KINGSTON, Jamaica (AFP) — Two trainee Roman Catholic priests from India and the Philippines were shot dead as they washed dishes at their missionary base in the Jamaican capital, police said Friday.
Police said they believed the same bullet may have killed Suresh Barwa, who was from India, and Marco Laspuna, from the Philippines.
Barwa died on the spot at the Missionaries of the Poor kitchen on Thursday night while Laspuna died in the hospital four hours later.
The incident happened at 9 p.m. in the missionary group’s Corpus Christi premises in the crime-riddled downtown district of Kingston. Jamaica has one of the highest murder rates in the world.
Fr. Richard HoLung, head of the Roman Catholic missionary, told reporters: "We had just finished having supper and five brothers were in the kitchen washing dishes when a bullet went through the brother’s head."
HoLung said none of the missionaries had an idea where the bullets came from.
Jamaica’s National Security Minister, Peter Phillips, who toured the mission on Friday, gave his assurance that the police would do all they could to bring the killers to justice.
The Missionaries of the Poor care for more than 500 homeless and destitute people at five centers in downtown Kingston. More than 1,000 people receive clothes, food, and medical care from the Jesuit priests each day.
2nd phase of DoH drive held
The Department of Health (DoH), in cooperation with local government units (LGUs) and other concerned sectors, recently conducted the second phase of the Bright Child "Garantisadong Pambata" program which aims to reduce childhood illnesses and deaths as well as improve the school performance and the capacity to learn of school-age children.
Held nationwide twice a year, the first phase of the Garantisadong Pambata (GP) campaign was conducted last April. Target groups were children who missed routine health services like immunization programs and those living in remote areas.
"This month’s Bright Child GP campaign was able to reach out to more children five-years-old and below. Parents and caregivers were also oriented with the various health programs available in their localities to promote positive child care behaviors," the DoH said.
Included in the campaign are health programs like giving Vitamin A supplements to young children aged 12 to 59 months; catch up immunization projects for children who have not received shots for BCG, DPT, polio, and measles; distribution of iron supplements to infants and pregnant women and the promotion of caregiving behaviors like breastfeeding, feeding infants with micronutrient rich complementary foods starting six months, daily use of iodized salt, buying and eating fortified foods, regular brushing of teeth, giving children only safe toys, and no smoking infront of preschoolers and very young children. (Christina I. Hermoso)
EU-DAP LeGoV meet set
The EU-DAP LeGoV Conference on Nov. 9-11 at The Heritage Hotel in Manila will provide a forum for new options in eGovernance.
A collaboration of the European Commission and the Development Academy of the Philippines, LeGoV is funded by the EU-Philippines Small Projects Facility.
The conference includes forums, seminars, meetings, and the unveiling of the LeGoV Network, LeGoV Portal, and Interactive Gallery.
Additional information may be obtained from Ellen Samson 09282714441.
Magsaysay files petition
The controversy in the National Council of Women of the Philippines (NCWP) has not yet been resolved in light of a petition for review on certiorari in Case No. GR 91776 filed with the Court of Appeals (CA) by Rosellyn E. Magsaysay last Oct. 20 in Quezon City.
Through her lawyer, Magsaysay asked the CA to restrain the group of Amelou B. Reyes from representing themselves as officials of the NCWP and set aside a Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 93, Quezon City order last July 11 dismissing petitioners’ motion for reconsideration, pending resolution of the case in the CA.
Last Monday, a report said that the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City twice dismissed the claim of Magsaysay because of "insufficiecy in form and substance."
The report added that Magsaysay’s motion for reconsideration was "accordingly denied and deemed closed and terminated."
In asking the CA to reverse the RTC order, Magsaysay warned of confusion created by the order in light of the international conference of Asian women leaders by the end of November. (Jun Velasco)
