Retards in the Government 260

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

  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1599814/duterte-claims-kicking-an-undersecretary-in-the-face-due-to-corruption

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday claimed to have kicked a department undersecretary in the face for allegedly attempting to commit corruption.

During his speech at the launching of the digital innovation and modernization of the Philippine Post Corporation (Philpost), Duterte said the undersecretary had supposedly tried to pocket as much as P500,000 from an agency needing P5 million.

He said Executive Secretary Salvador “Bingbong” Medialdea had witnessed the incident.

(There’s an undersecretary. When an agency is needing P5 million, he/she volunteered to give money. You know already where it will come from — the budget. Then the woman there told me, she said, “They said they will give me P6 million but I have to give P500,000 to them.”)

(When I learned of it, I called the undersecretary. And when he/she was in front of me — there was a platform in the clubhouse — I kicked him/her in the face. Bingbong was there because they were together in a law office before. That’s how extreme I am. I am unforgiving in times like that.)

Rather than file the appropriate charges President Duterte claims he kicked an undersecretary in the face because he was corrupt.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174975

The Supreme Court (SC) affirmed the sentence of reclusion perpetua (life imprisonment) on six men, including two policemen, convicted of kidnapping in 2005.

Police Officers 1 Antonio Castillo and Jose Lonmar Zapatos, at the time assigned to the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Group and Special Action Force, respectively, were convicted along with Crispin Araneta, Annabelle Olidan, Benjamin Olidan, and Lynfer Bicodo for kidnapping then 11-year-old twins, Jin Ritz and Kelvyelt Sermonia, their 9-year-old sister, Vinz, and their nanny, Eulalia Cuevas.

The victims, on their way to school, were taken at Filinvest, Quezon City on the morning of Aug. 30, 2005.

In a 12-page resolution uploaded May 20, the SC affirmed the Court of Appeals’ June 7, 2019 decision which upheld the sentence and increased to PHP100,000 the cost of damages imposed by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 225.

The children recounted how the kidnappers tied them up in a bathroom, fed them crackers, and beat them up.

They were eventually rescued two days later at a house in the Payatas area and the perpetrators were arrested by elements of the Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response.

The conviction and sentencing of 6 men including 2 cops for kidnapping children has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174948

Reiterating its zero-tolerance policy on abuse and sexual harassment, an official of the Quezon City government has been suspended after sexually harassing a fellow employee.

In a statement issued on Friday, Mayor Joy Belmonte said the female complainant detailed several acts of verbal and physical harassment by a high-ranking male official.

“The Quezon City government is committed to addressing all sexual harassment cases regardless of gender and position in any department,” Belmonte said.

The complaint letter was forwarded to the Committee on Decorum and Investigation - Legislative Department (CODI-Legis).

After conducting several hearings, Vice Mayor Gian Sotto, the disciplining authority, found the official guilty of the less grave offense of sexual harassment.

Under Memorandum Circular No. 12-S2020 and 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases of the Civil Service Commission, the official was meted out a six-month suspension without pay.

A Quezon City employee has been suspended for 6 months for sexual harassment. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174979

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Caraga (PDEA-13) reported the arrest of a village official during a drug buy-bust on Thursday evening in the Surigao del Norte town of Bacuag.

In a report Friday, PDEA-13 said Barangay Pautao councilor Alter Dusaran, a high-value target and has been under surveillance by authorities, was nabbed by authorities in Purok 2 of the same barangay.

Dusaran yielded a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet of shabu weighing 0.5 grams with a value of PHP4,000, the agency said.

PDEA-13 said the suspect will be charged with the violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

A village official has been arrested on drug charges. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1174961

A 58-year-old female personnel of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) is facing criminal charges after she was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in an entrapment in Quezon City.

In a statement on Friday, CIDG chief, Maj. Gen. Eliseo DC Cruz, said the entrapment against Maria Fe Carpina Doringo, releasing and receiving officer at the LTO Novaliches District Office, stemmed from the complaint filed by Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) representatives.

ARTA alleged that Doringo has been facilitating the release of Student Permits and Driver’s License transactions in exchange for money.

Cruz said operatives of the CIDG Quezon City Field Unit, together with ARTA representatives, launched an entrapment on Wednesday, resulting in the arrest of Doringo.

During the operation, Doringo yielded the marked and boodle money, her LTO Identification Card, a Student Permit, and a Student Permit Application Form.

Doringo will be charged with the violation of RA 11032 or the Anti-Red Tape Act.

An LTO employee is charged with extortion.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1601307/fwd-danao-warns-cops-still-involved-in-illegal-drug-trade-stop-or-ill-change-your-lives

Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. on Monday warned police personnel still involved in the illegal drugs trade to stop or he will ‘change’ their lives.

“Those others, who until now do not want to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs. I would like to address this to the men in uniform of the [PNP]. There are still some of us, a few, I'm giving you a stern warning, I'm talking to you, please put a stop to these illegal drugs menace, ”Danao said during Monday's flag ceremony at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City,

"I'm talking to you, if you got through there and you weren't caught, thank you, as long as I'm wearing this uniform, whether I continue to be a four star or not, you take note gentlemen , I know you, ”he said.

 “I’m giving you a stern warning. You don't want to change? I will change your life, if you don't change, I will change your birthday. I'm not kidding, ”he added.

In a press briefing after his flag ceremony speech, Danao explained that his message came from unvalidated reports claiming that some officers are linked to the drug menace.

 “There’s still one, one by one that you are very stubborn. You will reap what you want, I’m telling you. Now, ‘if you really don’t want to change I say, I’ll give you what you want. There are still one by one although these are unvalidated reports, I hope they are not true, and I hope we will stop if there are any, ”he said.

“The others here are, allegedly, still involved in illegal activities and especially in illegal drugs. Anyway, it's just one by one, so I just hope it's not true, ”he added.

 According to Danao, he received some of the reports during his stint as National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief.

 “You know because I was assigned in NCRPO, and there are still a few although these are unvalidated reports, but I said just to give a fair warning to everyone not to be involved. This is addressed to all members, be it general, down to the lowest rank of PO1 and NUP. I would like to give you a fair warning, take not, stern and fair warning to everyone, ”he added.

PNP Officer in charge Lt. Gen. Danao has warned cops involved in the drug trade to stop what they are doing or face the consequences. It seems as if he has names but does not want to actually do anything to stop them.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1601921/village-chief-gunned-down-in-cagayan

Two motorcycle-riding armed men shot and killed Tuesday a village chief in Tuao town, Cagayan province, police said.

Investigators said Dante Blanza, 61, of Barangay Santo Tomas, was on board his car when assailants attacked him with a still-unknown gun caliber. The victim suffered bullet wounds on his head and body.

The armed men sped off in their red-black motorcycle without a plate number.

Blanza was brought to the St. Paul Hospital in Tuguegarao but was declared dead upon arrival.

A hot pursuit operation was underway to capture the assailants.

Investigators said they have yet to determine the motive behind the attack. 

A barangay captain was shot dead by unknown assassins for unknown reasons.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1602066/power-cut-off-in-lanao-del-sur-town-during-special-elections

Saboteurs tried to disrupt the transmission of results of the special elections in Tubaran town, Lanao del Sur, on Tuesday evening, according to Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II,  commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade.

According to Cuerpo, a clump of bamboo was intentionally cut so that it would fall on a power line of the Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative (Lasureco).

The power supply was interrupted for almost an hour before Lasureco linemen restored it.

But Cuerpo said the incident did not affect the transmission of the results and the overall conduct of the special election in the town.

The balloting went on smoothly amid tight security provided by the police and Army.

The Bangsamoro regional election director, Ray Sumalipao, said 45 police officers served as members of the electoral boards in lieu of teachers who had reservations about their security.

The Army requested “persuasion flights” of Super Tucano planes from the Air Force side by side with two helicopters to deter sabotage attempts.

Special elections in Lana del Sur were met with sabotage attempts.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1602886/local-govt-employee-slain-in-batangas-shooting

A municipal government employee was shot and killed Wednesday by a motorcycle-riding gunman in Rosario town in Batangas province, the police said Thursday.

Mark Anthony Grit, 41, was seated on his motorcycle in the parking lot of the public market when the assailant aboard a motorcycle with an unidentified plate number repeatedly shot him at 5:20 p.m., the Batangas police said.

The unidentified suspect and his driver cohort escaped after the shooting, and left their target dead.

Nine spent shells from a caliber .45 pistol and two deformed slugs were found at the scene.

Police have yet to identify the suspects and establish the motive behind the shooting.

A government employee was assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1602874/negros-occidental-gov-sacks-provl-exec-for-absence-without-leave

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has terminated a provincial officer for her absence without leave.

Negros Occidental Provincial Planning and Development Office head Ma. Lina Sanogal was dropped from the roster of provincial government employees, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Wednesday, May 25.

Lacson, in a May 19 letter to Sanogal, said it has come to his attention that she had not reported for work since March 18 without an approved leave of absence and with no official communication on her whereabouts despite numerous attempts to contact her.

Dropping from the roll is non-disciplinary and is appealable before the Civil Service Commission (CSC) within 15 days from receipt of the notice.

Diaz said an agreement had been reached for the transfer of Sanogal while she was processing her retirement papers to the governor’s office.

Sanogal said her termination was moot and academic since she had already filed a complaint against Lacson at the CSC for constructive dismissal.

She said she was constructively dismissed when she was demoted from her responsibilities as a technical manager and transferred to the governor’s office to work on administrative concerns.

A government employee was terminated for being AWOL but it turns out she was demoted from her job and subsequently applied for retirement.