GMA PROPOSES MEDICAL PAROLE MEASURE
Former president and now Rep. Gloria Arroyo of Pampanga, who is under hospital arrest for a plunder charge, has proposed a bill granting medical parole for sick prisoners in the House of Representatives.

Arroyo made the pitch under her House Bill 6608 or the Act Providing Medical Parole to Qualified Prisoners which seeks to grant parole to detainees experiencing failing health. The former president co-authored the measure wit his youngest son, Rep. Diosdado Arroyo of Camarines Sur. The Arroyos cited that freeing sick prisoners would reduce the state’s expenses on maintaining the jails across the country. “As a gesture of mercy and compassion and for humanitarian considerations, the grant of medical parole should be allowed since all persons must be treated with dignity, whether in or out of prison, and irrespective of crimes committed,” the Arroyos said in their explanatory note. LLANESCA T. PANTI
 
ACTOR MUM ABOUT INJURING HIS GIRLFRIEND
Actor Matt Evans who was involved in a domestic spat with his girlfriend has been released on Monday night after the Pasig City Prosecutor’s Office allowed him to post bail. Evans posted a P200, 000 bail for his temporary liberty. Lawyer Gerly Rico admitted there was indeed an altercation but denied that the Evans injured his girlfriend Johnelline Hickins and Johnelline’s brother Juan Alberto Carlotta. Rico insisted that it was actually Evans who got hurt and was even threatened with a knife. “Matt denies having inflicted any injury against his girlfriend or her brother. In fact, it was Matt who was hit on the leg and who was threatened with a knife,” Rico said. The legal counsel said that they are awaiting the legal processes to proceed so that Matt’s name will be cleared from all these accusations which are nothing but lies. Evans, who was arrested on Saturday, marked his 26th birthday inside the jail. The actor who is known for his role “Pedro Penduko” is set to face violence against women and physical injuries charges. NEIL A. ALCOBER

GROUP BATS FOR WELFARE OF DOLPHINS
Refusing to concede defeat in their fight to prevent 25 dolphins from being re-exported to a marine park in Singapore, several animal rights groups has filed a motion, urging a Quezon City court to reconsider its decision of not extending the 72-hour temporary environmental protection order (TEPO). Petitioners the Earth Island Institute-Philippines (EII-Philippines), Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), CARA Welfare Philippines as well as individual animal welfare advocates said in their motion filed on Friday that the lifting of the TEPO will render their case “moot and academic” since it would already paved the way for the dolphins to leave the country. “If the dolphins will be allowed to be re-exported to Singapore, this will render our case moot and academic, hence depriving us our right to be heard in court,” said Anna Cabrera of PAWS, co-complainant in the case. JING VILLAMENTE