Retards in the Government 280

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

  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1679609/baguio-councilor-lodges-slander-libel-raps-vs-magalong

Councilor Mylen Yaranon on Wednesday filed slander and libel complaints against Mayor Benjamin Magalong for accusing her of “twisting facts and figures” and “politicking.”

Yaranon, who filed her complaints with the Office of City Prosecutor, said Magalong made some “malicious imputations” that allegedly caused her “dishonor” and “discredited” her.

She said her slander complaint stemmed from Magalong’s speech during the July 4 flag-raising ceremony at the city hall grounds, while the libel complaint was for an open letter posted on Magalong’s Facebook page.

Yaranon and Magalong’s tiff stemmed from their dissenting opinions on developing the former Bibak dormitory lot on Harrison Road and issues about the rehabilitation of the city’s public market.

According to her, Magalong also accused her of not doing anything about the alleged sub-standard projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways in the city.

“Mayor Magalong clearly attacked and discredited my reputation not only as a public official but also as a person,” Yaranon stated in her complaint.

She added: “He (Magalong) insinuated that I am a person of no principle and a public official that is not doing anything on matters of public interest.”

The councilor asked for P500,000 to compensate her “moral damages, anxiety, depression and sleepless nights.”

One politician is suing another politician for slander and libel which has led to sleepless nights. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/14/deped-employee-killed-husband-hurt-in-oriental-mindoro-stabbing/

A police manhunt operation is under way for a knife-wielding man who killed a disbursement officer of the Department of Education and wounded her husband on Thursday night, Oct. 13, in Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro.

Col. Samuel Delorino, acting provincial police director, identified the fatality as 54-year-old Gina Pasumbal and the wounded as Ramelo Pasumbal, 60, residents of Sitio Santa Ana, Barangay Cacawan.

Police said the couple’s daughter, Jeniel Roselle, saw her father outside their house talking to the unidentified suspect who suddenly stabbed him at about 6:15 p.m.

Gina saw her husband being stabbed and shouted for help but the suspect ran after her and also stabbed her with the knife.

The suspect took the wallet of Ramelo and fled with the weapon.

The victims were taken to a hospital but the wife was declared dead-on-arrival by Dr. Ronald Phi, the attending physician.

The husband was later transferred to a hospital here.

Gina worked as a disbursement officer at the Diosdado Macapagal National High School in Gloria, Oriental Mindoro while Ramelo is an employee of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Roxas, Oriental Mindoro.

A DepEd employee has been killed and her husband who works fo the Bureau of Fisheries has been hurt in a stabbing attack.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186154

The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the murder conviction of a police officer who killed his boss, the municipal police chief of Talavera town in Nueva Ecija province, 11 years ago on New Year's Day.

The 12-page decision uploaded recently affirmed the sentence of reclusion perpetua imposed by the Santo Domingo, Nueva Ecija Regional Trial Court Branch 88 on former Insp. Bernardo Castro who killed C/Supt. Ricardo Dayag Jr., 47.

Castro was likewise ordered to pay PHP225,000 in indemnity and damages to the victim’s kin.

Dayag confronted the intoxicated Castro after two shots were heard from the Talavera Police Station where Castro was the officer-in-charge for the day on Jan. 1, 2011.

Castro shot Dayag, initially hitting the leg, after the victim demanded that he surrender his firearm.

According to reports, 19 subsequent shots were fired at the fallen officer as he lay on the ground.

Castro then hid inside an ambulance parked near the municipal hall before responding policemen convinced him to surrender after about 30 minutes.

The CA dismissed Castro's claim that the prosecution failed to introduce evidence for the motive for the killing, adding that "motive is irrelevant in this case" and the accused "did not even disavow his having been identified as the perpetrator."

A cop who killed another cop has had his conviction upheld by the Court of Appeals.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186230

Authorities have seized more than PHP2-million worth of illegal drugs and a firearm following a clash that resulted in the death of a high-value drug personality in Lanao del Sur province, an official said Saturday.

Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command-Western Mindanao, identified the slain drug personality as Abuhanan Sultan, 24, who is an incumbent councilor in Barangay Limogao, Saguiran town.

He said the clash occurred around 3 p.m. Thursday in a chokepoint established by joint police and military troopers in Barangay Mipaga, Saguiran, Lanao del Sur. The chokepoint was set up after the Marawi City police reported they were in pursuit of four suspected drug personalities fleeing towards Saguiaran.

According to Verceles, Sultan’s cohorts, Omar Macabago, a certain Nadir, and a certain Arab, fled when they saw Sultan fall during the clash.

Police recovered from Sultan some 300 grams of suspected shabu worth PHP2.04 million, a .45-caliber pistol, six empty shells, and a broken glass tooter.

A village councilor has been killed during a drug raid. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/18/sandiganbayan-convicts-govt-official-of-sexualharassment-orders-payment-of-p10000-fine/

He regularly sent her flowers, food and messages of endearment. He even followed her on her way home and, in several instances, asked her that they check in at a hotel.

He is her boss at the National Council on Disability Affairs (NCDA). She is his administrative aide.

She had constantly refused all the sexual advances. When she could not bear anymore, she filed against his boss a complaint for sexual harassment.

In a decision, the Sandiganbayan found NCDA Deputy Executive Director Mateo A. Lee Jr. guilty of sexual harassment and was ordered to pay a fine of P10,000.

The Sandiganbayan found Lee guilty of the provision of Republic Act No. 7877, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995, for harassing Administrative Aide VI Diane Jane M. Paguirigan.

During trial, Lee admitted sending her flowers and food, visiting her house and church, and that he offered her rides and gave her gifts “to show his appreciation for her good deeds.”

“The foregoing constitutes judicial admissions,” the Sandiganbayan’s decision stated.

“The Court is mindful that accused Lee is visually impaired and even claims to be suffering from total blindness, although he himself asserts that he has developed a keen sense of direction and familiarity in relation to places he would frequently visit,” the court said.

It pointed out that Lee abused his authority over Paguirigan, since his actions are “out-of-the-ordinary” from the normal superior-subordinate relationship.

“It is worthy to note that nothing in the records shows that accused Lee acted in a similar manner towards his other staff members and/or employees at the NCDA to at least justify his acts towards the private complainant,” it said.

Lee said that his acts were done “in the context of friendship,” but the court disagreed since Lee would call her at midnight, gave her an “I love you” note in Braille, and even asked her to check in at a hotel.

A government official has been accused of sexual harassment for sending his subordinate flowers, food, love notes, and visiting her house. It should be noted that he is also blind but that is no excuse.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1186382

An ex-officio member of the City Council here and 10 others were recently arrested in an entrapment over an "illegal" ancestral land deal, the National Bureau of Investigation in Davao Region (NBI-11) said Tuesday.

In a statement, the NBI-11 said Kapatagan village chief Juanito Morales was arrested on Oct. 15 while inside the barangay hall signing documents about selling a portion of land identified as within the ancestral domain, which is prohibited by law.

Morales was also found to possess an undisclosed explosive, and a handgun at the time of his arrest.

The 10 other unnamed suspects were allegedly lured to sell their lots to the prospective buyer that turned out to be a member of the NBI’s entrapment team.

Morales is an ex-officio member of the 8th City Council representing the Liga ng Barangay here. 

He was also a past ex-officio member of the provincial board for the Federation of the Association of Barangay Council (FABC) in Davao del Sur.

On Monday, Morales was formally charged with estafa through falsification of public documents, illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of explosives, and violation of the Indigenous People's Right Act (RA 8371 of 1997) before the City Prosecutor's Office here.

Lawyer Marc Dominic Fernandez, a member of the City Council and one of Morales’ legal counsels, said the suspect had to be brought to the hospital after fainting during the City Council's session Monday upon learning of the filing of charges.

A former village official has been arrested over an illegal land deal and charged with estate as well as illegal possession of explosives. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1681619/village-official-gunned-down-over-debt-in-cavite

A barangay kagawad (village councilman) was shot and killed by a debtor in Indang town in Cavite province Tuesday morning, Oct. 18.

Cavite police said in a report that Willy Costa, incumbent kagawad in Barangay (village) Buna Lejos 2, and Cerilo Berber had a heated argument at around 7:45 a.m. in Barangay Buna Lejos 1 over the latter’s unsettled cash debt to the village official.

Citing accounts by witnesses, police said Berber repeatedly shot the victim using a handgun.

The suspect fled after the shooting. The victim died while being taken to a hospital.

A village councilor was shot and killed by a man who owed him a debt. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/10/15/2216716/ex-cop-killed-gun-attack

A former policeman-turned-businessman was killed while one of his bodyguards was wounded in a gun attack in this city on Thursday night.

Alvin Perez, 49, was driving his sport utility vehicle with his two bodyguards when they were waylaid in Sitio Lumiyap in Barangay Divisoria. He died while being treated in a hospital.

“The motorcycle-riding suspects emerged from behind and fired on the victims,” Maj. Albin Cabayacruz, Police Station 5 commander, said.

Danny Boy Bellesa was wounded. Perez’s other bodyguard was unhurt as he managed to fire at the suspects.

Responding policemen recovered more than 60 bullet shells for a caliber 5.56 rifle and a magazine for a caliber .45 pistol at the scene. 

A former cop turned government contractor was assassinated by unknown men.

https://www-bomboradyo-com.translate.goog/butuan/pag-ambush-kang-pss-arnold-tanjay-sa-bayugan-city-padayon-pang-gi-imbestigahan-pro-13/?_x_tr_sl=tl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

The investigation is still ongoing with the police in Bayugan City in the province of Agusan del Sur in the ambush of Police Staff Sergeant Arnold Cafe Tanjay, 40-years-old, past 7:20 last night outside his home in Purok 3, Brgy. Mabuhay and currently assigned to the Regional Intelligence Division at the Police Regional Office or PRO-13.

In an exclusive interview with Bombo Radyo Butuan, PM Major Jennifer Ometer, spokeswoman for PRO-13, disclosed that the victim was able to shoot back at the suspect who was apparently panicked because the KG9 mm luger was left in its holster.  

In the follow-up operation conducted by the police, among those recovered from the crime scene were 12 discarded cartridge cases with one bullet from the weapon and one magazine that contained 21 bullets and another six cartridge cases left inside the victim police car.

This is in addition to the three cartridge cases that were left at a distance of 400 meters from the crime scene.

A number of angles are still being focused on in the investigation, especially since many cases have been handled by the official that is the cause of his firing, including his possible connection with the rebel New People's Army or NPA.

A cop was ambushed by unknown men for unknown reasons. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1682294/2-ex-cops-arrested-in-cavite-robbery

Two former policemen, who are the main suspects in a robbery incident in General Trias City, Cavite on Tuesday, Oct. 18, were arrested Wednesday, Oct. 19.

Cavite police, in a report Wednesday night, said Franklin Menor and John Carl Machon were arrested as a result of a manhunt.

Menor was arrested in Fairview, Quezon City at around 2:30 p.m. and yielded one caliber .45 pistol loaded with 10 bullets.

Machon was nabbed in Novaliches also in Quezon City at 4 p.m. with a caliber .9mm pistol and nine bullets.

The report tagged the two suspects as both dismissed police officers. However, the details of their dismissal from the police force were not specified.

The report also did not specify if the seized firearms have valid government documents.

The police report said the two and their four cohorts were behind the robbery of Abner Santos and his wife, Josie inside their house in Barangay (village) Santiago on Tuesday night.

The suspects barged inside the house and tied the victims and carted away the victim’s caliber 9mm pistol and assorted pieces of jewelry worth P1 million. The suspects escaped aboard a white van.

The investigators identified Menor and Machon as among the robbers. The police are reviewing the security footage to identify the four other suspects.

Two ex-cops who were dismissed from the force for unspecified reasons have been arrested for robbery.