Retards in the Government 202

      It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/04/09/2089932/dpwh-exec-lawmaker-charged-over-contracts

The Department of Justice-led Task Force Against Corruption (TFAC) filed charges against a congressman and a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) official before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly “favoring certain contractors,” DOJ Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar revealed yesterday.

Villar said TFAC filed two complaints, one involving the congressman and a DPWH official; while the other charge involved a local government unit (LGU) official dragged in anomalous purchase of land by a municipality.

“Two complaints filed with the TFAC have already been found to be sufficient in form and substance, and were endorsed to the Office of the Ombudsman,” Villar said, but did not name the respondents.

“The cases have just been referred to the Ombudsman and we have not received any update from them whether they have commenced the investigation so I won’t be able to give those details yet,” she added.

No details as of yet about who those charged are and exactly what they did but they will surely be forthcoming.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136346

Authorities arrested a village councilor and four others in separate anti-drug operations in Zamboanga del Sur and this city on April 9, a police official said Saturday.

Capt. Edwin Duco, Police Regional Office (PRO) 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula) information officer, identified the arrested official as Guiller Buscato Jr., 29, a councilor in Barangay Calumangi, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur.

Duco said Buscato yielded suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP6,800 when arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bag-ong Valencia, Dumingag at about 2:15 p.m.

Another village councilor arrested for drugs.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/783371/homicide-raps-to-be-filed-vs-2-tanods-who-allegedly-beat-up-curfew-violator-to-death-in-laguna-pnp/story/

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said the two village watchmen who allegedly beat a curfew violator to death in Calamba, Laguna will face homicide complaints.

In a press conference, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana said Calamba Police chief Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Villamor will be the one to file the homicide complaints.

[The Calamba chief of police will file complaint against the two village watchmen because accordingly there were witnesses in the incident.]

Usana said according to the witnesses, the tanods ran after the victim, Ernanie Jimenez, and beat him up around 10:30 to 11 p.m. on April 7. The victim reportedly went out to buy food.

Does that mean if there were no witnesses there would be no charges filed?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1136834

Police authorities are eyeing various angles in the killing of a former municipal councilor of Palimbang town in Sultan Kudarat in a gun attack in a village here on Wednesday afternoon. 

Maj. Brent Ian Salazar, chief of city police station number 4, said they have launched a deeper investigation to establish the possible motive in the slaying of Ebrahim Kadil Sabiwang, 53, along Nuñez St., Barangay San Isidro around 4:35 p.m. 

He said the victim and his wife, Kalima, were aboard their Toyota Fortuner that was parked by the roadside when two unidentified motorcycle-riding suspects approached and opened fire. 

Sabiwang, who was in the driver's seat, sustained multiple gunshot wounds and declared dead upon arrival at the Mindanao Medical Center while his wife was unhurt, he said. 

“The suspects immediately fled from the scene and were last seen by witnesses heading towards the Purok Malakas (satellite) market,” he told reporters late Wednesday afternoon.

Whatever the reason, whoever the perpetrators the fact is that this is another killing of an ex-politician.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1418629/clark-execs-return-suvs-villas-after-coa-order

Clark Development Corp. president Manuel Gaerlan has ordered the recall of seven recently purchased sports utility vehicles issued to seven directors, which the Commission on Audit ordered to be taken back.

In a statement on Tuesday (April 13), Gaerlan said the vehicles, all Isuzu MU-X which cost an average of P2 million each, will be “pooled for the use of the entire organization.”

As for the nine villas ordered by COA to be vacated, he said “a majority of the board members signified intention to lease the houses themselves so they can continue to have a safe place to stay when in Clark.”

Overpayments for the fuel expenses of two directors will be deducted from the next reimbursements, he said, adding that the state-owned firm would comply with Executive Order No. 24-2011 that sets the guidelines for compensation of directors of government corporations.

According to Gaerlan, the COA auditor of CDC enjoyed the same privileges.

Explaining the vehicles, he said “the abnormal times also call for actions that may deviate from set policies but ensure the efficiency and welfare of our officials.”

Denying exorbitant utility expenses, he said these amounted to an average of P5,503 monthly.

The CDC is tasked with transforming "Clark Freeport Zone into a preferred business and tourism destination in the Asia Pacific region and enable investors find long-term economic returns." Why the directors need houses and SUV's provided at taxpayer's expense is a guessing game. Fact is they don't and this problem was, thankfully quickly remedied.