Filipino Actress Mariel Rodriguez to Give Birth in the United States

Here we go again. Another Fil-Am identity crisis.  But this time it's a little different. Usually the case is a person born in the USA to Filipino parents who has only lived in the USA, knows nothing but the USA, yet eats lumpia and thinks he is a Filipino. That scenario is pure delusion. This case is the reverse. Actually it's rather unique. A Filipino actress with American citizenship is flying to the USA to give birth.

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/345074/mariel-rodriguez-flies-to-us-before-giving-birth-to-baby-no-2

Mariel Rodriguez is on her way to the United States to give birth to her second child with Robin Padilla. 

The TV host, who is an American citizen, was accompanied by her 2-year-old daughter, Isabella. Padilla sent off his wife and daughter in the airport before their trip, as seen in Rodriguez’s picture on Instagram yesterday, Sept. 12. 

“Here we are embarking on another journey…. making sacrifices and doing what’s best for our children,” Rodriguez said. “Thank you for our trip babe @robinhoodpadilla we miss you already!!! When we see you next time we will be with Gabriela.” 

As to why Rodriguez still wants to have baby No. 2 in the US, she said in an interview with the Philippine Star last August: “I want to be able to give my baby the same attention I gave Isabella when I gave birth to her… No one will bother us, no one will visit us. You know what I mean? So I want  to be able to give her that.” 

With Rodriguez giving birth in the States, her kids would be Americans too. Under that country’s constitution, children can become American citizens if they are born in the United States or one of its territories. A child born to a US citizen, even if the birth is in another country, can still acquire citizenship, athough the process is more complex. 

It should be obvious why she is giving birth in the USA and not in the Philippines. Because she wants her children to be American citizens and if she gave birth here the process to get them American citizenship is "more complex." Plenty of folks have taken to social media to give her a hard time about this decision. Her husband Robin did not take kindly to that.

https://entertainment.inquirer.net/346969/robin-padilla-defends-mariel-rodriguez-having-baby-in-us

Robin Padilla justified his and Mariel Rodriguez’s decision to have the TV host give birth to their second child, Gabriela, in the United States. 

Many of her fans wished her well, but one Instagram user, a certain @georg_supreme, did not seem to be in favor of Rodriguez’s giving birth in the US. 

The netizen, addressing US President Donald Trump’s Instagram account (@realdonaldtrump), pointed out that Rodriguez only goes to the US to give birth. He/she added that it made Rodriguez a “birther,” and that it was not allowed. 

After being asked by another Instagram user about what was wrong in giving birth in the US, the netizen chose to “research” about the celebrity couple. He/she then asked why would Rodriguez leave the Philippines to give birth if Padilla prided himself on being nationalistic. The said comments have since been deleted.  

In response, Padilla said, “Ang pagiging [Filipino-American] ay hindi pagtataksil sa Inangbayan (Being Filipino-American is not betraying the motherland).” 

He then claimed that he and his wife are more American than those who speak English and live in the US, after pointing out that Rodriguez is an American citizen, and stating that he bears some Native American blood. 

Padilla also said he and his wife were more Filipino than anyone else, citing that since his grandparents are the heroine Gabriela Silang and one Captain Pablo of Nueva Ecija, they bear great love for the Philippines (“lumalangoy na kami sa pag ibig sa bayan na ito”).

Mariel's husband's response is absolutely ridiculous. He says they are both more American and more Filipino than anyone else and cites as proof that he has a drop or two of native American blood. But he does not say what tribe. Most people who claim native American ancestry will at least give a tribe name. I bet Robin is lying.

As an American citizen it certainly is Mariel's right to go to the USA and give birth. It's also her right to go to the USA and get a job in Hollywood and never return to the Philippines. Instead she will return with her new child in tow.

According to the limited biography available online she was raised in Parañaque by her maternal grandparents after her parents split which means her father is probably an American and she was likely born in the USA and then brought back here after her parents divorced. There is no indication that she ever spent any of her formative years in the USA. As such she is a Filipino through and through.

You certainly can't fault her for wanting her children to have a golden ticket to the USA. If things get hairy here they can just get on a plane and go with no problems. If they do well in school they can apply for universities in the USA. Maybe then can even land a high paying job. Who knows?

But does Mariel know that as an American citizen she must pay taxes to the IRS? Does she know that as American citizens her children will be shouldered with that same burden as well and that ignorance of the law is no excuse? That means a double tax burden to the Philippines and the USA. Who wants that?

Then there is the cultural mess.  Her children will grow up as Filipinos. They will have Filipino cultural mores and they will speak English with a Filipino accent. Everything they will know, all they will know, is the Philippines. But they will also legally be Americans.

As I wrote above this is a very unique situation. Many Chinese women fly to California to give birth so their children will have American citizenship. Many illegal aliens make their way to the USA to give birth in the hopes that they will grow up and help them attain citizenship. That is the anchor baby problem. Here is a situation that is not criminal at all. Mariel is an American citizen and she can come and go as she pleases even if that means to give birth.

But her children will pay the cultural price as they will be duped into believing that having an American passport makes them Americans.

Overloaded Sugar Cane Trucks 4

What is up with these overladed sugar cane trucks I will never understand. You see the thing is oftentimes the trucks can be packed nice and neat like so:

Sure there is a bit of sugar cane hanging out the back but it's not stacked high and there is a net covering the product. It looks nice and neat and, more importantly, safe. Quite unlike the following trucks.

Why there is no uniformity amongst the way these trucks are stacked I have no idea. Why would anyone think stacking the sugar cane in such a haphazard manner is safe? Maybe they don't think it's safe.  Maybe they aren't thinking at all!

Martial Law: Continues to Lose

Are 50 years of communist rebellion about to come to an end? The way the government is speaking it seems so. But rather than ending in the glory of war and the parading of the rebel leaders before the cameras after reducing them to a forced surrender the communists might meet their ultimate end in a whimper as they are reabsorbed back into society as if nothing ever happened.

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1029054

Brig. Gen. De Leon, who noted the effectiveness of localized peace talks, said the successive surrender of NPA members and supporters is a proof that the CPP-NPA-NDF is getting weaker as they are losing their regular and part-time members as well as their mass base.  

“From today onward, expect the help that will come to you from various government agencies at national, regional, provincial and municipal levels. We will look for ways to develop skills training and livelihood, ”he assured surrenderers. 

De Leon also urged them to convince their kin and friends to return to the folds of the law and avail of government programs and services. 

“If you want to help your mountain companions, tell them we're waiting for them. They have come down so they can feel the support of the government, ”he added.

Availing of government services is key here. With the E-CLIP program the government will give money, housing, and job training to all fighters whether communist or Muslims who surrender. This week almost 200 NPA members and supporters have surrendered.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083807

At least 164 communist rebels, militias, and supporters surrendered, burned rebel flags, and yielded firearms during a symbolic rite in San Fernando town on Monday. 

In an emotional speech, Datu Mansuladi "Balakbakan" Umalis, one of the tribal leaders in the area, recalled how the New People's Army (NPA) threatened his life if he refused to join the communist rebel movement. 

"Even at 10 p.m., they would knock on our doors. They want our community to join their rallies even if we don't want to," Umalis said in the dialect during the event. 

Edma said the surrenderers will receive benefits under the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) for rebel returnees. 

In the municipality alone, the mayor said an allocation of PHP2 million has been set aside for the former rebels' livelihood programs.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083786

Some 26 former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) belonging to the Dumagat tribe surrendered to authorities last week. 

"The indigenous peoples are easy to recruit since they did not feel the government presence in the far-flung areas then. So, we have the Executive Order 70 on the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict which identifies problem areas like provision of roads, irrigation, schools, among others," he said. 

He said the 26 surrenderers are now undergoing a process under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) program which provides a holistic package of benefits that they can avail of, such as livelihood, medical, education, housing, and legal assistance. 

Some of the former rebels were involved in the burning of a heavy equipment on Sept. 21, 2018 in Barangay Maragondon, Real, Quezon; another burning incident of heavy equipment last April 22 in the Kamagong sub-village of Barangay Magsaysay in Infanta, Quezon; and in clashes with government troops in Barangay Kanaway, General Nakar town last May 1; and another skirmish at Lagmak sub-village in Barangay Pagsanghan in Real, Quezon, said Col. Serafin Petalio II, chief of the PRO4A Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division.

Isn't that interesting? Some of these 26 surrenderees were involved in burning heavy equipment and fought with government troops but instead of being tried for their crimes they will be availing of government benefits. This group of 26 is very illustrative of the problem with E-CLIP.  The problem being that criminals get government benefits and never face justice for their crimes.

Aside from regular NPA members surrendering top officers have also been arrested.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1082873

The Police Regional Office (PRO) 13 (Caraga) announced the arrest of a top official of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the region during a joint police and military operation conducted at about 12:30 noon on Thursday. 

In a statement, PRO-13 Director, Brig. Gen. Joselito T. Esquivel Jr., identified the rebel leader as Virgilio Torralba Lincuna, 68, married, and a resident of Purok 3, Barangay Banza, Butuan City. 

Lincuna, who is also the chairperson of the Kilusang Mayo Uno in the region, was also ordered to post a PHP300,000 bail.

Why would bail be given to a top NPA leader? He should be held without bail until trial. How maddeningly stupid is it to give a terrorist bail and allow him to get away.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1082903

In a statement released on Friday, Brig. Gen. Joselito T. Esquivel, director of Police Regional Office in Caraga Region (PRO-Caraga), identified the arrested rebel as Nori L. Torregosa, 37, of Purok 1, Barangay Maasin, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. 

Esquivel said Torregosa is the finance officer of the CPP-NPA Komisyon Mindanao (KOMMID) in charge of the management of the collection and distribution of extortion money in Mindanao. 

Esquivel believes Torregosa has extensive knowledge on the extortion activities of the NPA rebels, not only in Caraga but also in the entire Mindanao. 

“We hope that they will cooperate with the investigating team in identifying individuals, business institutions and groups that are providing financial support to the CPP-NPA terrorists,” Esquivel said in the statement. 

He also urged the other NPA rebels to surrender and avail of the government’s peace and reconciliatory programs and initiatives. 

The arrest of these two men is a good thing especially if information can be extracted from them. Giving them bail only defeats the purpose of their capture. These men are enemy combatants who deserve no consideration of bail. However with the government encouraging people to surrender to avail of benefits it is doubtful the AFP and PNP think of these men in that way.

Across social media people rejoice at the kind of news above. That is understandable.  The arrest of top NPA leaders and regular NPA fighters laying down their weapons is very desirable. However if you look closer at these numbers they simply do not add up.  Something is wrong with the count.

In February 2017 the DND and the AFP both gave conflicting counts on the estimated numbers of NPA members.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/02/07/1670024/dnd-admits-recent-surge-npa-numbers

The strength of the New People's Army (NPA) has grown to about 5,000 as communist rebels took advantage of the issues hounding the peace talks to recruit new members, a Cabinet official said on Monday. 

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he has received reports stating that there has been a "surge" in recruitment by the NPA, the armed component of the communist movement. 

"According to the Armed Forces, perhaps there are about 5,000 armed component all over the country," Lorenzana said at a press briefing at Malacañan. 

Lorenzana's statement contradicted the claim of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which earlier claimed that NPA has about 3,700 members. 

"When the ceasefire was declared, there was a surge in recruitment. That's what we heard from our people on the ground," the defense chief said.

Is it 5,000 or is it 3,700?  The latter number comes up again a year later in January 2018.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/193261-new-peoples-army-strength

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Rey Guerrero said on Tuesday, January 9, the military is committed to weaken by 50% the communist New People's Army (NPA), which he said has estimated 3,700 fighters nationwide.  

"They have a manpower of 3,700. We intend to reduce that number by half for 2018," Guerrero told reporters on the sidelines of the military and defense department's annual New Year Call.

Did the membership roll of the NPA remain static? Just a few months later the AFP claimed that 4,000 supporters and regular members had surrendered since the beginning of 2018.  That is a large number and if you aren't paying attention it would be easy to think that large numbers of NPA soldiers surrendered which is not the case. That is why the CPP calls this number a hoax.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/647693/tale-of-4-000-npa-surrenders-a-hoax-cpp-says/story/

""Deceiving and forcing people to pose as NPA surrenderees. To come up with big numbers, the AFP employs deception, threats and violence to force people pose as surrenderees. Under pain of being accused of NPA supporters, and for fear of being subjected to Marawi-like bombardment, civilians are compelled to 'cooperate' with the 'surrender' shows of the AFP," it added. 

The CPP issued the statement after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a television interview that there are around 4,000 NPA regulars and supporters who have surrendered to the government. 

From January 1 to March 15, the AFP has claimed recording 4,356 NPA regular members and supporters who have surrendered. 

Of this number, 626 were either NPA regulars or Sangay sa Partiko Lokal members and 3,730 were Militia ng Bayan, Underground Mass Organization members and mass supporters. 

"Over the past few months, Duterte himself and the entire military and defense establishment have spent hundreds of millions of pesos to stage Malacañang dinners with the president, tours around Luneta and other cheap gimmickry," the CPP said. 

"The bigger portion of the monies, of course, line-up the pockets of AFP field officials. According to our sources, funds from Duterte’s discretionary and intelligence funds are automatically downloaded to the ATM accounts of brigade and battalion commanders depending on the number of 'NPA surrenderees' they report. Thus, military field units are in a frenzy of conducting psywar operations to hold 'surrender activities'," it further said. 

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier hosted former NPA members in Malacañang where he promised to provide financial assistance, education, training, and integration to the Armed Forces. He had also pledged to bring female rebel returnees to Hong Kong for them to see the achievements of capitalist societies.

Of those 4,000 only 626 were actual NPA soldiers and 3,730 were merely supporters. Hosting dinners for ex-NPA members at Malacañang and sending ex-rebels to Hong Kong only serve to bolster the claim of the CPP about cheap gimmickry and psywar operations. Of course sending rebels to Hong Kong is not cheap but the taxpayer is paying so who cares right? And what about this:

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1081709

Some 120 former members and supporters of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) torched on Friday the flags of the rebel movement before military and local officials in Arakan town, North Cotabato. 

The event, held at the Arakan gymnasium, was capped by a peace rally condemning the CPP-NPA-NDF and the burning of communist rebels’ flags. 

“The group’s rejection of the communist rebels’ ideology and presence in their communities eventually led to their burning of the CPP-NPA-NDF flags and signing the peace covenant on Friday,” the military official said.

Staged or not burning flags is always has the purpose of being a symbolic psy-op.

By the end of 2018 the number of surrenderees reached 10,000.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1055638

As this develops, the AFP official said the number of regular NPA members and their supporters, who have surrendered to government forces from Jan. 1 to Nov. 28 this year, has now reached 10,698. 

Detoyato said these figures can be broken down into 1,121 regular NPA members who have surrendered and 9,577 supporters coming from rebels' so-called "Militia ng Bayan". 

Meanwhile, he estimated the remaining regular NPA members at only 3,000 but said this number could vary as the recruitment activities of the NPAs are still ongoing. 

"Nagre-recruit pa din sila kaya it’s constantly changing. (They are still recruiting so figures are constantly changing)," he added.

Here is where we see the AFP's figures not adding up.  In January they claimed there were 3,700 NPA fighters. In December they claimed 1,121 fighters surrendered and 3,000 were left. That makes 4,121 fighters. Nice how they add the caveat that NPA recruitment is ongoing and the figures are constantly changing. That gives them an out right? No because the AFP also claims fighters are continuing to surrender because they are starving, afraid, and tired. If NPA members are surrendering because they are starving then how is the NPA able to continue recruitment? Where are these recruits coming from?

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/03/05/more-npas-surrender-in-2019-due-to-starvation-and-fear-afp/

The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Tuesday said that in the first two months of 2019, there were already a total of 608 Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) members and supporters who have surrendered to government troops. 

Col. Noel Detoyato, the Chief of the Public Affairs Office, said of the 608 CPP-NPA members that have surrendered, 107 of them were regular armed members, 137 are Milisyang Bayan, and 364 are mass supporters. 

Just last Sunday, March 3, 2019, a certain Jobert Buenaflor alias Toto voluntarily surrendered to the troops of the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion, in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat. He also revealed an arms cache located in Tulunan, Cotabato where the 39th IB troops recovered an M60 machine gun; a Garand rifle; an M16 rifle; and four barrels of M14 rifles. 

Alias Toto said in the initial interview facilitated by the 39th IB that he surrendered due to starvation and fear of the intensified operations done by the military.

Detoyato also attributed the surrender to the Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) of the government which is still in full swing to ensure that former members of the CPP-NPA will have a holistic package of benefits that they can avail of such as, but not limited to, livelihood assistance, medical assistance, education, housing, and legal assistance. 

“We hope that more members of this group realize that they are fighting for a lost cause, and we call on those remaining members to avail of the E-CLIP and come back to their families to live a free and peaceful life away from violence,” Detoyato said.

What exactly is a mass supporter anyway? A person who thinks the hammer and sickle are cool? Someone who has read Marx and agrees with him? And why do mass supporters need to surrender if they are not actively involved in the fight? Once again we see how the AFP combines the number of surrenderees in a manner that only adds confusion. 608 CPP-NPA members and supporters have surrendered but they have to break it down and unsurprisingly it is regular NPA fighters who make up the least number of surrenderees.

How about this guy?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1083828

An officer of the New People's Army (NPA) operating in Kalinga province laid down his arms in exchange for a more peaceful life, even behind bars, if only to end the fighting and the endless death of innocent people. 

“This only shows that ‘Ka Diwa’ is a gentleman who was lured into joining the NPA due to curiosity but now preferred to reveal the evils being done by the communist terrorists even if it meant facing the charges against him. He chose to surrender if only to somehow save minors from being enticed to join the CTG [communist terrorist group]," said Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) director in a statement sent to the media on Monday night. 

“Ka Diwa”, platoon leader of the Lejo Cawilan Command, “Komiteng Larangan Gerilya Baggas” of the NPA surrendered to the Kalinga police led by Col. Job Russel Balaquit in the afternoon of October 16 at Camp Duyan in Tabuk City, Kalinga. He was brought to the PROCOR on Monday. 

Dickson said he appreciates the courage of Ka Diwa to surrender despite the dangers that he could face for leaving the group. 

Dickson gave financial assistance to Ka Diwa to cover his expenses while waiting for eligibility to avail of the benefits under the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

Lacuata said “Ka Diwa” surrendered to the police despite knowing that there are criminal cases filed against him, noting that the former NPA officer would rather face the charges than continue living in hiding and see young people die in non-sense battle. 

Ka Diwa has warrants of arrest for attempted murder with a recommended bail of PHP200,000 and another case for four counts of attempted murder with a recommended bail of PHP120,000 for each count. 

Lacuata said “Ka Diwa” remains in the custody of the Kalinga Police Office while awaiting promulgation of the criminal cases filed against him, which will also determine his eligibility to avail of the E-CLIP’s benefits.

Ka Diwa, a man with arrest warrants for murder and attempted murder, surrenders to the PNP saying he would rather live a peaceful life even if behind bars. Brig. General Dickson is so taken by this action that he calls Ka Diwa a gentleman who was duped into joining the NPA out of curiosity but now only wants to expose their evil and he gives him a little bit of money until he can avail of E-CLIP benefits!

Ka Diwa is a murderer and yet a PNP officer praises him as being a gentlemen, gives him money, and there is a possibility that he might be eligible for E-CLIP benefits. Unbelievable. Does no one see a problem with this?

Of course they don't! Instead the AFP and PNP continues to encourage rebels and their supporters to surrender and avail of benefits despite the crimes they have committed. Due to the AFP mixing up the classes of surrenderees, NPA fighters vs NPA supporters, the numbers appear inflated and unless you look closely you can't be sure exactly who is surrendering. To add to the confusion the AFP's estimates on the number of NPA fighters continues to change which makes any guess unreliable and a shot in the dark. While the surrendering of rebels and supporters is good this is no proper gauge by which to measure the war against the CPP-NPA. 

What Good Is A Filipino College Education?

What good is a Filipino college education? It's plenty good. In fact without a college education you are going to be hard up finding a job in the Philippines. Lawyer, doctor, nurse, architect, teacher, you simply cannot land a job if you have not sloughed your way through a proper four year course. Don't believe me? Take a look at these Now Hiring posters. Each job requires a college education.

You want to pump gas for a living? Then you need to be college educated.

Time to make the donuts!  But only with at least 2nd year college. High school graduate can be considered but you better have a pleasing personality and look cute in that uniform.

A cashier or a salesclerk at Kmart! This would be the bootleg Kmart and not a genuine Philippine branch of this American tradition. This picture is a little old. I wonder if they ever found 12 female college graduates between 18-25 years old and at least 5ft tall to hire as cashiers and salesclerks. What do you think?

A visual merchandiser.

Time to deliver the donuts! But only if you have at least 2nd year college.

The market is obviously flooded with tourism graduates so why not put that degree to use and be a Lady Sales Assistant/Cashier at the local vet! Men need not apply.

Finally you can be a Robinson's Supermarket Associate. They have many available job opportunities. However if you just want to be a cashier you only need a 2 year associate degree instead of a 4 year course What a relief, eh? Receiver/Receiving Clerk still requires four years of study. Can't have stupid and uneducated people running the backroom.

So you see having a college education is very important in the Philippines. Everyone you see working at a job has a four or two year degree. Filipino employers demand intelligent and hardworking employees. That is why this country runs so smoothly. You really can't be employed without possessing a 4 year degree. I mean you can but then you'd be like a freelance pedicurist looking for toes to pick clean at the park. Or a washerwoman looking for laundry to scrub. Is that the kind of life you want to live? Stay in school!

Retards in the Government 125

It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/10/19/1961520/duterte-tells-espenido-kill-everybody-bacolod

“Bacolod is badly hit now and I placed Espenido there because he is the only police official feared the most. And I told him to go there and you are free to kill everybody. 

‘Go, start killing them’,” Duterte said.
Asked for comment on Duterte’s instruction, Espenido said it was just the President’s manner of talking.

Obviously by everybody he means drug dealers and users but that only means Duterte is giving the ok to kill drug dealers and users. EJK's? Will the body count being to soar?

https://politics.com.ph/will-blood-flow-in-bacolod-its-gods-will-espenido/

Just days after President Rodrigo Duterte to be “free to kill everybody” in Bacolod City, Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido obliged by declaring it’s God’s plan. 

“It’s God’s will. [We] will follow the rule of law,” Espenido told reporters when asked if Bacolod City would turn bloody under his watch.

It seems that it will!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1178892/40-rizal-cops-sued-over-slay-of-3-yr-old

The police chief of Rodriguez, Rizal, and 39 others are facing charges of murder and obstruction of justice over the June 29 killing of 3-year-old Myca Ulpina in the government’s antidrug war. 

“I hope Myca is the last victim of this drug war. She was only 3 years old, she was very young,” Ulpiana’s mother, who used the alias “Tess” for her own security, told reporters. 

Tess filed charges of murder against Lt. Col. Resty Damaso, chief of the Rodriguez town police, and 13 of his men; and Lt. Col. Noel Campos, chief of the Rizal provincial police’s Intelligence Branch, and six of his men, in the Office of the Ombudsman. 

She also filed separate charges of obstruction of justice against 19 other police officers from the Rodriguez municipal station, Police Regional Office 4-A Scene of the Crime Operations, Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, and Philippine National Police Internal Affairs Service. 

Myca was killed with a bullet to her neck while policemen were chasing her father, Renato, following a failed drug bust in Rodriguez on June 29. 

While fleeing, Renato picked up Myca, who was then hit by a bullet. She died in the hospital the next day.  Renato, his alleged cohort Enrique Cawilig and a police officer were also killed in the operation. 

Former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa then remarked that while Myca’s death was unfortunate, “shit happens.”

I am sure filing these charges made her feel better about her daughter's tragic death but who knows if the charges will stick? 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1179341/ninja-cops-probe-senate-panels-push-raps-vs-albayalde

Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde, who stepped down as Philippine National Police chief early this week, and 13 of his subordinates should face life imprisonment for the alleged recycling of some 162 kilograms of “shabu” (crystal meth) seized in a purported drug sting in Pampanga six years ago, according to recommendations by a Senate inquiry that Sen. Richard Gordon cited to reporters on Friday. 

“When you misappropriate the drugs [you confiscated] and you sell it, that’s life imprisonment. When you failed to account confiscated drugs, that’s punished under this law,” the senator said. 

He cited Section 27 of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which imposes life term on a government official who “misappropriates, misapplies or fails to account for confiscated, seized or surrendered dangerous drugs.”

It appears things went south rather quickly for Albayalde. The PNP is blabbing about due process and being innocent until proved guilty which is quite ironic seeing how they conduct their drug war. DeLima has sat in jail for almost 3 years now with no trial. How long will it take for Albayalde and his men to face a trial?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180278/pnp-files-criminal-raps-vs-albayalde

Former Philippine National Police chief Oscar Albayalde now has to face criminal investigation along with 13 of his former officers in Pampanga province who have been accused of letting a drug lord escape in exchange for P55 million and selling a large amount of seized “shabu” (crystal meth) six years ago. 

The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) charged Albayalde and the 13 officers in an amended complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday. 

Police Lt. Col. Joseph Orsos, lawyer for the CIDG, told reporters that Albayalde was included as respondent based on “old evidence and the Senate transcript,” referring to the 2013 complaint and the testimonies during the legislative inquiry. 

“The totality of the evidence shows that he (Albayalde) is probably liable, just the probability,” Orsos said, adding that Albayalde’s call to the CIDG was “somehow [an] indication of liability” because “somehow he’s trying to persuade in behalf of the other respondents.”

The probability of liability or a crime is indicative of their liability for that crime? Due process in the Philippines is quite strange!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1179587/nupl-will-file-cases-vs-duterte-in-2022

During its fifth Congress, NUPL also agreed to sue “state security forces” for the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and other human rights violations. 

“The justice system in the Philippines is unable to provide legal remedies to victims of EJK and other human rights violations because as President Duterte claims, he is immune from suit,” Colmenares said.“That is why we will pursue more cases against him in the UN and other international mechanisms for now.” 

He added that more charges would be filed before international bodies such as the United Nations. 

Such charges are “preparations” for more cases to be filed domestically once the President’sterm ends in 2022, Colmenares added. 

“President Duterte cannot even promise members of the police and military that they will not go to prison because even President Duterte himself cannot escape criminal accountability once he steps down from office,” Colmenares said. 

In an interview with INQUIRER.net, Colmenares said that aside for being charged with crimes against humanity, Duterte would also face raps for grave threats. 

“That’s why I’m very surprised when he always says: ‘Is it a crime to threaten to kill people?’ Of course, it’s a crime. You cannot threaten to kill people and you don’t commit a crime,” he said. 

According to Colmenares, the President will also face civil cases for damages for the EJK victims.

The Duterte administration has denied again and again that there are any EJKs while Duterte himself has said his only sin is EJKs.  Will be fun to watch how this plays out and how the online trolls will toss mud at the NUPL calling them traitors and destabilisers and what not.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1179612/ph-still-among-global-laggards-in-fight-vs-tb

Apart from coping with a surge in measles and dengue cases, as well as the reemergence of polio after almost two decades, the Philippines  ranks fourth among countries with the highest incidence of tuberculosis (TB), according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

With a population of 107 million, the country’s tuberculosis incidence rate stands at 554 per 100,000 persons, which is four times higher than the global average of 130 per 100,000. 

The report also pointed out that allocating funds to address tuberculosis should improve, given that the pace of progress “is not yet fast enough.” 

In the case of the Philippines, WHO said that of the $205-million (P10.5-billion) budget needed for an efficient tuberculosis program, 63 percent remains unfunded, while 25 percent is shouldered by international organizations. Only 12 percent of the budget is shouldered by the government.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1179316/ph-in-midst-of-health-care-crisis

Health workers’ groups warned on Friday that the government’s health programs are bound to falter if it fails to address the “health crisis” besetting the country. 

In addition to outbreaks of infectious diseases, the groups said the health sector remains grossly underfunded with hospitals still understaffed and personnel still underpaid. 

Nurses are no longer willing to work in the country’s hospitals because, aside from being unprotected by law, they are also overworked and underpaid, Abenojar said. 

“Why did we come to this situation? Because there’s a lack of plantilla positions. Understaffing persists. There is no shortage of nurses. There is only a need to improve their working conditions,” Abenojar said. 

“Health workers have been unhealthy and uncared for despite [sometimes] enduring 16 hours of duty. We have seen a historical increase in the number of contractual health workers receiving floor wages without security of tenure, few or absent benefits but with huge workloads,” Mendoza said. 

The realities in the health sector, Abenojar said, should make the government rethink its priorities because the situation is nothing short of a crisis. 

Although administration lawmakers promised to restore the budget cuts, the All UP Workers Union-Mania (AUPWU) argued a 2020 budget without cuts would still be way off the P10 billion it needs to “render quality health care for all its patients.”

Both of these news items go together. A lack of nurses, many refusing to work in the Philippines because of the low pay and long hours, plus a lack of funding for health programs and hospitals make for the "health care crisis" which is sweeping the nation.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/265419/454-personnel-linked-to-drugs-dismissed-from-pnp

Even as the Philippine National Police (PNP) takes the forefront of the government’s drug war, some 454 of its own personnel who were found guilty of involvement in the drug trade have been dismissed from service, Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, officer-in-charge of the PNP, said Monday. 

Gamboa said that the data covering July 2016 until September 20, 2019 shows that 352 personnel tested positive for drug use, while another 102 were involved in other drug-related activities including coddling drug lords. 

According to Gamboa, the 454 personnel are among the 9,172 officers and staff who have been penalized with administrative charges due to involvement in criminal activities and violation of rules and regulations of the PNP. 

He said this figure is roughly 4.7 percent of the total number of PNP personnel currently in service. 

In total, there were 2,806 personnel dismissed from the service during the period; 535 were demoted in rank; 4,721 were suspended; 762 were reprimanded; 60 were restricted to quarters; 208 were forfeited of salary; and 80 were withheld of privileges. 

Gamboa said that in 2019 alone, 2,286 personnel were slapped with penalties for administrative cases.

The PNP regularly releases this same info over and over again which is the number of cops dismissed or penalised since Duterte took the reigns in July 2016. Then they add a little update. The numbers never go down. And no one, it seems, is facing criminal charges. Only administrative charges!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1179839/2-cops-caught-smuggling-contraband-into-bilibid

The Philippine National Police said on Sunday that it would keep a close eye on the policemen assigned at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) after two of them were reportedly caught trying to sneak liquor and tobacco into the national penitentiary. 

In a radio interview, Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, the PNP spokesperson, said that two members of the National Capital Region Police Office’s Special Weapons and Tactics (NCRPO-SWAT) unit were under investigation. 

While conceding that there were still some rogue members in the PNP, Banac assured the public that efforts to cleanse their ranks would continue until the scalawags were weeded out of the service. “They have no place in the PNP,” he said.

So what happened to these SWAT officers? Have they been charged with a crime and placed in jail? There are more than "some rogue members in the PNP."  Way more!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180389/ncrpo-probes-16-cops-nabbed-for-smuggling-contraband-inside-nbp

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Tuesday that it is currently investigating the case of 16 policemen guarding the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), after they were caught reportedly smuggling contraband inside the national penitentiary. 

The NCRPO said confiscated from the uniformed personnel were liquor, gadgets and tobacco leaves.

Are the two mentioned above part of this group of 16 or are they separate? What do they mean by tobacco leaves?  Loose tobacco or actual uncut leaves?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1179894/pnp-dismisses-4-ninja-cops

Six police officers or “ninja cops” allegedly involved in the questionable anti-drug operation in Antipolo City in May this year were dismissed from service, Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge revealed on Monday. 

Gamboa said the dismissed officers are MSgt. Donald Roque, MSgt. Rommel Vital, Cpl. Romeo Encarnacion Guerrero Jr., SSgt. Stephen Domingo, Pat. Lester Velasco, and Pat. Eduardo Soriano II. 

Roque, Vital, and Guerrero were also involved in the controversial drug raid in Pampanga in 2013.

Only dismissed? What about charged with a crime? What about arrested and sitting jail until trial? It's no good to simply dismiss these men.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180434/ex-zambales-mayor-nabbed-for-guns

Authorities on Tuesday arrested a former mayor of this town for alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. 

Police Captain Marvin Domacena, chief of this town’s police, said the farm of Romeo Lonzanida, 85, at Sitio Nangalisan in Barangay Burgos here yielded two unregistered firearms with ammunition during the operation about 3 a.m. 

Lonzanida has standing warrants of arrest for other cases, including graft charges, police said.

Another former politician arrested on weapons charges.  And he was wanted for other crimes as well.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180369/ombudsman-suspends-cheds-vitriolo-for-misconduct

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered a three-month suspension of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) executive director Julito Vitriolo after finding him guilty of simple misconduct. 

The suspension order stemmed from a complaint filed by former CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan. 

Licuanan alleged in her complaint that Vitriolo issued a memorandum recommending to CHED Regional Office the issuance of a provisional permit in favor of one private school in contravention of Commission en Banc Resolution, which disapproved said school’s application. 

According to the order signed by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on October 4 but was released to the media on Tuesday, Vitriolo “issued the Memorandum without due regard to the policies and guidelines of CHED.” 

Vitriolo was previously dismissed by the Ombudsman after he was found guilty of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty in a complaint filed by a former faculty member of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM). 

But last September, a Supreme Court ruling affirmed the Court of Appeals’ decision to reinstate Vitriolo to his post as CHED executive director.

This was dismissed after being found guilty of grave misconduct but was reinstated to his post as CHED executive director last month and now he is being suspended for 3 months for simple misconduct because he issued a memorandum improperly. Sounds like he is not the man for the job.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180372/186-govt-agencies-now-on-foi-website-dutertes-office-not-one-of-them

One hundred eighty six government agencies are already enrolled  in the electronic Freedom of Information (eFOI) portal since it was launched in November 25, 2016. But the Office of the President (OP) is not one of them. 

On July 23, 2016, Duterte issued Executive Order No. 2, which laid down a policy of full public disclosure and transparency in public service to promote accountability, and set the guidelines for requesting and releasing information from offices under the executive branch. 

The passage of an FOI bill was a campaign promise of President Rodrigo Duterte, but halfway through his six-year term as President, the Chief Executive has not seen Congress pass any FOI bill.

Duterte issues an EO in 2016 laying down a policy of transparency in government and an FOI bill was part of his camping promise but his office is not participating in the FOI website.  Why not?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180511/bulacan-village-chief-gunned-down

Unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants killed a village chief in this town on Tuesday morning. 

Police Col. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan police director, said Felimon Lazaro, 52, barangay captain of Malipampang, succumbed to bullet wounds while his companion, Richard Del Rosario, from Barangay Pala-pala, was hit by a stray bullet. 

Investigators said the victims were standing outside Lazaro’s house about 7 a.m. when the gunmen approached them and fired shots.

Another local official assassinated by motorcycle gunmen right in front of his own house!

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/265804/cdo-ex-vice-mayor-four-others-linked-to-a-p400-million-investment-scam-nabbed-in-cebu

The former vice mayor of Cagayan de Oro City and four other individuals were arrested inside a  cafe in Mandaue City, Cebu for running off with P400 million in investments to their double-your-money scheme company. 

(Their modus is to offer a scheme, details on how to grow an investor’s money so they invest P5,000 or P20,000 up to a maximum of P500,000. They said the money will grow double, or at a rate of 15 to 20 percent a month. They were able to fool many investors in Mindanao.)

How do people keep falling for these scams? A former Vice Mayor is involved in this one. Vice indeed!

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/265660/lack-of-incinerator-delays-destruction-of-shabu-now-stored-at-pdea-7-repository-getalla

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) does not have an allocation to pay for the destruction of illegal drugs that are now kept at their repository. 

PDEA-7 Director Wardley Getalla said that incineration would cost at least P16, 000 per session irregardless of the volume of drugs for destruction. 

Getalla said this was the reason why they had to wait for evidence to accumulate at their repository before they start to make arrangements for its destruction. 

“We cannot afford to destroy just small amounts of drugs so we need to consolidate the drugs to reach the desired amount (for  destruction),” said Getalla. 

He said that they now have at least 35 kilos of shabu at their repository while 19 kilos remain in court for use as evidences in cases filed against different drug users and peddlers. 

The PDEA director said that it was still in 2017 when they last incinerated shabu.  They made arrangements with the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes to avail of free incineration.  But Getalla said that they cannot avail of the same service on a regular basis because it was costly. 

Getalla said that allocation for drugs incineration is not also included in their annual budget because the offender is supposed to shoulder the expense. 

But since no offender has so far offered to destroy evidences that were used in court against him/her, PDEA-7 is left with no other choice but to find means to ensure the proper disposal of the illegal substance.

Unbelievable. Totally unbelievable. You would think they would put it in the budget. As if anyone is going to volunteer to pay the expenses to destroy the drugs especially at P16,000 per session.

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/10/23/ncrpo-bilibid-contraband-smuggling.html

There's another change of guards in the New Bilibid Prison as the National Capital Region Police Office recalled 551 of its men. 

These 551 police personnel will be replaced by members of the Regional Public Safety Battalion. 

According to the Bureau of Corrections, the replacement was made to address an issue where 15 police personnel were caught sneaking into the prison contraband items including cellphones, cigarettes and alcohol. 

It was also made to prevent policemen from getting too familiar with the inmates and the prison.

551 men dismissed from New Bilibid. Will their replacements also be dismissed?

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/10/22/101-lgus-fell-short-in-complying-with-road-clearing-ops-dilg/

“The Department of Interior and Local Government has already issued the show cause orders to these 101 LGUs and we are awaiting their replies on why they were not able to comply with the President’s directive and why they should not be suspended,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said during Tuesday’s press briefing.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/10/22/show-cause-orders-to-be-issued-to-99-barangays-for-failing-to-enforce-road-clearing-ops/

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) confirmed on Tuesday that 99 barangays in Manila will be issued show-cause orders for supposedly failing to dutifully enforce their road clearing operations.

101 LGUs nationwide and 99 barangays in Manila failed to clean up their streets. Maybe they are getting too many kickbacks?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180589/porsche-cayenne-hummers-other-cars-given-to-pnp-lgu-afp

The Cagayan Economic Zone Authority on Monday, Oct. 21,  turned over at least 50 government-sequestered vehicles to the Santa Ana local government, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. 

Cagayan Economic Zone Authority administrator Raul Lambino said the ecozone would also donate 350 other cars to other national agencies and local government units in Cagayan Valley region and other nearby regions.

Are these confiscated vehicles? I thought the government ran over them with bulldozers?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1180249/3-cops-in-slay-of-mayors-son-sacked

Three policemen, including a senior officer, have been dismissed from the Philippine National Police over the killing of the son of Mayor Marcelo Gayeta of Sariaya, Quezon, and his companion in an alleged shootout in Tayabas City in March. 

In an Oct. 17 ruling, Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, outgoing regional police director of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), removed from the police service former Tayabas police chief, Lt. Col. Mark Joseph Laygo, Cpl. Lonald Sumalpong and Pat. Robert Legaspi after results of administrative charges filed against them were released. 

“Under the qualifying circumstances of evident premeditation, treachery and abuse of superior strength attended by aggravating circumstances of grave irregularity in the performance of duty, grave dishonesty and conduct unbecoming of a police officer with no mitigating circumstance to consider … they are hereby meted the commensurate penalty in its maximum period of dismissal from the police service,” Carranza said. 

Carranza said they were found guilty of two counts of grave misconduct. 

But a report by the National Bureau of Investigation, in a probe which was sought by the Gayeta family, showed that the younger Gayeta and Manalo were murdered by policemen. 

The NBI had obtained the testimonies of four other policemen who were allegedly involved in the supposed shootout, which prompted the filing of double murder charges against Laygo, Sumalpong and Legaspi. The three policemen are detained at the Quezon provincial jail.

It seems rather silly to dismiss them only now after they have been charged with double murder and are being held in jail awaiting trial. This incident happened months ago in March.

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/181386/inday-sara-represents-duterte-in-japan-emperors-banquet

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio represented her father, President Rodrigo Duterte, during Japan Emperor Naruhito’s banquet in Tokyo on Tuesday night. 

The President had to cut short his trip to Japan “due to unbearable pain in his spinal column.” 

Sara was among the “lean” delegation of Duterte to witness the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito. 

“According to Mayor Duterte, she was able to leave the event at 11:00 p.m. as she spent time to chat with other world leaders, assessing the event as an opportune time to network and mingle with them,” Panelo added.

There are a lot of problems here.  First of all she is only the Mayor of Davao and not a part of the national government. As such she doe snot represent the nation. In fact they are bold to say she was representing her father and not that she represented the nation. Why was she tagging along anyway? The ambassador could have filled in or the VP.  Why does she tag along on the taxpayers dime on so many of her father's trips?