearts and minds from fear and worry. Fill us with Your peace as we learn to fully trust in your providence. Help us to do all that we are capable of and the rest we entrust unto You. Amen."
Remonde's risk factors
Remonde's friend, cardiologist Dr. Anthony Leachon, told reporters that Remonde had "risk factors" such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and his age. He was also a smoker and was overweight.
"Medyo mataas ang kanyang risk factors. I would say, 8 out of 10 risk factors meron siya," he said in an interview aired over dzMM.
Leachon said he also attended to Remonde when the latter had "surgical spine surgery" in 2007. Remonde was in the hospital for 2 weeks.
Leachon said early morning deaths are common for people with heart disease.
"Mataas po ang namamatay sa umaga dahil sa heart attack dahil nag kokonstrict yung arteries. Namatay siya habang naliligo. Ang cold temperature can cause constriction of the artery," he said.
Leachon said the 1 to 2 hour lag time from the time Remonde was found in the bathroom to the time he was brought to MMC at 11:20 a.m. was way too long.
"Ang brain po, dapat 5 minutes hanggang 20 minutes, dapat malagyan ka na ng oxygenation. Kung wala, hindi ka mabubuhay. Kung isang oras yun, imposible," he said. "Malaking oras ang nasayang from 9:30 a.m."
However, Leachon said Remonde was not yet "rigor mortis" when he was found, which means he was still "fresh."
"Ang golden period ay mga 5 minutes, siguro hanggang 30 minutes. Meron pa nga akong 40 minutes na nabuhay pa e. Pero kung 1 and a half hours, masyado pong matagal yon lalo na sa isang katulad niya na maraming risk factors," he said.
Leachon said he last checked on Remonde around 6 months ago when the press secretary showed him his laboratory tests.
According to Remonde's driver, Remonde was coughing since Monday. Leachon said a person with respiratory tract infection can "predispose a patient to his cardiac problem."
Remains at Heritage Memorial
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Remonde's remains, in the meantime, will be brought to the Heritage Memorial Park. He said it will be up to the wife and family of Remonde to say where the wake, funeral, and burial will be.
Ermita said President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who was out of town Tuesday morning, has been informed of Remonde's death.
He said Remonde's wife is being brought by private aircraft from Cebu, where the Remondes live, to Manila.
"For the moment, while we are awaiting the arrival of Mrs. Remonde, the remains tonight will be at Heritage," Ermita said.
Ermita said Remonde was found slumped in the bathroom. He was with his driver and two other persons in the house.
As press secretary, Ermita said Remonde had a "tough job." He said Remonde's passing was a "very big loss."
He said Remonde was a media personality who knew the trade well.
"He is a very, very close confidante of the president," Ermita also said.
Radio dzMM's Malacañang reporter Ruby Tayag said Remonde was scheduled to give a press briefing at the Palace at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
She said Remonde was in Cebu over the weekend for the Sinulog festival.
Condolences expressed
United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney expressed her condolences to the Remonde family. "My prayers for Cerge Remonde and his family. A very decent man who always had a kind word and a smile. A warm personality who always made time for others," she said in a post on her Facebook page.
Remonde was appointed press secretary on February 1, 2009. He was director-general of the Presidential Management Staff before he was moved to the Office of the Press Secretary.
After Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo took over from President Joseph Estrada in January 2001, Remonde was appointed press undersecretary in charge of broadcast media.
Remonde was also appointed by Mrs. Arroyo head of the Government Mass Media Group after she won a fresh six-year term in the 2004 presidential elections.
Remonde oversaw various government-owned media outfits such as NBN 4, RPN 9, IBC 13, Radyo ng Bayan, Philippine News Agency.
Remonde is from Argao, Cebu. He graduated magna cum laude at the University of Visayas in Cebu City.
as of 01/19/2010 4:03 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Just days after Renato Ebarle Jr. was shot dead during a traffic altercation in November last year, a helper in the household of Marlene Aguilar-Pollard noticed furniture being moved around the house as a renovation got under way.
Alerted by the helper, agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) kept the house in Blue Ridge, Quezon City under surveillance, even as Aguilar-Pollard insisted that the allged gunman the NBI was looking for, her son Jason Aguilar Ivler, might have already fled to Hawaii.
Yesterday, the NBI’s sleuthing paid off.
A hail of gunfire met the agents as they opened the door leading to the basement. The agents fired back, and a wounded Ivler was carried out of his mother’s house, ending a two-month manhunt.
Lawyer Ruel Lasala, NBI deputy director for intelligence, told reporters that Ivler suffered gunshot wounds in the right shoulder and abdomen and underwent surgery at Quirino Memorial Medical Center (QMMC) after the shootout at No. 23 Hillside Drive in Blue Ridge A Subdivision.
Some 50 heavily armed NBI agents raided the house at around 6 a.m. after receiving information that the suspect was hiding in his mother’s Blue Ridge residence.
Dr. Fernando Lopez, head of the surgery department of the QMMC, said Ivler was in “guarded condition” following surgery after his large intestine was ruptured and his spleen sustained a laceration.
Lasala said lawyer Lito Magno, chief of the NBI Special Action Unit (SAU), sustained a graze wound on his right thigh and was brought to the Medical City for treatment, while special investigator Anna Lira Labao was wounded in the left side of her chest and was brought to QMMC. She has been transferred to the Manila Doctors Hospital.
The raiding team seized from the Ivler an AR-15 rifle, a .45 caliber pistol, and a tactical vest with ammunition magazines.
“Nag ala Rambo siya (Ivler went berserk like the movie character Rambo),” Lasala said, describing how Ivler went berserk when NBI agents found his hideout in a secret room under the stairs of the house.
Lasala said Ivler’s mother Marlene Aguilar became hysterical as she confronted the NBI raiding team.
Ivler is the nephew of musician Freddie Aguilar and stepson of Asian Development Bank economist Stephen Pollard, a British citizen married to the suspect’s mother.
Ivler was charged with murder for the killing of Renato Ebarle Jr., son of Renato Ebarle Sr., an assistant secretary at Malacañang Palace, during a road rage incident at the corner of Boni Serrano St. and Ortigas Avenue in Quezon City last Nov. 18.
The suspect was earlier charged with homicide through reckless imprudence for the death of presidential adviser Nestor Ponce during a traffic accident in 2004. Ivler has two standing arrest warrants in connection with the two cases.
Another complainant had come out and accused Ivler of threatening him with a handgun during another traffic altercation also in Quezon City the night before Ebarle was shot dead.
The suspect allegedly used in the three incidents a vehicle that carried diplomatic license plates assigned to his stepfather Pollard.
The NBI said additional charges of assault upon persons of authority, resisting arrest, and illegal possession of firearms would be filed against Ivler.
Charges against Ivler’s ma
Lasala said they filed charges of obstruction of justice against Aguilar before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office for harboring an accused and for not reporting to authorities Ivler’s presence in her house. A bail of P12,000 was recommended.
She is temporarily detained at the NBI.
Aguilar had earlier claimed that she had received an email from Ivler purportedly sent from Hawaii.
The NBI would also took custody of Aguilar and two houseboys, Requiel Faburada and Anthony Espolon, who were brought to the NBI headquarters in Manila for questioning.
Pollard was not at the house during the raid.
“I’m still in a state of shock. My son is still fighting for his life. That’s all. I hope you understand,” said Aguilar.
Lasala said Ivler is now in stable condition and being guarded by the NBI and police operatives at the QMMC.
Dr. Lopez said Ivler is on analgesic painkillers and had a small dose of sedatives to calm him down.
“He (Ivler) is still sedated but responds to verbal communication,” Lopez said.
Lopez said the healing of Ivler’s wounds could take seven to 10 days, while regaining complete function of the affected organs could take 30 to 40 days.
Lasala said wounded NBI SAU chief Magno was treated for a wound in the right thigh and was able to attend the NBI press conference yesterday afternoon. NBI agent Labao is also in stable condition and confined at the Manila Doctors Hospital after she sustained shrapnel wounds in the chest.
Roland Argabioso, head of the Field Operations Division of the NBI, said an informant went to the NBI two weeks ago and reported that Ivler could be hiding at the Blue Ridge house.
The NBI said the suspect was found hiding inside a storeroom at the basement of the house under the stairs.
“There was a special area inside the house that served as his hiding place,” said Lasala.
Government agents had previously failed to arrest Ivler after two previous raids at the Blue Ridge house last year.
Lasala said that after the two failed raids, Ivler thought it was already safe for him to stay at the house, thinking authorities would not return.
PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said Ivler’s arrest was a result of the sharing of intelligence information between the NBI and PNP.
“We are glad that he is now arrested. His arrest is the product of intensive intelligence gathering and sharing,” said Espina.
Housemaid gave vital information
A former housemaid of Ivler’s family played a key role in his arrest.
Ivler’s mother terminated the services of three of her five housemaids days after Ivler shot dead Ebarle Jr.
NBI agents were able to interview one of the dismissed housemaids who reported the “unusual” behavior of Aguilar in the days after the shooting incident that was played up in the media.
The housemaid whose identity was withheld, claimed that Aguilar hired several carpenters to renovate their house after Ebarle’s killing.
Aguilar also moved furniture from the living room and other parts of the house for unknown reason.
The housemaid also learned that Aguilar had ordered food for five to six persons when there are only three people left residing in the house.
The investigators could not send the housemaid back into the house since she was already dismissed and the NBI was prompted to serve the arrest warrant against Ivler, based on a “strong hunch” that the road rage suspect was hiding inside.
“The NBI had not established the presence of Ivler inside the house. Apparently Ivler panicked and opened fire exposing himself to the NBI raiders who immediately surrounded the house and engaged him in a shootout,” said a police official who monitored the NBI operation.
The police official said the NBI confirmed that the carpenters hired by Aguilar had constructed a new room at the house.
The extra food ordered by Aguilar was apparently intended for Ivler and his still unidentified girlfriend. Members of the NBI raiding team used ladders to climb the high concrete fence of the suspect’s house after the people inside refused to open the gate.
Aguilar started shouting when the agents barged into the house and began searching the house.
Quezon City Police District investigator Police Officer 3 Gregorio Maramag said Ivler eventually went out of his hiding place, carrying an AR-15 rifle and wearing a bandolier, and started shooting at the NBI agents who fired back at the suspect who was hit and disabled.
The suspect also yielded a .45 caliber pistol.
QMMC doctors said after Ivler’s surgery the suspect was transferred to another room that was secured by NBI agents.
Ivler ‘happy-go-lucky’
As if a testament to his decision not to give up without a fight, Ivler had a tattoo on the right side of his neck that says: Handang mamatay (ready to die).
A childhood friend, who identified himself only as Andrew, arrived at the hospital yesterday upon hearing news on TV about what had happened to Ivler. He said Ivler was a schoolmate at Brent School and was “happy-go-lucky as a child.”
He said that the last time he met Ivler was in 2003, Andrew said the Jason Ivler that he knew was the opposite of the one being portrayed in the media as the murder suspect.
“I don’t remember Jason being like that. I still can’t believe it,” he said.
Ivler was born in Massachusetts, USA on Jan. 7, 1982. Ivler was a former member of the US Army.
Records at the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) of the PNP showed that he was not a licensed firearms holder.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) also insisted that Ivler, who sports a tattoo in his right arm, has an expired driver’s license.
Ebarle Jr.’s father, Renato Sr., had met top PNP officials last Jan. 14 who briefed him on the progress of the manhunt for the suspect.
The PNP formed tracker teams to arrest Ivler but they were beaten by the NBI.
Renato Sr. said the stepfather of his son’s killer, Stephen Pollard and other relatives and friends who helped Ivler hide from authorities, should also be charged with obstruction of justice.
“It’s a great day for me and my family. It’s a great relief for my children and my wife,” he told a news conference in Malacañang.
He said an aide of Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita woke him up at around 7:30 a.m. informing him of Ivler’s arrest.
“It is an answer to our prayers. Right after we learned of it, my wife, my children, cried and we thanked the Lord,” he said with tears in his eyes.
Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera said the bureau is investigating the possible liability or culpability of other house helpers.
“We will have to finish the investigation so we will know if there is basis to warrant the filing of charges against the house helpers for obstruction of justice or not.”
Namesake expresses relief
Filipino worker Jason Aguilar, who was deported recently from Qatar after being mistaken for his namesake, expressed relief yesterday over the arrest of the real fugitive.
“He was happy and relieved about Ivler’s arrest,” said Susan Ople, head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, following her conversation with the Filipino worker.
The Blas Ople Center, which has been helping Aguilar, welcomed the arrest of Ivler but called for public vigilance to make sure that justice is served.
Ople said Aguilar is still waiting for a certified public document that would help clear his name as a safeguard against any form of harassment in the future.
Aguilar, a Filipino welder, was deported from Qatar last December after he mistaken to be the fugitive Ivler.
“With Ivler’s arrest, things are slowly falling into place. Still, the mystery remains. What caused the wrongful arrest of Jason Aguilar by the Qatar police? On record, what set of fingerprints did the NBI and PCTC send to Interpol? Was it Jason’ or was it Ivler’s? And what will the government do to make sure that a similar case of mistaken identity would not happen again?” Ople said
She said Ivler’s mother Marlene should be held accountable for the damage rendered to victims’ families and to Jason.
“She hid him from law authorities even when it was reported that an innocent man was put in jail and eventually deported for a crime he was not even aware of. After learning about Jason Aguilar’s case, all she did was offer to pay his placement fee, as if money could solve everything. Her actions have led to a clear obstruction of justice and for that, she must also be held accountable,” Ople said. With Evelyn Macairan, Mike Frialde, Non Alquitran, Mayen Jaymalin, AP
- By Reinir Padua (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
MANILA, Philippines – Jason Aguilar Ivler, the suspect in the killing of a Palace official’s son last November, was arrested by elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Monday morning.
NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said Ivler exchanged gunfire with NBI agents who entered the Ivler home at Blue Ridge A Subdivision in Quezon City early Monday.
"Ivler had a baby armalite and a bandolier. He just started shooting but he was also shot. Before he was shot, at least two operatives were hit," Mantaring said in a radio dzMM interview.
Mantaring identified the casualties as Anna Lira Labao of the NBI Intelligence Service Division and Atty. Julito Magno, head of the NBI Special Action Unit. Both are out of danger, he added.
Ivler was rushed to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center after sustaining gunshot wounds to the right shoulder and left upper abdomen.
Dr. Fernando Lopez, chief of the hospital's surgery department, said Ivler's vital signs have already stabilized although he would have to undergo surgery to remove his spleen.
"The patient has been stabilized and his vital signs are OK at the moment. He's currently under general anesthesia. The bullet went through his abdomen and pierced his large intestine," he said in a separate radio dzMM interview.
Ivler has been the subject of a police manhunt after allegedly shooting dead Renato Ebarle, Jr., the son of assistant secretary Renato Ebarle, Sr., during a traffic altercation along Boni Serrano Avenue in Quezon City on November 18, 2009. Ebarle died of 3 gunshot wounds in the body.
A Palace official, meanwhile, praised the NBI for arresting the suspect who had been in hiding for two months.
"The arrest of Ivler is a big personal relief to the Ebarle family and friends. The NBI and all those who helped in his arrest deserve high commendation. The arrest of Ivler should also hopefully help address the issue of road rage," Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a statement. Secret room
The NBI agents raided Ivler’s house at No. 23 Hillside Drive in Blue Ridge A Subdivision at around 6 a.m.
A report by ABS-CBN Correspondent Maan Macapagal said Ivler’s mother, Marlene, allegedly tried to hide her son from authorities.
“Sabi ng mother ni Jason wala siya doon pero nagpursigi pa rin ang NBI,” Macapagal reported.
“His house was like a maze,” she continued, noting that the NBI had a hard time finding the murder suspect.
Mantaring said Ivler was hiding in a storeroom when he started shooting at the NBI agents. He added that Ivler's mother was in a separate room when the shooting started.
Several media members were even caught in the crossfire. “We don’t know where to go... Papasok sa closet, nagsisisikan,” Macapagal said of the ordeal of the members of the press.
Mom, house staff could face charges
The NBI director said Ivler's mother could face charges for harboring Ivler despite a warrant of arrest for the suspect.
"We have information that Jason never left the house. They have already raided the house twice before but never found him," he said.
He said Ivler probably tried to fight arrest since he knew that murder is a nonbailable crime.
Assistant Secretary Ebarle noted that Ivler's mother even told police that she received an e-mail from her son, saying that he was already in the United States.
Ebarle said charges should be filed against the house staff of Ivler home as well as Ivler's stepfather, Asian Development Bank (ADB) official Stephen Pollard, for harboring a known criminal.
The Palace official thanked law enforcers for not letting up on the case and for finally arresting Ivler. "It's good that he was finally arrested because he could hurt a lot more people," he said.
"Today is the 60th day since my son was killed. He was killed on November 18. This is my only son. It's been very hard for us but this morning, our prayers were answered," he added. False alarm
An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was earlier mistaken to have been Ivler, after having the same first and middle names of the suspect.
Jason Vivar Aguilar, 26, of Pandukot in Calumpit, Bulacan arrived in the Philippines on January 7 from Qatar after Doha police thought he was Jason Aguilar Ivler, a wanted suspect in Manila. Aguilarworked as a welder for one month in Qatar.
Ivler’s name was already on the Interpol Red Notice List since his warrant of arrest was released in the Philippines on December 23, 2009. Malacañang also offered a P1-million reward for any information that would lead to Ivler’s arrest.
Ivler, an American citizen, faced a criminal case in 2004 which accused him of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
He was involved in a deadly car accident that killed presidential adviser Nestor Ponce, Jr. in August 2004.
The post-scandal Gillian Chung from Cantopop duo Twins, whose virginal image was irreversibly shattered with the eruption of Edison Chen's online sex photo mayhem of 2008, has been keeping up her quiet hiatus for more than a year.
But Ah Jiao (as her fans call her) is slowly stepping out of the shadows and making inroads back into the entertainment scene.
The 28-year-old singer-actress will make a film comeback with Former, a Chapman To movie produced by Emperor Entertainment Group.
The Hong Kong star is taking a three-pronged approach for her comeback that will certainly be under the media spotlight. Besides a return to the silver screen, she will also release a new music album and film a Mainland drama series in China.
At the prayer ceremony conducted for the movie, which she attended with fellow cast members including William Chan, Michelle Wai, and Lawrence Chow, reporters commented that she looked fresh and upbeat in a wig and snow jacket.
In her comeback film, Gillian shares a passionate kiss scene with William, formerly of Cantopop duo, Sun Boy'z, which led the actress to admit that she felt greatly embarrassed by their kissing scene. But she later revealed that they would also film a bed scene together, which involves a 'bedroom fight'.
When reporters quizzed Gillian on her kissing scene, she replied, "It has already been filmed! Because we have to accommodate to the camera, we have filmed it a few times. This is my first time filming a kissing scene This is my first onscreen kiss!"
JAKARTA, Indonesia – It's a bedroom most poor Indonesians can only dream about _ air conditioned with a spacious double bed, flat-screen television, private bathroom, adjoining karaoke suite and serviced by maids and assistants.
But this bedroom is the prison cell of a woman serving a five-year sentence for bribing an Indonesian prosecutor.
News that business tycoon Artalyta Suryani had bought comfort behind bars using the same tactics for which she was punished has enraged ordinary Indonesians and embarrassed authorities in a country already known as one of the world's most corrupt.
The details of the luxury living conditions of Suryani and other rich prisoners have been splashed across the front pages of national newspapers and dominated television coverage this week, the result of a surprise visit to Jakarta Pondok Bambu women's penitentiary by a team set up by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to eradicate the so-called "Judicial Mafia."
"We found a number of wealthy inmates had been provided with exclusive facilities," team member Denny Indrayana said Wednesday. "They allegedly paid some corrupt individuals in the prison to get all they want. It shows the weakness of our judicial system."
Yudhoyono's government has made fighting corruption the centerpiece of its agenda, securing the convictions of several governors and legislators in recent years. But progress is slow in a country where graft is endemic especially among poorly paid law enforcers.
Transparency International still ranks the Southeast Asian nation among the most corrupt in the world, and scandals like this one still regularly embarrass the government.
Suryani was sharing her 8-by-8 meter (26-by-26 foot) room with her adopted child, who slept in a cot and was cared for by a full-time nanny.
A normal Indonesian prison cell is a cement cubicle a fraction of the size, often shared by dozens of inmates. Overcrowding is a serious and widespread problem.
Other perks in Suryani's cell included unlimited and unregistered visitors, private drivers to collect and drop off goods, beauty treatments, a private office with leather chairs and sofas, Tempo magazine reported.
"This total madness," Tri Agustine, a Facebook user, said in a posting on the popular social networking site. "Corruptors will not be deterred for committing graft again and again if the prison cells provided are like this."
Suryani has reportedly been moved to a general population cell, shared with three other prisoners, since the details became public.
"Investigation into other prisons is now under way to eradicate such practices," said Untung Sugiyono, director general of prisons at the Justice Ministry.
SINGAPORE: Not content with killing a pregnant prostitute hours earlier, an Indian national brought another back to the scene of his crime to have another round of sex.
His sexual encounter with the second prostitute took place on a bed, which was hiding the body of the first.
This bizarre and twisted incident was told to the High Court as 21—year—old Madhuri Jaya Chandra Reddy pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide, not amounting to murder.
The crime had taken place last September.
After two rounds of sexual intercourse in Diamond Hotel in Geylang, a scuffle broke out between Reddy and the 21—year—old victim after he demanded another round of sexual intercourse.
During the struggle which ensued, Reddy pressed tightly on the woman’s neck with hard force for between one and two minutes.
He only released his grip on her neck when he realised she was dead.
Reddy then stuffed the deceased’s body under the bed, but not before removing her gold chain and two gold rings from her body and misappropriating them.
He then dressed himself and left the room to look for another prostitute.
After finding one, Reddy proceeded back to the room at Diamond Hotel.
The pair had sex on the bed, even as the deceased’s body was stuffed under it.
They then checked out of the room and Reddy wandered around until daybreak before returning to his dormitory.
Later that afternoon, Reddy used the deceased’s mobile phone to make at least 28 long—distance international calls to India.
He was arrested at his dormitory two days later.
An autopsy report said the deceased’s cause of death was strangulation.
The baby boy in the deceased’s womb also died as a result.
The hearing has been adjourned till Thursday for Reddy’s mitigation and sentencing.
He faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Four Malaysian churches(Christian Churches) were attacked with firebombs, causing extensive damage to one, as Muslims pledged Friday to prevent Christians from using the word "Allah," escalating religious tensions in the multiracial country.
Many Malay Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the population, are incensed by a recent High Court decision to overturn a ban on Roman Catholics using "Allah" as a translation for God in the Malay-language edition of their main newspaper, the Herald.
The government says Allah, an Arabic word that predates Islam, is exclusive to the faith and by extension to Malays. It refuses to make an exception, even though the Herald's Malay edition is read only by Christian indigenous tribes in the remote states of Sabah and Sarawak.
At Friday prayers at two main mosques in downtown Kuala Lumpur, young worshippers carried banners and gave fiery speeches, vowing to defend Islam.
"We will not allow the word Allah to be inscribed in your churches," one speaker shouted into a loudspeaker at the Kampung Bahru mosque. About 50 other people carried posters reading "Heresy arises from words wrongly used" and "Allah is only for us."
"Islam is above all. Every citizen must respect that," said Ahmad Johari, who attended prayers at the National Mosque. "I hope the court will understand the feeling of the majority Muslims of Malaysia. We can fight to the death over this issue."
The demonstrations were held inside the mosque compounds to follow a police order against protests on the streets. Participants dispersed peacefully afterward.
Malaysia is often held up as a model for other Islamic countries because of its economic development, progressive society and generally peaceful coexistence between the Malay majority and the ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities who are mostly Christians, Buddhists and Hindus.
The Allah controversy, however, has the potential to shatter that carefully nurtured harmony, drive a deep racial wedge and scare away sorely needed foreign investment as the country struggles to emerge from the global financial crisis.
Prime Minister Najib Razak condemned the attacks on the churches by unidentified assailants, who struck before dawn in different suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. He said the government would "take whatever steps it can to prevent such acts."
Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the country's leaders were very concerned about the situation.
"We don't want this to spread out into something else. ... I am not only assuring the minorities, I am assuring all Malaysians _ anybody who is in Malaysia _ that they are safe," he told reporters.
In the first attack, the ground-level office of the three-story Metro Tabernacle Church was destroyed in a blaze set off by a firebomb thrown by attackers on motorcycles soon after midnight, police said. The worship areas on the upper two floors were undamaged and there were no injuries.
Three other churches were attacked hours later, with one sustaining minor damage while the others were not damaged. No arrests have been made.
The tribespeople of Sabah and Sarawak, who speak only Malay, have always referred to God as "Allah," an Arabic word used not only by Muslims but also by Christians in Muslim-majority countries such as Egypt, Syria and Indonesia.
Many Malaysian Muslims say its use by others would mislead people, tempting them to convert to Christianity.
Since the verdict, hateful comments and threats against Christians have been posted widely on the Internet, but this was the first time the controversy turned destructive.
Kuala Lumpur police Chief Mohamad Sabtu Osman told The Associated Press that a witness saw four people on two motorcycles breaking the glass front of the Metro Tabernacle church and throwing an incendiary object inside before fleeing.
He said police found a wrench, an empty gasoline can and two scorched motorcycle helmets at the scene.
The backlash against the court verdict has reinforced complaints by minorities that they face institutional discrimination. They say it is almost impossible to get permission to build new churches and temples. Some Hindu temples have been demolished in the past. Court verdicts in religious disputes usually favor Muslims.
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Associated Press writers Julia Zappei, Sean Yoong and Eileen Ng contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS, Nevada (AFP) - Roxxxy the sex robot had a coming out party Saturday in Sin City.
In what is billed as a world first, a life-size robotic girlfriend complete with artificial intelligence and flesh-like synthetic skin was introduced to adoring fans at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas.
"She can't vacuum, she can't cook but she can do almost anything else if you know what I mean," TrueCompanion's Douglas Hines said while introducing AFP to Roxxxy.
"She's a companion. She has a personality. She hears you. She listens to you. She speaks. She feels your touch. She goes to sleep. We are trying to replicate a personality of a person."
Roxxxy stands five feet, seven inches tall, weighs 120 pounds, "has a full C cup and is ready for action," according to Hines, who was an artificial intelligence engineer at Bell Labs before starting TrueCompanion.
The anatomically-correct robot has an articulated skeleton that can move like a person but can't walk or independently move its limbs.
Robotic movement is built into "the three inputs" and a mechanical heart that powers a liquid cooling system.
Roxxxy comes with five personalities. Wild Wendy is outgoing and adventurous, while Frigid Farrah is reserved and shy.
There is a young naive personality along with a Mature Martha that Hines described as having a "matriarchal kind of caring." S & M Susan is geared for more adventurous types.
Aspiring partners can customize Roxxxy features, including race, hair color and breast size. A male sex robot named "Rocky" is in development.
People ordering the robots online at truecompanion.com detail their tastes and interests much like online dating sites but here, the information is used to get the mechanical girlfriend in synch with her mate.
"She knows exactly what you like," Hines said of Roxxxy, noting that Rocky will also come with personalities.
"If you like Porsches, she likes Porsches. If you like soccer, she likes soccer."
Roxxxy will chat with her flesh-and-blood mate, and touching her elicits comments varying according to personalities.
She is wirelessly linked to the Internet for software updates, technical support and to send her man email messages.
People can customize "true companion" personalities and then share the programs with others online on the company's website, according to Hines.
"Just think about wife or girlfriend swapping without actually giving the person to someone else," Hines said. "You can share the personality online."
Inspiration for the sex robot sprang from the September 11, 2001 attacks, when planes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and an empty field in Pennsylvania.
"I had a friend who passed away in 9/11," Hines said. "I promised myself I would create a program to store his personality, and that became the foundation for Roxxxy True Companion."
Hines sees his creation as not only a recreational innovation but as an outlet for the shy, people with sexual dysfunction, and those who want to experiment without risk.
Roxxxy versions are priced from 7,000 to 9,000 dollars, depending on features. The sex robot is available in Europe and the United States and will eventually be available globally, according to Hines.
Is Australia still one the best place to study, live and work? Few recent incidents attacks for Indian nationals in Victoria sparked some concerns on some foreign communities and believed that racial discrimination is widespread across Australia.
The Report:
The Indian government has criticised Australia for failing to prevent attacks on Indian nationals, after the latest incident in which a man was set on fire in Melbourne.
Crime squad investigators say the circumstances leading up to a 29-year-old Indian man, Jaspreet Singh, being set on fire in an alleged attack early on Saturday are "unusual" - but not racially motivated.
The man is in hospital in a serious condition with burns to 15 per cent of his body on his
hands, face and legs.
A hospital spokesman said he remained in a serious but stable condition on Sunday.
It's alleged he was randomly approached by four men who burned his car and set him on fire.
"I believe there's no reason at this stage to consider this in any way racially motivated," Detective Acting Senior Sergeant Neil Smyth told reporters on Saturday.
"The circumstances of parking a car randomly on a side street and just some people approaching him are a bit strange and it's highly unlikely, therefore, to be a targeted attack on any individual."
But India's Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, who is responsible for Indians working or studying abroad, reacted sharply on Saturday and rebuked Australia for failing to prevent such attacks.
"I want to make it loudly clear that the (Australian) government should take preventive action," he said on the sidelines of a conference in Delhi.
"Why cannot they arrest them and put them behind bars and prosecute them? Surely, the Australian police must be efficient enough to mark these people."
"Our government expresses serious concerns and is waiting for results," the minister added.
Police were told the man and his wife left a dinner party in Essendon between 1.30am and 2am on Saturday and drove to their nearby home in Grice Crescent.
The man told police he dropped his wife off and then drove to a nearby street to park the car.
As he was getting out of the vehicle, four men allegedly attacked him, pushed him back against the vehicle and poured an unknown fluid on him.
One of the men is alleged to have then ignited the fluid with a lighter before all four men fled.
The man then ran from the car, throwing his burning clothes into the street.
He suffered burns to 15 per cent of his body.
The attackers have been described in only a "generalised description which is really just unspecific, just four males", Det Act Snr Sgt Smyth said.
"It is an unusual event," he said.
In New Delhi, the Indian government said on Saturday it was in touch with Australian authorities but urged the media to report on the latest incident responsibly.
"The Indian high commissioner in Canberra and consul general in Melbourne are following up this matter vigorously with the Australian authorities," foreign ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said.
"Under the circumstances, the media is advised to exercise utmost restraint in reporting on these sensitive issues, as it could aggravate the situation and could have a bearing on our bilateral relations with Australia."
A series of attacks on Indian nationals and students in Australia sparked street protests and a diplomatic row in the middle of last year.
Acting Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Saturday the federal government condemns all violence - regardless of motivation.
"The government condemns all acts of violence in the strongest possible way," she said in a statement.
"This matter remains under investigation by the Victorian police," she said, adding that the government would not comment further until police could provide more information.
A police source has since told Fairfax Media "there are things that don't add up in the initial reports".
A police spokeswoman said the investigation was ongoing and the first task was always to establish whether a crime had occurred.
The incident threatens to further fracture relations between Australia and India, which are already strained following a spate of attacks on Indian students.
Meanwhile, Slain Indian student Nitin Garg will be farewelled in a funeral service on Sunday after his body was flown home to his family.
Hundreds of mourners are expected to pay their respects to Mr Garg, whose body will be cremated near his family's home in the northern state of Punjab.
Mr Garg, 21, died after he was stabbed in Melbourne's western suburbs last weekend while walking through a park to his workplace at Hungry Jack's late at night.
