Category Archives: Law Enforcement

Business, Law Enforcement, LGBT, Local News

CASTRO DISTRICT RESIDENTS: ‘WHERE IS THE HOT COP OF CASTRO WHEN WE NEED HIM?’

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'The Hot Cop of Castro" Photo credit: Steven Kyle Weller
‘The Hot Cop of Castro’ (Photo credit: Steven Kyle Weller)

San Francisco, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Three people were arrested early Thursday morning after a fight broke out at a club and escalated to a shooting in San Francisco’s Castro District, a police spokesman said.

The argument between a 38-year-old man and a group comprised of a 25-year-old woman and two men, ages 25 and 33, started at a club near 18th and Collingwood Street around 2:45 a.m., San Francisco police spokesman Officer Gordon Shyy said.

News of the unfortunate incident spread like wildfire among residents and business owners in the Castro and everyone was asking, “Where is the hot cop of Castro when we need him?”  They were, of course, referring to Chris Kohrs, the police officer  who has become one of the most recognized faces in the city and elsewhere after his photo while patrolling Castro Street  was posted on the Internet.  A Facebook fan page was subsequently set up in his honor.  To date, it has garnered over 50,000 ‘likes.’

A reporter from The Adobo Chronicles tried to walk Castro Street all day today in search of Kohrs in order to get his statement about this morning’s the fight and shooting.  The hot cop was nowhere to be found.

Indeed, where is the hot cop of Castro when we need him?

Business, Economy, Health & Medicine, Human Interest, Law Enforcement, Politics

PHILIPPINE TOBACCO LAW PUT ON HOLD: GRAPHIC WARNING ON CIGARETTE PACKETS TOO GRAPHIC

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Filipinos won't see similar graphics seen in this warning label on cigarette packs in Thailand.
Filipinos won’t see similar graphics seen in this warning label on cigarette packs in Thailand.

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – A new law requiring that graphic warnings showing the harmful effects of smoking be placed on all cigarette packs sold in the Philippines has been put on hold. The reason: Filipinos consider the graphic photos too graphic.

The new law, signed by President NoyNoy Aquino last July,  was supposed to be in effect this month, but it has been postponed until May of 2016, to the delight of the powerful tobacco-growing industry.

The proposed graphic warnings feature gruesome photographs of the ill effects of smoking, including skin and throat cancer as well as emaciated bodies of smokers.

Soon after the proposed graphic designs were made public, tobacco companies initiated a petition to put the new law on hold until less offensive, less repulsive and less nauseating photographs are used on cigarette packs.  The petition drew more than 1 Million signatures, prompting officials to suspend the law’s implementation.

In an exclusive interview with The Adobo Chronicles,  a spokesperson for the Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-T) said that the committee has decided to replace the graphic photos with a picture of President Aquino smoking a cigarette. “Because of the growing unpopularity of Aquino, having his photograph on cigarette packs would encourage smokers to quit while discouraging young kids from starting to smoke.”

The new graphic warning on cigarette packs won’t be rolled out until May of 2016, just weeks before the president’s  six-year term as president comes to an end. “That way, there will be no conflict of interest or impropriety when Aquino receives compensation and royalty from the tobacco companies for the use of his photograph,” the spokesperson said.

This will be the photo that will be used in the graphic warnings on cigarette packs:

Photo credit: ABS-CBN
Photo credit: ABS-CBN

 

Law Enforcement, Politics

PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT FACES TOTAL SHUT DOWN AS IMPEACHMENT CASES POUR IN

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Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Sereno
Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Sereno

Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Impeachment is a legitimate process in most democratic governments in which officials violating the constitution are tried, investigated and booted out of office. It is part of the principle of checks and balance, ensuring that the three branches of government – executive, legislative and judicial – are functioning within the rule of law.

But it is this very same legitimate process that may lead to a total government shut down in the Philippines. Top legislators are facing impeachment for unlawful use of PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund); the President faces impeachment for unlawful use of DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program); and the Supreme Court Chief Justice faces impeachment for unlawful use of JDF (Judiciary Development Fund). The common denominator of these funds is, of course, taxpayer money.

Three top senators – Juan Ponce Enrile, Bong Revilla, Jr.  and Jinggoy Estrada are now in jail for alleged participation in the 10 Billion-peso pork barrel scam, while President NoyNoy Aquino faces impeachment complaints after the Philippine Supreme Court ruled that some of his actions under DAP violated the constitution. Now, Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Serena herself is being threatened with impeachment in connection with JDF.

“So who is left to run the government?” This question is foremost in the minds of 100 Million Filipinos.

Leading political experts are predicting that with a total government shut down, the country is left with a few options: convert to a monarchy, become a militaristic state or submit to the administrative rule of the Vatican. More tham 86 percent of Filipinos are Catholic.

Incidentally, Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the Philippines next January.