It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209887 |
Several politicians have been suspended under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has granted the request of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to suspend several local officials during the election period.
In a memorandum dated September 13, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia approved the recommendation of the agency’s Law Department to allow the suspension of Clarin, Bohol Mayor Eugeniano Ibarra; San Simon, Pampanga Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr.; Tabuk, Kalinga Mayor Darwin Estrañero; and Goa, Camarines Sur Mayor Racquel Lim.
Lim was subjected to a one-year suspension without pay due to grave abuse of authority/oppression, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, while Punsalan and seven other Sangguniang Bayan members were given six months suspension for simple neglect of duty and simple misconduct.
Estrañero was also suspended for six months for simple misconduct, while Ibarra was suspended for a month without pay due to simple dishonesty.
In allowing for their suspension during the election period, the Comelec noted that the cases against the elective officials “do not involve violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, hence prior authority from the Commission is required.”
Section 261 (x) of the Omnibus Election Code prohibits the suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay officer without prior approval of the Comelec, “unless said suspension will be for purposes of applying the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act."
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1832470/maguindanao-del-sur-village-councilman-slain-in-gun-attack |
A village councilman here was killed in an ambush by still unidentified gunmen on Saturday afternoon, police said.
Lt. Colonel Armando Liwan, Datu Piang police chief, identified the victim as Leonardo de Jesus Jr., 59, incumbent barangay kagawad of Poblacion, and not a candidate in the Oct. 30 polls.
The victim was seated in the front seat of his silver Toyota Innova being driven by his son when ambushed by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike along a road in Barangay Kanguan at past 4 p.m.He died while undergoing medication in a local hospital.
Police investigators believe the attack may be unrelated to the upcoming village elections.
A village councilman has been assassinated.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/09/18/2297197/barangay-councilor-hopeful-companion-killed-maguindanao-sur-ambush |
Gunmen killed a barangay councilor hopeful and his companion in an ambush in South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur on Sunday afternoon.
The fatal ambush of Zeraphi Omar, a barangay councilor hopeful in Biarong, South Upi, and companion, Parato Mudzol, 32, happened a day after motorcycle-riding men shot dead Leonardo Asud De Jesus, Jr., a third-termer barangay councilor in Datu Piang town in the same province.
Col. Roel Rullan Sermese, director of the Maguindanao del Sur provincial police, on Monday said that Omar and Mudzol were together in a motorcycle when they were attacked by gunmen positioned along the road in a secluded area in Barangay Lamud in South Upi, killing them both on the spot.
The slain Omar is son of the incumbent barangay chairman of Biarong, Datu Esmal Omar
Another barangay councilor candidate has been assassinated.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/18/5-persons-convicted-for-misuse-of-p9-6-m-pdaf-of-late-congressman-herminio-teves |
The Sandiganbayan has convicted five persons involved in the misuse of the P9.6 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the late Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Herminio G. Teves in 2007.
Found guilty of graft and malversation of public funds were former Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC) officer-in-charge of the Legislative Liaison Office Belina A. Concepcion, deputy director general Dennis L. Cunanan, chief accountant Marivic V. Jover, Teves' chief of staff Hiram Diday R. Pulido, and private individual Samuel S. Bombeo.
For graft, they were sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to 10 years with perpetual disqualification to hold public office. For malversation, they were meted out jail terms ranging from 12 to 18 years and ordered to indemnify the government of P9.6 million with six per cent yearly interest until fully paid.
The cases against Teves had been dismissed on account of his death. Former TLRC department manager Francisco B. Figura was acquitted. The cases against former TLRC director general Antonio Y. Ortiz remained archived pending his arrest or surrender.
In filing the criminal charges, the prosecution told the Sandiganbayan that on Feb. 27, 2007, Teves and his co-accused took advantage of their positions and gave Molugan Incorporated (MFI) president Bombeo unwarranted benefits in the use of the P9.6 million PDAF.
Five people have been convicted of graft over the misuse of a PDAF money.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/18/23/former-nia-exec-found-guilty-of-harassment-oppression-of-employees |
The Office of the Ombudsman found former National Irrigation Administration acting administrator Benny Antiporda guilty of harassment and oppression of employees.
In the decision of the Office of the Ombudsman approved by Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo, Jr. on August 30, 2023, Antiporda was ordered suspended without pay for one year or pay an equivalent fine.
Antiporda was replaced last year by Acting Administrator Eduardo Guillen.
"In case he is, by this time, separated from the service, he shall pay a fine, in lieu of suspension, in the amount equivalent to his salary for one year as acting administrator of NIA," the Office of the Ombudsman said.
According to the Commission on Audit's Reports on Salaries and Allowances 2022, Antiporda's gross compensation as administrator and as vice chair of the NIA's board of directors was P2,445,876.12.
The Ombudsman acted on the complaints filed by the officers and members of the NIA Employees Association of the Philippines including lawyer Lloyd Alain Cudal and Michelle Gonzalez Raymundo.
They accused Antiporda of conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, grave misconduct, harassment, oppression and ignorance of the law.
Among the complaints lodged against Antiporda were unjust termination and reassignment of officials.
Antiporda dismissed the allegations which he said were part of a smear campaign against him.
"Respondent Antiporda’s acts failed to live up to the high standards required of a government employee," the Ombudsman said.
In the decision however, the Ombudsman dismissed the charges of grave misconduct and ignorance of the law against Antiporda.
The Ombudsman added that the conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service was already covered in the harassment and oppression offenses.
- A former NIA executive has been suspended for harassing employees.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/19/taguig-police-chief-relieves-officers-involved-in-warrantless-search |
Taguig City police chief Col. Robert Baesa relieved police officers involved in a warrantless search and seizure operation in a city resident's house.
Baesa announced his decision after complainants Michael Catanghal and Christina Alcober went to the “Wanted sa Radyo” program of Senator Raffy Tulfo to air their grievance about what happened last Aug. 30.
"When I learned about the incident, I immediately called the attention of Sub-Station 8 Commander to explain the issue and directed the relief of police personnel involved in the incident,” said Baesa.
In her narration, Alcober tearfully said there were six men involved.
“They were looking for a person called ‘brother.’ It was pinpointed that the person was living in our house,” said Alcober.
She said the men entered the house without a search warrant and asked for the name of her husband. She showed them her husband’s ID and the men took a picture of it.
When she tried to take back the ID, she was told to ask her husband if he knew a certain Alvin, who she claimed they did not know.
After getting her ID, one of the men followed her and told her to ask her husband to come down from the house.
“He was trying to pull my husband out of the door. They were trying to take him,” she said.
As a scuffle ensued, the men told her husband of being a “tulak” (drug pusher).”
They shouted to seek help and the men suddenly disappeared except for one, who was joined by a barangay kagawad.
During the program, Tulfo identified the two police officers involved in the incident as Sgt. Vincent Macabasag and Cpl. Marvin Blastique, who both belong to the Taguig police Substation 8.
In a statement, the Taguig police vowed “to implement measures to ensure no bias treatment implemented.”
“The Investigation pertaining this matter is being handled by NCRPO thru Regional Investigation Detection and Management Division (RIDMD) that immediately took an action regarding the incident which transpired last August 30, 2023 and was aired in ‘Wanted sa Radyo Program,’ a live segment by Hon. Senator Raffy Tulfo,” they added.
The Taguig police said, “As members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), one of our primary mandates is to ensure public safety. As police personnel and agents of law, we have high regard with people’s rights against unreasonable search and seizure. This is a constitutionally guaranteed right which we ought to respect and uphold.”
"We, the Taguig City Police Station under my leadership, assure the public that we will help, assist, and cooperate, in every way feasible and lawful, for the resolution of issues we have at hand,” they said.
Two cops have been relieved following a warrantless search.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1833912/ex-cop-wanted-for-killing-a-military-officer-nabbed-in-rizal-after-28-years |
A dismissed police officer wanted for killing a military officer was arrested after 28 years in Rizal on Tuesday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Fugitive Joel Consuelo Villanueva was a former police sergeant who had been on the list of the most wanted persons in the country. Authorities even offered a reward of P275,000 for any information that could lead to his arrest.
Based on the PNP report, Villanueva was collared by members of the PNP Intelligence Group in Cainta on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by Branch 56 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Lucena City for homicide.In the 1990s, Villanueva was assigned to the 237th Philippine Constabulary Company in Candelaria, Quezon. He was convicted of homicide after killing an Armed Forces of the Philippines officer in 1991 and was dismissed from service in 1995.
According to the PNP, the suspect escaped the Lucena City jail in the same year and was recaptured in 1996. However, he escaped again while undergoing a medical examination and was on the loose until being captured on Tuesday.
A former cop wanted for murder has been arrested after 28 years.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/20/two-cavite-cops-accused-of-collecting-p1-5-m-monthly-payola-from-transpo-groups-arrested |
Two police sergeants assigned in Cavite, who allegedly collect P1.5 million every month from transport operators in Bacoor, landed in jail following an entrapment operation conducted by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
The two cops were identified as Police Senior Master Sgt. Joselito Bugay, assigned as intelligence officer of the Bacoor City Police Station; and Police Staff Sgt. Gregor Bautista, also assigned to the Bacoor City Police Station.
CIDG director Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat, Jr. said the operation also resulted in the arrest of the cops’ alleged cohort identified as John Louie De Leon, adding that follow-up operation is now being conducted against the other suspect identified as Edralin Gawaran.
“These policemen gained notoriety for allegedly extorting money from transport groups in Bacoor City. These individuals stand accused of collecting monthly payments or payola from tricycle operators, driver’s associations, and other transport groups,” said Caramat, citing Facebook posts from some concerned netizens.
“It is estimated that they amass around P1.5 million per month, with an average of P170,000 per transport group,” he added.
Caramat disclosed that the modus of the two policemen is to threaten the transport groups of arrests and shut down of operations especially in terminals in order to compel them to pay the monthly payola.
Two cops have been arrested for extortion.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1834138/fwd-retired-cop-transporting-15-guns-to-camp-crame-arrested |
A retired police official caught transporting 15 handguns and shotguns to Camp Crame, Quezon City, was arrested on Tuesday afternoon, according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
CIDG director Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat opted not to disclose the identity of the former police officer but said personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters Gate 2 discovered 11 handguns and four shotguns in the suspect’s vehicle at the entrance inspection.
(Although the firearms are all legal and named after a security agency, he does not have a gun ban exemption from the Comelec gun ban.)Caramat said CIDG has already started investigating what other violations the retired police official committed.
A cop has been arrested on illegal gun charges.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/20/lgu-employee-shot-dead-1 |
An employee of the local government unit of San Isidro, this province, was shot dead in front of the Southern Isabela Specialist Hospital in Barangay Ipil, this town, on Tuesday afternoon, September 19.
Police said Kendrick Pera, 29, a resident of Barangay Camarag, San Isidro, was standing at the entrance of the hospital when two unidentified men wearing black T-shirt and carrying a sling bag arrived on board a black motorcycle.
The suspects fired at the victim who was taken to the emergency room of the hospital where he died to multiple bullet wounds.
The gunmen fled to an unknown direction and are now the subject of a manhunt.
An LGU employee has been shot dead.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/19/ots-personnel-caught-swallowing-dollar-bills-after-alleged-theft-at-naia-departure-checkpoint |
A female screening officer of the Office Transportation Security (OTS) assigned at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 was caught on closed-circuit television (CCTV) trying to put some folded bills amounting to $300 into her mouth in an apparent attempt to hide what she had allegedly filched from the wallet of a departing Chinese passenger.
The CCTV footage was part of an official report released by airport authorities regarding the alleged theft that happened at one of the departure area’s final checkpoints. The x-ray operator at the checkpoint, as well as their supervisor, could also be in hot water.
The official report also included a chronology of events that was partly based on the CCTV video footages, starting at 8:18 p.m. on Sept. 8 when the departing passenger – a certain Mr. Cai – could be seen placing his shoulder bag on a tray for inspection.
Cai could be seen passing through the Advanced Imaging Technology Machine (AITM), while a female security screening officer (SSO) brought the tray containing the passenger’s bag to a table for a manual search.
When the SSO finished inspecting Cai’s bag, the report said she “suspiciously turned away while apparently holding something in her left hand with her fist tightly-closed”.
“She then swiftly placed something on her left torso/waist area, and went back to the inspection table,” the report added.
It was at this point that Cai sensed that someone had tampered with his bag – the wallet inside was open and several bills were missing.
This prompted Cai to confront the female SSO, her supervisor, a passenger service agent, a Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel, and a member of the Airport Police Department about the missing bills from his wallet which amounted to $300.
According to the report, an ocular inspection was then conducted at the departure final checkpoint.
“A follow-up was made at around 3 a.m. for a thorough review of another CCTV footage where the events were captured at the DFSCP beginning at 8:39 p.m.” the report added.
Based on the CCTV footage, the x-ray operator was seen handing over a bottle of water to the female SSO, who was described to be “edgy and restless”.
After accepting the bottle of water, the SSO turned her back on the group, and was “clearly seen deliberately swallowing the dollar bills, folded into one small piece”. She even ignored a passing female passenger who was asking her something.
But little did the SSO know that she was actually facing another CCTV when she turned her back on the group.
The report added: “She was seen to be having a hard time swallowing the bills despite drinking the bottled water earlier given to her.”
The report likewise noted that the SSO’s supervisor then approached her, and “was seemingly communicating with her as the latter was obviously almost choking in her effort to swallow the dollar bills while using her hanky to cover her mouth."
The supervisor, according to the report, was “apparently ensuring that the bills are dispatched to preclude any evidence”.
The report said its findings showed that “the CCTV footage clearly shows that the (suspect) SSO, with intent to gain, took the USD300 of Mr. Cai during her inspection process and was clearly in the possession of the stolen money as she deliberately swallowed the paper bills to avoid getting caught.”
“In addition, supervisor...and x-ray operator... who gave the water bottle appeared to be in connivance relative to the execution and subsequent evasion on the consequence of herein illegal act of SSO,” it added.
However, according to the report, Cai could no longer be contacted if he planned to pursue any criminal complaint against the suspects.
Airport authorities proceeded to the Boarding Gate 16 at Terminal 1 and coordinated with an airline representative to inquire with the complainant regarding the filing of a criminal case against the subject SSO but Mr. Cai expressed unwillingness, the report added.
"Evidently, Cai did not return to Manila earlier after the incident but never made any contact with authorities regarding his complaint," the report said.
An airport screen was caught on camera stealing and trying to eat a passengers money.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/528401/teacher-caught-with-p2040-worth-of-shabu-in-barili-arrested |
A 39-YEAR-OLD teacher of a public elementary school in Barangay Mantalongon, Barili town in southwestern Cebu will probably spend sometime in jail after he was caught with P2,040 worth of suspected shabu on Sunday, September 17, 2023, during a buy-bust operation in the barangay.
Police Major Janus Giangan, Barili Police Station chief, identified the teacher as Glenn Pacaldo of Sitio Kalubihan, Barili town.
Giangan in his initial police report described Pacaldo as a high value individual in their list of drug personalities in the town.
He said that the buy-bust operation against Pacaldo was conducted at past 1 p.m. on Sunday, September 17, in Sitio Kalubihan, where the suspect lived.
The suspect was arrested after the buy-bust was completed. Pacaldo was allegedly caught with 0.3 grams of suspected shabu.
Major Giangan said that the illegal drugs allegedly taken from the possession of Pacaldo had a market value of P2,040.
Pacaldo was detained at the Barili Police Station detention cell pending the filing of charges.
A teacher has been busted for drugs.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1834309/school-principal-survives-attack-after-being-shot-7-times-in-nueva-ecija |
A school principal in Barangay Sto. Tomas North, Jaen, Nueva Ecija was shot multiple times on Tuesday but survived the attack.
Jaen Municipal Police Station identified the victim as Reden Daquiz, the principal of Sto. Tomas North Elementary School.
According to municipal police chief Master Sergeant Junard Yoyo, Daquiz was about to enter the vicinity of the school when two gunmen on board a motorcycle fired shots at his car at around 7:20 a.m.
“Nangyari po yan nang ano, 7:20 [a.m.], ganyan. Umaga. Pasukan po,” Yoyo told INQUIRER.net over the phone.
(The incident happened at 7:20 in the morning when classes were about to start.)
Police said seven cartridge cases of fired bullets were recovered at the scene.
Based on the initial police reports, Daquiz was hit in the side of his body and arms.
Yoyo said that the lead and possible motive behind the shooting remained to be established.
He also mentioned that teachers of the school reported earlier that their classes were still suspended.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education condemned the shooting.
“The Department is coordinating with the concerned field offices and the police to apprehend the perpetrators of this brutal crime,” it said on its Facebook page.
Daquiz is now recovering at the Nueva Ecija Medical Center.
A school principal has survived an assassination attempt.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/09/18/2297210/vacationing-soldier-killed-2-hurt-tacurong-city-gun-attack |
Two men on a motorcycle shot dead a vacationing Army private and wounded two others in an attack that occurred at around Sunday midnight in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province.
In a report to Brig. Gen. Jimili Lopez Macaraeg, director of the Police Regional Office-12, the Tacurong City Police Station identified the fatality as Pvt. Reymar Seredica Pelaez.
Pelaez, whose family resides in Barangay Buenaflor in Tacurong City, belonged to the Army’s 32nd Infantry Battalion based in Malabang, Lanao del Sur.
The soldier, who was on a military rest and recreation pass, and his cousin, Royce Seridica Garde, were talking to each other at the entrance to their residential yard when two men on a motorcycle arrived, pulled out pistols from their waists and opened fire, killing Pelaez instantly.
The attack left Garde and a bystander named Jay-Ar Bandar Dineal badly wounded, now both confined in a hospital.
Investigators from the Tacurong City police are still trying to identify the culprits for prosecution.
A solider on vacation has been assassinated.
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