Gigi, Mia, Leila fall before the 'Ides of March'

"Destiny is a good thing to accept when it's going your way. When it isn't, don't call it destiny; call it injustice, treachery, or simple bad luck."
-- Joseph Heller

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- Year of the Fire Rooster proved to be disastrous for three lady lawyers in the Philippines, as they were waylaid one after the other in a series of bad lucks that unraveled before the "Ides of March."
Of the three, Manuelita “Mia” Mascariñas-Green, 49, suffered the most as she was brutally killed by gunmen in front of her three children inside a car in Bohol on February 15.
Investigations showed that Mascariñas-Green's murder was work-related and the suspects, including the mastermind, have been identified.
Two others--Jessica Lucila "Gig" Reyes, 53, and Senator Leila Norma Eulalia Josefa Magistrado de Lima a.k.a. Leila De Lima, 57 -- are both in jail and accused of non-bailable crimes.

DENY

The Sandiganbayan has denied Reyes' motion to quash her plunder charge over the pork barrel scam, paving the way for the plunder trial. 
Reye is the former chief-of-staff of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile reportedly with strong links to "pork barrel queen" Janet Napoles.
De Lima, No. 1 critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's alleged involvement in extra-judicial killings (EJK), is facing drug-related charges. She became the administration's "first political prisoner", according to her lawyer Jose Diokno.
While Mascariñas-Green's sensational killing got less attention from national media, De Lima's quarrel with President Duterte has been known all over the world and being watched by human rights advocates who believed that the lady senator is a victim of "political persecution" for opposing the hard-hitting president.

CALENDAR

The "Ides of March" is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to March 15, the day when Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate by senators led by Brutus and Cassius in 44 B.C.
Because of what happened to Caesar, we have been always warned to listen to the soothsayer as "Ides of March" approaches.
We have been alerted that the year 2017 of the Fire Rooster "will be full of positive events and very good news, career progress and profitable businesses for those born in the year of the Dragon."
During this year, the Snake natives are going to stand out professionally and be promoted, the Chinese Horoscope warned.