This week, with a Korean Kiss, Duterte instigated a meaningless feud between Kris Aquino and Mocha Uson while elsewhere cops were arrested for extortion, a prosecutor was murdered, the PNP admitted they are struggling to end the drug problem, and regular old fashioned corruption continued to fester in the halls of the Philippine government.
Another political assassination.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said that illegal drug problem still persists despite the accomplishments of the police force as he cited that a number of street pushers were still being arrested.
The country's top cop also admitted that police force under the Duterte administration could not completely rid the illegal drug problem but only minimize it.
Wow! No kidding? Seriously? Who knew that the PNP would not be able to stamp out drug use 100% in the country? Maybe they should kill more people. Maybe that would help. In fact just kill everyone. If there is no one alive to do drugs then there will be no one doing dugs! Simple.
The Sandiganbayan 7th Division has convicted former communications officials under the administration of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo over the acquisition of a printer worth P882,075 in 2009 without public bidding and an approved budget in 2005.
In the decision promulgated on May 25, 2018, the anti-graft court found Bureau of Communications Service (BCS) Finance and Administrative Division Officer-In-Charge Darius Josue, Accounting Section officer-in-charge Eden Villarosa, Publications and Productions Chief Angelito Enriquez, Personnel Officer Lino Aala, all officials and members of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC); and Special Productions Division Chief Leonardo Alcantara Jr. guilty of graft and sentenced them to imprisonment of 6 to 8 years.
The court said the purchase caused undue injury to government as the printer bought from Ernest Printing Corporation was a second-hand unit.
“Also, as pointed out by the prosecution, for a measly difference of P50,000 and by accepting Ernest Printing’s second-hand press over the brand new one provided by Union Service, the BCS BAC effectively deprived BCS of the use of the full efficiency and full life of a brand new equipment,” the court said.
6 to 8 years in prison for buying an overpriced second-hand printer.
Solicitor General Jose Calida and 14 lawyers in his agency last year collected P10.8 million in excess allowances in violation of Commission on Audit (COA) regulations and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) itself illegally paid P800 million to foreign law firms from as far back as nine years ago, according to the state accounting agency.
In its 2017 audit report, the COA said Calida received a total excess in allowances of P7.5 million in 2017. Two Assistant Solicitors General who received the next largest amounts were Renan Ramos, who exceeded his allowances by more than P837,000 and Henry Angeles, who got an excess of more than P697,000, the COA said.
State auditors said the practice was irregular because OSG officials collected allowances whose amounts exceeded 50-percent of their salary, the regulatory cap set by the COA.
Calida on Friday said the questions raised by the COA over the excess allowances the Solicitor General and other OSG lawyers collected was “not new.”
“It has been on-going for the past five years since the time of Solicitor General Florin Hilbay,” Calida said in a statement. “The OSG has consistently acted within the confines set by law. The honoraria and allowances were paid in accordance with law.”
From another article we get a fuller explanation from Calida:
The Solicitor General said the P10.7 million were received by the OSG for services rendered to their client government agencies in accordance with law, particularly, Section 1(i) of Presidential Decree 478 (Defining the Powers and Functions of the Office of the Solicitor General) and Section 35(9), Chapter 12, Title III, Book IV of Executive Order 292 (Administrative Code).
“These provisions authorize the OSG lawyers to receive allowances and honoraria for the legal services they render without qualification as to the number of agreements with client agencies and without limitation/cap as to the amount,” Calida explained.
“The authority of these agencies to pay OSG lawyers honoraria and allowances for services rendered is restated in Section 8 of Republic Act 9417 (An Act to Strengthen the Office of the Solicitor General),” he added.
Calida noted that the COA conducted its finding relying on COA Circular 85025-E which limits the honoraria and allowances to 50 percent of an OSG lawyer’s salary.”
“However, this limitation is not found in the laws authorizing the payment of said honoraria and allowances,” he said.
“Definitely, COA Circular 85-25-E cannot prevail over the provisions of law,” he stressed.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/06/02/calida-coa-wrong-in-flagging-p10-7-million-honoraria/
Calida says he is well within the confines of the law because the COA flagging is based on a circular and not the law. This extra payment is not the only irregularities found within the OSG. Corruption truly is lurking in every little hole in the Philippines.
Redondo was said to be a known drug personality in Misamis Oriental.
PDEA-Northern Mindanao agent Ben Calibre said the suspect was also included in their narco-list.
It can be recalled that the regional anti-narcotics agency revealed some 22 village officials in the region are said to be engaging in the illegal drug trade, four of whom are from Misamis Oriental.
A known drug personalty was still voted into office. Now he's gone for good.
Sure. Whatever you say. And this is what they all say.
"He is not a special person, and I do not recognize his rapporteur title," declared Duterte, who was at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, on his way to an official visit to South Korea. "Tell him not to interfere in the affairs of my country."
Duterte also claimed that he had nothing to do with the quo warranto petition Solicitor General Jose Calida had filed against Sereno, and that Calida took this action on his own.
Duterte explained that Calida had it in for Sereno because the then chief justice was against the burial of the former dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
For Duterte, offering an opinion equals interfering the affairs of the country. Interesting confession that Calida had it in for Sereno. Wow!
Calida is doing it because he's an Ilocano. He's hurt because of 'yung denial sa burial ni Marcos. Akala niya nakikialam ako.
You know, Calida, he was doing it as an Ilocano. Abogado 'yan. Pati 'yang siya ang nagdala ng --- sabi na ipalibing.
https://pcoo.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Departure-Statement-of-President-Rodrigo-Duterte-for-his-Official-Visit-to-ROK.pdf
How will Calida respond to this revelation??
At least 895 illegal structures have been identified in forest lands, including in nine wetlands on the island.
Those structures weren't built without the knowledge of local politicians. Will they all be held accountable?
Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, on Saturday said “people with integrity” would soon be tapped to manage two graft-ridden military pension and savings funds.
Urging soldiers to live a frugal life, he noted that a great majority of them were deeply mired in debt. An estimate of their total borrowings, he said, is about P200 billion.
A corrupt financial agency plus horrible personal finance skills equals disaster. Or maybe these soldiers do not make enough and are forced to borrow just to make ends meet.
Another murdered prosecutor. They did catch her killer though.
(They're saying the radius of the bombers covers the Philippines. But it was flown over and it landed outside our territory. So how can we protest about something beyond our territory?)
Cayetano said the Philippines can file a protest but only in a multilateral setting, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In ASEAN, member-countries act by consensus and speak in one voice.
"Puwede mo gawin 'yon sa multilateral. So sa multilateral, sa ASEAN, 'di ba, we join our ASEAN brothers in the statement (You can do that in a multilateral setting. In a multilateral setting, in ASEAN, we join our ASEAN brothers in the statement)," Cayetano said.
(But for you to protest about something beyond your territory, something you do not claim, it's quite ridiculous. Professionals and experts find that funny.)
Professionals and experts find the Duterte administration's permissive and submissive attitude towards China to be quite ridiculous and very unfunny.
And here are the biggest contributing factors: Fish and seafood!
But don't worry. It's only temporary!
This is the so-called political opposition. If she was oppose to anything she would be calling for an investigation into Marawi especially since the Duterte administration knew about it in advance. But as it is she is locked in jail and is full of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Fired but not charged with any wrong doing therefore she did nothing wrong! Case closed. But not cased closed. Case opened!
Three counts of malversation, falsification, and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act were each filed against former PhilHealth interim President Celestina Dela Serna and former Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Fired from her position, under investigation, and facing a long term in prison if convicted. You know what? She should stay on the board of PhilHealth!
That's how the fight against corruption goes.
A police official known for the bloody implementation of the campaign against illegal drugs in Bulacan today assumed the leadership of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“I urge these bad eggs in the police service to resign. If these rogue cops try to fight it off, then we will have no option but to defend ourselves,” he said.
“We will work harder in order to achieve our goals of eliminating the misfits in the organization,” Caramat said.
“We have no room to relax. But all our operations will be in accordance with the existing standard operating procedures because if we do shortcuts, then we would be no different from these scalawag policemen,” he added.
What does this even mean? Will he start killing allegedly corrupt cops? Ridiculous. Pretty messed up that the PNP has a dedicated anti-scalwag unit. Excuse me if I don't believe a word of this patent nonsense.
“It’s not easy to head this unit. The mandate and functions are not easy since we are running after PNP personnel who are trained like how we are trained, that are equipped how we are equipped. Thinking even better than the criminals,” Malayo said.
Malayo also said it was emotionally difficult to arrest fellow police officers.
“Nasasaktan din kami dahil sila ay kapwa namin pulis,” he said.
(We, too, are hurt because they are police officers like us.)
PNP officers thinking better than the criminals? I think he means thinking just like criminals!
More frivolous lawsuits. How would he prove this even if it did happen? It will turn into he-said she-said. Don't forget this is the man who stole a cellphone from a Solon and it was all caught on CCTV.
“If we look at the European companies, I would expect that you would struggle to find companies that are paying only the minimum wage, most of them would be paying more,” Jessen told reporters at the sidelines of the Labor Standards and Trade Forum in Makati City.
“Exactly because what they are after here is not a low cost labor but is actually a labor that has a certain quality that perform quite complex task,” he added.
Labor groups have called for a P750 nationwide daily minimum wage to help the workers cope with rising prices of fuel and basic goods.
According to Jessen, foreign investors are more worried about red tape and the complex system of business licensing in the country.
“In the context of the European Chamber, they don’t talk about the minimum wage.” he said. “It is other issues that they focus on such as red tape, complex system of licensing.”
He added that investors have also repeatedly complained about 60-40 percent foreign ownership rule stipulated in the Philippine Constitution.
European companies pay more than the minimum wage? Who'd've thought Europeans would pay a living wage? Red tape is code word for corruption.
Suspended lawyer Elly Pamatong questioned before the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday Duterte’s authority to hold the position of president.
Under the Rules of Court, those who may file a quo warranto petition are the solicitor general, public prosecutors, and a person claiming the usurped public office or position.
Pamatong is none of the above.
It had to happen sooner or later. They will probably toss this in the trash because the supplicant is not qualified to submit the complaint.
President Rodrigo Duterte has transferred tourism undersecretary Jose Gabriel 'Pompee' La Viña to the Department of Agriculture and tapped Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator and CEO Raul Lambino as his adviser for Northern Luzon.
La Viña, who played a crucial part in the Duterte presidential campaign as social media director, will serve as DA undersecretary.
If you remember this is the man whom Duterte fired from the SSS for being corrupt but then re-appointed to a position in the Department of Tourism. That is how serious Duterte is about sniffing out whiffs of corruption.
(I’m warning those criminals in and out of the government. I will make radical changes in the days to come. For those offices beyond my control, I will place you in the Office of the President so you will have to deal with me everyday.)
The President lamented that there have been too many crimes and he said he will not hesitate to use emergency powers to put things in order.
“Remember that there is no difference between martial law and declaration of national emergency,” he said.
Duterte also warned the public of a military takeover if things go out of hand.
He said, if this happens, no one can guarantee that the military will give its control over government back to civilians.
Why would he even hint that the AFP would stage a coup? What a calumny that is on the brave men and women of the AFP who gave their lives or put them on the line during the Marawi siege. Just last week Duterte says the AFP is the best military int he universe now he thinks they would hatch such an evil plot? Does he realise that ALL government offices are full of corruption?
The document provided no details of the murder charge but a source said it was related to the death of Tago's predecessor, Mayor Exchan Limbona, in an ambush in December 2017.
The judge ordered "any officer of the law" to arrest Tago and his brother. It was addressed to the Iligan City offices of the Philippine National Police, Criminal and Investigatigation and Detection Group, and National Bureau of Investigation.
"You are hereby commanded to arrest Jameloding D. Tago and Jabar D. Tago who are said to be at Punod, Pantar, Lanao del Norte, or anywhere in the Philippines and who have been charged before me with the offense of murder and bring them forthwith before me to be dealt with according to law," read Orejana's order.
Pantar, where clans are engaged in long-running feuds, is notorious for killings and election-related violence. The latest incident was the killing of Limbona on December 29, 2017.
Tago became the mayor in January, after the Commission on Elections declared him the real winner for vice mayor in the 2016 elections. This made him the rightful successor of Limbona.
This is a continuation of a bizarre story from last month where a Mindanao Mayor was arrested and then the military was pressured to released him into the custody of Duterte's envoy to Kuwait. Now he has been ordered rearrested on a murder charge. Seems he murdered the man he replaced as Mayor.
Duterte appointed on June 6 Manuel L. Serra Jr. as member of the governing board of the Philippine Coconut Authority.
Serra will serve the unexpired term of Abundio Edicio Dela Torre which started on July 1, 2017 and will end on June 30 this year.
Serra was among the five PCUP commissioners fired by the President in December last year for making foreign junkets.
That's how Duterte's fight against corruption goes.
Only 3 out of 20? It's actually 4 out of 20 but it should be 0 out of 20.
There was uproar on social media and strong criticism from labor groups and lawmakers over media reports that the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) supposedly said a Filipino family with 5 members needs only P10,000 a month to lead a decent life.
The reports presented a breakdown of expenses under a P10,000 budget, as shown by NEDA officials during the press briefing on the May 2018 inflation rate on Tuesday, June 5.
A TV report scrutinized NEDA’s food budget of P3,854 monthly or P127 daily. A reporter went to the market to check what P127 could buy.
But did NEDA say P10,000 a month was enough?
In fact, the economic managers only said this is the budget that a typical minimum-income family works around with, based on their spending habits recorded by government 3 years ago.
What NEDA said: In a statement on Wednesday, June 6, NEDA said that it only showed "how a hypothetical monthly budget of P10,000 will be affected by a 4.6% inflation rate."
However, NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon failed to clarify this point with reporters during the Tuesday press briefing.
Edillon did not state in any part of the briefing that P10,000 was enough for a Filipino family to live a decent life.
A lot of uproar because of a tone deaf agency using a ridiculous hypothetical situation based on statistics from 2015. If they had stressed the point that this was just a hypothetical math problem to illustrate the effects of inflation then the uproar might not have happened. As it is the economists in this country are making it up as they go so it is no wonder they remain aloof from the needs of the common people.
Nicanor said based on the complaint of Ryan Abing Olsina and Jerbin Pulac Velasco, both collectors and operators of STL in La Trinidad, Lubos and Legaspi frequently arrested STL collectors and demanded P5,000 to P40,000 in exchange of not filing any case against them.
That's a nice little scam. Arresting criminals and extolling money to let them go. Then repeating over and over. Now it's over!
The scandal of the week is the Korean Kiss.
The President bussed one of the OFWs on the cheek, then gestured to the other that he wanted to kiss her on the lips.
He could be heard saying to her: "Dalaga ka? Hindi naman kayo hiwalay? Pero kaya mo sabihin na biro lang ito?" (Are you single? You're not separated from him? But you can tell him that this is just a joke?)
Duterte then kissed the OFW on the lips, and hugged her afterwards, as the crowd screamed and cheered.
Everything is a joke with Duterte.
"I don’t think there’s anything immoral. After all, the President has reiterated he is single,” Roque said in a press briefing in Seoul.
Duterte's marriage to Elizabeth Zimmerman, the mother of his three children - Paolo, Sara, and Sebastian - was nullified in 2000.
The President has a common-law wife, Honeylet Avancena. They have a daughter, Veronica.
Of all the ways to defend Duterte's kiss this has to be the worst. I wonder what Duterte's common-law wife thinks about this statement from Roque that Duterte is single.
Many voiced disgust over this kiss and in response Mocha Uson posted a video of Ninoy Aquino being kissed by women. This upset his daughter Kris Aquino and a feud was born. Kris demanded Mocha apologies but Mocha stood firm and refused to do so. The fray was so contentious that Duterte even butted in.
Still Mocha refused. She refused to apologise even though Duterte apologised.
Mocha Uson defied her boss, President Duterte. So what now? Is her government career over? Of course not!
Duterte still trusted Aguirre until he fired him!
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