Injured Filipino couple won’t settle with...

1 restaurant drive-thru in North Hollywood last year. “What we are sure at the moment is that we will push through with the case,” Arriola stressed. “Even those who will handle case for us claim that is a big strong case.”

The Arriolas met with Deputy District Attorney Emilee Divinagracia and Assistant Deputy D.A. Rochelle Beardsley who, incidentally are both Filipinas, and will handle our case, happily shared Arriola.

Detained suspect One of the suspects, Keylen Xavier Lee Farley, who is now detained at the Sacramento County Main Jail, was arraigned last March 15 before the Department 62 of the Sacramento Superior Court. The other suspect, still unidentified, is at large.

An investigation led to Farley’s arrest and the subsequent filing of three felony counts by the Sacramento District Attorney: two counts for robbery of the second degree and aggravated assault and a third count for elder abuse.

Farley allegedly attempted to steal a professional camera in broad daylight from Arriola who then had two large cameras on his shoulders. In the struggle captured on video, Arriola is seen being knocked to the ground. In the same video, Farley is seen dragging Arriola on the pavement and kicking him in the chest multiple times. Ochengco was also reportedly pushed to the ground as she tried to restrain the man from attacking her husband. Farley then rushed to a getaway car driven by the other suspect while the victims were taken to the University of California Davis Medical Center.

Traumatic injuries

The elderly Arriola says he and his wife are still suffering from physical injuries, psychological trauma and are unable to work as caregivers as before.

“I suffered six broken ribs apart from bruises and abrasions. My wife’s knees suffered even more after the incident as she was already using a cane due to weakened knees for a month before the attack. She also had a lot of bruises even in her chest,” Arriola says. His wife, he says, suddenly burst into tears at the memory of the attack.

“We really need all the help and support we can get as bills kept piling up through the days that we cannot got to work and even had to attend to the case hearings,” Arriola appealed.

NaFFAA is raising funds for the couple at https://www.gofundme. com/f/vf6zak-fight-for-justiceelderly-filams-attacked, as well as NAFCON at tinyurl.com/ helpthearriolas.” (Inquirer.net)

1992 and July 1998, both election years, when satisfaction with the country’s democracy peaked at 70 percent. It again peaked in September 2010, a few months after the election of the late Benigno Aquino III, at 69 percent. Satisfaction, however, fell to a disappointing 44 percent in June 2004, a month after the controversial polls that re-elected Gloria Macapagal-

Arroyo.

As reported earlier, some 60 percent of the survey respondents said that “democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government,” up from 54 percent recorded in April 2021.

SWS data showed that it is five points below the recordhigh 65 percent recorded in June 2013 and 13 points above the record-low 47 percent in June 2014.

Preference for democracy has been above 50 percent since June 2015.

Meanwhile, those who said that an authoritarian government can be preferable to a democratic one “under some circumstances” rose from 20 percent in April 2021 to 26 percent in December 2022, a point shy of the record 27 percent obtained in a September 2010 survey.

The remaining 15 percent of the respondents said it did not matter for them whether the Philippines has a democratic or non-democratic regime, down from 26 percent in the April 2021 survey. The survey had 1,200 respondents and a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percent.

In January, London-based think tank The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) classified the Philippines as a “flawed democracy” in its Democracy Index 2022.

From 54th in 2021, the country improved to 52nd out of the 167 countries and territories included in the annual index. “Flawed democracies” are those that have free and fair elections and where basic civil liberties are respected, but there are significant weaknesses in some aspects, including governance, political culture and participation. n

PAGE 1 immune system. Does Arcturus cause more severe illness?

There is no early signal of an increase in severity, the WHO said.

Should we be worried?

In a message to reporters on Wednesday, April 26, the DOH said that while there have been slight increases in bed occupancy in India and Indonesia, levels are still “much lower compared to the effects of the previous variants.

“Overall, risk assessment is said to be low,” it said.

The Philippines is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases as more people go out and as the economy continues to reopen. Despite the rise in infections, the country’s healthcare utilization rates remain low

What should Filipinos do?

The DOH reminded the public to continue practicing minimum public health standards such as:

• Wear masks

• Isolate when sick

• Ensure good airflow, especially when mobile in public places

• Get vaccinated and boosted. n

threatening to kill Nerissa Roque and her daughter Patricia, after Weber’s jeep rear-ended their vehicle.

Despite the footage, Judge Neetu S. Badhan-Smith ruled that while Weber made “offensive and vulgar statements” against the family, the incident remained a “general intent crime,” according to a San Fernando Valley Sun report.

Badhan-Smith cited the 10- to 15-minute span between the use of racial slurs and the physical assault, and noted that Weber no longer used such slurs during the attack itself. She noted, however, that the attack cause significant injuries to the victims.

The victims expressed disappointment at how they’ve “been so far by the justice system.” Patrick Roque, a family member, said. “It’s really obvious from the video that it was a hate crime.”

The assault has triggered outrage in the Asian community, and the Roque family’s supporters vowed to keep protesting until they get a full measure of justice.

The videoed incident occurred on May 13, 2022 at a McDonald’s drive-thru lane on Victory Boulevard. After Weber rear-ended the Roques’ vehicle, he allegedly hurled racial slurs and threats, using a mock Asian accent.

Weber then allegedly tried to physically attack Patricia. Her father, Gabriel Roque, 60, tried to stop him but was allegedly pushed or punched to the ground, leaving him with a broken rib. Weber also allegedly choked Nerissa. He was arrested on June 16, 2022 but thrice refused to attend his arraignment.

Weber pleaded not guilty to two counts of battery, but as of the judge’s April 18, he is facing two counts of felony battery without the hate crime charges. (Inquirer.net)