...the Pinoy doc to UN post

Pinoy doctor elected to UN committee vs. torture

By Rio Rose Ribaya

26 October 2012

 

A Filipino doctor is among the 12 new members of a committee in the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland, a local group disclosed on Friday.

Dr. June Pagaduan Lopez, founder of Medical Action Group (MAG), was elected as a member of UN Anti-Torture Committee’s Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT).

In a statement, MAG congratulated Lopez for bringing Pinoy honor, by serving as one of the experts who will monitor detention conditions in more than 60 countries around the world until 2016.

"This will considerably strengthen the mandate of the SPT in torture prevention particularly in the field of mental health rehabilitation of torture survivors and their families," the group said.

The SPT has a preventive mandate focused on an innovative, sustained and proactive approach to the prevention of torture and ill treatment.

Lopez was elected during the fourth meeting of Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) on Thursday.

She will be working with other experts from Switzerland, United Kingdom, Argentina, New Zealand, Lebanon, Serbia, Mauritius, Costa Rica, Brazil, Germany and Republic of Moldova.

A professor at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Manila, Lopez exemplified “outstanding commitment” to the promotion and defense of human rights, MAG said.

She has been using her expertise in psychiatry for the rehabilitation of torture survivors for many years, the group noted.

The Philippines became the 63rd State Party to the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT) in April.

...the chess master to World Cup

Paragua books trip to World Cup (The Philippine Star) May 31, 2011

  

GM Mark Paragua| Zoom

MANILA, Philippines - Three-time Olympiad veteran GM Mark Paragua beat IM Wei Ming Goh of Singapore in the final round to finish second in the Asian Zone 3.3 Chess Championships and clinch the last berth in this year’s World Cup.

Paragua outwitted Goh in 35 moves of the Sicilian and wound up with 6.5 points in the nine-round tournament topped by Indonesian GM Susanto Megaranto at the Tagaytay International Convention Center in Tagaytay yesterday.

Paragua, 27, actually finished tied with top seed Zhang Zhong of Singapore and compatriot IM Richard Bitoon but took the second and last World Cup berth with a superior tiebreak score.

Megaranto downed GM Joey Antonio to emerge the solo champion with seven points in the event organized by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines (NCFP) in cooperation with the Tagaytay City government.

Megaranto’s win over Antonio came exactly 12 hours after he stopped erstwhile leader GM Darwin Laylo in the penultimate round.

“I’m very happy to make it to the World Cup again. It’s been a long time since I last played there,” said Paragua, who earlier escaped with a hard-fought draw with Zhang in the eighth round.

Paragua made it to the 2004 World Cup in Tripoli, Libya, losing to GM Viktor Bologan of Moldova, 1.5-.5, Russia in the first round.

In 2006, he defeated GM Sergei Movsesian of Armenia, 1.5-.5, in the first round but lost to GM Alexei Dreev of Russia in the blitz playoffs, 6-5, in the second round.

Zhang foiled Laylo, while Bitoon crushed GM Dao Thien Hai of Vietnam for joint second.

Newly crowned Asian Youth 16-under gold medalist Jan Emmanuel Garcia settled for a draw with IM Nguyen Huyn Monh of Vietnam, while IM Rolando Nolte beat GM Cerdas Barus of Indonesia for joint fifth with six points.

Garcia also earned an outright IM title based on his exceptional showing.

The 16-year-old Ateneo student also won over Wei Ming Goh of Singapore in the eighth round.

In women’s play, WIM Beverly Mendoza drew with Hoang Thi Nhu of Vietnam to emerge as the highest-placed Filipina player at 11th with 5.5 points after the tiebreak.

Mendoza finished a full point behind top seed IM Li Ruofan of Singapore and WGM Hoang Thi Bao of Vietnam.