Foreigner shoots Cebu fiscal inside Palace of Justice

[smokey 22,071]

If he had gone back to Canada he might have been able to get some help for his mental illness....

 

 

 

 

he did not live in canada or did you miss that part

[Davaoeno 38,490]

 

If he had gone back to Canada he might have been able to get some help for his mental illness....

 

 

 

 

he did not live in canada or did you miss that part

he could always have gone back to the US where he grew up until age 24 - but they would probably have arrested him and charged him with desertion. 

[Headshot 29,808]

I would love to see a complete chronology of the events that led up to this murder/suicide. This didn't start when he walked through "security" and into the Palace of Justice with two guns. It sounds like his was a long and painful path to get to this point. It also sounds like he made just about every mistake that a foreigner can make in this country, so there are probably a lot of lessons other foreigners can learn from this story. I have already picked up a few.

 

1.  Like I said...Never live in a place controlled by an HOA. That isn't just true here, but pretty much anywhere in the world. HOA's tend to be led by people who crave power and who are not shy in abusing whatever power they think they have. In fact, try to be as invisible as you possibly can to anybody who thinks they have power over the lives of others. This applies especially to HOA presidents. They are the worst meglomaniacs in the world.

 

2.  Don't move to the Philippines and think you can act with impunity the way you did in your home-country. You left your "rights" in your home-country when you got on the plane. Don't come to the Philippines thinking you are still in Kansas or Manitoba or York. You are not. If you piss off people around you here, bad things will likely happen. If things start to spin out of control, and you can't mend things where you are, take a vacation before they go totally over the edge. I'm talking about leaving the country...or at least move to a totally new location. It is much better to leave or just get a fresh start in a new location than it is to stay and "fight for your rights." You really have no rights here, and the sooner you learn that, the better off you will be.

 

3.  Foreigners should not come to the Philippines with any kind of political agenda. The Philippines has a long history of dealing harshly with political activists. If you write articles criticizing specific political leaders, they will remember when it matters...to your detriment. Follow the rules, stay away from politicians, and above all...never become politically active. That includes writing critical editorials that will be read by local politicians. They don't want you playing in their political sandbox...so don't.

 

4.  Being a foreigner does not protect you in the Philippines. In fact, it puts you at a severe disadvantage in any dispute. Therefore, keep a low profile and avoid disputes if at all possible. Be friendly...especially to the Filipinos who live around you. People don't trust people they don't know...so get to know your neighbors, and try not to offend them. Say you're sorry if somebody feels offended by something you do or say. It is very easy to offend people when you are not totally aware of all of the quirks in local customs...so when it happens...apologize...even if you aren't sure what you did wrong. People remember things like that, and will see you as humble (this is a Catholic country after all, so that is a valued virtue).

 

I'm sure there are a lot more lessons that people can take from this story, and more will revealed as the story continues to develop, but those are the most obvious to me right now. I'm sure that not everybody will agree with these points either. Oh well...if you think I'm wrong, try it your way and see how it works out.

[Stranded Shipscook 2,856]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-mans-fight-for-justice-reaches-bloody-end-in-the-philippines/article7651952/

 

“This guy, Rafols, once came to my apartment at 2 o’clock in the

morning, with two armed police officers and an armed bodyguard, with

their guns out, and swung a baseball bat inches from my face,” Mr. Pope

told reporters during a court appearance in 2011.

 

Perhaps intimidate with bought police would be a better description. (assuming it is true of course)

 

 

The above Statement is what a MADMAN ( now very apparent if one reads the International Statements, Obituary and News reports from Canada and other places )  stated on a hearing in a courtroom AGAINST HIM as defence for his Gun swinging in Public 2011.

Nobody actually believed him then, as it was just a statement and no prior report was filed. And I don't believe a word of that story either....

The Police does not need to come to doors and swing baseball bats to harass someone. They got the Monopol on harassing people in all kind of forms if they wanted too.

 

He also heard knocks on his door, wrote mysterious letters and emails to people, suspected all kinds of people of conspiring against him and scared the shit out of his fellow workmates "post mortem".

 

As I said, he was a nice fellow in his "normal" hours, but it seems he had another personality too.

Thus indicating a severe psychological disorder. ( and the more I read the more I see similarities to a certain other Madman in France.   )

 

So come on guys, just because the Guy used some "key words" such as "corruption", "no justice", etc., that does not mean he is correct and that his murders were justified.

 

How about, Dr. Rafols was a decent man and in his desperation and out of fear for his life as neighbour of a Madman filed charges against the Canadian ?

Does anybody even considers this possibility ?

And where is the so called 'Foreigners get denied justice ?"

Fact is that a person swings his illegal Firearms in Public and gets several Court Hearings instead of being imprisoned/deported immediately.

As many always accuse the Philippine authorities of.

Which in this case would maybe have been better, then 3 People would be still alive...

 

*-

[InternetTough 1,397]

 

John Pope was arrested near Dr. Rafols clinic last year. He had a gun. 

 

Obviously, he was a mentally deranged stalker.

 

Someone who knew  him and worked with him in Canada, one Doug Martin, features editor of the Prince George Citizen, said that he was "...a very unhappy guy, a troubled guy. He was kind of a crazy man. He seemed like a prime candidate to pull out a gun and shoot us all. We laughed about it. Maybe we shouldn't have." The same source said that other former colleagues felt the same about him.

 

People should remember that John Pope had a Canadian history, too. 

 

I fully believe that he deserved the many charges filed against him before his murderous binge.

 

 

>>>>John Pope was arrested near Dr. Rafols clinic last year. He had a gun. 

 

Obviously, he was a mentally deranged stalker.

 

Someone who knew  him and worked with him in Canada, one Doug Martin, features editor of the Prince George Citizen, said that he was "...a very unhappy guy, a troubled guy. He was kind of a crazy man. He seemed like a prime candidate to pull out a gun and shoot us all. We laughed about it. Maybe we shouldn't have." The same source said that other former colleagues felt the same about him.

 

People should remember that John Pope had a Canadian history, too. 

 

I fully believe that he deserved the many charges filed against him before his murderous binge.

 

 

 

maybe you should walk in his shoes before claiming you know him so well ..... my wife has a gun does that mean she is crazy 

 

Is your wife's gun illegal? NO

Does your wife have a history of making grave threats against someone? NO

Was your wife arrested while near the workplace of that someone while carrying an illegal gun? NO

Has your wife just shot three people (including a man who said that she was threatening him---one of the charges) in the courthouse? NO

 

 

(Some of you might object that it was not proven in court that John Pope had made grave threats against the doctor, but since the threats escalated into execution, I see no problem with assuming that John Pope HAD been making grave threats against the doctor.)

 

One of the things that John Pope did was file a complaint against a prosecutor for making him pay a 200 peso notarization fee. He was not a poor man---he had a $50,000 SRRV (according to Elma Corbeta---PRA chief in Cebu) which was refunded to him last year. He then decided to live in the Philippines as a tourist---then paid for only one (1) 59 day extension. His condo was worth a fair bit, according to one source.

 

The man was caught walking around carrying an illegal gun----and he hadn't even bothered to extend his tourist visa. Poor fellow! What a surprise that the immigration authorities issued a deportation order against him. Some people seem to think that his deportation was the product of harassment against him---no, his own harassment of others and flouting of the immigration law brought it on.

 

He seems to have been a person who did not understand that everyone needs to be under the law. The lightest touch of authority seemed to set him off.

Edited January 24, 2013 by InternetTough

[Headshot 29,808]

For those who say this will lead to the government making it more difficult for those with 13A visas...you should remember that John Pope had an SRRV...not a 13A visa. If anything, it should cause the authorities to look more closely at that program (SRRV). Has anybody here gone through the five-year 13A visa ACR-I card renewal? Is it anything more than a formality where you pay them a fee to take your picture again and print up a new ACR-I card? The 13A visa is permanent (once the permanent visa is issued). What expires is the ACR-I card. I have no idea if anything expires on the SRRV, but if it doesn't...maybe it should.

Edited January 24, 2013 by Headshot

[A_Simple_Man 6,843]

 

John Pope was arrested near Dr. Rafols clinic last year. He had a gun.    Obviously, he was a mentally deranged stalker.

 

And yet, when the good doctor goes to John Popes home with armed men, then the good doctor is just being . . . a concerned citizen?  Looks like a pot and kettle playing their tune and both got burnt.

[spooks 1,729]

For those who say this will lead to the government making it more difficult for those with 13A visas...you should remember that John Pope had an SRRV...not a 13A visa. If anything, it should cause the authorities to look more closely at that program (SRRV). Has anybody here gone through the five-year 13A visa ACR-I card renewal? Is it anything more than a formality where you pay them a fee to take your picture again and print up a new ACR-I card? The 13A visa is permanent (once the permanent visa is issued). What expires is the ACR-I card. I have no idea if anything expires on the SRRV, but if it doesn't...maybe it should.

SRRV is not an expired visa it is permanent.  You have to get home based police clearance and a psychological screening to prove you are not insane. the shrink took one look at me and declared me insane. I asked why? he said because you want to bloody well go there mate!!

[AB2000 416]

((I write this as a forum member and not as a moderator.))

 

OK, so the guy shot a couple of lawyers.

Perhaps he had good reason, and perhaps not.

 

However, it was only two lawyers, and Philippine lawyers at that.

So, they probably deserved it, and it will be two less to cause trouble for others.

 

 

(It would have been far better had he shot some politicians, about the only breed worse than lawyers.) 

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, and I am not privy to all the facts and history in this case, but I am a friend of friends on facebook with the atty Casino who is in the hospital. I can get this message posted on her wall...I mean, only if you would like me to.

[littlePP 3,671]

 

Seems rather ignorant that they are not checking a foreigner charged with gun possession - for guns, at a place where he is going to answer for his gun possession.

 

Oh, the irony - and stupidity.

 

BTW, guy snapped - happens.

    do you really believe that the guard had any idea why he was going in the building

 

Well, I would assume he would be there for a reason - that reason being to check people coming in, and doing "guard' things and all that guards do - being it's a courthouse.

 

I have not been fortunate enough to be in the cebu courthouse, so found it rather odd that a place of legal confrontations would not have a metal detector, and ironic that (with the information given at the time) a man charged with illegal gun possesion gets into the place he eventually goes postal and murders two people, and puts another on death row - with the same guns.

 

On a side, headshot is dead on - I have read and watched the filipino news for years when I resided there, and it was always a bit, to say the least - lacking and twisted in actual facts.

 

So this is the story - crazy unstable nut, nudged hard by the same corruption he was crazed against, in a third world dump of a city full of it, goes nuts and murders those he feels were corrupt.

 

Is that about it?

 

Horrible and sad, but shit happens all the time all over the earth, and life does go on.  

 

Prayers out to the families, and time to hug my own.

[Stranded Shipscook 2,856]

 

John Pope was arrested near Dr. Rafols clinic last year. He had a gun.    Obviously, he was a mentally deranged stalker.

 

And yet, when the good doctor goes to John Popes home with armed men, then the good doctor is just being . . . a concerned citizen?  Looks like a pot and kettle playing their tune and both got burnt.

 

Again, this is an unproven and highly doubtful allegation John Pope made in his reasoning why he carried an illegal Firearm and threatened the Doctor with it.

 

Why I doubt it ? Because the Police can harass with other methods,they have the monopol in doing so.

[Headshot 29,808]

So this is the story - crazy unstable nut, nudged hard by the same corruption he was crazed against, in a third world dump of a city full of it, goes nuts and murders those he feels were corrupt.

 

Is that about it?

Hmmm...it almost makes you think he was affiliated with the NPA. That's the kind of stuff they do.

[tokyoman 535]

Dr Rafols was one of the best pediaticians in Cebu, Pope loved kids and got them educated

 

These 2 guys had a common interest

 

They should've been mates not enemies

[littlejohn 164]

 

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/canadian-mans-fight-for-justice-reaches-bloody-end-in-the-philippines/article7651952/

 

“This guy, Rafols, once came to my apartment at 2 o’clock in the

morning, with two armed police officers and an armed bodyguard, with

their guns out, and swung a baseball bat inches from my face,” Mr. Pope

told reporters during a court appearance in 2011.

 

Perhaps intimidate with bought police would be a better description. (assuming it is true of course)

 

 

The above Statement is what a MADMAN ( now very apparent if one reads the International Statements, Obituary and News reports from Canada and other places )  stated on a hearing in a courtroom AGAINST HIM as defence for his Gun swinging in Public 2011.

Nobody actually believed him then, as it was just a statement and no prior report was filed. And I don't believe a word of that story either....

The Police does not need to come to doors and swing baseball bats to harass someone. They got the Monopol on harassing people in all kind of forms if they wanted too.

 

He also heard knocks on his door, wrote mysterious letters and emails to people, suspected all kinds of people of conspiring against him and scared the shit out of his fellow workmates "post mortem".

 

As I said, he was a nice fellow in his "normal" hours, but it seems he had another personality too.

Thus indicating a severe psychological disorder. ( and the more I read the more I see similarities to a certain other Madman in France.   )

 

So come on guys, just because the Guy used some "key words" such as "corruption", "no justice", etc., that does not mean he is correct and that his murders were justified.

 

How about, Dr. Rafols was a decent man and in his desperation and out of fear for his life as neighbour of a Madman filed charges against the Canadian ?

Does anybody even considers this possibility ?

And where is the so called 'Foreigners get denied justice ?"

Fact is that a person swings his illegal Firearms in Public and gets several Court Hearings instead of being imprisoned/deported immediately.

As many always accuse the Philippine authorities of.

Which in this case would maybe have been better, then 3 People would be still alive...

 

*-

And that is why I said assuming it is true I have no idea never met the man. And I did mention earlier that it wasn't very bright letting anyone know he had firearms legal or not it is just asking for trouble.

[littlejohn 164]

Maybe he just spent to many years in the Philippines and went native. Not like this sort of thing doesn't happen fairly often here.