About the author- litigation lawyer in telecoms, taxation, criminal, labor, appellate, family law and corporate; a radio broadcaster, speaker, author a husband, a father, advocate for consumers, for justice www.angkapatiran.org and a sinner who wants to
be a saint. hilman1108@yahoo.com
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Rape victim’s final insult
From:
By Viva Goldner
October 29, 2005
ONE of four brothers convicted of a spate of brutal gang rapes yesterday confessed before telling one of his victims: “It is stupid to sit there and cry for the rest of your life.”
The Pakistani-born 25-year-old apologised to one of his young victims, known as T, who looked on from the gallery with contempt as he grovelled for forgiveness.
For three years, the brothers denied the attacks - branding their four victims liars and appealing against their convictions all the way to the High Court.
Yesterday’s belated apology came at a sentence hearing for the rapist known as MAK and his brothers MSK, 26, and MMK, 19, who were convicted this year of sex offences against two girls, aged 14 and 13, in 2002.
MAK, MSK, MMK and a fourth brother, MRK, 20, are already serving jail terms of between 11 and 22 years for raping two other teenagers at knife-point.
MAK claimed he had only recently realised his “mistakes” through discussion with a psychologist.
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“Do you now accept that even if you perceive a woman is being flirtatious to you that doesn’t mean she will have sexual intercourse with you?” MAK’s lawyer Stephen Handley said.
MAK agreed, denying his admission was a ploy for “benefit on sentence”, as Crown Prosecutor Ken McKay said.
“I am sorry for what happened and my father told me once … about these Australian people that anyone who make mistake, such a forgiving community and such forgiving people, that they will accept your apology,” MAK said.
“I don’t know if my father is wrong.”
T yesterday dismissed as “pathetic” the last-ditch confession by MAK, who even declared his young victim had a “big life ahead of her”.
“It is stupid to sit there and cry for the rest of your life,” he said to T.
Outside court, T said: “It wasn’t heartfelt. It was all an act.
“I thought it was pathetic that he was sitting there telling me he was a broken man. I’m a broken woman.”
The courageous 18-year-old read her victim impact statement aloud, facing her attackers as they sat together, taking notes in the dock. She spoke of depression, bulimia and self-harm, all arising from her ordeal.
Her strength through months of harrowing trials was drawn from a desire to reach out to other victims.
“People’s perceptions of rape victims is that they should be a complete mess … When I was around other people, I didn’t want them to know that I was hurting and I didn’t want them to think that I was a weak person.”
In 2003, MAK was found guilty of a further nine counts of aggravated sexual assault against two best friends aged 16 and 17, but until yesterday denied those rapes.
The victims were befriended by the youngest brother, then driven to an Ashfield home and plied with alcohol before being subjected to assaults.
The brothers will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
Help Needed for Mike Asis
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Dear Friend,
Greetings of the Lord’s peace!
We are writing this letter on behalf of our friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Demetrius Asis, more commonly known to all as “Mike” (Coll 85, MA 96, PhD 2003). Mike at 40 is husband to Tintin and father of 3-year old Miguel. He has been with the Ateneo de Manila since 1987, teaching now for 18 years with the Theology Department of the School of Humanities.
Unfortunately, Mike needs a kidney transplant. He has been diabetic for many years, and this has affected both his heart and his kidneys. Last February 2004, Mike underwent a triple bypass operation for his heart due to clogged arteries as a complication of his diabetes. Now the diabetes has damaged his kidneys. He has begun dialysis as the Uremic symptoms like shortness of breath, easy fatigability, drowsiness, muscle cramps and itching, have started to show. The dialysis will continue until he finds a donor and the money to undergo the kidney transplant.
The breakdown of estimated costs for the transplant and related expenses are as follows:
1. Php 150 thousand for the operation to remove the kidney from the donor
2. Php 500 thousand to transplant the kidney to Mike
3. Php 70 thousand for testing each potential donor to determine compatibility / matching
4. Php 2 thousand per day for the post-operation anti-rejection drugs
5. Php 1,700 for each dialysis session (three times a week) while waiting for the transplant
As a teacher, Mike’s salary cannot cover these expenses. It Is for this reason that we appeal to you in your generosity to give what You can to help Mike. We hope, especially, that those of you who have been touched in one way or another by Mike’s warmth and graciousness in his work and ministries can respond now with an open heart in his time of need so that he can continue to touch other people’s lives.
If you would like to make a donation, you can deposit the Money to BPI savings account number 3085-5090-54 (pay to Michael Demetrius H. Asis). So we can acknowledge your donation, please email your name and the amount either to mikeasisfund@yahoo.com.ph. Or you can text Pia Nazareno-Acevedo at 0917-5381482 or text Mike at 0917-531-0822 and/or Tintin at 0917-535-1761.
We will be posting bulletins regarding Mike’s condition from time to time.
Thank you very much for your kind consideration.
Sincerely yours,
In our Lord,
Friends of Mike Asis
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UP Law Celebrates Grand Alumni Homecoming 2005
The University of the Philippines College of Law gears up in celebration of their annual Grand Alumni Homecoming Night to be held on November 18, 2005, 6 p.m. at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Hosted by the UP Law ‘80 Foundation, this year’s silver jubilarians, for the UP Law Alumni Association, the much-anticipated event with the theme “A Celebration of Life and Friendship”, gathers together the distinguished members of the different batches into one momentous and memorable evening of reminiscing their camaraderie and fellowship.
Spearheaded by the UP Law ‘80 Foundation Inc., President, Atty. Raoul Angangco, this year’s Grand Alumni Homecoming promises to be a gathering of the best and the most prominent legal eagles of our times. Buffet dinner will be served with no corkage fees. Free beer and softdrinks will be sponsored by Asia Brewery, with live entertainment provided by the Sabor Latino Band.
For ticket inquiries, please call Ms. Dang Teves at 8189836, Ms. Helen Bengil at 8972136, or the assigned Class Representatives.
HECTOR D. SOLIMAN
Local Project Director
Justice Reform Initiatives Support (JURIS) Project
Unit 2008 Jollibee Plaza, Emerald Avenue,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City, 1605, Philippines
Email Address: hsoliman@pldtdsl.net
Phone and Fax 632-631-0258
