GUILTY.; AMPATUANS GET LIFE IN PRISON FOR MASSACRE MANILA - Justice has been finally served to the victims of the Maguindanao massacre, considered the deadliest election-related violence in the country in recent memory, with most of the victims media workers. In a packed courtroom at the Metro Manila District Jail Annex-2 at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, muted cheers could be heard as Quezon City Regional Trial Court Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes read the verdict yesterday, declaring 28 of the accused guilty beyond reasonable doubt of 57 counts of murder. Those found guilty and sentenced to reclusion perpetua - life in prison or up to 40 years, without parole - were siblings Andal Ampatuan Jr., former mayor of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao; Zaldy Ampatuan, former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao; and Anwar Ampatuan Sr., former mayor of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao. Also convicted were Anwar Sr.'s sons Anwar Jr. and Anwar Sajid, as well as 23 police officers and alleged members of the clan's private army who took part in the massacre, which took place on Nov. 23, 2009. The convicts were ordered each to pay relatives of the accused P350,000 in civil, moral, exemplary and temperate damages. Some of the victims' heirs were also granted millions of pesos worth of damages for loss of earning capacity. Lawyers of some of the convicts, including the Ampatuans, have manifested intention to appeal the ruling. Fifteen other suspects were convicted of a lesser charge of accessory to the crime of murder, which carries a penalty of six to 10 years in prison. Among them was Insp. Michael Joy Macaraeg, who is out on bail and did not attend the promulgation. A warrant was issued for his arrest. VICTIMS' RELATIVES REJOICE, BUT CONCERNS REMAIN MANILA - Relatives of the Maguindanao massacre victims yesterday rejoiced over the verdict in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, but concerns over violence and retaliation persist, especially with the acquittal of 56 defendants including two members of the Ampatuan clan. Around 80 suspects remain at large. Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes sentenced to life imprisonment without parole Andal Ampatuan Jr. and his brothers Zaldy and Anwar. Late patriarch Andal Sr. died of liver failure in detention in 2015. Maguindanao Second District Rep. Esmael Mangudadatu said he is thankful to the court for rendering a decision favorable to the victims and their families. "Our prayers for the conviction of the accused have been answered," Mangudadatu said in Filipino. Mangudadatu lost his wife Jenalyn, sisters Eden and Farinah and other relatives in the carnage that took place on Nov. 23, 2009. He maintained, however, that the legal battle may not be over yet as the Ampatuans might seek relief from the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court. "I, along with the whole clan, and those whose families were orphaned, are very grateful to those who have prayed and expressed their support to us so that we will achieve the justice we have been seeking for the last 10 years," Mangudadatu said in a statement. 2 AMPATUANS, OVER 50 OTHERS ACQUITTED; JUDGE EXPLAINS WHY MANILA - Fewer than half of the 101 suspects who stood trial for the Maguindanao massacre were convicted for the Nov. 23, 2009 bloodbath that claimed the lives of 58 people, including 32 media workers. Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 221 acquitted 56 suspects, including former mayor Sajid Islam Ampatuan and his brother-in-law Akmad "Tato" Ampatuan. Of the 54 other suspects cleared, most were police officers deemed "totally innocent" of the crimes charged. In explaining the acquittal of the two Ampatuans, Reyes noted that while they were aware of the murder plot, the prosecution failed to present evidence that would prove that they committed an overt act. No one testified that they were present at the crime scene at the time of the massacre. The judge noted that Sajid Islam's presence at the meetings would not make him liable as a conspirator, saying he never uttered words of encouragement that would influence his brothers to carry out their plan. His brothers include Andal Ampatuan Jr., Zaldy Ampatuan and father Anwar Ampatuan Sr., who were all convicted of 57 counts of murder. "It must be kept in mind that conspiracy must be established by positive and conclusive evidence. It cannot be based on mere conjectures but must be established as a fact," read the 761-page decision. "It bears stressing that the burden lies not on the accused to prove his innocence but on the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Thus, for failure of the prosecution to discharge its duty, this court has no other option except to exonerate him from the crimes charged," it added. She said his supposed words agreeing to kill the victims "do not necessarily mean that he pushed for the commission of the crime," adding that his scheduled medical mission in Mamasapano on the day of the incident "will show that he did not cling to the agreed plot to kill." "There is no clear and convincing evidence that will show that accused had committed an overt act in furtherance of the agreed plan," added Reyes. Meanwhile, on the case of the 55 other suspects, the judge said they were neither aware of the murder plot nor identified to be at the crime scene during the incident. The judge said the court is not convinced that the suspects had conspired with the principal accused as there was no convincing evidence to this effect that was presented in court. PROSECUTION TEAM SATISFIED, MULLS REVIEW OF ACQUITTALS MANILA - The Department of Justice (DOJ) prosecution team that handled the Maguindanao massacre case yesterday said that while they were happy and satisfied with the verdict, they would study the 761-page decision to determine if there are strong grounds to ask the Quezon City court to review its decision acquitting some of the suspects. "In a way we were happy with the decision that was rendered," DOJ senior deputy state prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon said. "Some accused were acquitted, who we felt the evidence was strong - that is why after the holidays we would go after the decision and see what we could do, what we could ask for reconsideration." Fadullon said they need time to read through the lengthy decision of Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 221. They have not yet decided if they would file a certiorari, motion for reconsideration or another pleading before the QC court. They have 60 days from today to decide if they would file a pleading. During the Christmas break, their assignment is to read the court's decision; and by early January next year, they would meet and collectively assess their next course of action. SANDIGANBAYAN ORDERS FORFEITURE OF ARTWORKS AMASSED BY MARCOSES MANILA - The Sandiganbayan on Thursday ordered the forfeiture of multi-million worth of paintings amassed by former President Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda. In the partial judgment on Civil Case No. 0141, the anti-graft court declared that the artworks, estimated to be worth $24.325 million at the time they were acquired, be listed as missing by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), Grandma Moses paintings and artworks listed in "A Report on the Metropolitan Museum of Manila's Art Collection" and others as forfeited in favor of the government. The court ordered the Marcoses to cease and desist from disposing, transferring and selling any of the artworks, as well as render an accounting of the artworks they still possess and surrender them or divulge their current location. The order covered artworks purchased from 1972 to 1985. The court noted that from gallery documents, invoices, receipts, sales reports, and even correspondences to Imelda or her representative, the government has established a prima facie presumption that the paintings acquired were ill-gotten, as the total value is manifestly disproportionate to the Marcoses' lawful income. The court added that lawful income of the Marcos couple during their incumbency as public officials were determined by the Supreme Court in the Swiss Deposits case of the Marcoses at $304,372.42 since they did not file any Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth as required by law. "It may not be amiss to point out that respondents failed to present a single document to substantiate how the funds used to purchase the artworks were acquired lawfully," the court said. 2 DUTERTES IN 2022 RACE? PANELO NOT SURPRISED MANILA - The possible tandem of President Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, in the 2022 presidential elections does not surprise presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo. Since the swapping of political posts of the father-and-daughter tandem has been tried and tested in their home province, Panelo thinks this possibility will not be far from becoming a reality two to three years to the next national elections. "I'm not surprised! That has been done before in the City of Davao, when both of them ran as mayor and vice mayor (and vice-versa)," he said yesterday. Although Duterte had repeatedly said he could no longer run as president, Panelo said there is no law that would prevent him from taking a shot at the vice presidency while his daughter Sara closes in on the presidency. "Whether he wants to run again, that's his call; but that has been the emerging. idea," the presidential spokesman said. "Among people. there should be a Duterte-Duterte tandem in the next presidential elections. The President is not prohibited from running as vice president," the chief presidential legal counsel added. Duterte merely smiled when Panelo told him about the survey which saw father and daughter emerging as top bets in 2022. "I told him last night and he smiled," Panelo said. "If you speak of possibilities, then it's limitless. Everything's possible." Although Duterte said he is tired of being president, he did not discount the possibility that he might run again for political office. PNP: 2 COPS AXED DAILY IN 2019 MANILA - An average of two police officers a day were dismissed from the service due to corruption and other illegal activities, Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa said yesterday. Since he was named officer-in-charge of the PNP two months ago, Gamboa said a total of 87 police officers accused of various grave offenses such as involvement in the illegal drug trade were kicked outfrom the police force. "On average, two police officers are dismissed every day," he said in Filipino during a television interview. From January to November this year, at least 966 lawmen who committed grave offenses were dismissed. Gamboa has intensified the PNP's internal cleansing program following the controversies that hounded his predecessor, former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde. Albayalde went on non-duty status last October, almost a month before his mandatory retirement, due to allegations he protected "ninja cops" or police officers involved in the recycling of prohibited narcotics. Gamboa, who is also a lawyer, stressed the need to improve the image of the police force after the issues that hounded Albayalde. "Ginagawa namin lahat ng paraan para malinis 'yung kapulisan (We are doing everything to cleanse the police force) in all aspects," he said. Gamboa refused to comment when asked if he feels President Duterte will name him as the next PNP chief. The other candidates for the top post are police deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan and Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, the chief of directorial staff of the PNP. LTFRB URGES RIDE-SHARING COMMUTERS: REPORT OVERCHARGING MANILA - The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is asking the riding public to report overcharging by mobile ride-sharing services. LTFRB Chairman Martin Delgra said the board met with some transport network companies (TNCs) yesterday regarding the issue. "We have yet to conclude. I don't want to say na wala (there are no incidents). We are appealing to the public documented reports of overcharging vis a vis the structure of the LTFRB," he said in a briefing. Complaints regarding alleged overcharging have been hounding the sector, especially Grab, this holiday season. Grab denied that it was overcharging its commuters, saying they were well within the 2x surge cap set by the LTFRB and that it followed the fare structure set by the board. Data provided by Grab showed that they have been receiving three million total bookings per day or around 750,000 unique bookings but only 36,000 cars on the road at any given time. Delgra said extraneous factors, especially involving traffic and the driver's discretion on when to go online, affect the supply. Delgra said that they will also sit down with the Philippine Competition Commission as it recently fined Grab over P16-million for "extraordinary deviation on its pricing commitment." PEOPLE ASIA HAILS KATHRYN BERNARDO AS 'BOX OFFICE QUEEN OF HER GENERATION' MANILA - Kathryn Bernardo is still in disbelief over her inclusion in the "People of the Year" list of People Asia, which hailed her as the "box office queen of her generation." "Somebody pinch me... Is this even for real?!" Bernardo wrote on Instagram on Thursday, sharing the magazine cover that features her. "Ending 2019 with nothing but a grateful heart. Thank you, People Asia, for including me in your list! I am honored to be featured alongside these inspiring people who continue to make a difference," she said. The People of the Year is an annual list of "movers and shakers who stood out and made a difference in their respective fields," according to People Asia. The lifestyle magazine, in its announcement of Bernardo's inclusion, described the actress as "the child star who grew up; the leading lady who, along with real-life partner Daniel Padilla, sent millions of hearts aflutter with her romantic turns in a handful of bankable films." It then noted the record-breaking success of Bernardo's 2019 film "Hello, Love, Goodbye," co-starring Alden Richards, that catapulted her as the "undisputed 'Box Office Queen' of her generation." The Star Cinema production, with over P880 million in worldwide earnings as of September, is the highest grossing Philippine film of all time. Bernardo, whose 2018 film "The Hows of Us" with Padilla was the previous record holder, now holds the distinction of the being the only Filipino actress with two films earning more than P800 million each. At 23, Bernardo is the youngest among the 16 personalities recognized by People Asia. She joins the likes of Megaworld Corporation's Andrew Tan, Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, Dr. Vicki Belo, fashion designer Michael Cinco, music veteran Gary Valenciano, and Broadway star Lea Salonga. IT'S A BABY GIRL FOR ANNE CURTIS, ERWAN HEUSSAFF MANILA - Anne Curtis took to Instagram on Thursday to reveal that she and her husband, Erwan Heussaff, are expecting a baby girl. On Instagram, the actress shared a photo of her and Heussaff holding pink-colored smoke sticks during their gender reveal party. It had the caption: "Mini me." It was in November when Curtis and Heussaff first announced that they are expecting their first child. At the time, the "It's Showtime" host was already five months into her pregnancy. Curtis and Heussaff tied the knot in New Zealand back in November 2017. PBA: TNT EDGES MERALCO, GETS CLOSER TO FINALS TNT KaTropa hacked out a 101-97 win over Meralco Thursday evening to step closer to the PBA Governors Cup finals at the Araneta Coliseum. It took timely baskets from Jayson Castro and KJ McDaniel for the Texters to pull off the difficult win and claim a 2-1 lead in their best-of-5 semifinals series against the Bolts. Troy Rosario topscored TNT with 25 points while McDaniels and Castro finished with 18 and 17, respectively. Aside from his 17 points, Castro also tallied 10 assists, and 4 steals for the win. Rosario drained a corner three to break a 91-91 tie with 3:28 remaining. TNT came closer to victory when Castro scored a jumper and McDaniels tipped in the basket for a 100-97 lead with 35.9 seconds to go. This ruined Allen Durham's 32-point and 19-rebound effort for Meralco. TNT will try to end the series in Game 4 on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. The scores: TNT 101 - Rosario 25, McDaniels 18, Castro 17, Pogoy 15, Parks 12, Reyes 9, De Leon 5, Digregorio 0, Williams 0, Vosotros 0. Meralco 97 - Durham 32, Newsome 20, Amer 19, Quinto 8, Pinto 5, Caram 4, Almazan 4, Hodge 3, Maliksi 2, Faundo 0. Quarterscores: 23-29, 42-51, 77-71, 101-97. NBA SCORES DEC 18 FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Hornets 13-18    21    20    23    34    98 team logo Cavaliers 7-21    29    24    23    24    100 SCORING LEADERS     T. Rozier CHA 35 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST     C. Sexton CLE 23 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Heat 20-8    19    37    26    26    108 team logo 76ers 20-9    29    19    26    30    104 SCORING LEADERSK. Nunn MIA 26 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST J. Embiid PHI 22 PTS, 19 REB, 3 AST FINAL/OT     1    2    3    4    OT    T team logo Bulls 11-19    23    29    21    25    12    110 team logo Wizards 8-18    27    31    27    13    11    109 SCORING LEADERS     L. Markkanen CHI 31 PTS, 9 REB, 1 AST     D. Bertans WAS 26 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Raptors 19-8    30    40    26    16    112 team logo Pistons 11-17    29    35    15    20    99 SCORING LEADERSP. Siakam TOR 26 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST A. Drummond DET 22 PTS, 18 REB, 0 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Grizzlies 10-18    32    36    32    22    122 team logo Thunder 13-14    27    32    34    33    126 SCORING LEADERSB. Clarke MEM 27 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST D. Schroder OKC 31 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Pelicans 7-22    32    31    24    20    107 team logo Timberwolves 10-16    25    25    22    27    99 SCORING LEADERS     B. Ingram NO 34 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST     A. Wiggins MIN 27 PTS, 7 REB, 0 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Magic 12-16    32    28    16    28    104 team logo Nuggets 18-8    27    18    39    29    113 SCORING LEADERS     N. Vucevic ORL 20 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST     J. Murray DEN 33 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Celtics 18-7    29    21    26    33    109 team logo Mavericks 18-9    29    26    18    30    103 SCORING LEADERSK. Walker BOS 32 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST K. Porzingis DAL 23 PTS, 13 REB, 2 AST FINAL     1    2    3    4    T team logo Warriors 5-24    29    37    26    20    112 team logo Trail Blazers 12-16    40    27    30    25    122 SCORING LEADERSD. Russell GS 26 PTS, 1 REB, 7 AST D. Lillard POR 31 PTS, 5 REB, 13 AST