It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
A barangay tanod (watchman) was shot and killed over what seemed to be a traffic altercation in Dasmariñas City in Cavite province on Sunday.
City police chief Lt. Col. Nerwin Ricohermoso identified the victim as Samim Sarilama, 23, a village watchman in Barangay (village) H2.
In a police report, Ricohermoso said Sarilama and his nephew, Abdul Khair Jaffar, were on their way home on a tricycle around 3 a.m. when they had to stop because of a closed van truck parked on the road.
Sarilama reportedly got off to ask the truck driver to move his vehicle away but the motorists ended up arguing. It was when the truck driver drew a gun and shot the victim on his chest.
Another village watchman shot dead but this time it appears it was not while doing his duties but during a road rage incident.
Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa on Monday said he has ordered the dismissal of Police Lieutenant Joven de Guzman, one of the alleged "ninja cops" in the Pampanga drug raid in 2013.
Gamboa made the announcement during a press briefing in Camp Crame.
"I have ordered the dismissal from police service of Police Lieutenant Joven De Guzman of Antipolo City Police Station who led a team of seven PNP personnel that figured in a highly irregular activity in Antipolo City early this year and were recommended for dismissal by the Internal Affairs Service as a consequence of their actions," Gamboa said.
De Guzman was also involved in a controversial buy-bust operation in Antipolo City last May. The other six policemen in the Antipolo raid have already been relieved from police service.
Meanwhile, Gamboa said De Guzman could still appeal the dismissal order.
Gamboa also said De Guzman has at least 10 days to answer the accusations against him. If De Guzman fails to explain his side, the dismissal order would be final and executory.
So the dismissal order is not even final. The man still has 10 days to appeal and answer the accusations.
Cainta Mayor Johnielle Keith Pasion “Kit” Nieto has apologized for riding a motorcycle without a helmet.
“I make this public apology to all who have witnessed me riding a motorcycle without a helmet heading towards a church to attend a wedding,” Nieto said over his Facebook account on Friday.
“I offer no excuses for breaching the law…I only attempted to explain what happened and why I did it.. but it does not in any way exempt me from complying with what is required by our laws..,” he added.
“I will thereafter proceed to the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) office to face any disciplinary action that may be meted accordingly inclusive of (a) sanction that would require me to vacate my office,” he said.
Before this, Nieto had defended himself saying he had signed a waiver prior to riding the motorcycle which he said would absolve anyone from liability from any injury he would sustain due to his decision not to wear a helmet.
On Monday, Nieto shared a Facebook post where he shared a photo of his citation ticket.
This is all pretty silly. So many people ride without helmets and no one cares. The problem is getting people to wear helmets without the threat of law and to actually enforce the law by having the PNP patrolling the roads and stopping everyone they see who is not wearing a helmet.
Philippine National Police officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Archie Francisco Gamboa on Monday challenged activists arrested during simultaneous raids in Bacolod and Manila to prove that they are innocent.
At a press conference, Gamboa was asked to comment on the allegations of some leftist groups that pieces of evidence were planted during the raids.
"Let them prove themselves in court if they say that these are planted. Siguro naman kung ma-prove nila 'yan sa court, then necessarily the cases will be dismissed," Gamboa said.
This guy has it all wrong. Innocence is assumed. It is guilt which must be proven by the state.
Col. Chito Bersaluna, Bulacan police director, said Barangay Lapnit chair Rosteo Salao, 67, was gunned down by unidentified motorcycle-riding assailants around 6 a.m.
Another LGU official gunned down by motorcycle assassins.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) believes it has now regained the trust of the public, weeks after its former chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde stepped down from his post amid the issue on drug recycling within the police organization.
“I am convinced yes, slowly,” Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP officer-in-charge, said in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday when asked of the matter.
This guy is absolutely stupid. The issues with the PNP run much deeper than the situation with Albayalde which is merely only a typical situation within the organisation. The PNP is irredeemably corrupt and one man stepping down won't make the organisation trustworthy. In fact they never had any trust to being with so there is no trust to regain.
The report that a Chinese vessel harassed a Filipino-crewed commercial ship near Scarborough or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea does not concern the country, Malacañang said.
The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said it has yet to verify a Rappler report that a Chinese ship that identified itself as a "naval warship" harassed Greek-owned, Liberia-registered oil tanker Green Aura.
"It does not concern us because it's not a Philippine vessel," presidential spokesperson Panelo said in a press briefing over the weekend.
Green Aura, however, has Filipino crew members, including its captain Manolo Ebora.
"For as long as they do not touch the Philippine ship or vessel, it will be the concern of that country that carries the flag of that particular vessel," Panelo said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the incident should not be blown out of proportion or sensationalized as the Green Aura safely reached its destination.
Lorenzana, however, called on China to respect international maritime laws "if it wants to earn the respect of the international community."
"We, however, would like to reiterate our call for all countries to exercise prudence and respect freedom of navigation and passage in the West Philippine Sea. Bajo de Masinloc is well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone, and the 2016 arbitral ruling declared that it is a common fishing area," Lorenzana said.
China bullying ships in Philippine territory and the Philippines doesn't care.
Acknowledging a humanitarian crisis in Mindanao after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the island, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has ordered the military to ensure order in the distribution of aid to residents displaced by the temblors.
But the head of the national disaster council, Ricardo Jalad, claims there is no humanitarian crisis in Mindanao, saying stores remain open and people who can’t afford to buy food are being aided by the government.
Why can't the government properly coordinate? This kind of incompetence is what kills people.
A senior labor officer of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) was shot dead by two motorcycle-riding men in Malate, Manila yesterday.
Helen Dacanay, senior officer of DOLE-National Capital Region, was shot while she was in her dark gray Honda vehicle along Malvar street in Malate at past 5 p.m.
In a radio interview, Ermita police station chief Lt. Col. Ariel Caramoan said Dacanay and her companion, labor arbiter Agatha Daquitan, were on their way home from their office when the suspects fired at them. Daquitan was not injured in the incident.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III condemned Dacanay’s slaying.
“I condemn in the strongest terms the dastardly killing of labor officer Ellen Dacanay assigned at the Manila field office of the Department of Labor and Employment,” Bello said in statement.
“It is disturbing that a civilian official was murdered in a cowardly manner akin to executions by hired men,” he said.
Akin to executions by hired men? That is exactly what this is and it is happening all over the country to all kinds of politicians and bureaucrats.
President Rodrigo Duterte failed to join a family photo of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations with leaders of China, Japan and South Korea.
The Philippine leader was late for the 22nd ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Bangkok, Thailand Monday morning.
Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Junever Mahilum-West represented Duterte in the group photo with other leaders of the ASEAN Plus Three.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte was late for a few minutes for the summit "as he had to pass by the restroom."
Did Duterte get a sudden case of the runs? Did he have to vomit all of a sudden? This is all kind of weird and not very professional.
The ICAD, created in 2017 through Executive Order No. 15, is currently chaired by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. It does not mention the position of co-chair.
Robredo’s appointment to the post came after her criticisms of the drug war touched a nerve in Malacañang, with Duterte previously offering to put her in charge of law enforcement.
The Office of the Vice President had said that while it is willing to help the Duterte administration solve the country’s drug problem, Robredo will not be a “scapegoat” for all of the drug war’s shortcomings.
"With this development, the Palace supposes that detractors and critics will finally see the sincerity of the President in making such offer to the Vice President," presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
According to EO 15, the ICAD is tasked with making sure that member agencies "shall implement and comply with all policies, laws and issuances pertaining to the government's anti-illegal drug campaign, in an integrated and synchronized manner."
Aside from ensuring the effective conduct of anti-drug operations and the arrest of "high-value drug personalities down to the street-level peddlers and users," the committee is also tasked with implementing the National Anti-Drug Plan of Action 2015-2020 and ensuring the implementation of the Barangay Drug-Clearing Program.
If Robredo accepts this post it will only add to the workload she already has as VP. She should be sticking to VP duties and not have any place in Duterte's cabinet. But that is not the case in the Philippines. It is certainly a messed up situation that as VP she has no place in the Duterte administration. If she takes this post many people think she will only fail.
“Well personally, if you ask me, sa palagay ko (I think) she will fail,” Philippine Drug Enforcement Agencu (PDEA) chief Aaron Aquino said Monday during an interview with CNN Philippines’ The Source.
According to Aquino, Robredo lacks experience when it comes to addressing illegal drugs in the country.
“I’ve been in the Philippine National Police for 36 years, I’ve been in PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) for more than two years, it is only now that I became the director-general that I have known what the real problem is on illegal drugs,” he said.
“Sa 36 years sa serbisyo ko sa pulis… dito ko lang lahat nalaman… The Vice President doesn’t have that, wala siyang kaalaman sa iligal na droga,” he added.
(I’ve been in the police service for 36 years… I’ve only known everything now… The Vice President doesn’t have that. She has no knowledge of illegal drugs).
What do people want from Robredo or the PDEA for that matter? Do they really think drugs will be totally eradicated from the Philippines? Impossible. But if that is the case then Aquino is a big failure after 36 years in service.
Tagudin, Ilocos Sur Judge Mario Anacleto Bañez was shot to death by unidentified gunmen late afternoon of Tuesday, November 5, the Supreme Court (SC) confirmed.
Bañez was shot while on board his vehicle in Barangay Mameltac, San Fernando, La Union.
"Victim was on his way home on board of a Hyundai Accent when shot by unidentified suspect [who] fled after the incident," the incident report said. "Motive of the incident is yet to be determined."
Last September, Judge Bañez acquitted Cordillera health worker Rachel Mariano of murder.
Mariano was accused by the army as a New Peoples Army (NPA) rebel who masterminded an ambush of members of the 81st Infantry Battallion in 2017 in Quirino, Ilocos Sur, where one soldier died.
In his decision, Judge Bañez condemned the killing, but said: "It would be more deplorable and unfair to convict the accused of all these serious crimes charged against her upon the quality of the evidence adduced by the prosecution."
Could it be that the AFP was not happy with this judge's decision and decided to take him out? Someone sure wanted him gone and now he is.
The chief of Lucena City police station was relieved from his post on Wednesday after the top regional police official found only seven policemen, some of them allegedly sleeping while on duty at the local headquarters early Wednesday.
It was learned that Danao made a surprise inspection of the local police station located in the city proper around 2 a.m.
Danao said he found that of more than 100 policemen assigned in the city, only seven were at the station and some were napping on the job.
Danao said he immediately ordered the relief of Lt. Colonel Reydante Ariza as the local police chief and asked him to return to the regional police headquarters in Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna.
100 cops assigned to a city means at least 30 per shift if there are 3 shifts. But there were only 7 on duty and some of them were asleep. How many were drunk?
Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde won’t be facing any administrative case in relation to the controversial 2013 drug bust in Pampanga.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said this Wednesday as it announced the filing of administrative charges against Albayalde’s subordinates – the 13 policemen tagged as “ninja cops” for allegedly pilfering and reselling the drugs seized from the raid in Mexico town.
According to the agency, the joint DILG and Philippine National Police Review Committee, led by Vice Chairman Rogelio Casurao and DILG Undersecretary Bernardo Florece, Jr., found no substantial evidence to file administrative cases against Albayalde, who was Pampanga police chief when the buy-operation happened.
After the dog and pony show in the Senate with many Senators saying Albayalde should be given life in prison it all amounts to nothing. No administrative charges will be filed against him.
China fired warning flares at Philippine military planes conducting maritime patrols near the artificial islands controlled by China in the West Philippine Sea early this year, the military said Tuesday.
Maj. Gen. Reuben Basiao, deputy chief of staff for intelligence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), told lawmakers at a security briefing at the House of Representatives that the flares, which originated from China-held military outposts, were meant to warn Filipino pilots to stay away from the disputed waters.
“China has been deploying its assets to hinder Filipino operations – both patrols and rotation and reprovision missions – in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
China issued the warning flares against Philippine military aircraft flying over the disputed waters for six times in February, based on an AFP report on the West Philippine Sea situation for the first semester.
China is claiming both airspace and the surrounding sea. How much longer will the Philippines tolerate this?
Two unidentified assailants on board a motorcycle shot to death a government employee, who is under probation for drug charges, in Sitio Panambalon, Barangay Binohan in Bais City at 11:36 a.m. on Wednesday, November 6.
Lieutenant Colonel Marcial Yanguas, chief of Bais City Police, identified the victim as Mars Balbuena, 35, a resident of Barangay Tamiso and works as a job order employee of the local government unit of Bais.
Yanguas said the victim and his wife were on their way home for lunch on board a motorcycle when the two suspects followed the couple.
The suspects, who were also on board a motorcycle, wore face masks.
Yanguas said the victim, who was driving the motorcycle, was shot by the back rider twice.
The couple fell to ground and the victim managed to run while the assailant hurriedly disembarked from the motorcycle, chased the victim and then shot him on the back portion of his head.
Another government employee killed by motorcycle assassins. But this time it turns out he was on probation for drugs. So he is another casualty in the drug war.
Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday accepted President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer of a lead role in his brutal war on drugs, even though, she said, she expected his administration would try to make her fail.
Announcing her decision at a news conference, Robredo, 54, said she would use her position as cochair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs to stop the killings in the President’s crackdown on narcotics and bring the killers to justice.
“Even if we say this offer is playing politics and that agencies will not follow me and they will do everything for me to fail, I am ready to endure all this because if I could save at least one innocent life, my principles and my heart are telling me, I should give this a try,” Robredo said.
She said she was skeptical about the President’s motives but would take a chance.
“I am against the killings of the innocent, I am against abuses committed by officials. He knows my criticism. He knows what I plan to fix,” Robredo said.
Leni accepted the drug czar post and everyone has already called her a failure because of her statement about not wanting to kill innocent people. Already politicians and folks across social media are taking her to task saying now the drug dealers will rejoice because she will go light on them.
She might “baby” the drug lords.
So said Senator Christopher “Bong” Go even as he expressed hope for Vice President Leni Robredo to succeed in her role in the drug war.
(We want her to succeed but we’re afraid that there will be more victims of the drug menace because the drug lords will no longer be afraid..you will baby them.)
(If you don’t frighten them, kill them, the perpetrators will proliferate. Presidents come and go but have you seen a decline in the number of drug lords and victims of drugs? The problem worsened. It’s only now that President Duterte put a dent on the drug menace.)
During a press conference, the vice president said she was against the killings of innocent lives under the administration’s drug war.
She said one of the things she considered in accepting the post was the lives she could possibly save if she would have a hand in the drug war.
“She want to save innocent lives, ngayon ilang inosenteng Pilipino kaya (how many innocent people, I wonder), ilang milyong inosenteng Pilipino ang magiging biktima nito, ako naman po ang magbibilang sa July 1, 2022 (How many millions of innocent people would become victims. I’ll count on July 1, 2022),” Go went on.
“This is war, giyera ito; you have to fight, hindi ka pwedeng pacute-cute dito (you can’t play cute here).”
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa gave this piece of advice to Vice President Leni Robredo, who recently accepted an additional task from President Rodrigo Duterte as co-chair of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
Dela Rosa, also known as the architect of the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war, said Robredo “has to be tough” now that she has joined the anti-drug campaign.
As he welcomed Robredo’s decision to accept Duterte’s offer, the senator also advised the Vice President to treat the drug problem as a social problem and not a political one.
“You look at the problem, not as a political problem. ‘Wag mo siyang tignan na politika itong problema na ito, tignaan mo talaga ito as a social problem (Do not look at it as a political problem, you should really look at it as a social problem),” he said.
Asked to explain why he thinks Robredo could taint the anti-drug campaign with political color, Dela Rosa said: “What do you expect? She comes from the other side of the fence.”
(She’s from the opposition so hopefully as she enters the war on drugs, she assumes the role as ‘I am a Filipino, I want to rid the country of illegal drugs.’ Not as ‘I am an opposition, I will be guarding against what this administration is doing, whatever is wrong I will block’.”)
Nevertheless, Dela Rosa said he is optimistic that the drug war would become “more successful” with Robredo “on board.”
These two Senators, Bato and Go, are talking out of both sides of their mouth when they encourage and discourage Robredo in the same breath. Their fears are also unfounded and based on a lie that only Duterte has ever been really against drugs or has done anything about it. The real lies is that the Philippines can become completely drug free. That will never happen. Not here or anywhere else. The problem can be controlled and contained but completely eradicated? That is a fool's game that no one will win.
Not to mention while Bato was PNP Chief cops were selling drugs and Peter Lim got away! If anyone is the failure it is Bato who failed to clean up New Bilibid and failed to eradicate drugs from the nation.
Regarding the flares the Chinese fired off to warn the PAF plane. The Philippines has no choice but to put up with it. One reason being Duterte has sold out to the Chinese. The other reason is the Philippines would have/need other countries do do the fighting for them.
ReplyDeleteSoon as he took office Duterte beat feet to China and made secret deals without consulting anyone else in the government. I suspect Duterte has a very large bank account somewhere courtesy of the Chinese government. As for Duterte not being in the picture, that's easy. He could not make the picture because he was off blowing some Chinese official.