Coronavirus Lockdown: Duterte Can't Recall, National Bible Quiz Returns, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government. 

During a House hearing it was revealed that Duterte authorized the transfer of P47.6 billion from the DOH to the PS-DSM to buy face masks and other health supplies. But Duterte says he does not recall authorizing the transfer. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/06/2360716/duterte-cant-recall-covid-19-fund-transfer-ps-dbm

Former president Rodrigo Duterte does not remember authorizing the transfer of P47.6 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, as claimed by former health secretary Francisco Duque III.

Duterte, however, conceded: “Maybe what I said is, ‘go ahead.’ ”

“I could not recall, for the life of me. Maybe what you are saying is true,” Duterte said during an interview with social media personalities in Davao City Tuesday night.

But he stressed: “Considering the huge amount of (fund) transfer, I would have insisted as a lawyer to put it in a memo or something.”

Duque on Monday told the House committee on appropriations that Duterte authorized the transfer because of the public health emergency.

While Duterte insists that he “cannot recall accurately” what he said, he conceded that he might have given the transfer a go-signal.

Duterte explained that since it was a pandemic, the government was hard-pressed to find a solution on how to protect the health workers.

“I ordered everybody to do everything they can do,” he said.

Salvador Panelo, who served as Duterte’s chief presidential legal counsel, said that Duterte’s directive was “regular” and was meant to protect the public from COVID-19.

Following calls to include Duterte in the probe on the government’s pandemic supply deals, Panelo said the purpose of the transfer was to do away with the bidding for the purchase of medical equipment like face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment that were urgently needed to respond to the pandemic.

He added that a regular bidding process would have delayed the immediate response required by the emergency situation and would have a “disastrous effect” on the nation.

“It is to the credit of the political will of PRRD (president Rodrigo Roa Duterte) and his decisive action, the enactment by Congress of Bayanihan To Heal As One Act I and II and the people’s disciplined response that saved the lives of millions of Filipinos,” he added.

At a hearing by the House appropriations committee last Monday, Duque said Duterte had ordered the transfer of P47.6 billion in COVID-19 funds from the DOH to the budget department’s Procurement Service, a move flagged by state auditors.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the former president should be included in the investigation into the pandemic supply contracts, since it can be proven that he was introduced to Pharmally officials by Michael Yang, his special adviser in 2017.

Duterte should, at the very least, explain the policy considerations that resulted in his directive to Duque, Hontiveros added.

In a recent statement, Duque said Duterte had been consistent and open in directing his administration to act swiftly and decisively and to do all that it could to fight the pandemic from the very beginning of the public health emergency.

“What has been lost in the political noise is the fact that these CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment) were procured sometime in April 2020, during the very beginning of the pandemic when the only way we knew to protect ourselves, most especially our health workers, from the COVID-19 virus was through face masks, face shields and PPEs,” Duque said.

“Their procurement was not only necessary, but was of extreme urgency. Moreover, having been declared CSEs, procurement of these items through the PS-DBM is mandatory under the law, and not discretionary upon the DOH. It was accordingly on the basis of the foregoing premises that president Duterte gave his approval to course the procurement of the said items through the PS-DBM,” he said.

How convenient. There is probably much about his presidency Duterte does not wish to recall.

Despite the low risk of COVID-19 as well as the prevalence of vaccines to prevent infection senior citizens are being urged to take caution against new variants.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/06/2360670/senior-citizens-urged-take-precautions-vs-covid-19

With the detection of new COVID-19 variants in the Philippines, senior citizens and the immunocompromised are advised to continue wearing face masks and get vaccinated.

There is no reason to panic despite the entry of new variants as they have been classified as low public health risk by the World Health Organization, infectious disease specialist Rontgene Solante said in a radio interview yesterday.

“The vulnerable population, or those aged 60 and above, those with comorbidities, immunocompromised and children must take precaution,” he said.

Filipinos inoculated with bivalent vaccines have better protection against severe symptoms, he added.

Hospitalization rate remains low, he noted.

The new COVID “FLiRT” variants, or KP.2 and KP.3, are low public health risk and less likely to cause severe infection, Solante said.

The public should not be complacent as COVID continues to mutate, he maintained.

Don't panic but take caution. 

Animanl bite cases in Bacolod have increased because people bought pets during the pandemic. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949059/animal-bite-cases-in-bacolod-increase-by-about-50

Animal bite patients seeking treatment here have increased by about 50 percent.

Based on the data of the Bacolod City Health Office (BCHO), the number of animal bite patients increased from 9,000 in 2022 to 14,000 in 2023.

Dr. Carlo Ortega, head of the BCHO rabies program, attributed the increase in animal bites to more persons acquiring pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the majority of the reported animal bite cases involved pet owners unlike in the past when they were mostly caused by stray dogs.

Do animals suddenly get aggressive after 2 years? This is a huge increase and brings up more questions.  

A Bilibid inmate went missing for a few hours. He was later found in the COVID-19 quarters. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949027/missing-bilibid-inmate-found-in-covid-19-quarters

A person deprived of liberty (PDL) who was reported missing Wednesday has been found in the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) COVID-19 quarters.

Jonathan Villamor, who was supposed to be restricted at NBP’s Dorm A Medium Security Camp was discovered missing around 4 p.m. on June 5, following a final physical headcount.

NBP Acting Superintendent Corrections Head Inspector Roger Boncales reported to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. that the Medium Security Camp Office was promptly directed to trace the whereabouts of Villamor, who was eventually found inside Site Harry on Thursday.

Site Harry is the area within NBP where PDLs with COVID-19 are quarantined for treatment.

Due to this incident, Catapang ordered all jail facility officers to conduct physical inspections every five minutes, especially of PDLs tasked to do agricultural work.

“In that case, we will be able to track them down immediately to know their whereabouts should they not be on their designated work assignments,” Catapang said.

Is COVID that prevalent at Bilibid that patients need their own quarters?

The St. Paul National Bible Quiz is back after being cancelled by the pandemic.

https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2024/06/10/276829/st-paul-national-bible-quiz-returns-this-year/

The St. Paul National Bible Quiz is officially back.

Now on its 11th edition, the Bible trivia competition will be returning this September 2024 with the theme, “The Word: Inspiring Minds, Igniting Hearts.”

Organized by the Society of St. Paul, the yearly event was put on hold since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A school may enter one or two teams, each with two members. The participating students are from Grades 7 to 9 (SY 2023-2024); these students will be in Grades 8 to 10 in the incoming SY 2024-2025.

The elimination round on Aug. 22 will be conducted simultaneously online and onsite using the online program developed by Asia Pacific College.

The participants will take the quiz in their respective schools. It will consist of multiple-choice questions, which must be answered within a given and limited time.

The regional finals on Aug. 23 will be at the same venue as the elimination round for the qualifying teams. The questions will be multiple-choice and true-or-false, to be answered within a limited time.

The national championship, featuring the regional champions, will be held on Sept. 14 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City during the Manila International Book Fair.

Likewise another town festival is returning after the end of the pandemic. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226633

After three years of cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic and eruption of Mayon Volcano, the Legazpi City government is now in the thick of preparations for the 33rd Ibalong Festival celebration.

City Tourism officer Agapita Pacres, in an interview on Monday, said they already held a series of meetings with the chairmen of different committees to make sure that the festival events would be successful.

She said they invited different schools and pre-identified partner agencies to join the festival and hold events that would promote Legazpi City and the rest of Albay province and the Bicol region.

Pacres said the nine-day celebration will be held Aug. 9-17, adding that the opening parade would be participated in by schools, private groups, and government agencies.

It will start in front of the City Hall building and end at the Sawangan Park which is sandwiched between Mayon Volcano and the Albay Gulf.

“We are expecting over 20,000 people to attend in the Festival’s opening ceremony featuring the performances of invited bands at the Sawangan Park. There will also be a nightly beer plaza and other entertainments until the last day of the festival,” Pacres said.

She said the events would include the “Mutya ng Ibalong”, a street dance competition, sporting events, and a “bike challenge that would be participated by some local and international athletes.”.

Pacres added Ballet Philippines will perform the epic Ibalong dance as part of the festival events.

The Ibalong Festival is a non-religious event in Legazpi City that showcases the epic story of the Kingdom of Ibalong with three legendary heroes –Baltog, Handyong, Bantong-- and other ancient heroes.

How many more town festivals have yet to return now the pandemic is over?

The God Culture: 100 Lies About the Philippines: Lie #18 Filipinos Rejected the Santo Niño

Welcome back to 100 lies the God Culture teaches about the Philippines. Today's lie concerns the Santo Niño which Magellan gifted to the natives of Cebu. Timothy Jay Schwab says after Magellan was killed they rejected that statue. As we shall see this is another of Tim's many lies. 

This is another lie that is easily disproved if one reads the sources rather than cherrypick them for quotes. Magellan gave the King of Cebu the Santo Niño. Tim says when Magellan was killed Lapulapu took the statue as a trophy of war to Mactan and it was never worshipped.

SATAN'S TRICK EXPOSED. Sto. Nino Is NOT Jesus. Prophetic Warning 5

4:04 Now, what happened to this Santo Nino child after that? Well, they record it. Cebu didn't even keep it. It turns out according to the letter from the royal officials, that's people like Legaspi and all of the the different captains and generals and whatever titles of the Philippines, so, the Spanish royal officials that is, riding from Cebu in 1565, this is their actual letter translated into English as published in the encyclopedia series called the Philippines, uh the Philippine Islands, this is volume 2 number 55. About as credible and widely published as a history can get in fact and by the way so is Pigafetta's journal we which we used before it sits in the British Museum, the Italian Museum, and Yale University to this day. This is real history. Your textbook? Not so much. Now, let's read their actual words here. 

"We stopped at an island where Magellan, Magellan's men were killed." 

Where's that? That is Mactan, not Cebu. Get that? In other words Lapu-Lapu island that's where they are in this narrative. He then writes:

"We landed our men and disposed the artillery of the ships." 

They were attacking Mactan in response to their killing Magellan before of course. 

"Which were close to the houses of the town so that the firing of the artillery from the said ships in the arquebuses on land drove the enemy away but we were unable to capture any of them."

Imagine that. 

"Because they had their fleet ready for the sea." 

Smart Filipinos they were expecting this. 

"They abandoned their houses and we found in them nothing," hear that? "Nothing except an image of the Child Jesus and two culverins one of iron and one of bronze." Hmm. "Which can be of no service to us. It is believed that they were brought here at the time of Magellan."

This is the Santo Nino. Did you get this? The Santo Nino that Magellan brought the same one that is enshrined in the bulletproof glass paraded around on Santo Nino day as Jesus. It was not found in Cebu so Cebu shouldn't even be keeping this festival. And the other people were not worshiping it. Cebu was not worshiping it. It wasn't there. It was found with Lapu-Lapu's people on Mactan, you know the ones who rejected first and killed Magellan. It was likely given to Lapu-Lapu as a sort of trophy for his role which inspired the king of Cebu to follow and kill Barbosa and the other leaders. It was not being worshipped and what a statement. Everything was removed from these houses, got that? Everything except this Santo Nino and two other gifts that Magellan had given and not to Mactan and Lapu-Lapu, no, these are gifts Magellan gave to the king of Cebu and the Queen. The king of Cebu and his people rejected Catholicism. They did not worship this statue. Yeah there was a three week or so period but that was it. In the end they rejected and Lapu-Lapu people most certainly did not worship it.

In fact even here 40 years later they left it sitting there with just to culverins that's it nothing else. This was a statement saying this is not ours you can have it back. If they worshipped it or if it had any value they would have taken it with them. After all, the Spanish would not have even expected to find a statue among the inhabitants of Mactan of all places as they are the ones who rebelled first. Nothing in the narrative fits what we're being told.

Tim says the same thing in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure. 

Solomon's Gold, pg. 257

Not only was this a wholesale repudiation of Magellan, Barbosa and everything European including their religion and their King, but when the Spanish returned to Mactan forty years later in 1565, Filipinos there were not worshipping the Santo Niño idol left behind.

“We stopped at an island where Magallanes’s men were killed...”

As we have just said, they declared that not only they would not give us anything, but that they were willing to fight us. Thus we were forced to accept the challenge. We landed our men and disposed the artillery of the ships, which were close to the houses of the town, so that the firing of the artillery from the said ships and the arquebuses on land drove the enemy away; but we were unable to capture any of them, because they had their fleet ready for the sea. They abandoned their houses, and we found in them nothing except an image of the child Jesus, and two culverins, one of iron and one of bronze, which can be of no service to us; it is believed that they were brought here at the time of Magallanes.” 

–Letter from Royal Officials of Filipinas from Cubu, 1665

The inhabitants of Mactan took everything from their houses of value and fled except very minor items. All that remained from their houses was two culverins and the Santo Nino idol left by Magellan in Cebu. He did not leave this idol in Mactan. Perhaps Lapu Lapu secured it from the King of Zubu as a trophy of sort. However, there is zero evidence this statue was worshipped that entire time between 1521 and 1565 in Mactan. In fact, the people of Mactan were sending a message in leaving behind practically only this one thing. They did not worship it and stating “we think you left something when you were here last.”

This letter is in a book of other documents about the same events. It is a brief description of the Spaniards landing in Cebu and finding the Santo Niño. From the very book Tim quotes, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume II, 1521-1569, we read the following:

The fleet set sail for Cebú, where after landing they found the village deserted. Legazpi ordered that each mess of four soldiers should take one house and the rest of the houses be destroyed. Everything was removed from the houses before any were destroyed. The general ordered that a thick set palisade of stakes be built, including therein a few wells of fresh water. "This village was built in triangular shape, with two water-fronts and one land side." The artillery was placed to defend the coast, while the Spaniards relied on the palisade for protection on the land side, until the fort could be built. Companies were sent out to scour the country for food, and "always brought back fowl, hogs, rice, and other things … and some good gold." The natives to the number of one hundred came to make peace one day. "In this town when we entered we found therein a child Jesus. A sailor named Mermeo found it. It was in a wretched little house, and was covered with a white cloth in its cradle, and its little bonnet quite in order. The tip of its nose was rubbed off somewhat, and the skin was coming off the face. The friars took it and carried it in procession on a feast day, from the house where it was found to the church that they had built."

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13280/pg13280.html

Mactan is RIGHT NEXT TO CEBU. It would not be surprising if these new arrivals mixed up Mactan and Cebu. In fact Legazpi makes this same conflation in this very volume.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13280/pg13280.html

in that part where the men of Magallanes were killed, called the island of Cubu

In fact Legazpi is even more direct in his letters about this Child Jesus being found in Cebu.

From this village of Cubu, I have despatched the ship with the father prior [Urdaneta] and my grandson, Phelipe de Zauzedo, with a long relation of the things which I boldly write here to your excellency. They will inform his majesty at length, as persons who have been eyewitnesses of all especially of what has taken place here, the state of the new settlement, and the arrangements made for everything.

And because it is worth knowing, and so that your excellency may understand that God, our Lord, has waited in this same place, and that he will be served, and that pending the beginning of the extension of his holy faith and most glorious name, he has accomplished most miraculous things in this western region, your excellency should know that on the day when we entered this village one of the soldiers went into a large and well-built house of an Indian, where he found an image of the child Jesus (whose most holy name I pray may be universally worshiped). This was kept in its cradle, all gilded, just as it was brought from España; and only the little cross which is generally placed upon the globe in his hand was lacking. This image was well kept in that house, and many flowers were found before it, no one knows for what object or purpose. The soldier bowed before it with all reverence and wonder, and brought the image to the place where the other soldiers were. I pray the holy name of this image which we have found here, to help us and to grant us victory, in order that these lost people who are ignorant of the precious and rich treasure which was in their possession, may come to a knowledge of him.

The Philippine Islands, Vol 2, pgs 214- 216

He is also wrong that the natives did not worship the Santo Niño. They admitted they did so. Antonio Morga writes the following about Legazpi's mission to the Philippines and the finding of the Santo Niño.

He continued his voyage until reaching the island of Sebu, where he anchored, induced by the convenience of a good port and by the nature of the land. At first he was received peacefully by the natives and by their chief Tupas; but later they tried to kill him and his companions, for the Spaniards having seized their provisions, the natives took up arms against the latter; but the opposite to their expectations occurred, for the Spaniards conquered and subdued them. Seeing what had happened in Sebu, the natives of other neighboring islands came peacefully before the adelantado, rendered him homage, and supplied his camp with a few provisions. The first of the Spanish settlements was made in that port, and was called the city of Sanctisimo Nombre de Jesus [Most holy name of Jesus], because a carved image of Jesus had been found in one of the houses of the natives when the Spaniards conquered the latter, which was believed to have been left there by the fleet of Magallanes. The natives held the image in great reverence, and it wrought miracles for them in times of need. The Spaniards placed it in the monastery of St. Augustine, in that city.

History of the Philippines, Antonio Morga

It is simply not true that the Santo Niño was not found in Cebu or that it was not worshipped. To this day its finding in Cebu is celebrated every year by devotees and the people continue to pray to it for miracles. Timothy Jay Schwab's claim to the contrary is another lie he teaches about the history of the Philippines. 

Insurgency: Reds Moving to Recover Lost Ground

The Army has sent an artillery platoon to Northern Samar to help eradicate insurgents. That is because the AFP says the NPA has regrouped. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226181

The Philippine Army in Eastern Visayas has welcomed the arrival of an artillery platoon to help eradicate insurgents in Northern Samar province.

Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) spokesperson, Capt. Jefferson Mariano, said in a phone interview Tuesday that the 2nd Howitzer Platoon of the Army’s Armor Artillery Regiment is highly trained to perform artillery operations.

The platoon previously assigned to Capiz province under the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has two howitzer tubes and nine personnel.

“The platoon will be under the operational control of the 803rd Infantry Brigade. Their main effort is to confront the regional guerilla unit of the NPA’s (New People's Army) Eastern Visayas regional party committee in the province of Northern Samar,” Mariano said.

The NPA unit has regrouped after the dismantling of two front committees in Northern Samar. The military said these NPA remnants are not in control of any village in the province.

The deployment of the Howitzer Platoon will bolster the existing firepower capabilities towards the complete eradication of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA in the region.

The revelation that the NPA is regrouping in Northern Samar comes a month after the region was declared to be under internal peace and security.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/6/northern-samar-declared-under-stable-internal-peace-security

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 8th Infantry Division, announced that Northern Samar is now under a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security after no active NPA guerilla fronts were found operating in the province.

Ligayo added that all the barangays in the province are free from NPA influence.

Abalos presided over  the Joint Regional Task Force 8-End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) Peace and Development Dialogue here on Monday, May 6.

The dialogue highlighted the peace and security status and the collaborative efforts of the members of the Peace, Law Enforcement, and Development Support Custer of JRTF8-ELCAC and the successful civilian-led dismantling of the remaining guerilla fronts.

Brig. Gen. Efren Morados, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, disclosed that there are only five NPA vertical units left which are remnants of different front committee units in Eastern Visayas.

Morados said that there is one criteria to enable Northern Samar to be declared as insurgency-free. "There should be no report, sightings, or movements of NPAs in the area," he said.

The PNP has sent 299 cops to the Western Visayas to prevent the resurgence of the insurgency. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226277

A total of 299 police officers who completed training under the Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (RPSB) Program are currently deployed in 17 Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and urban barangays in Western Visayas.

“They are required to conduct environmental scanning and interview families so they will know the concerns of the barangay and not just focus on peace and order. It will continue for six months,” Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) Regional Director Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky said in an interview on Wednesday.

The program aims to sustain the gains of the Community Support Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Retooled Community Support Program of local government units.

“This aims to prevent the resurgence of insurgency, insulate unaffected communities from the recovery efforts of the communist terrorist group, and to assist the communities address their peculiar concerns and facilitate in availing the basic services of the government they need to avail,” the regional police said in a statement.

The deployment included one barangay each in Aklan and Antique, two in Iloilo City and Negros Occidental, three in Capiz, and four each in Iloilo province and Bacolod City.

“We have created an oversight committee to assess the performance of 299 cops having an immersion in villages. Weekly, they will visit RPSB teams to determine if they are exercising their mandates. They have a checklist on what to do during their six-month immersion period,” the Region 6 top cop added.

The PNP also admits the NPA is attempting to regain lost ground in Southern Luzon.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/8/reds-moving-to-recover-lost-ground-in-southern-luzon-says-armamento

Police Lt. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento, commander of the Area Police Command-South Luzon, said the New People's Army is moving to recover lost ground in Southern Luzon.

Armamento, speaking during the first anniversary of the Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) commitment of this town recently, reminded barangay officials and local government units to be more vigilant as communist rebels plan to regain barangays by recruiting students and progressive groups in the community.

He urged barangay officials inform authorities if they see new faces in their communities.

So, what we see is that the NPA is regrouping and there is a potential resurgence in the Visayas and Southern Luzon. This comes amidst the AFP saying the insurgency is practically defeated. In fact they already declared the NPA has been strategically defeated. But we see that is not the case as the AFP and PNP is sending in reinforcements to prevent a potential resurgence which means the NPA is alive and still poses a threat.

All the while the AFP has been saying the NPA is on the outs they also continue to claim the NPA is recruiting through protests. They handed out pamphlets at a high school seminar red-tagging protestors and demonstrators. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/5/chr-flags-afp-s-distribution-to-students-of-red-tagging-pamphlets

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has expressed its "deep worries" over reports that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) distributed "red-tagging pamphlets" to students during a recent seminar held at Taytay Senior High School in Rizal.

The pamphlets seemed to point out that the recruiters of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) "could be found at protests" and are "teaching people to despise government," the CHR said.

In a statement, the CHR said the distribution of the pamphlets is deeply worrying as it resorts to "arbitrary labeling."

"While the CHR is one with the State in preserving and protecting the country’s peace and security through the adoption of policies countering the threats of terrorism and underground armed rebellion, we believe that it is still essential to raise awareness about the potential dangers of arbitrary labeling," the CHR said. 

"We should also focus on sustainable solutions and measures that address these problems, ensuring that security efforts do not infringe on the rights and freedoms of individuals," it said.

At the same time, the CHR said the distribution of the pampletes also sends a wrong message about rallying, since protests and peaceful dissents are fundamental human rights. 

It cited Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which states that "no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances."

"Participating in protest and dissent are forms of public expression used to voice grievances, not to identify themselves as part of an insurgency or communist armed rebellion. Regardless of political orientation and ideology, participating in a protest is an exercise of fundamental human rights, allowing individuals to express their concerns and demand change," the CHR pointed out. 

It was the Kabataan Party-List which reported the pamphlet distribution by the members of the AFP's 80th Infantry Battalion (IB). The pamphlets, which the partylist dubbed as "brainwashing pamphlets," bore drawings of students wearing red shirts that reportedly blame everything bad on the government and can be spotted in rallies.

The CHR took note of the response on the pamphlet distribution made by the National Security Council's (NSC) which refuted the allegations and stated that it is only for informing students about indicators that they are being recruited by communist rebel group organizers.

It acknowledged the importance of protecting the welfare and safety of students. However, it is essential that these efforts "do not stigmatize legitimate expressions of dissent," it stressed. 

It then urged all Filipinos, particularly those in security forces, to refrain from disseminating what it described as "misconstrued" information that could hinder the freedom to protest or compromise the safety of individuals exercising their democratic rights.

It said: "The Commission remains committed to its Constitutional mandate to protect the rights of all. We believe that participation in peaceful protests should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of insurgency or joining an underground armed movement. Instead, it is a legitimate and protected means for people to seek redress from the government, integral to maintaining a healthy and responsive democracy."

This is clearly a violation of the SC ruling that only the ATC can assert who are communists.

In the meantime a BIFF leader has been apprehended. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226349

Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) apprehended a senior field commander of the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) with multiple murder cases in Maguindanao del Sur on Wednesday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca, chief of the CIDG in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), identified the suspect as 65-year-old Abunawas Ibad Damiog of Barangay Alongan, Datu Piang town.

“Armed with search warrants, CIDG operatives arrested Damiog near his home in Datu Piang. He was armed with a .45-caliber pistol when arrested around 1 p.m.,” Huesca said in an interview on Thursday.

Damiog is the third most wanted person in BARMM, CIDG records showed.

According to Huesca, Damiog is facing a string of murder, double frustrated murder, multiple attempted murder, and destructive arson charges before local courts.

He is also accused of violating the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Damiog's group allegedly attacked the town of Datu Piang on Dec. 3, 2020, setting ablaze a police car and strafing the Roman Catholic Church in the area.

He also allegedly led the BIFF harassment against an Army detachment in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur, killing a soldier and injuring two others several years ago.

Damiog was one of the trusted lieutenants of BIFF founder Ameril Umra Kato, who died of a heart ailment in April 2015.

In 2021, Damiog was among the five BIFF combatants who surrendered to the Army’s 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Ampatuan, Maguindanao Sur.

That is another BIFF leader neutralized.

A Tale of Two Murder Cases

The Philippine justice system is quite broken and there is no better way to demonstrate that fact than by comparing cases involving the same crime. The following two cases involve murder. It's the details that differ.

This first case is rather open and shut as it involves a witness, a ballistic examination, and a paraffin test. Presumption of innocence notwithstanding this man is guilty. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1947975/makati-prosecutors-office-finds-basis-to-sue-road-rage-suspect-for-murder

The Makati City Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause to file a murder case against the suspect in a road rage that occurred along the southbound lane of the Edsa Ayala tunnel in Makati City.

The incident resulted in the death of a stay-in driver.

Citing a resolution released by the prosecutor’s office on Monday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said suspect Gerard Raymond Yu is facing complaints of murder and carrying of firearms without permits.

“The Office of the City Prosecutor of Makati has issued a resolution finding probable cause to charge our arrested suspect Yu with murder charges for violation of Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code and violation of Section 31 of Republic Act 10591,” Fajardo said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The PNP official said the paraffin test results on Yu and the ballistic examination of his firearms were among the bases the prosecutor cited.

Last May 29. Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. revealed that Yu tested positive for gunpowder from the confiscated weapons, which also matched the recovered fired cartridge at the scene.

“In the body of the resolution, the prosecutor says that he [Yu] chased [the victim] and made sure that he positioned himself on the right side of the Innova so that the victim would not notice him,” Fajardo said.

“The case was elevated, and the prosecutor agreed to the murder case we filed yesterday. The city prosecutor also filed information for murder before the Regional Trial Court of Makati,” she added.

And rightly the Makati prosecutor's office says they will be filing charges. There is no waiting for the victims family to file a case. There is no nonsense. There is the City legal office taking charge and filing a case.

Compare that to the following case. A 20 year old 11th grader (that is a whole different story!) was gunned down in his house in front of his parents. It was a case of revenge over a charge of rape. No matter the victim appears innocent. The fact is the cops and the parents seem to know who the perpetrator is. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/6/police-brutal-slay-of-grade-11-student-triggered-by-alleged-rape-incident

Police said that the brutal killing of a Grade 11 student in Barangay Granada here was triggered by rumors linking him to an alleged rape incident.

Police Capt. Portia Nillosan, head of Police Station 5, said that 20-year-old Nicus Balagosa was allegedly shot by the father of the alleged rape victim in front of his parents in their house on Sunday, June 2.

Balagosa was mistakenly tagged as one of those who allegedly raped the 16-year-old daughter of one of the gunmen, according to Nillosan. 

Nillosan said the alleged rape incident happened a few days ago, when the teenage girl and Balagosa attended a friend’s birth anniversary party with their two other friends aged 17 and 19.

However, it was reported late to the police, she added.

After learning the incident involving his daughter, Nillosan said the girl’s father confronted Balagosa’s two friends who denied any involvement in the incident.

However, Nillosan said that the girl’s father may have heard rumors linking Balagosa to the incident that triggered him to act violently.

Nillosan said that based on medical examination, the girl was positively sexually molested. But she noted that based on their investigation, Balagosa had left the party before the alleged rape happened.  

She said they are probing Balagosa’s two friends in relation to the alleged rape incident.

Nillosan said they already have four persons of interest in the shooting incident and they have also identified the girl’s father as one of the two gunmen. However, she refused to name him to protect the identity of the alleged rape victim.

She said they were not able to clearly see the license plates of the get-away vehicle through a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, making it difficult for them to identify the car owner.

She said they are awaiting Balagosa’s family to file murder charges against the perpetrators who are still at large.

Wow. There are suspicions about who pulled the trigger but nothing definite at this point and the PNP is waiting for the FAMILY TO FILE CHARGES????  Are they supposed to conduct an investigation and figure out who killed their son? OF course not. That is the job of the PNP. And they should be the ones who file the case and forward it to the City Prosecutor's Office. 

Now, let's look at a third case. DILG Secretary Abalos has warned barangays that all online sexual child abuse cases must be prosecuted. There is no room for settlement. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/5/abalos-warns-barangays-no-settlement-of-online-child-sexual-abuse-cases

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur’’ Abalos Jr. warned barangay officials on Wednesday, June 5, that there should absolutely no settlement of Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or exploitation of Children (OSAEC) cases at their level.

In a press briefing, Abalos urged the public to report online child sexual abuse and exploitation cases to proper law enforcement authorities as he vowed that those involved would be prosecuted.

He reiterated that local officials could be held liable if proven that they are instrumental in the “settlement’’ of these cases.

“To all those watching now, these are children, victims, this is a crime. You cannot say that this is only a camera that is only focused on them like that. Because there is this mindset. Some will say that is only a camera, no, even if it is only a camera, even if it is anything, this is a crime against children,’’ Abalos emphasized.

In the same briefing, National Coordination Council (NCC) against OSAEC Executive Director Margarita Magsaysay stressed that the barangay should endorse these cases to proper law enforcement authorities since settlement of this nature is out of the question.

She cited that the preference to settle these cases at the barangay level has probably something to do with maintaining family harmony, which should not be done since justice is not served to the child/victim with the perpetrators having the luxury of victimizing other children again.

Look at the reasoning here. There is to be no settlement because online child sexual abuse is a crime. No kidding!  But so is murder. So is homicide as a result of reckless driving. So is theft. So are so many other crimes yet the so-called justice system lets these crimes slip through the cracks because either the victims and the perpetrators settle or the victims refuse to prosecute. 

But it should NEVER be the job of the victim to prosecute. This is why so many criminals get away. Prosecution should be up to the City Prosecutor. And that is why the Philippine justice system remains broken. 

Retards in the Government 368

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

 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/576208/umapad-councilor-faces-charges-for-unpaid-salaries

Some employees of Barangay Umapad in Mandaue City, who have yet to receive their salaries for the last five months, filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on Thursday afternoon, May 30.

The complainants, Gemma Mata Ortega, Girlie Reyes Gabisan, Lea Gabisan Jimenez, Lima Sotchesa Orogan, and Erwina Batulan Caño, filed cases against Barangay Councilor Libertine Lumapas for alleged violations of Republic Act 3019, citing grave abuse of authority and oppression.

At least 80 employees of Barangay Umapad have yet to receive their salaries for the last five months, or since January this year. These employees include barangay tanods, clean and green personnel, lupon members, drivers, and others.

Umapad Barangay Captain Reb Cortes said the payroll for these salaries could not be processed because it has yet to be signed by Lumapas, who chairs the Committee on Appropriations.

Cortes explained that the barangay is currently operating under a reenacted budget from 2023 after the proposed budget for 2024 was not approved by the opposition-dominated barangay council. He added that according to his inquiry with Atty. Giovanni Tianero, the city’s budget officer, the honoraria can indeed be disbursed by the barangay under a reenacted budget. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) also gave the same opinion.

Barangay Councilor Lumapas has yet to respond to CDN Digital’s messages and calls for her reaction to the cases filed against her. However, in a previous message sent to CDN Digital, she stated that she did not sign the payroll because of alleged irregularities in the barangay’s payroll.

Lumapas asserted that her actions as Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations are in accordance with the law.

Cortes believes that the ‘irregularities’ Lumapas refers to are the documents she demanded, such as the Daily Time Record, Oath of Office, and Concurrence of Appointment by the majority of the Sangguniang Barangay.

Cortes noted that most of the workers are job order employees and not elected officials, thus they do not require an Oath of Office. Furthermore, he believes that Concurrence of Appointment is only necessary for the Barangay Treasurer and Secretary.

Only two of the eight elected barangay councilors are allied with Cortes. He said that they have repeatedly asked Lumapas to sign the payroll, but she refuses.

Cortes also admitted that one of the unpaid workers is his ally who lost in the last Barangay Elections.

He claimed that the opposition councilors recommended 48 individuals for employment, but he only hired 20 because there are already existing workers employed.

With the cases filed at the Office of the Ombudsman by his employees, Cortes hopes for positive results and that the employees will receive their salaries soon.

Some employees of Barangay Umapad in Mandaue City, who have yet to receive their salaries for the last five months, filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on Thursday afternoon, May 30.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1225952

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has filed criminal and administrative cases against one of its personnel allegedly involved in an extortion attempt on a job applicant.

The PCG said the cases were filed against Petty Officer Third Class (PO3) Ibrahim Banota who allegedly attempted to extort PHP150,000 from an applicant in exchange for guaranteed acceptance into the service.

“This occurred amid the ongoing PCG nationwide recruitment cycle for calendar year 2024,” it said in a statement Friday.

The extortion attempt was first reported on May 19.

Banota, who was part of the PCG Station Western Tawi-Tawi based in Zamboanga City, was arrested in an entrapment operation five days later.

He is facing estafa charges and an administrative case.

The PCG urged the public to report such illegal activities related to its recruitment. 

A member of the Philippine Coast Guard is facing charges for extortion. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1946668/hpg-nabs-tolentinos-2-mmda-escorts-for-using-sticker-with-pnp-insignia

The Highway Patrol Group (HPG) arrested two Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) personnel in Parañaque City for “publicly and improperly using the insignia ‘POLICE’ and ‘Master Rider’s Badge’.”

Highway Patrol Group (HPG) Director Col. Neil Francia said the two escorts were assigned to the MMDA’s traffic aide unit and allowed to provide security to Senator Francis Tolentino.

The HPG official said the two MMDA staff were caught illegally using the insignia of the Philippine National Police and Master Rider’s Badge as printed on stickers attached to their motorcycles’ windscreen and saddle box.

Francia identified the two as Teofilo Labsan Padilla, 64, and Jonathan Alames Pacle, 42.

Based on the HPG’s report, the MMDA escorts were flagged down along J.W. Diokno Avenue corner Aseana Avenue on Wednesday, May 29, after operatives noticed they were using sirens, which violates Presidential Decree 96 and Joint Administrative Order (JAO) 2014-01 (motorcycle vehicle operating with unauthorized accessories, and devices such as blinkers and siren).

Operatives then asked the two MMDA personnel regarding police markings on their motorcycles, but Padilla and Pacle “refused to divulge any information.”

Francia said the arrested MMDA escorts are currently placed under the custody of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit- National Capital Region Investigation Branch for violating Article 177, Usurpation of Authority, and Article 179, illegal use of uniform or insignia of the Revised Penal Code.

He also said that Padilla and Pacle will be brought before the city prosecutor’s office for inquest proceedings while the motorcycles are temporarily impounded at the HPG field unit for further investigation and validation.

The Highway Patrol Group arrested two Metropolitan Manila Development Authority personnel in Parañaque City for “publicly and improperly using the insignia ‘POLICE’ and ‘Master Rider’s Badge’.”

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/1/retired-cop-wanted-for-raping-stepdaughter-nabbed

A retired policeman wanted for allegedly raping his stepdaughter  was arrested in Barangay Cabug here on Friday, May 31.

Police Capt. Michael Tuburan, head of Police Station 9, said the 78-year-old suspect was served a warrant of arrest for 13 counts of rape and acts of lasciviousness.

Tuburan said the Counter Intelligence Division-Integrity Monitoring Enforcement Group (CID-IMEG) coordinated with them for the service of the arrest warrant.

He said the suspect, formerly a Senior Police Officer 3 (SPO3) assigned in Pangasinan, retired from the service in 2002.

The warrant with no bail recommended was issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 68 in Lingayen, Pangasinan on July 19, 2006.

Tuburan said they are waiting for authorities who will transport the suspect to Pangasinan.

A retired cop has been arrested for raping his stepdaughter. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/1/jealous-cop-slays-colleague-in-bacolod

A jealous policeman allegedly gunned down his colleague in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City on Friday, May 31.

The victim was identified as Police Staff Sgt. Jotham Arrem Tuto, 31, of Sagay City, Negros Occidental, assigned to the Mobile Patrol Unit (MPU) of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).

The suspect identified as Police Patrolman Alvin Rios allegedly shot the victim using his service firearm when he saw him and his former live-in partner inside the bedroom of their house.

Police Major Eugene Tolentino, head of Police Station 8, said the victim tried to pacify the suspect, but the suspect still shot him. The victim was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead.

Recovered from the crime scene were a .9mm caliber pistol, two fired cartridges, and four magazines with live ammunition.

The 26-year-old suspect from Antique, and his former live-in partner has a six-month-old son, according to the police.

The suspect, who was assigned to the 1st Mobile Force Company of Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO), is now under police custody. 

Tolentino said they are preparing murder charges against the suspect.

A cop has been arrested for shooting a fellow cop. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1947593/bulacan-city-cops-sacked-over-escape-of-8-pdls

Two police officers were relieved from their posts following the escape of eight detainees from the San Jose del Monte (SJDM) Police Station jail on Sunday.

The lead investigator of the case told INQUIRER.net on Monday that the two policemen are now under the custody of the San Jose del Monte City Police.

(The two were relieved and are now under administrative holding or restrictive custody while the investigation is ongoing. Their ranks are senior master sergeant and master sergeant.)

Earlier, Pating reported that eight persons deprived of liberty or PDLs, broke out of the facility on Sunday around 3 a.m.

He said that based on their initial investigation, the eight inmates escaped the SJDM jail through a window of a restroom by cutting its grills using a saw.

Pating also said four fugitives have since been recaptured as they visited their relatives or acquaintances in various San Jose del Monte City areas.

He said a pursuit operation was launched to rearrest the other four escapees.

Two cops have been relieved of duty and are now under custody over the escape of 8 prisoners. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226093

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the suspension of Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo and two others for up to six months in connection with the graft charges filed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The DILG alleged that Guo allowed illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOS) to operate in the municipality.

In an order dated May 31, the Ombudsman said it finds sufficient grounds to suspend Guo, Edwin Ocampo, and Adenn Sigua “considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt" on the charges of grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and gross neglect of duty.

Ocampo is with the Municipal Business Permits and Licensing Office while Sigua is a municipal legal officer.

The suspension was issued as “their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them,” the Ombudsman stated.

"They are preventively suspended, without pay, during the period of investigation until its termination, but not to exceed six months," the order read.

"The order is immediately executory. Notwithstanding any motion, appeal, or petition that may be filed by respondents seeking relief from this Order, unless otherwise ordered by this Office or by any court of competent jurisdiction, the implementation of this Order shall not be interrupted within the period of prescribed."

In its complaint, the DILG questioned Guo's divestment of shares in Baufo due to the disproportionate consideration compared to her investment.

Despite the raid on Zun Yuan and its predecessor Hong Sheng Gaming Technology Inc., the DILG alleges that Guo retained financial interest in Baufo Land Development Inc., which was raided by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission for alleged human trafficking and serious illegal detention in March.

The DILG also accused Ocampo of processing permits for Zun Yuan despite incomplete documents.

Further, the DILG said Sigua failed to investigate the negligence of Sangguniang Bayan (local council) members and the Business Permit and Licensing Office.

Mayor Alice Guo  has been suspended for six months pending an investigation into graft charges field by the DILG.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/06/04/2360146/4-more-cops-civilian-charged-over-theft-ex-profs-house

Four more police officers and a civilian have been charged in connection with a robbery incident that occurred at the house of a retired professor in Imus, Cavite last year.

The five brought to 12 the total number of respondents in the case that stemmed from a supposed anti-drug operation, according to the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

Lawyer Owen de Luna, chief of the Napolcom-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), yesterday said that complainant Rebecca Caoile and the Napolcom filed additional criminal charges such as unlawful arrest, violation of domicile and planting of evidence against the respondents.

“The charges were filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 7,” De Luna told The STAR over the phone.

He said for the administrative aspect of the case, four officers filed appeals before the regional internal affairs service, while seven were dismissed from the service.

The DOJ ordered the policemen to appear before the preliminary investigation that would be conducted by Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Grace Pulido-Sadian on June 7.

Records showed that in August 2023, the accused officers barged into the house of Caoile in Barangay Alapan and arrested her and another person on alleged drug charges.

A viral footage of a closed-circuit television camera installed in the area showed the officers taking out items, including brand new motorcycle parts, from Caoile’s house.

Four more police officers and a civilian have been charged in connection with a robbery incident that occurred at the house of a retired professor in Imus, Cavite last year.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/4/50-cops-in-bamban-tarlac-relieved-to-undergo-retraining

At least 50 policemen assigned in Bamban, Tarlac were sacked from their posts, a move that is believed to be connected to the filing of charges and eventually the suspension of Mayor Alice Guo over allegations of link to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) in the area. 

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin “Benhur’ Abalos, Jr. confirmed the relief of the 50 policemen assigned to the Bamban Municipal Police Station.

Police Brig. Gen. Jose Hidalgo, Jr., director of the Police Regional Office (PRO3) presided over the turnover ceremony of the relieved cops and their replacements from the police mobile forces units in nearby areas on Monday morning.

According to Hidalgo, all the relieved policemen will undergo values formation seminars which is part of the internal cleansing program of the Philippine National Police.

50 cops have been relieved over links to POGOs.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1948330/pnp-nabs-4-cops-allegedly-involved-in-kidnapping-of-3-chinese-1-malaysian

Four police officers were arrested and charged for the alleged kidnapping of a Malaysian and three Chinese on June 2, according to Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.

Abalos on Wednesday said that Senior Master Sergeant Angelito David, Master Sergeant Ralph Tumangil, Staff Sergeant Ricky Tabora and Major Carlo Villanueva were charged with kidnapping for ransom, robbery and carnapping.

Ten other civilians also reportedly involved with the kidnapping remain at large, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported.

Of the four victims, Abalos said that only two Chinese, identified as Meng Zhao, 29, and Yang Zhuan Zhuan, 30, were kidnapped early Sunday morning, while the two other foreigners, Shi Yi Xuan, 32, and a 25-year-old Malaysian, Tang Heng Fei, escaped.

(It happened early on June 2 at around 12:20 in the morning. Four foreigners were in a Lexus car, which was flagged down by PNP motorcycle cops on Taft Avenue in Pasay.)

(A white van was following these policemen on motorcycles.)

Citing a police report, the DILG official said the two who escaped reported the incident to barangay officials nearby.

To save their friends, Zhi and Tang paid a ransom worth P2.5 million, resulting in Meng and Yang’s release around 6 a.m. on June 3.

Upon receiving the information, National Capital Region Police Office chief Brig. Gen. Melencio Nartatez launched a search operation that led to the apprehension of the four suspects.

The Southern Police District and Anti-Kidnapping Group operatives took part in the arrest.

Four cops have been arrested for kidnapping. 

Three police officers were arrested on June 2 for kidnapping two Chinese in Pasay and holding them for ransom.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/4/retired-police-major-shoots-tanod-dead-over-irrigation-row

A barangay tanod was allegedly gunned down by a retired police major  over irrigation water in Purok 4, Barangay Nabbuan, this city, on Monday evening, June 3.

Police Lt. Col. Saturnino Soriano, Santiago City Police Station spokesperson, identified the victim as Sonny Julian, a resident of Purok 7, Nabbuan, Santiago City.

Soriano said the victim and two companions were onboard in a tricycle when the suspect appeared and shot him with a caliber. 38 revolver.

Julian died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.

One of the victim’s companions was wounded. The other was unscathed.

The suspect fled after the incident.

Soriano said that the shooting was related to a dispute over irrigation water for a rice field.

He said that police are pursuing the suspect.

A retired cop has gunned down a barangay tanod.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/06/05/2360409/volunteer-firefighter-held-rape

A volunteer firefighter was arrested for rape in Port Area, Manila on Monday afternoon.

Police officers served an arrest warrant on Angelo Tapaya, 21, who resides in Baseco Compound.

Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 29 Judge Delight Aissa Salvador issued the warrant on May 29.

A volunteer firefighter has been arrested for rape.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/6/ombudsman-suspends-2-negros-occidental-officials-for-conflict-of-interest

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended two Negros Occidental provincial government officials for six months without pay due to conflict of interest when they engaged in private law practice in 2020.

The Ombudsman found lawyers Rayfrando Diaz II and Chery Sheil Valenzuela guilty of violating Section 7(b)(2) of Republic Act (RA) 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The complaint was filed by former Attorney IV Roxenne Sumanting of the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) on June 20, 2022. 

It stemmed from the alleged failure of the respondents to provide legal assistance or representation to the municipality of Binalbagan relative to an expropriation case that the town filed with the Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Himamaylan City and conflict of interest on the part of Diaz and Valenzuela who appeared as counsels for JLL Agriculture and Development, one of the defendants in the case during their incumbencies as provincial administrator and executive assistant II, respectively.

The Ombudsman, in a 20-page decision, stated that both admitted engaging in the private practice of their profession when they represented JLL, claiming that they were granted authority by Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.

“But appearing as counsel for JLL undeniably came in conflict with Diaz and Valenzuela’s obligations as officials of the provincial government of Negros Occidental,” according to the Ombudsman.

“Even if the trial court did not officially consider Valenzuela’s appearance during the pre-trial conference on January 27, 2020, the fact remains that she was still then counsel of JLL during the incumbency of her employment with the government which is prohibited,” it also said.

“Thus, substantial evidence exists that Diaz and Valenzuela committed violation of Section 7(b)(2) of RA 6713,” the Ombudsman said.

Section 7(b)(2), which refers to prohibited acts and transactions, states that public officials and employees during their incumbency “shall not engage in the private practice of their profession unless authorized by the Constitution or law, provided that such practice will not conflict or tend to conflict with their official functions.”

The decision dated November 10, 2023 was penned by graft investigation and prosecution officer III Leilani Tagulao-Marquez and approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on April 1, 2024. 

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended two Negros Occidental provincial government officials for six months without pay due to conflict of interest when they engaged in private law practice in 2020.