Tear gas and water cannon as Hong Kong crowds defy rally ban

Hong Kong police fired water cannon and tear gas Sunday as crowds held an illegal march, with hardcore protesters throwing petrol bombs and trashing businesses to cap a week of anger after recent attacks on pro-democracy demonstrators.

Authorities had forbidden the rally in Tsim Sha Tsui, a densely-packed shopping district filled with luxury boutiques and hotels, citing public safety and previous violence from hardcore protesters.

But tens of thousands nevertheless joined the unsanctioned demo, showing the movement can still keep pressure on the city's pro-Beijing leaders after nearly five months of protests and political unrest.

In a familiar pattern, the huge rally began peacefully.

But it soon descended into chaos as smaller groups of protesters hurled petrol bombs at police, subway entrances and at Chinese mainland bank branches, and vandalized multiple shops. 

Police responded with volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets, and baton charges.

Throughout the afternoon, a water cannon truck chased protesters down Nathan Road, one of the city's busiest shopping thoroughfares, leaving it streaked with blue dye.

The dye in the water, used to identify protesters, also contains a painful pepper solution.

The entrance to the city's largest mosque was bathed in blue when the water cannon blasted a handful of people outside the building. Police said hitting the mosque was an accident.

As the protesters fled, frontliners stayed behind to slow the advance of riot police, setting fire to makeshift barricades. Clashes went on deep into the night.

A Xiaomi and a Best Mart store -- both mainland Chinese businesses -- were set alight.

ACTIVISTS ATTACKED 

Tensions were running high after the leader of the group organizing the weekend rally, Jimmy Sham, was hospitalized after being attacked by unknown assailants wielding hammers earlier in the week.

Then late Saturday, a man handing out pro-democracy flyers was stabbed in the neck and stomach, reportedly by an assailant who shouted pro-Beijing slogans. 

Many on Sunday's march said they wanted to show they were unbowed by the attacks and moves by authorities to ban public gatherings. 

"The more they suppress, the more we resist," a 69-year-old demonstrator, who gave her surname as Yeung, told AFP. "Can police arrest us all, tens of thousands of people?"

Philip Tsoi, a self-described frontline protester, said they needed to keep getting numbers out even though many hardcore activists like him had been "arrested or wounded" in recent weeks.

"What I want is a truly democratic government whose leader is elected by Hong Kong people instead of selected by a Communist regime," he told AFP.

Vigilante violence has mounted on both sides of the ideological divide.

In recent weeks pro-democracy supporters have badly beaten people who vocally disagree with them -- although those fights tend to be spontaneous outbursts of mob anger during protests.

In contrast, pro-democracy figures have been attacked in a noticeably more targeted way, with at least eight prominent government critics, including politicians, beaten by unknown assailants since mid-August.

Protesters have labelled the attacks "white terror" and accused the city's shadowy organised crime groups of forming an alliance with Beijing supporters.

Beijing has denounced the protests as a foreign-backed plot and condemned attacks on those voicing support for China.

But it has remained largely silent on the attacks carried out against pro-democracy figures.

MONTHS OF UNREST 

Hong Kong has now been battered by 20 weeks of protests and with no political solution in sight, clashes have intensified each month.

Hardliners have embraced widespread vandalism, while riot police are quick to respond with tear gas, rubber bullets and, more recently, live rounds.

The rallies were triggered by a now-abandoned plan to allow extraditions to the authoritarian mainland, but have morphed into wider calls for democracy and police accountability.

Protesters are demanding an independent inquiry into the police, an amnesty for those arrested and fully free elections, all of which have been rejected by Beijing and Hong Kong's unelected leader Carrie Lam.

Earlier this month, Lam invoked a colonial-era emergency law to ban face masks.

The decision set off a new wave of protests and vandalism that shut down much of the city's transport network.

In the last fortnight, the clashes have become less intense, with the city's subway closing each night at 10 pm.

But protests have continued, with many defying the mask ban during "flashmob" rallies.

Separately, Chinese state television CCTV claimed that "sooner or later," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will be punished for refusing to apologize for an earlier tweet by Daryl Morey of the Houston Rockets supporting the Hong Kong demonstrators.

CCTV accused Silver of "inventing lies to dirty China," and said that by defending Morey he had "crossed the bottom line by showing a lack of respect to Chinese."

The backlash against Morey's comments has cast a cloud over the NBA's lucrative broadcasting, merchandising and sponsorship interests in China, where it has legions of fans.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Father's last embrace saves girl in China building collapse

A little girl protected by the embrace of her dead father was the last survivor pulled out of the rubble of collapsed multi-storey buildings in China, reports said Tuesday.

She was found deep in the debris of four six-storey residential buildings more than 12 hours after they crumbled in Wenzhou in the eastern province of Zhejiang, killing at least 22 people, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Three-year-old Wu Ningxi survived with only minor injuries thanks to the protection offered by her young father, who was found dead after shielding her from falling rubble, it added.

"The child was able to survive entirely thanks to the fact that her dad used his own flesh and blood to prop up a life-saving space for his daughter," a rescuer told the China Youth Daily.

The 26-year-old shoe factory worker was found under a thick cement pillar, draped over his daughter.

The family had been buried alive in their living room and the body of Wu's mother was discovered not far from the pair.

Photos showed hard-hatted rescuers lifting the girl's half-naked body from the mess of cement and fallen bricks late Monday, her hair matted with dust as they carried her out and gingerly placed her onto a stretcher.

The search through the three-storey-high debris concluded early Tuesday, the Lucheng district government said at a press conference, with 22 confirmed dead and only five survivors other than the girl rescued.

The cause of the disaster was still under investigation, CCTV said.

Recent heavy rainfall combined with the poor quality of construction and age of the buildings, built by the villagers themselves, were probable contributing factors, it cited a preliminary analysis as saying.

Neighbouring buildings constructed in the 1970s were being demolished to prevent further collapses, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The buildings had been packed with migrant workers, among them Wu's parents, hundreds of millions of whom have moved from China's countryside to its towns and cities in recent decades, their labour fuelling the country's economic boom.

Many remain poorly paid and face restrictions on buying homes in the areas where they work.

China has seen several building collapses in recent years, with some blamed on low-quality construction.

In May 16 people were reported dead after a residential building in Guizhou province in the southwest collapsed due to landslides.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Escalator at China mall 'devours' cleaner's foot

Chinese state television showed surveillance camera footage of the moment a janitor's foot was caught in an escalator at a shopping mall in Shanghai on late Saturday (August 1) night.

The footage, which was acquired from the mall by state broadcaster CCTV and released on Monday (August 3), shows two people jumping over the top platform of the escalator just before a janitor, surnamed Zhang, walked over to mop its steps.

Within seconds of stepping over the escalator's top platform, Zhang slipped and his left foot was caught between a gap in the escalator's steps.

It took local firefighters around 20 minutes to free Zhang from the escalator's grasp, but doctors at a local hospital were unable to save his foot and were forced to amputate it, CCTV said.

Zhang is still recovering at the local hospital, CCTV added.

Authorities from the Market Monitoring Bureau of Shanghai's Changning district told CCTV that they are now conducting an investigation into the incident.

The escalator, which was manufactured in 2004, has been closed off from the public since Saturday's incident, CCTV said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Viral photo was a kidnapping: police

MANILA - Police believe a viral photo of several men pointing guns at a vehicle along EDSA's southbound lane was nothing less than an abduction.

The viral photo showed five men pointing guns at a white Toyota Fortuner just before the EDSA Ortigas flyover.

Four vehicles surrounded the Fortuner including a Toyota Land Cruiser in front, a Toyota Hi-Ace on one side and a Honda Civic in the back. A blue motorcycle with two passengers was also on the other side of the Fortuner.

Two witnesses said the incident occurred past 2 p.m. last Monday, September 1.

One witness claimed the armed men shouted at the people inside the Fortuner to get out of the vehicle.

"Narinig ko baba baba, tatlong beses at tinutukan," the witness said.

The armed men allegedly broke the window in the back of the Fortuner. The driver then got out of the vehicle and was forced inside the back of the Honda Civic.

One of the suspects then boarded the Fortuner and drove off.

The witnesses said the whole incident lasted about three to five minutes.

Senior Superintendent Job Marasigan, Eastern Police District deputy district director for operations, said the incident could not have been a legitimate police operation since there was no coordination coming from other law enforcement agencies.

He also pointed out that the driver of the Fortuner was forcibly taken and the vehicle commandeered by one of the suspects.

The witnesses said they could not recall the license plates of the vehicles.

Police said the Toyota Hi-Ace's conduction sticker had the letters "YY."

"We are asking the anti-cybercrime unit to enhance the photos," Marasigan said.

Police said another photo showed a passenger bus near the area, leading them to believe that the driver and passengers might have witnessed the crime.

Police have also asked the original uploader of the photo to coordinate with the police. The original uploader has removed the photo and deleted the Twitter account.

CCTV cameras of the Metro Manila Development Authority failed to capture the incident on video. Authorities are now checking if CCTV cameras in other parts of EDSA were able to record the vehicles before and after the incident.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Vhong Navarro files cases vs Lee, Cornejo, et al

MANILA -- Actor-host Vhong Navarro has filed cases against the group of businessman Cedric Lee, who allegedly attacked him inside a condominium unit in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig last week.

Navarro's legal counsel, Atty. Alma Mallonga, confirmed with DZMM on Tuesday that they formalized the complaints at around 5 p.m.

Lee, sibling Bernice Lee, and model Deniece Cornejo are now facing cases for serious physical injuries, illegal detention, grave threats, unlawful arrest and grave coercion and blackmail.

Mallonga confirmed several others are facing charges.

The lawyer said included in the cases are "the most important evidence, which is Vhong's statement, the medico-legal report, the statements of the security guards, and, of course, the CCTV footage is already there."

"Hindi pa siya kumpleto. But to me, the case, the evidence that will be used, is already there. I'm very happy. Vhong is relieved," she said.

According to Mallonga, the most "essential" evidence backing Navarro's charges is the CCTV footage, which purportedly shows those who were accused in the mauling incident last January 22.

"When you see the CCTV footage, if ever you get to see it at the proper time, you will be appalled by the brazenness of the named perpetrators of this crime, and even more by the psychotic ability to say with a straight face na ganito ang nangyari," the lawyer said.

Navarro has accused Lee, Cornejo and five others of attacking him inside a condominium unit in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, leaving him with serious injuries including a broken nose that required reconstructive surgery.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lee accused Navarro of "twisting the facts," saying the host's account of the incident is an exaggeration. Cornejo, meanwhile, maintained that Navarro attempted to rape her and will file the appropriate legal case against him.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Chinese businessman shot dead in San Juan

A Chinese businessman was shot dead in San Juan City on Monday morning, police said.

The victim, identified as Kelvin Tan, was about to board his white sedan when he was shot by a lone gunman in front of China Bank along Madison Street at around 10:35 a.m.

Sr. Supt. Bernard Tambaoan, chief of San Juan Police, said the lone gunman was captured by a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the area. However, the CCTV video's copy was not clear enough to reveal the killer's identity.

Tambaoan said Tan, owner of construction firm KT Builders, had just withdrawn P800,000 from the bank and handed it to someone on board a Hyundai Starex before the shooting occurred.

The motive for the shooting remains unclear.

Witnesses said the gunman, who wore a violet shirt and was allegedly armed with .45 caliber pistol, boarded a motorcycle driven by another man after the shooting. – report from Dennis Datu, dzMM

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Zsa Zsa says she saw Dolphy on CCTV

MANILA, Philippines -- Only a week after he was finally laid to rest, the late film icon Dolphy made his presence felt to his partner of 23 years, singer-actress Zsa Zsa Padilla.

Padilla said she recently had a "vision" of the late veteran actor, seemingly at her request.

Speaking to ABS-CBN News, the singer said she saw an image of Dolphy when she reviewed the footage of a CCTV camera installed in their home in Marina Bay, Paranaque.

"First week we were home, sabi ko, 'Hindi ako titigil hanggang hindi kita makita.' Ganun ako ng ganun sa CCTV, kasi 10 'yung cameras namin. Ang tagal ah, until finally nag-side view akong ganun, ayon, okay, fine, nakita na kita," she narrated.

"Kahit trying hard, he has a vision. I took a picture of it. You have to try hard to see his profile, but then you see him there," she added.

Comforting presence

Dolphy's seeming presence in their home serves her comfort and calm, Padilla shared.

"It comforts me, whenever I'm home, that every little corner of my home I know that he's been there. Every corner of my house, I can imagine him there. I'm calm now, I feel better," she said.

Padilla, dubbed the country's "Divine Diva," admitted that there are still days when she longs for the company of Dolphy, who succumbed to his illness for six years on June 10.

"There are days -- today it's a little bit harder. I don't know. For some reason, I remember him. Always, pag-gising ko, naalala ko siya, because I always have coffee time with him.

"When I go to a little corner, I always talk to him, so whenever i feel like it, I do. I talk to him when I really miss him. I really miss him," Padilla said.

'I'll Be Seeing You'

In her quiet moments with Dolphy, Padilla said she listens to the song "I'll Be Seeing You," which she dedicates to her long-time partner.

"I was listening to music na I kept playing, 'I'll Be Seeing You.' Actually, song ko para sa kanya 'yun. The words siguro -- because 'I'll be seeing you, I'll be looking at the moon and I'll be seeing you, wherever you go," she said.

Two weeks since Dolphy was laid to rest at the Heritage Park in Taguig, Padilla said she manages to cope by surrounding herself with friends and busying herself with professional engagements.

"Sa lahat naman ng artista 'di ba, that's an old adage. We live by that rule -- 'The show must go on' -- no matter how hard it is. But for somebody like me, actually it's moving forward, so I welcome it," Padilla said.

'Show must go on'

In her first professional engagement since Dolphy's passing, Padilla resumed filming for "I Do Bidoo Bidoo" last Saturday. The company of her co-stars and colleagues serve to lighten her grief, Padilla shared.

"Masaya actually 'pag marami kang kasama, maraming kang kausap eh. Tapos tawag nga sa 'kin ni Eugene (Domingo), para raw akong radyo -- non-stop raw ang bibig ko. Nae-entertain siya sa 'kin," Padilla said.

Joining Padilla and Domingo in the cast of the "I Do" are Ogie Alcasid, Gary Valenciano, Sam Concepcion and Tippy dos Santos.

Directed by Chris Martinez under Straight Shooters Media, the film musical opens on August 29 in theaters nationwide.

article source: abs-cbnnews.com

Robinsons mall heist leaves 3 hurt

Two security guards and a bank teller were wounded in a robbery incident inside Robinsons Metro East mall in Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig City on Friday.

Chief Superintendent Miguel Laurel, Eastern Police District director, said two armed men robbed a bank teller who was supposed to deliver money to Robinsons Bank.

Aside from the bank teller, two security guards were injured in the robbery. They were bank teller security aide Edwin Garcia and grocery store guard Domingo Rodriguez. The teller’s identity has yet to be revealed.

Laurel said the teller disclosed that some P550,000 were taken by the suspects.

He said the two men were armed with .45-caliber pistol each.

Another man also reportedly served as the robbers’ lookout, while two more waited outside the mall.

The injured victims were rushed to nearby Salve Regina General Hospital for treatment.

The suspects’ get-away vehicle, a white Hyundai vehicle, was abandoned in Barangay San Roque, Marikina.

Laurel said they will investigate how the armed suspects were able to enter the mall.

“Malaking tanong iyan dahil may mga gwardya. Mahigpit naman ang mga gwardya, yan ang tinitignan natin.,” Laurel said.

Police will also examine footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera to identify the suspects.

A witness said mallgoers panicked upon hearing the gunshots. She said the shootout lasted about 5 minutes.

The mall management has yet to issue a statement regarding the incident. – reports from Johnson Manabat, dzMM; and Doland Castro, ABS-CBN News

article source: abs-cbnnews.com