It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
Mayor Rommel Arnado of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte has been sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for evicting members of a family from their homes in 2013.
In a 34-page decision promulgated on April 26 and obtained by reporters on Wednesday, the Sandiganbayan’s First Division said Arnado was found guilty of three counts of grave coercion under Article 286 of the Revised Penal Code.
The anti-graft court said the Office of the Ombudsman’s prosecution team established that Arnado prevented the aggrieved parties from staying in their property even though they showed a certificate of land title.
The eviction was carried out without a court order and through threat or intimidation, it added.
The Sambuat family was claiming ownership of the land where their houses were built amid an ownership claim by business partners Henry Dy, Voltaire Rovira and Sotero Trinidad.
The ombudsman said that aside from forcibly driving away the Sambuats from their land, Camanian, Diputado and their cohorts demolished the houses of the complainants and took their material possessions.He kicked these people out of their home, destroyed it, and sold their possessions all because of a rival claim from a two business partners. Ten years is a long time and there must be more to this story.
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| https://www.panaynews.net/brgy-execs-tanods-warned-over-illegal-gun-possession/ |
“Barangay captains, barangay councilmen and tanod members are not authorized to carry firearms, especially homemade guns. We will arrest them for illegal possession of firearms and for [violation of the] election gun ban,” Bulalacao said.
The PRO-6 chief fielded the warning after 12 tanods were caught carrying unregistered guns in Barangay Jayobo, Lambunao, Iloilo last May 12, right before the conduct of the 2019 midterm polls.
Barangay Jayobo captain Milky Lira – who managed to flee the arresting officers – was also an illegal gun possession suspect.The law never stopped anyone before.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/05/18/1918925/palace-sandra-cam-can-resign-if-she-cant-stand-alleged-corruption-pcso |
“Duterte is beholden to no one. He will not spare even his close friends and long-time allies in his drive to weed out corruption in the bureaucracy. We repeat: There are no sacred cows in this administration,” Panelo said.
“We thus urge the likes of Ms. Cam to come forward and expose government sheenanigans and malfeasance if she knows any. We assure her and other whistleblowers that they have [Duterte’s] ears in this regard,” he added.
“As to Ms. Cam's request to relieve her in her present post, she does not have to wait for her relief by the President. She can tender her resignation if she cannot stand the alleged corruption within the PCSO,” he continued.
Sandra Cam has continually made allegations of corruptions in the PCSO. Was has Duterte done about that? Now they say she can quit if she cant stand the corruption. So much for being hardlined against corruption!
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/17/dole-mulls-deployment-ban-to-kuwait-as-another-filipina-is-killed/ |
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is studying the possibility of reimposing a deployment ban of household service workers (HSW) in Kuwait.
This after as a 47-year-old Filipina worker in Kuwait, identified as Constancia Lago Dayag, died from the hands of her employer.
“It’s an option,” said Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III when asked if his department will reimpose the deployment ban in the Gulf state.
Earlier, the labor chief vowed to seek justice for the death of Dayag.
“I am taking the Kuwaiti government to task for the gruesome death of yet another Filipino worker in the hands of her employer in Kuwait,” said Bello.
“Aside from apparent violation of the agreement on the protection of OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) between our government and Kuwait, there appears to have been a breach of the employment contract by the foreign employer,” he added.
How many more workers have to die before the government acknowledges that Kuwait is not a safe place for Pinoys to work?To note, the Philippine government imposed a deployment ban in Kuwait last year amid reported deaths and abuses of OFWs in the Gulf state. The ban was eventually lifted after both countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that further strengthen the protection of Filipino workers in Kuwait.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1120893/nbi-charges-21-cops-in-killing-of-glenn-chongs-aide |
The National Bureau of Investigation has asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to charge 21 police officers with two counts of murder for the ambush of the aide of former Biliran representative and senatorial candidate Glenn Chong and his companion last Dec. 9 in Cainta, Rizal.
The NBI also asked the DOJ to prosecute the chiefs of the Philippine National Police in Calabarzon, Rizal and Cainta for covering up the murder of Richard Santillan, who was Chong’s aide, and Gessamyn Casing.
Contrary to the police claim that there was a shootout, the victims were unarmed, said the NBI.
It said the police officers should be charged with murder because there was treachery in the killing.
The 21 police officers were also liable for “planting” evidence, according to the NBI.
The NBI also said Calabarzon police regional director Brig. Gen. Edward Carranza, Rizal police provincial director Col. Lou Evangelista and Cainta police chief Lt. Col. Pablito Naganag should be charged with obstruction of justice.
Shooting to death an unarmed suspect, planting evidence, and covering the whole thing up. Sounds like all in a days work for the PNP.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1120913/ex-town-traffic-chief-slain-in-laguna-buy-bust |
A former traffic chief of Siniloan was killed in a buy-bust operation in Pagsanjan town in Laguna province on Sunday evening.
In a text message, Col. Eleazar Matta, chief of the Laguna Police Provincial Office, identified the slain suspect as Leodigario Recide, alias Odec.
He said Recide was previously arrested for a drug case but was released on probation after entering into a plea bargain.
Matta said undercover police officers went to Recide’s apartment in Barangay Sampaloc around 6 p.m. for the buy-bust.
On realizing he was dealing with the police, the suspect drew and fired a gun, forcing the authorities to shoot him down.
Recide died on the spot.
Matta said Recide, a native of Siniloan, was the town’s former chief of traffic operations.I wonder what the traffic situation in that town is like.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1121022/cebu-mayor-found-guilty-of-graft-over-honorarium |
A mayor in Cebu may spend six to eight years in prison for receiving an honorarium to which he was not entitled to.
The Sandiganbayan found Mayor Lionel Bacaltos of Sibonga town guilty of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Bacaltos, who won in last week’s election, was also barred from holding any position in government and ordered to indemnify the municipality of Sibonga the amount of P17,512.50.This is exactly why people with cases against them should be disqualified from the Comelec from running for office. Now who will take over? A guy voters did not choose!
At a press briefing on Monday in Camp Crame, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police chief, said that of the 47 officials on the government’s narcolist, 37 ran for reelection and 27 won.
Now that these officials are back in office, Albayalde said: “Our investigation … will continue, as the [DILG secretary] has said that if we find evidence … we will file both criminal and administrative cases against them.”
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said election results showed the level of maturity of voters who chose to support suspected narcopoliticians.
“Our voters seemed not mature enough, but then the public has spoken, the people have spoken … It is now my job to ensure that these government officials will do their jobs in accordance to the mandate of the Local Government Code,” Año told the Inquirer on Monday.
Looks like releasing that list did no good at all. Why are they on the list if there is no evidence they are guilty? If there is evidence why have charges not been brought. It is absolutely ridiculous for the DILG secretary to blame voters for electing these people when they likely had no access to the list and when the PNP should have removed these men from the streets if they are indeed narcopoliticians.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1121475/pia-cayetano-dishonesty-claims-vs-imee-marcos-must-be-resolved |
Presumptive Senator Pia Cayetano believes that the questions raised over the educational background of another incoming senator, Imee Marcos, must be resolved, and dealt with sincerely and candidly.
Cateyano and Marcos both ran under Hugpong ng Pagbabago in the just concluded May 13 elections. The two are also part of the Nacionalista Party (NP)
This issue again surfaced when Cayetano was asked over ABS-CBN News Channel on Tuesday how she feels about the dishonesty allegations hounding Marcos.
“In my case kasi, you know naman how strong I feel at academics. I’ve been a champion of education and I feel that should be dealt with sincerely as possible,” she said.
“Because here we are, talking to the youth about the importance of education and we do have issues pa rin yung ano yun, yung nabibili sa Recto.”
“So I do feel that that issue should be resolved and dealt with candidly and not brush aside,” Cayetano added.
Asked if she had discussed this issue with Marcos while they were campaigning together, Cayetano answered no.
Funny that both these women ran under the banner of Sara Duterte who, when this issue was raised during the campaign, claimed that honesty does not matter. Funny that Pia didn't speak to Marcos privately or say anything publicly. Now Pia does a turnabout and says honesty matters! Clown world!
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/20/19/a-clear-attack-of-my-character-ex-fda-chief-awaits-palace-explanation-on-sacking |
FDA Director General Nela Charade Puno's termination was announced by Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Thursday, citing "the President's continuing mandate to eradicate graft and corruption" as the grounds for her removal.
However, Puno said she has not been charged in any case and is not facing any official investigation.
She said she sought clarification from Panelo, who told her that "he was just asked to read... my termination."
"I respect the President. It's just that if they wanted me out, they could have just talked to me because this is a clear attack of my character. I have asked them. There's no response," she told ANC.
Before her dismissal, Puno said Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo urged her to voluntarily step down from her post, supposedly saying "you need to resign because you will not like what may happen to you if you don't."
Puno said she refused to resign "because I didn't do anything [wrong]."
If she is committing graft and is corrupt then there should be an investigation and charges and she should be informed of them as well. But there probably isn't any corruption happening. Puno is not the first official to be fired for corruption with no explanation as to what corruption or any charges being brought. She will likely not get the answers she seeks.
There is the reason. She filed a case against Duterte's best bud Xi for trampling on Philippine sovereignty in the WPS. What will Malcañang's spin be? That every country has a right to disallow entry to who they choose? The ban was lifted a few hours later but she decided to return home anyway.
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| https://globalnation.inquirer.net/175400/ex-ombudsman-morales-barred-entry-to-hk-for-being-security-threat |
Former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales was barred Tuesday from entering Hong Kong for being a “security threat.”
This was confirmed by lawyer Anne Marie Corominas in a telephone interview with INQUIRER.net: “She was held in a separate room, separated from her family and she was told she was a security threat.”
“Former Ombudswoman Carpio-Morales has over 50 years of unblemished record in government service. I don’t know what the security threat (is) unless President [Xi Jinping] is afraid of her,” Corominas said.
“We’re just asking how can a 78-year old former anti-corruption Ombudswoman be a security threat to China,” she added.
Corominas said Morales, who along with former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario filed a case against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court over “atrocious actions of Chinese officials in the South China Sea and within Philippine territory,” will be deported by Hong Kong authorities.
There is the reason. She filed a case against Duterte's best bud Xi for trampling on Philippine sovereignty in the WPS. What will Malcañang's spin be? That every country has a right to disallow entry to who they choose? The ban was lifted a few hours later but she decided to return home anyway.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1121637/retired-cop-woman-shot-dead-in-isabela |
Police on Tuesday said love triangle or a personal grudge could be the motive behind the killing of a retired police officer and a woman believed to be his girlfriend on Monday.
The victims were identified as Edralino Domingo, 63, a retired senior police officer in Aurora town, and Jane Dagman-Tul-o, 45, a jewelry re-seller from Soliven town.This is not the first PNP officer who has been killed over a love affair.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/21/19/coa-flags-solgens-p14-million-spending-on-plane-tickets-supplies-hotels |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged expenses of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on foreign travel, office supplies and equipment as well as trainings and meetings done in hotels and restaurants, which it said violated government audit and procurement rules.
In its 2018 audit report on the OSG, the state audit agency said a total of P7.128 million was spent on plane tickets for foreign travel without complete documents such as three quotations from travel agencies or its equivalent, contrary to provisions of the Audit Code of the Philippines.
“In addition, some itinerants were allowed to reimburse their airplane ticket without the price quotation and abstract of quotations attached to the claim,” the COA report said.
The report also noted that P5.510 million was spent on ordinary office supplies and equipment through the alternative mode of procurement without the necessary postings in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) website, inconsistent with Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
A total amount of P1.270 million was also spent for local trainings in hotels and restaurants “not usually used for government-sponsored international conventions,” the audit agency said.
Honoraria of resource persons amounting to P442,704 was also flagged by government auditors as well as P337,233 terminal benefits of a retiree, but the OSG subsequently submitted the required documents.
Auditors also noted the excess daily subsistence allowance of OSG staff amounting to P79,249. Justifications were made and excess amounts were returned, COA said.
What this article says is that the OSG has a lot of financial anomalies but Calida said sorry, showed documents, and everything is just peachy. What a world of difference from others who have been given the bum's rush by Duterte for nothing.
A retired police officer was shot dead by unidentified men riding a motorcycle in Navotas on Tuesday night.
Members of Navotas City police station identified the victim as Benjamin Ramos, 54. He was formerly assigned at the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG), police said.
Another retired cop killed for unknown reasons.
After Canada missed its deadline of taking back containers of garbage from the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered concerned government agencies to act on the matter.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo announced that the president has instructed the "appropriate office" to look for a private shipping company that would return the trash to the North American country.
Panelo stressed that Duterte's position on the issue is "principled as it is uncompromising."
"If Canada will not accept the trash, we will leave the same within the territorial waters or 12 nautical miles out to from the baseline of any of their country's shores," Panelo said.
Panelo issued this statement a day after he confirmed that a private shipping company has already been hired to ship back the waste.
First he sad it's war, then he said he can wait a week or two, now he says he will use taxpayer money to ship back the trash and leave it floating 12 miles out if they won't accept it. If he does that he will make the Philippines even more of a laughingstock. But I doubt he will actually cause such an international incident.
Much of that slow growth is because of Congress' inability to pass a budget as well as Duterte's overall economic platform with Build x 3 and importing more than exporting.
Too many people fall because they do not follow that law. No public bidding means jail time if you pay out.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/695362/7-8-gdp-growth-target-not-achievable-in-duterte-s-term-neda-chief/story/ |
The country's economic growth dipped to 5.6% in the first quarter of 2019, the slowest in four years, based on the data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) earlier this month.
This figure is lower than the 6.5% in the first quarter of 2018, and the 6.3% in the fourth quarter last year.
Much of that slow growth is because of Congress' inability to pass a budget as well as Duterte's overall economic platform with Build x 3 and importing more than exporting.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/05/23/ex-npdc-official-pleads-guilty-to-lesser-offense/ |
Former National Parks and Development Committee (NPDC) Acting Executive Director Salome Tiongco Habal pleaded guilty to a lesser offense instead of graft before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division and was sentenced to pay a fine of P10,000.
Habal was initially charged for violating two counts of Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for paying Variance, a security agency, a total of P11,751,588.81 in exchange for security services back on July 16, 2009 to February 16, 2010.
She did so even though Variance was not legally entitled to the transaction, considering that public bidding and other procurement activities required under R.A. 9184 or the Government Procurement Law was not observed.
Too many people fall because they do not follow that law. No public bidding means jail time if you pay out.
And Now for the Philippine Political Scandal of the Week.
Actually this is more like the scandal of the past few weeks but it's now all coming to a head. I am talking about the Bikoy videos tagging Duterte and his family as drug dealers. A few weeks ago Bikoy came out of the shadows to ask for legal help from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He claimed all his information was for real and true and he had all the proofs. Now that the election is over he has surrendered to the PNP and done a complete 180 denying his story is true and alleging that the LP put him up to the task.
Actually this is more like the scandal of the past few weeks but it's now all coming to a head. I am talking about the Bikoy videos tagging Duterte and his family as drug dealers. A few weeks ago Bikoy came out of the shadows to ask for legal help from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. He claimed all his information was for real and true and he had all the proofs. Now that the election is over he has surrendered to the PNP and done a complete 180 denying his story is true and alleging that the LP put him up to the task.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1122369/project-sodoma-bikoy-says-opposition-wanted-duterte-ousted |
According to Peter Joemel Advincula, who claims he was “Bikoy,” senators and key officials of the Liberal Party (LP) employed him to do “Project Sodoma,” which supposedly entailed installing Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as vice president once Robredo ascended the presidency.
“Ilang beses kaming nagpupulong, nagpaplano, upang isakatuparan ang Project Sodoma. Ang Project Sodoma ay isang proyekto para pabagsakin si Presidente Duterte at ang maka-upo sa posisyon si Vice President Leni Robredo,” Advincula said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
("We met several times, planning, to carry out Project Sodoma. Project Sodoma is a project to break President Duterte and sit in Vice President Leni Robredo's position, "Advincula said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.)
“Dahil kapag napabagsak si Presidente Duterte, ang uupo, duly constitutionalized, Her Excellency Leni Robredo, and (she) will appoint from the Senate or the House, to be the vice president. Sonny will be in line to become the vice president,” he added.
("Because when President Duterte drops, the sitting, duly constitutionalized, Her Excellency Leni Robredo, and (she) will appoint from the Senate or the House, to be the vice president. Sonny will be in line to become the vice president, "he added.)
I need not post all the articles where Robredo, Hontiveros, Trillanes, and all the rest who have been newly tagged reject these allegations as false. Obviously they would not admit it if it were true and the allegations are likely not true in the first place. Project Sodom? What a ridiculous name for an ouster plot. Now not only has Rappler, the PCIJ, and the NUJP been tagged as ouster plotters but so has the Vice President and the entire Liberal Party.
It's all so ridiculous and the best part is that the end is not in sight. The PNP refrained from investigating any of Bikoy's original claims but now they say they will investigate these new claims. Why? The man has flipped the script! He has changed his story and he is obviously a liar who cannot be trusted. What is this man's game? Who benefits the most from Bikoy? Duterte. So it is not out of the question that Duterte himself or his allies fabricated this whole scenario to make sure no opposition candidates won and to smear the VP and her party.
What a rollercoaster ride.
It's all so ridiculous and the best part is that the end is not in sight. The PNP refrained from investigating any of Bikoy's original claims but now they say they will investigate these new claims. Why? The man has flipped the script! He has changed his story and he is obviously a liar who cannot be trusted. What is this man's game? Who benefits the most from Bikoy? Duterte. So it is not out of the question that Duterte himself or his allies fabricated this whole scenario to make sure no opposition candidates won and to smear the VP and her party.
What a rollercoaster ride.
