Latest news with #FilipinoLapuLapuDay
Global News
23-07-2025
- Global News
Hearings underway to determine Lapu Lapu Day attack suspect's fitness to stand trial
The man accused of killing 11 people and injuring dozens more by driving an SUV into a crowded Vancouver Filipino street festival in April is in court on Wednesday for a fitness hearing. The hearing will see a judge determine whether Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, is mentally fit to stand trial. The details of evidence presented and what is said in court are subject to a publication ban. 'There is still a lot of grief, anger and confusion as to what happened that day, a lot of people are also looking for justice and are looking for updates on this case,' Filipino BC spokesperson Crystal Laderas said outside the Vancouver Provincial Court. 'I believe the community is looking for answers, and at least to be able to follow these proceedings closely, but we do want to respect the court process.' Story continues below advertisement In the wake of the April 26 attack at Vancouver's Filipino Lapu Lapu Day festival, Lo was initially charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Prosecutors approved three more counts this week, bringing the total number of charges to 11. 2:00 40 days since Lapu Lapu festival tragedy Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison said it will be up to Crown prosecutors to decide whether Lo will face additional charges. 'We trust that with these additional second-degree murder charges, that will bring some degree of accountability and answers to the community, to families that have been grieving, their loved ones that have been seriously injured or killed in one of the horrific mass murder events in Canadian history,' Addison said. 'Certainly there were other people who were injured, other people quite seriously. And we'll leave that with Crown counsel to do their charge assessment to undertake their process to determine what charges are most appropriate.' Story continues below advertisement On June 26, Vancouver police said six people who had been injured in the incident remained in hospital. Laderas said her organization is in court Wednesday to keep tabs on the case, but also to provide support for victims of the attack, many of whom could be retraumatized by the court process. 'A lot of people have put in a lot of personal work on recovery, people have moved from hospital beds to rehabilitation centres, they have gone through counselling, physiotherapy to recover from this. And sometimes when court proceedings come up it brings them right back to April 26.' The Supreme Court of Canada is expected to release a ruling dealing with fitness to stand trial on Friday, and as a result, Lo's hearing is being split into two parts. The court is expected to hear evidence on Wednesday and Thursday and then pause, with lawyers expected to make arguments after the Supreme Court ruling comes down, in order to accommodate any potential changes to the law.
Canada Standard
17-06-2025
- Health
- Canada Standard
and so is our commitment to human rights
The British Columbia Supreme Court has begun hearing a long-awaited constitutional challenge to the province's Mental Health Act. The case, nearly a decade in the making, is now drawing greater attention in the wake of the tragedy at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day street festival earlier this year that left 11 people dead in Vancouver. The event has shaken many in the community, leaving behind grief and fear. Furthermore, in light of reports that the person accused of the crime was under Mental Health Act supervision, difficult questions arise. The pain is real, and any conversation about mental health must begin with compassion for all of those affected. Read more: Vancouver SUV attack exposes crowd management falldowns and casts a pall on Canada's election At the same time, it's important to ensure this moment of reckoning leads to thoughtful dialogue, not reactive policy. Unfortunately, much of the public discourse has become mired in fear and misinformation, creating a false and dangerous choice: that Canada must sacrifice individual rights in order to protect public safety. As a legal scholar in equality rights and public interest litigation, I don't believe Canadians have to choose. A mental health system that respects Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms can also promote safety. The case currently before the B.C. Supreme Court was initiated by the Council of Canadians with Disabilities (CCD), a national human rights organization led by people with disabilities. The group is fighting provisions in the province's Mental Health Act that strip patients of any right to choose their own health care, or to appoint a loved one to make health care decisions on their behalf. The CCD's motto - "Nothing about us without us" - reflects a longstanding commitment to ensuring that people most affected by policies and systems have a voice in shaping them. This litigation will amplify the voices of people who underwent psychiatric treatment without consent and to shine a light on the deep and lasting harms they have suffered. Let's be clear about what this Charter challenge actually seeks and what it doesn't. It doesn't aim to eliminate involuntary hospitalization. It does not change who can be detained, how long they can be held or the legal criteria for involuntary admission. What it does seek is something far more modest and humane: to ensure that when psychiatric care is forced, it is delivered with dignity, oversight and the involvement of trusted supporters in accordance with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. One of the key reforms that CCD has long advocated for is the right for people to name a family member or friend to be involved in treatment decisions. Far from undermining care, this kind of involvement can help bridge the gap between medical necessity and personal dignity. It's a safeguard that respects patients' values and builds trust, which the current system desperately lacks. And yes, it could even enhance public safety. Reports suggest that a family member of the man accused in the Lapu Lapu mass murders in April was concerned about his deteriorating mental health and had reached out for help just before the tragedy occurred. A more responsive system with the embedded involvement of trusted decision-makers might have made a difference. Read more: Fraudulent crowdfunding after the Lapu Lapu tragedy highlights the need for vigilance and oversight British Columbia is currently an outlier in Canada. It's the only province where people detained under mental health laws are automatically deemed to consent to any treatment authorized by the facility - regardless of their actual wishes or capacity. There's no right to name a substitute decision-maker, no ability to appeal a treatment decision, no independent oversight, and treatment is often imposed through isolation, physical restraints or security force. Advocates have been calling for change for decades. But in the wake of the Lapu Lapu attack, some politicians are proposing not a more compassionate or rights-respecting approach, but harsher, more coercive powers over people with mental health issues. That would be a mistake. The current system, which experts have long said is inconsistent with human rights, did nothing to prevent this tragedy. Violating the rights of people in crisis did not and will not keep the public safer. B.C. Premier David Eby has acknowledged the shortcomings in the current system, but has said that engaging in law reform while litigation is undergoing would pose a risk. Instead, he says it's better to wait to hear what the court decides before changing the law. That logic is arguably akin to a citizen saying it's risky to stop driving at a speed they know is over the lawful limit until they're pulled over. Waiting for the courts to force change wastes precious time, and public resources, that could be better spent on designing a new, Charter-compliant mental health system in collaboration with experts, service providers, families and people with lived experiences. Meanwhile, substantial public funds are being spent on government lawyers to fight a legal battle defending a regime that is clearly unconstitutional and fails both patients and public safety. That money would be far better spent consulting with experts, families and people with lived experiences and developing legislation that upholds constitutional rights and keeps communities safe. The time for delay is over. The B.C. government must act now to rewrite the Mental Health Act in order to protect the public and respect Charter rights.
New York Post
27-04-2025
- New York Post
Vancouver Filipino festival attack death toll rises to 11, as cops say driver had ‘extensive' mental health history
At least 11 people are confirmed dead after a crazed driver sped an SUV through revelers at a Vancouver block party — including 'very young people,' officials confirmed. The suspect — a still unidentified 30-year-old man from Vancouver — was 'known' to law enforcement after a 'significant' history with police interactions, and was also well known to health-care professionals related to mental health,' interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai told reporters Sunday. 3 The black SUV barrelled into the crowd Saturday at the Lapu Lapu Filipino festival in Vancouver. In addition to the dead, dozens more are injured after the Saturday attack at the celebration for Filipino Lapu Lapu Day, and police cautioned that more victims could succumb to their injuries 'The number of dead could rise in the coming days or weeks,' Rai said. 'This is the darkest day in our city's history,' he added, according to CBC. 3 Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney arrives to make a statement about the deadly incident on Sunday April 27, 2025. REUTERS 3 At least 11 have been killed and dozens more injured in the attack. REUTERS The suspect plowed a black SUV into a crowd of hundreds at the Lapu Lapu Day party around 8 p.m. — just as organizers were taking down barriers because the event had officially ended. Witnesses likened the scene to a bowling ball smashing through pins. After the suspect's vehicle came to a halt, he was held down by partygoers until police arrived.
