BAY AREA – Anti-domestic violence groups applauded the California Supreme Court’s recent decision to reinstate the second-degree murder conviction of a man, who killed his Filipino girlfriend in 2000.
In 2008, a Bay area court convicted Tare Ramirez (also known as Tare Beltran) of second-degree murder for the death of Claire Joyce Tempongko, who was stabbed multiple times in her apartment in front of her children.
The court sentenced Ramirez to 16 years to life.
However, defense attorneys argued Tempongko’s murder was a crime of passion and did not warrant a murder conviction for their client.
The First District Court of Appeal in 2011 overturned Ramirez’s conviction, ruling that the judge presiding over the trial misled jurors about the option of a lesser verdict of manslaughter.
The California Supreme Court on June 3 reinstated Ramirez’s conviction.
“We are so grateful for the CA Supreme Court’s opinion that the guilty verdict in the death of Claire Joyce Tempongko by Tare Ramirez (Beltran) should be upheld,” said Beverly Upton.
“This allows the Tempongko family and the community to breathe a sigh of relief and have some closure,” Upton said.
Tempongko’s death served as a rallying cry against domestic violence after it was learned that she had gone to police and filed several complaints against Ramirez. During the time of her death, Tempongko had a restraining order against him.
Her case was the foundation of the Filipino Women’s Network’s anti-domestic violence campaign.
A city oversight committee was formed to review how police handle domestic violence cases and offered a list of reforms.
The police bungled the handling of the domestic violence case and reached a $500,000 settlement with Tempongko’s family.
In a statement, the Filipino Women’s Network said: “Claire Joyce Tempongko can now rest in peace.”
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend June 15-18, 2013 Sec A pg.1)
