It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
A witness has surfaced in the Senate to testify that a good conduct time allowance “for sale scheme” exists in the New Bilibid Prison.
Yolanda Camelon told the Senate that she had paid P50,000 to secure the release of her common-law partner, but the date kept being moved back despite payment of the bribe.
Camelon identified Major Mabel Bansil and Staff Sgt. Ramoncito Roque as the officers to whom she allegedly gave the payment.
She said it was Bansil who first approached her in February, asking her if she wanted her husband freed through the GCTA law.
Bansil told her it would cost P50,000 and later introduced her to Roque, who she knew as the chief of the documents section at the Bureau of Corrections.
She was allowed to pay the amount in installment, and she did so, completing the payment in three installments within February.
She made the first payment of P10,000 in Roque’s house with Bansil present. Her next two payments consisted of P20,000 each.
She was told that her husband would walk out of the state penitentiary in March, but this did not take place. She was then told that his release would be done in June, but this was not fulfilled either. Next, she was told it would be in October.
At that point, she said she shut her ears to more promises and demanded to get her money back.
After the issue about the GCTA releases broke out, she decided to come out and spill the beans.
Messed up if true. But this is how it always works. The people play along with the corruption and willingly pay bribes until they realise they have been snookered and only then do they try to play within the rules and that only as a matter of revenge or an attempt to recoup their money.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday said Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and other former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chiefs should likewise be investigated on alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
“I think so, kasi meron siyang mga nirelease, diba? So dapat lang tingnan kung may paglabag doon (because he allowed the release of some convicts, right? So I think we should find out whether or not violations were committed),” Año said.
Dela Rosa, after retiring from the Philippine National Police, served as BuCor chief from April to October 2018.
He said he believes that Dela Rosa can defend himself on the matter.
“Kayang kaya naman ni Sen. Dela Rosa depensahan ‘yung sarili niya, kasi kung meron namang nag qualify doon bakit naman siya sisisihin doon (Sen. Dela Rosa can defend himself, because if the convicts did qualify for the GCTA, why should he be blamed)?” said Año.
Dela Rosa earlier admitted signing the release orders of around 120 heinous crime convicts when he was BuCor chief.
Año says Bato must be investigated but then says he can defend himself and asks "why should be be blamed" practically declaring him innocent without an investigation! But Bato says he signed the release orders of 120 convicts which is a clear violation of the law. Will be interesting to see a newly elected Senator on the hot seat!
If he didn't understand the law then why did he vote for it? The man is also a lawyer so it makes no sense for him to not understand the consequences of laws he votes for.
The President then proceeded to harangue the social ills that Spanish and American colonialism brought about in the country, including members of the elite who were complicit in the process.
“And yet, I was asked for a commemoration of the 500 years since [the Spanish] arrived here. I answered, ‘Why would I celebrate the arrival of the Spanish here? Why would I?’” the President said.
“It was good that my cousins got mad at them and cut off Magellan’s head. That made me happy,” said the President, who claims to be a descendant of Cebu chieftain Lapu-Lapu who defeated Ferdinand Magellan in April 1521.
Despite the rhetoric, however, the President did issue on May 8, 2018, Executive Order No. 55 which created the National Quincentennial Committee tasked with leading preparations.
The 2021 commemoration was meant not only to mark the introduction of Christianity but also the 500th anniversary of Lapu-Lapu’s victory and Magellan’s first circumnavigation of the world.
Reacting to the President’s remarks, Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said the commemoration in 2021 would not be a celebration of Spanish colonial rule but of the Christian faith.
“Let us therefore make it clear: What we will celebrate in 2021 is not colonialism but the Christian faith that the natives of these islands welcomed as a gift, albeit from people who were not necessarily motivated by the purest of motives. God can indeed write straight even with the most crooked lines,” David wrote on his Facebook page on Saturday.
Interesting that Duterte claims descent from Lapu-Lapu. It is not surprising that he would skip out on any commemoration of 500 years of Christianity as he has made it clear that he is a Muslim. His attendance would also likely stir up resentment among the Muslims in Mindanao.
The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission on Sunday said it would investigate all Bureau of Corrections leaders involved in the implementation of the controversial Good Conduct Time Allowance law since 2014.
PACC chief Manny Luna, however, said they would not probe former BuCor chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a staunch ally of President Rodrigo Duterte, because they have no authority to do so.
“Kasi walang law na pinasa ang Congress empowering the PACC to investigate a sitting lawmaker. Kahit congressman hindi naming puwedeng imbestigahan e, because of the separation of powers,” Luna said.
(There is no law approved by the Congress empowering the PACC to investigate a sitting lawmaker. Even a congressman we cannot investigate, because of the separation of powers.)
Luna furthered that the PACC is an executive agency while Dela Rosa belongs to the lawmaking arm of the government.
“Under the separation of powers principle in the Constitution, bawal ho kami manghimasok sa (we are not allowed to meddle in) Congress whether it’s a senator or Congressman pero ang (but the) ombudsman may (has) power,” the PACC chief said.
“For 2 reasons — one, mayroong batas (there is a law) — ‘yung (the) Ombudsman Act, empowering the ombudsman to investigate even those in the other departments of government,” he added.
The anti-corruption commission is only allowed to investigate presidential appointees while the ombudsman can launch a probe even without a complaint.
What a toothless body. They should leave all this investigation to the Ombudsman.
The Office of the Ombudsman suspended 27 Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials for six months as they faced grave misconduct cases for the release of heinous crime convicts using the now controversial good conduct time allowance.
An order signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Monday, Sept. 9, listed those suspended as BuCor officials Chief Supt. Gerardo Padilla, Senior Supt. Celso Bravo, SPO2 Ramoncito Roque and 24 others.
Roque is officer-in-charge of Inmate Documents and Processing Service, who had been accused of taking part in a scheme to bilk inmates’ relatives in exchange for early release through good conduct time computations.
The Ombudsman order said the BuCor officials were being suspended in connection with an investigation that the anti-graft body was conducting into “the alleged anomalous release of prison convicts.”
It said the Ombudsman “finds that the evidence in the form of testimonies of witnesses and public documents” pointing to irregularities in the release of prisoners “appear to be strong.”
27 underlings and no sign of BuCor Chief Faeldon. Why not? Same thing happened at the BOC. underlings suspended and charged while the head dog gets away!
“I think human rights defenders and the victims of human rights violations have laid down the basis and evidence that the killings are state-sponsored,” Colmenares, speaking partly in Filipino, told reporters on the sidelines of CHR inquiry.
“Besides direct evidence, we showed a pattern of evidence showing the government as responsible for the EJKs — such as when the government public vilifies the victims. Secondly, perpetrators committed the crime [killing] apparently without fear of the police,” he added.
Colmenares did not divulge what the specific pieces of evidence are, although he had previously mentioned these two types of evidence, albeit in a different scenario. It was during the attacks on farmers, human rights workers in the Negros island which was correlated to the communist insurgency.
Why would he make such claims not divulge the evidence? Without a smoking gun all that is left is circumstantial evidence which the government can easily dismiss.
“I think that a better leadership probably in agencies that have to deal with traffic is what we need,” Poe told reporters.
A lot of people are very dismissive of Poe and claim she is a do nothing trapo or traditional politician. But she is absolutely right. Giving Duterte emergency powers will only give him access to money. It won't solve the traffic problems. All the agencies in charge of traffic need to get their acts together an enforce laws and show real leadership. That won't solve everything but it will be a start.
“Kung meron sanang death penalty, that cures everything. Pati yung mga drug lord dyan na hanggang ngayon kung meron pa mang nagtra-transact pa rin drug business sa labas, e hindi na yan makapag conduct ng drug bussiness nila dahil patay na, bitayin na dapat yan.”
(“If there is a death penalty, that cures everything. As for the drug lords there until now if they were still transacting drug business out there, they would not be able to conduct their drug bussiness because they are dead, they should kill it. ”)
You know what else would cure everything? If Bilibid was run like a real prison and the inmates were not bribing all the guards so they can have cell phones and TVs!
Dela Rosa, who served as BuCor chief from April to October 2018, earlier told ABS-CBN News Channel that he was willing to be slapped if he was really involved in corrupt practices.
“Alam n’yo ‘di lang sampal, kahit barilin niyo ako kapag napatunayan niyo na ako’y naging corrupt sa pagiging chief ng BuCor. Sampal mababaw lang yun, barilin nyo ako," said Dela Rosa in a subsequent interview with reporters.
(Not just slap; you can even shoot me if it is proven that I was a corrupt BuCor chief.)
Another drama queen!
President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday China wants the Philippines to ignore its legal victory in the South China Sea to push through with the joint oil and gas exploration deal in the disputed waters.
"Set aside your claim... They want to explore and if there is something, sabi nila, 'We would be gracious enough to give you 60 percent.' Forty [percent] lang ang kanila. That is the promise of Xi Jinping," he told reporters.
Duterte said he is amenable to the Chinese leader's request.
"Kasi ‘yang exclusive economic zone is part of the arbitral ruling, which we will ignore to come up with an economic activity," he said.
Imagine being the hard working attorney who toiled day and night to get this ruling and the President just tosses it away like so much garbage.
“All high-risk convicts, together with convicted of heinous crimes will be placed there,” Zubiri said during Monday’s Senate budget hearing on the 2020 budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Año said the DILG “strongly supports” the proposal, especially since the facility aims to house convicted drug lords, rebel leaders and terrorists.
“Right now, they are all together in one dormitory,” Año, speaking partly in Filipino, said. “Instead of being deradicalized, the more that they are getting radicalized. The prison has become like a university, a university of terrorism.”
It sounds like a good idea but it would probably be another corrupt place where those who pay the most get the best treatment.
“Kung ikaw ang Presidente ng Pilipinas, patay. You do not even read a book.”
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday directed this statement to Vice President Leni Robredo after she criticized him on his remark that government officials can accept gifts of nominal value and out of gratitude.
Duterte also mentioned Senator Panfilo Lacson but he said that he can forgive the former police chief because he is not a lawyer.
“I quoted the very words (of) anti-graft and corrupt practices. There are exemptions, nominal and I used the word nominal and out of gratitude,” Duterte said before recipients of the Outstanding Government Workers Award in Malacañang.
Duterte last month said there is nothing wrong with policemen accepting “gifts” from families who are grateful for their work, insisting that accepting gifts out of “gratitude” cannot be considered a violation of the law.
Robredo is not the only official to have criticised Duterte for giving permission to accept gifts. So why pick on her and why now?
Malacañang said Monday that fired Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Nicanor Faeldon could not be involved in the reported corruption at the agency and might have only been hoodwinked by alleged corrupt lower-ranking officials.
Their argument is that Faeldon is incompetent and stupid rather than corrupt!
FORMER Pangasinan governor and congressman Amado "Ama" Espino Jr. was ambushed on Wednesday, September 11, according to Senator Richard Gordon.
Gordon, who is chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said Espino "is now fighting for his life in a hospital in Pangasinan."
All his five bodyguards were killed as they "heroically shielded Espino with their bodies", Gordon said in his Twitter post.
Another politician ambushed!
Eight high-profile inmates, one of them a pastor, have been tagged in the alleged hospital-pass-for-sale scheme inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa.
And even while inside the Bilibid, the inmates, most of them drug convicts, allegedly continued their illegal drug transactions, neophyte Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go disclosed on Tuesday.
Go said he got the information about the said illegal activities of the inmates from a high-profile inmate.
“Most of these illegal drug transactions take place in Medical Ward 3, Medical Annex and Building 14,” he said in an interview at the Senate.
“It involves several personalities, about eight of them. Illegal drug trade continues in the NBP with the NBP Hospital as the new venue for illegal drug transactions,” he added.
With the help of hospital officials, the inmates would feign sickness so they would be transferred to the hospital and would have access to telephones, Go said.
“I can’t give details of the transactions and their contacts outside, but they use a room to transact with someone outside by calling on a cellphone,” Go said in Filipino.
This hospital-pass-for-sale scheme is just one of the alleged corrupt practices uncovered during the ongoing investigation of the Senate Committee on Justice.
Before this, the senator lamented how senators are being lied to everytime they conduct a hearing.
“This is our fourth hearing. Each time that we conduct a committee hearing, we’re being lied to at least once. We’re being lied to each time by our resource persons,” he said.
Schemes and liars and lying schemes in the Bureau of Corrections. The more hearings they have the more corrupt we learn the BuCor really is.
Elmer Susano of the Caloocan City Regional Trial Court had just left a restaurant and went inside his pickup truck when 3 motorcycle-riding men shot him at close range at 2:45 p.m.
He managed to hit one of the motorcycles while reversing his truck, security footage showed.
The assailants, all wearing helmets, chased Susano but eventually withdrew. The prosecutor managed to flee to safety and report the incident to police.
Caloocan City police chief Noel Flores said Susano received death threats before the incident.
"We are looking into the cases handled by Susano as possible motive behind the ambush," he said.
In May 2017, Caloocan City assistant prosecutor Diosdado Azarcon was shot dead outside his house in Barangay 63, Caloocan City.
He is not the first prosecutor to be shot at and he won't be the last.
“Set aside the arbitral ruling,” the President told reporters in Malacañang, quoting Xi. “Set aside your claim. Then allow everybody connected with the Chinese companies. They want to explore. If there is something, they said, we will be gracious enough to give you 60 percent, only 40 percent will be theirs. That is the promise of Xi Jinping.”
But Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. refuted the President’s statements on Wednesday, saying China did not attach such a condition to the proposed joint exploration deal.
“I read everything he told President Xi. China has never made setting aside the arbitral award a prerequisite to anything,” Locsin replied to a reporter’s question via Twitter.
Locsin cited Justice Menardo Guevarra’s legal opinion that the memorandum did not compromise the Philippines’ sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea.
“Can’t help it if traitors try to put a treasonous spin to it. But it’s [OK], one day they’ll be assassinated with impunity; indeed to loud acclaim,” Locsin said.
After Xi’s visit to the Philippines in November last year, Guevarra vouched for the legal soundness of a joint exploration deal, saying there was no need for the Senate to ratify it because it was not a treaty.
“There are no sovereignty issues whatsoever as the [memorandum of understanding] merely expresses a mutual desire to agree on specific cooperation arrangements within 12 months,” Guevarra said in December.
If Teddyboy is right then Duterte is a liar. But why would he lie about such a matter? And here we go again with Teddyboy tweeting out awful things such as "they'll be assassinated with impunity." His problem should not be with those who interpret Duterte's statements but with Duterte's alleged lying.
A former traffic enforcer of Lapu-Lapu City was arrested by police for extortion in an entrapment operation on Wednesday afternoon, September 11, 2019.
Antonio Miano, 57 years old, a resident of Purok Orchids Barangay Looc, Lapu-Lapu City, was arrested for issuing temporary license plate for a motorcycle in exchange for P3,000.
According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Gifter Sucalit, Chief of the Intelligence Branch (CIB) of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, Miano introduces himself as member of City Traffic Management System (CTMS) who can process and provide a temporary vehicle license plate in exchange for a certain amount of money.
The police learned of Miano’s illegal activity after receiving a tip from a concerned citizen who was once a victim of Miano.
If those plates are legitimate then there must be others involved. Maybe someone in the LTO?
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday served a 3-month suspension order against Masantol town Mayor Danilo Guintu as the penalty for abuse of authority.
The administrative case stemmed from a complaint by Bernardo Guevarra, a vendor in the town’s public market.
It wasn't graft at least. A nice 90 day vacation and then he's back.
Without doubt the Philippine Political Scandal of the Week is the ongoing Senate hearings on corruption in the Bureau of Corrections particularly at New Bilibid Prison. I have already posted some articles above now I will list a few more.
High-profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prison bribed prison officials so they could enjoy certain privileges while detained such as female entertainers that were worth P30,000 a night, a former chief of the Bureau of Corrections said Thursday.
Another "racket" inside the prison, he said, was the kidnapping of these "wives" of high-profile inmates who had to be ransomed by the convicts. All the transactions are done inside Bilibid, Ragos said.
The kidnap-for-ransom activities were carried out by cops who were in cahoots with the inmates.
He said inmates also engaged in nearly 24-hour gambling inside the prison, and some corrupt jail officials were also stealing from the inmates’ food budget. Some BuCor personnel also sold cellphones, alcohol and cigarettes to inmates at steep prices, he added.
A list provided by the BuCor to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee showed a total of 2,359 names of prisoners released because of Good Conduct Time Allowance(GCTA).
Under a list of 1,714 names of released "in the present administration," Napoles' name appeared as one of them, even wrongly attributing the crime of rape to her.
BuCor's documentation chief Ramoncito "Chito" Roque told the blue ribbon committee also on Thursday that they rushed the compilation of the list.
"Mabilisan pong pinagawa sa 'min, mag-pe-press con kasi sa Palawan during that time, hindi po namin na-check nang mabuti," Roque told Senator Richard Gordon.
(We had to rush it because we were going to have a press conference in Palawan during that time, we weren't able to check it properly.)
The alleged money-making rackets inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) rake in from P300,00 to P500,000 a week, a former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) official privy to the said schemes disclosed.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that Duty Officer Edgardo Ferrer was stabbed at around 8:40 am by a prisoner who was "suffering from schizophrenia."
Ferrer survived the attack and suffered only a "superficial stab wound" on his lower torso, according to the DOJ's report. He is already being treated by medics, the DOJ said.
During the probe, Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Richard Gordon floated the idea that the incident may be the result of deep corruption plaguing the BuCor. The DOJ and the police have yet to reach a conclusion.
In his Thursday press briefing, Panelo reiterated the President’s standards in appointing someone to a government post.
“Apart from being a killer, per Senator Bong? Well, the President has only two qualifications: honesty and competence,” he said.
Honest and competent? This is the Philippines so not likely.
"Duterte won't leave a stone unturned in good behavior release. But won't look at Bato." Someone should tell him that is leaving a stone unturned. I see Duterte also has his lips wrapped around China cock again.
ReplyDelete