Retards in the Government 193

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

 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1392222/ex-iloilo-official-faces-arrest-for-maligning-drilon

A former provincial administrator of Iloilo, already facing arrest for a libel conviction, has again been convicted of libel by a regional trial court in Pasay City.

In a decision dated Jan. 25, Judge Wilhelmina Jorge Wagan found Manuel “Boy” Mejorada guilty of four counts of online libel for his Facebook posts in 2016 and 2017 accusing Sen. Franklin Drilon of corruption in infrastructure projects in Iloilo, including Iloilo Convention Center and road projects. 

Wagan sentenced Mejorada to a prison term of at least two years and five months to four years and five months. In a separate order on Jan. 27, she issued an arrest warrant against the accused.

The judge said Mejorada’s criminal complaint against Drilon and several others for alleged corruption and malversation had been dismissed in 2015 by the Office of the Ombudsman.

But “Mejorada did not pause to recalculate his options after his complaint was dismissed,” the ruling said. Instead, it added, he “relentlessly went on public reiterating the same accusations of corruption and defaming the private complainant.”

“Such is a clear indication of his intent to malign,” Wagan said.

The court found Mejorada guilty of four counts of libel in relation to his social media posts and blogs that accused Drilon of involvement in irregularities in infrastructure projects in Iloilo. It sentenced him to a jail term of at least two years, four months and one day to four years and two months.

“If imprisonment would be the price for courageously exposing the truth, I have prepared myself and my family to accept my fate,” he said in a statement issued after the Supreme Court ruling.

Mejorada is also facing libel cases filed by former Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.

A formere Iloilo official field charges against Dilion years ago but the car was tossed out. He continued to oct accusation on Facebook. Now he will facing up to 2 years in prison. But he maintains he is correct and is "courageously exposing the truth."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129858

A village councilor and a local peacekeeping member were killed by gunmen riding-in-tandem in Barangay Lambakin here on Friday night.

Maj. Baltazar Corpuz, town police chief, said on Saturday the victims were Councilor Florencio Cajucom and Bantay Bayan member Armando Pring, both of Barangay Santo Tomas Norte.

Corpuz said the investigation showed that the victims were on board a single motorcycle when successively shot by the still unidentified suspects at 8:40 p.m.

Another village councilor assassinated by unknown gunmen.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1392673/napoles-jaraula-guilty-in-pork-barrel-scam

The Sandiganbayan on Friday convicted Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged brains of the P10-billion pork barrel scam, former Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Constantino Jaraula and several former government employees of graft and malversation of public funds amounting to P28 million. 

After a five-year trial, the antigraft court handed down its second conviction related to the pork barrel scam on Napoles, who was found guilty of plunder in 2018 in a case where her coaccused Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. was acquitted.

The Sandiganbayan’s First Division cleared several Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officials of the charges that stemmed from the diversion of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), the now defunct pork barrel fund for lawmakers, to bogus nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). 

According to the Ombudsman’s charges, Jaraula received at least P20.8 million in kickbacks, citing the ledger of rebates of principal whistleblower Benhur Luy, a former employee of Napoles. 

For the misuse of public funds, Napoles, Jaraula and the three others were sentenced to serve a prison term of 12 years and one day to 18 years, eight months and one day for each count. They were also ordered to pay another P28 million, equal to the amount funneled to Cared.

Jaraula was also found guilty of three counts of direct bribery for accepting P2 million grease money from Napoles. He was sentenced to imprisonment of up to nine years, four months and one day for each count.

Janet Naples as been found guilty of plunder while former Rep. Constantino Jarful and several government employees have been found guilty of graft and malversation of public funds in relation to the pork barrel scam. It appears they are facing serious prison time amounting to a few decades.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1392670/roque-tells-dutertes-critics-to-drop-dead

A program celebrating the arrival of a tunnel boring machine for the country’s first subway system unexpectedly turned into a venue for presidential spokesperson Harry Roque to gloat over the project, lashing back at President Duterte’s critics and telling all of them to “drop dead” (manigas kayong lahat).

Roque was one of the top officials who spoke on Friday at the unveiling of the machine’s massive cutterhead at the Manila Harbour Centre. The 74-ton equipment was the first to be shipped to the country out of the six tunneling machines from Japan that will be used for the P393-billion, 36-kilometer Metro Manila Subway project.

“Let today’s event be recorded in the annals of Philippine history as another first of the Duterte administration,” he said. “And to his critics I have only this to say: Manigas kayong lahat.”

That's just rude and uncalled for.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/06/2075706/court-orders-forfeiture-p102-million-assets-retired-comptroller

The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has ordered the forfeiture of P102 million worth of “unlawfully acquired” properties of retired military comptroller Jacinto Ligot, his wife Erlinda and their three children.

In its 70-page decision promulgated on Feb. 3, the court’s Second Division said the prosecution team of the Office of the Ombudsman was able to prove that the total value of the properties, acquired between 2001 to 2004, was “manifestly out of proportion” to Ligot’s compensation and other lawful income during his term in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“In like manner, respondent Ligot’s family members failed to present evidence to show that they had any lawful source of income to controvert petitioner’s evidence, which show that only respondent Gen. Ligot could have afforded the purchases made in their names,” read a portion of the decision.

The court cited Section 2 of Republic Act 1379 or the Forfeiture Law, which states that any unexplained wealth or property disproportionate to the public official’s lawful income is considered to be unlawfully acquired and thus must be forfeited in favor of the government.

It noted that at least 13 of the properties registered under Ligot’s name or that of his children and wife were not even declared in Ligot’s statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

“At first glance, the total value of respondent Gen. Ligot’s acquisitions from 1982 up to his retirement in 17 August 2004 – both declared and undeclared in his SALNs – amount to P110,916,521.95, while his total disposable income for the same period only stands at P9,154,686.90,” the Second Division noted.

“His income from lawful sources was simply not enough to support the mass of his acquisitions. His expenditures surpassed his disposable income by at least P101,761,835.64,” it said.

The ombudsman, which filed the petition for forfeiture in 2005, originally prayed to the court to forfeit in favor of the government a total of P135.28 million of real and personal properties of Ligot and his family acquired during his entire years of service in the AFP from 1982 to 2004.

The court, however, lowered the total amount to be forfeited to P102.126 million, as it excluded the properties under the names of Ligot’s brother-in-law Edgardo Tecson Yambao and wife Maria Isabel Yambao for failure of the prosecution to establish the properties’ link to Ligot.

The court also limited the coverage period to 2001 to 2004, saying the value of the properties acquired in prior years cannot be considered as “manifestly out of proportion” to Ligot’s lawful income.

Ligot has another forfeiture case pending at the Second Division pertaining to his and his family’s bank deposits and investment accounts totaling P55.596 million which were also allegedly disproportionate to Ligot’s lawful source of income for 1998 to 2003.

The Sandiganbayan has ruled that retired military comptroller Jacinto Ligot's income between 2001-2004 did not match the amount of his acquired properties and therefore they must be forfeited. The assumption is that he was involved in corrupt activities but what those may be are not stated.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/362439/defeated-mayoral-candidate-injured-in-boljoon-shooting

A man who lost his 2019 election bid for mayor in Boljoon town sustained a bullet wound on his knee after he was allegedly shot by a cousin. 

Jose Emmanuel Serna Derama, 62, is now in a stable condition and is recuperating in a hospital in Cebu City. 

Quoting the outcome of their initial investigation, Oyao said that a recent argument involving the two men may have caused Derama’s shooting. 

He said that at about 9 a.m. on Saturday or an hour prior to the shooting incident, Derama and Perello engaged in an argument and challenged each other to a fistfight. 

Both agreed to meet at the vicinity of the public cemetery in Barangay Granada. 

Oyao said that two men had a history disagreements that have remained unresolved for years now. 

Thinking that Perello would not heed the challenge, Oyao said that Derama left their residence past 10 a.m. on Saturday to do an errand in Santander town, located in Cebu province’s southern tip. 

Oyao said that Derama passed by the public cemetery during his travel. 

It was there that he saw Perello who appeared to be waiting for his arrival.  The suspect was sitting on his motorcycle. 

Thinking that Perello would engage him in a fistfight, Derama parked his motorcycle 15 meters away from where the suspect was.  He disembarked from his motorcycle and opened its utility box to retrieve his knuckles. 

But as he was opening his motorcycle’s utility box, Perello started to fire shots at his direction hitting Derama on his right knee.

This is clearly not a politically motivated shooting and it's not clear that Derama has ever served in any policy office. However this story belongs here because it shows the character typical of men who seek office in the Philippines. He challenged his cousin to a fight and then brushed him off  thinking he owed not show up but when he drove by the agreed upon spot his cousin was waiting. Instead of continuing on his way Derama stopped and while fetching his brass knuckles he was shot in the knee.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129964

A former police officer who went rogue and now listed as one of the country’s most wanted persons was arrested in Negros Occidental, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas said on Monday.

Sinas identified the suspect as Anecio Lapara Jr., aka "Dondon"/"Junior Pulis", who was arrested by police operatives around 8:30 p.m. Sunday along Lapaz Street, Barangay 1 Poblacion in La Carlota City.

Lapara is accused in three separate criminal cases for robbery and illegal possession of firearms. He escaped from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Ormoc City while awaiting trial for his criminal cases.

The report also revealed that the suspect was a member of the Philippine Constabulary Class 88 and was absorbed in the PNP in 1991 but was separated from the service in 1999, and led a criminal gang operating in Regions 7 (Central Visayas) and 8 (Eastern Visayas).

That is one bad cop. Robbery, illegal possession of firearms, escape, and leader of a criminal gang. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129997

A policeman assigned at the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) in Cordillera was   here.

 

In an interview also on Monday, Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) spokesperson, Maj. Arturo Melchor II, identified the victim as Cpl. Reynald Reyes, 29, a resident of Barangay Poblacion in Anda town.

 

Melchor said the Sual police earlier received details on a reported vehicular traffic incident. 

 

However, upon confirmation, two slugs of still unidentified gun caliber fell from the victim’s helmet after it was removed by the first-aiders from the town’s primary health care infirmary.   

 

Further inspection revealed that Reyes sustained two gunshot wounds in his head and neck.

 

Reyes was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital for possible resuscitation but was pronounced dead on arrival.

It sounds like this SWAT officer might have been shot over a traffic accident but it's not clear.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/775005/suspect-throws-grenade-at-house-of-jaen-nueva-ecija-mayor/story/

An unidentified suspect hurled a grenade at the house of Jaen, Nueva Ecija Mayor Sylvia Austria before dawn on Saturday.

Footage from closed-circuit television showed the exact moment two suspects riding in tandem on a motorcycle passed in front of the mayor's house.

The back rider threw something at the gate, then the suspects sped off, according to a report on GMA News' Unang Balita on Monday.

Investigation is ongoing regarding the incident.

In December last year, two explosions from an improvised explosive device rocked the gate of the municipal hall in Jaen.

Tension also gripped Jaen in the last week of January this year during a confrontation at the municipal hall of supporters of Austria and Antonio Esquivel.

Austria was declared the winner in the May 2019 elections but she stepped down from office in December after the Regional Trial Court Branch 87 handed down a decision in favor of Esquivel's election protest.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) second division, on January 12, 2021 however issued a status quo ante-order reinstating Austria as the mayor of Jaen.

Esquivel, however, did not accept the Comelec order and the resolution of the Sangguniang Bayan recognizing Austria as the duly elected mayor

Rivalry in Jaen between competing mayors might lead to bloodshed. Amazing that they forgot to pull the pin on that grenade.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1393865/village-chief-nabbed-over-illegal-guns-in-cagayan-town

 A 52-year-old village chief in Cagayan province was arrested after he yielded guns and bullets during a search on Monday, police said.

Col. Ariel Quilang, Cagayan police director, identified the suspect as Ruben Salvador of Barangay Agaman Norte in Baggao town.

The search in Salvador’s house was carried out based on a warrant issued by Judge Sheila Gacutan-Labuguen of the Municipal Trial Court-Baggao.

The police seized a mortar, various guns and ammunition, and assorted communist documents from the suspect’s residence.

Salvador will be charged with illegal possession of explosives and firearms.

The police said they received information that Salvador was harboring communists visiting the village.

A village chief was arrested for illegal possession of firearms and it also seems he was harboring communists.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130221

A retired member of the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) yielded PHP1.3 million worth of shabu in an anti-drug operation in Makati City, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Wednesday.

In a report to NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr., local police identified the suspect as Rufino Advincula Jr., 53, who was arrested in the operation along Avocado Street in Barangay West Rembo at around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Another former member of the AFP arrested for drugs.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130117

A Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) official and five others were arrested while some PHP166,600 worth of suspected shabu was seized in separate anti-drug operations in the region, police said Tuesday.

Capt. Edwin Duco, Police Regional Office- (PRO-9) information officer, identified the SK official as Glenn Celeste Jr., 21, the SK chairperson of Barangay Culasian, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay.

Celeste, who was arrested in an anti-drug operation Monday evening in Barangay Culasian, Titay, yielded some PHP2,500 worth of suspected shabu and other pieces of evidence, police said.

Duco identified the other arrested suspects as Titing Sadjali, 51; Nurdiana Abdulbakhadz, 23; Elizalde Bejerano, 48; Dadifred Lastimado, 26; and, Escobar Lakim, 38.

Another LGU official arrested for drugs.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1394637/govt-employee-face-raps-for-unlicensed-firearm-ammunition-explosive-in-samar

A government employee is facing charges for allegedly keeping an unlicensed firearm, ammunition, and explosive in an entrapment operation in Calbiga town, Samar on Wednesday, Feb.10.

Amador Cardeño, 29, was arrested by the combined force of Samar provincial unit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and local police of Sta. Rita, also in Samar.

Seized from him were a 357 Smith and Wesson magnum, three pieces of live ammunition for a caliber-357 gun; and a hand grenade.

How do you even obtain a hand grenade?

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/363040/mabatid-im-not-afraid-to-divulge-ongo-in-city-hall-if-bullying-power-tripping-continues

Cebu City Councilor Prisca Niña Mabatid is warning a political entity in the Cebu City Hall, whom she has tagged as “ongo” or monster, that if this person does not stop his bullying and power tripping amid these crucial times, she will reveal that person’s identity in the proper forum. 

Mabatid has been vocal of her frustrations about a certain official at the City Hall, who, she says, has been against her projects for the betterment of the Cebu City residents. 

In her February 6, 2021 post, Mabatid said that an “ongo” at the City Hall has been making the shots in the operations of the city, despite not having the authority to do so. 

Mabatid told reporters in a phone interview that she does not wish to divulge the name of the “ongo” as she fears for her life. She said that the “powerful politician” can create black propaganda against her through the troll accounts at social media sites. 

However, the councilor said that if that “ongo” will continue to block projects that would help Cebuanos, power trip his way to corruption, and become a hindrance to the city’s progress, she will not hesitate to name the person.

” I want to warn him to stop. If he doesn’t stop, I will really reveal him in the right forum,” said the councilor.

At this point she might as well name the guy. What's the point of this statement anyway? He knows who she means so why not just name him?

Coronavirus Lockdown: Holding Vaccines Hostage, Burn Your Own Palms for Ash Wednesday, and More!

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

With COVID-19 social media especially has been vigilant against "fake news." But what to do when the president of the Philippines relates fake news to the nation?

https://www.bworldonline.com/duterte-accuses-european-union-of-holding-vaccines-hostage/

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday accused the European Union of holding up supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries and complained that less wealthy countries lacked the power to secure all they sought.

“This is a fight among the highest bidders, who can pay first,” Duterte said in a televised address.

“We are not rich,” he said, although he assured the public his government has the funds to procure vaccines.

Duterte said the issue was getting the supplies as big powers like the EU not only buy up doses in bulk but have threatened to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly AstraZeneca.

“AstraZeneca was held hostage by the European Union,” Duterte said.

The EU says that is not true.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/03/21/eu-philippines-exempted-from-vaccine-export-ban

The Philippines will not be affected by the European Union’s export controls on COVID-19 vaccines, the European Union’s (EU) delegation to the country has said.

The development came after President Rodrigo Duterte criticized the unionduring his weekly address on Monday, alleging that they are holding up the global COVID-19 vaccine supply. 

In a statement, the EU delegation to the Philippines said exports to 92 low and middle-income countries covered by the COVAX facility, including the Philippines, are exempted from the ban.

“No impact to the Philippines as well as to other poor countries as exports to these countries are exempted from the export ban,” the EU said in a statement.

The British-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca last week said that it would fall short of delivering promised vaccines to the EU, triggering a furious response from the bloc.

Even the EU cannot get enough of AstraZeneca's vaccine! It would seem this is an issue of supply and demand. Too much demand and not enough supply. That includes the Philippines. But Duterte does not care.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/04/21/no-apology-from-duterte-over-accusation-eu-holds-vaccines-hostage

President Rodrigo Duterte will not apologize for accusing the European Union of holding up supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, which the regional bloc denied, Malacañang said on Thursday. 

Duterte on Monday said big powers like the EU not only buy up doses in bulk but have also threatened to restrict exports of COVID-19 vaccines, particularly AstraZeneca. In response, the EU said its export controls on the vaccines would not hamper Philippine access. 

Asked whether the President would apologize or retract his accusation, his spokesman Harry Roque said, "Wala po." 

(None.)

(A clarification is really needed because it appears that vaccine nationalism is emerging and that is the issue that our President brought up.)

The Palace "appreciates" the clarification, he said.

(But if the President did not speak out, they will not issue that clarification.) 

Even in the face of facts the Duterte administration is non-apologetic.

2022 will bring a new election and the COMLEC is already attempting to write the rules in the face of the pandemic.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129632

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is looking to allow at least five voters inside precincts at a time for next year's elections in case the coronavirus pandemic persists.

In a television interview on Thursday, Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas said this aims to control the number of people inside voting centers, in compliance with health protocols.

“Our initial plan is at least five voters at one time will be allowed to vote and we are also planning to add some vote-counting machines. During the elections, there are many people inside schools. That is our biggest hurdle," he said.

Abas, however, said they are coming up with other ways to allow people to exercise their right to suffrage without sacrificing their safety amid the pandemic.

On the other hand, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they are looking at mail voting and online voting as an alternative option.

He, however, said these measures will need approval from Congress.

“Mail voting is a solution that is being proposed. In fact, there’s legislation pending for it but also other means of voting are being considered for instance absentee voting partly for senior citizens and PWDs (persons with disabilities). All of these are proceedings on the legislative front,” he said in a separate television interview.

Imagine the Philippines doing mail voting when the mail system is atrocious! I cannot even fathom that. You would have to send in your vote in January to make sure your vote is counted by May!

With the pandemic comes new laws and regulations. Now drivers and passengers in private cars must wear facemarks.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1392457/its-final-passengers-still-required-to-wear-face-masks-even-if-theyre-from-same-house-2

It’s final. It is now required for both drivers and their passengers to wear face masks even inside private vehicles, and regardless if they are from the same household, the government said on Friday.

“When the driver is with passenger/s, it is mandatory for all individuals inside the vehicle to properly wear a face mask, regardless if they are from the same household,” the Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Transportation (DOTr) said in a joint statement.

The DOTr and DOH, meanwhile, said only a driver traveling alone may remove his or her face mask while inside the vehicle.

Not wearing face masks while driving with passengers could now be considered an instance of “reckless driving,” LTO Law Enforcement Service Acting Director Clarence Guinto said.

Not wearing a face mask when driving could be considered "reckless driving!" What a joke. Even Rep. Ruffy Biazon thinks so.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/775365/biazon-not-wearing-face-masks-inside-vehicles-is-reckless-driving/story/

Muntinlupa City Representative Rufino Biazon on Wednesday questioned why individuals who are not wearing face masks inside vehicles will be penalized with reckless driving. 

At the House Committee on Transportation hearing, Biazon insisted that the penalty of reckless driving "does not contemplate whether your passenger is not wearing a face mask." 

Biazon also cited Section 48 of Republic Act 4136, which states that: 

Reckless Driving. – No person shall operate a motor vehicle on any highway recklessly or without reasonable caution considering the width, traffic, grades, crossing, curvatures, visibility and other conditions of the highway and the conditions of the atmosphere and weather, or so as to endanger the property or the safety or rights of any person or so as to cause excessive or unreasonable damage to the highway. 

"How can somebody be penalized with a law that is not applicable to that?" Biazon said.  

In response, Land Transportation Office chief Edgar Galvante explained that a driver is being reckless if he or she will allow passengers not wearing face masks to ride the vehicle.

It's a stupid policy and hopefully it will go the way of the motorcycle barrier.

Several LGUs have carried out vaccine simulations. Now Philippine Airline is carrying out vaccine transportation simulations.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/07/2075952/pal-conducts-vaccine-transport-simulations

Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) is doing simulation exercises in preparation for its transport of COVID-19 vaccines across continents and their delivery to different parts of the country.

In an interview on PTV-4 yesterday, PAL president and CEO Gilbert Santa Maria said their aircraft are properly equipped to carry the vaccines on long-haul flights and distribute them to different airports in the country.

“PAL has been actively participating in coordination meetings spearheaded by the National Task Force on Vaccine rollout. These meetings have given the PAL team the opportunity to discuss how the flag carrier plans to carry out the transport of vaccines from points of origin to Philippine airports and how it plans to carry out the distribution phase within the archipelago,” Santa Maria said.

“The aviation industry and the cold chain logistics industry are critical partners in fulfilling this so-called ‘mission of the century’,” he said.

He stressed that PAL is the only local airline that can bring the vaccines from Europe and the United States in large amounts.

“We can carry these (vaccines) from the continental location to whatever airport in the Philippines that is most suitable,” the PAL official said.

“We can fly from Spain to Cebu to carry Moderna vaccines direct to the Visayas. We can fly from Spain direct to Davao to bring the Moderna vaccines there. If it’s Astra Zenica sourced out of Belgium, we can do the same. That’s our capability. We are the only airline in the Philippines with the ultra-long-haul, wide-body aircraft,” he pointed out.

He added that PAL may even utilize its turboprop aircraft like the Dash8 to ferry vaccine cargo from Manila to secondary airports.

“We are the only company that has the Dash8 and why does that matter? Because they fly as fast as jets. We can take the cargo from Manila to a secondary airport or to an island-destination that has an airport or fly to an airport and from there, fly out using smaller aircraft,” he said.

“We’re ready to do that. We’re planning for it. The PAL team has been part of the cold chain logistics team organized by Secretary Galvez on the distribution of vaccines,” Santa Maria added.

PAL is the only airline that can bring vaccines from the US and Europe and they are they only one that has an airplane that can fly as fast as a jet.  That should come in handy.  

Vaccine Czar Galvez says only 50 to 70 million Filipinos can be inoculated by yearend.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/07/21/at-best-ph-can-inoculate-50-to-70-million-vs-covid-19-by-yearend-galvez

The Philippines can inoculate 50 to 70 million of its citizens against COVID-19 by the end of the year if vaccine supplies arrive on time, an official leading the country's immunization drive said Sunday. 

The country will get some 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines under the global alliance COVAX Facility in the first quarter, including 117,000 doses of Pfizer vaccine expected to arrive by the third week of February, said vaccine czar Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. 

Government aims to vaccinate some 70 to 80 million Filipino adults to achieve herd immunity, he said.

(Our best case scenario, if we have enough supply and our negotiations are successful, by December, we can inoculate 50 to 70 million. If we encounter a shortage, our worst case scenario is middle of 2022.) 

The country has so far signed term sheets with 5 drugmakers amounting to some 108 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine, Galvez said. This is on top of the 44 million that the World Health Organization said it would give under the COVAX Facility, he added.

(More or less we have 152 million doses. If we divide it to two, we can vaccinate more than 75 million people.)

It's not just the lack of cold storage facilities that is putting the delivery of the vaccines at risk. There is also the NPA. 

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/2/8/Duterte-Reds-allow-safe-Covid-19-vaccine-transport-.html

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday appealed to the Communist Party of the Philippines to allow COVID-19 vaccines to be transported "freely and safely" in far-flung areas once they become available.

"The Communist Party of the Philippines must guarantee that the vaccines, in the course of their being transported to areas where there are no city health officers and medical persons, na wag ninyong galawin ang medisina (please leave the medicines alone)," he said during his weekly national address.

"Allow the vaccines to be transported freely and safely. I am asking you now to observe that rule, because that is for the Filipino people," Duterte added.

The President noted reports of communist rebels disrupting the transport of government aid in rural areas. He urged them to "kindly observe the rules of humanity."

They resounded by saying they will open up a "humanitarian corridor" in order to give the vaccine safe passage. But who can really trust them?  Why even make the appeal?

The PNP has vowed to crack down on those who fake COVID test results.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1130070

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday vowed to intensify its crackdown against persons engaged in producing fake reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results and medical certificates.

“As a law enforcement agency, we will comply with the instruction of the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) officer-in-charge and Undersecretary Bernardo Florece Jr., to enforce the law, specifically those who violate RA (Republic Act) 11332 and other related laws," PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Ildebrandi Usana, said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Those responsible for this act would face fines ranging from PHP20,000 to PHP50,000 and up to six months imprisonment under Republic Act 11332 or the Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act.

Those who fake their tests will face steep fines and imprisonment but will they be paraded around too?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1393776/paraded-like-zombies-silay-top-cop-says-he-had-no-intention-to-degrade-quarantine-violators

The police chief of Silay, Negros Occidental on Tuesday said he has no intention to degrade quarantine violators, who were allegedly made to parade like zombies in their streets.

“Wala akong intention na ipahiya sila. ‘Yung sa atin lang ma-maintain nila yung physical distancing para makaiwas sila ng Covid-19,” Silay police chief Major Rollie Pondevilla said over CNN Philippines, reacting to criticisms against their move to parade face mask policy violators in the streets.

(I have no intention to embarrass them. For us, we want them to maintain social distancing to prevent infection from the virus.)

(If I have malicious intentions then I could’ve crammed them in the overcrowded police station. I did not do that because I am looking at their safety.)

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the move of the Silay police was “unnecessary,” adding that it contributed to “people’s growing distrust of our police authority.”

If he had no intention of embarrassing those people then why did he parade them publicly down the street like zombies?

The pandemic has changed religion for the worse. Now the Catholic church is advising parishioners to burn their own palm leaves, or whatever is available, for Ash Wednesday.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/02/09/2076420/catholic-faithful-urged-burn-own-palms-ash-wednesday

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) is allowing families to burn their own palms and daub ashes among themselves in observance of Ash Wednesday on Feb. 17.

In a circular disseminated to the clergy and religious, RCAM apostolic administrator Manila Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission has prepared the family celebration of the burning of palms or leaves to ashes and the “Family Celebration of Ash Wednesday at Home” for dissemination to parishioners.

“For those who will not be able to go to church for the celebration of Ash Wednesday, we are providing the liturgical celebrations of burning of palms or any dried leaves to ashes and the liturgy of Ash Wednesday for families at home,” he added.

How is this going to be a valid liturgy without a priest to officiate?

The government says they hope to finish their COVID-19 vaccination program by 2023.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/10/21/philippines-sets-2023-target-to-finish-covid-19-vaccination-rollout

The Philippines is aiming to complete its COVID-19 vaccination program by 2023, a health official said Wednesday, amid global competition of the highly sought-after coronavirus shots. 

Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said the government had until 2023 to inoculate its targeted population in case vaccine deliveries would be delayed. 

"That's why we indicated in our plan for this vaccine deployment program that it's going to be until 2023 so that we have that wide margin if in case the delivery will not be on time," she said in an interview on ANC. 

"We are eyeing that we can be able to reduce this (number of COVID-19 cases) or have good outcomes based on these vaccines hopefully by 2022, earlier than the 2023 target date," she added.

The country is expected to launch its COVID-19 immunization next week as some 117,000 doses of Pfizer/BioNTech jabs may arrive on Feb. 13.

They have given themselves such a wide margin just in case things go wrong.

Wheel Theft Prevention

There is simply no trust in the Philippines. Everyone is viewed as a potential thief. That's why every house has a fence and a dog or dogs. That's why when you order a pizza with a credit card they have to bring a machine to you instead of taking the number over the phone. And I am pretty sure that lack of trust explains the following two pictures.

Why else would anyone place pieces of wood against their car's wheels except to prevent theft? Not everyone does it but the fact that at least these two people have indicate either there is a problem or they think a problem might arise. If one wants to live in the Philippines they have to think like a thief in order to prevent themselves from being a victim.

Insurgency: Military Should Learn From Its Mistakes

There's a new AFP Chief in town, Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana. He says the AFP should learn from its mistakes. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1392364/afp-chief-sobejana-vows-tough-actions-only-vs-enemies-of-state

Newly-designated Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana said the military will not hurt anyone except for those identified as  enemies of state.

“We need to look back kung ano ang erroneous things that we committed and we should learn from that so my instruction was that whenever we talk, whatever things we do, we must be deliberate, we must exercise due diligence para sa ganoon makapagbigay ng magandang serbisyo sa ating mga kababayan,” said Sobejana in an interview on ABS-CBN News Channel, reacting to the red-tagging controversies and a military official’s latest tirades against an INQUIRER.net reporter.

“We should not hurt anybody unless he is an enemy of the state so we have to really identify the enemies of the state as what I have said so that walang collateral damage. Rest assured, magiging deliberate kami sa aming ginagawa,” he added.

AFP – Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr. drew flak after he claimed that INQUIRER.net multimedia reporter Tetch Torres-Tupas was aiding terrorists and spreading lies over her story titled, “Tortured Aetas seek SC help against anti-terror law.”

Parlade questioned if Tupas’ sources in the story were “propaganda machinery” of the communist rebels. 

While General Sobejana is talking about red tagging his statement could apply to the whole 50 year insurgency. So many mistakes have been made. Failure to appreciate intelligence, failure to learn from operations, failure to properly secure rebel free areas and instead giving them up to LGUs thus allowing for a resurgence of rebels in the once cleared area. Based on past actions its safe to say the AFP will not be learning from its past mistakes in any capacity.

Paralade continues to make the mistake of inappropriately red-tagging individuals and some are calling for him to be fired. Even Senator Lacson thinks he is out of line.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1392666/lacson-parlades-careless-insensitive-remarks-not-helping-terror-law

“Coming at a time when the solicitor general is defending the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 against 37 petitions, particularly on the issue involving ‘over-breadth doctrine’ among others, such remark from a high-ranking military official is uncalled for and totally unnecessary,” said Lacson, a principal author of the law, which was signed by President Duterte in July 2020.

Lacson criticized Parlade for being “careless and insensitive” in branding as “fake” and “propaganda” Tupas’ story about the two Aeta men who filed their own petition against the Anti-Terrorism Act on Feb. 2, the first day of oral arguments on the law in the Supreme Court.

This is not the first time Parlade has made a scandal. But will it be his last? Will he learn from his mistakes?

How about the mistake of making premature announcements about the imminent defeat of the NPA?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129282

A total of 87 former Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) rebels from Northern and Central Luzon returned to the fold of the law and yielded some 16 assorted firearms in the first month of this year.

Lt. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo B. Burgos, chief of the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), said on Monday the surrenders were "manifestations that the terrorist group is nearing its end".

“The communist terrorists in Northern and Central Luzon are now on the brink of irreversible collapse. We have achieved decisive advantage against them, as manifested by the increasing number of surrenders from their ranks and the increasing number of their key personalities neutralized,” Burgos said in a statement.

The new surrenderers are in addition to the 396 former rebels who returned to mainstream society last year and yielded a total of 96 firearms.

The 87 former rebels who surrendered in January this year are currently processing their enrollment requirements to the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP), Burgos said.

Out of the 396 former rebels who surrendered last year and enrolled in ECLIP, he said that 222 already received livelihood aid amounting to a total of PHP15.9 million while the remaining 174 former rebels are now awaiting the release of their grants.

“We are right on schedule in our timeline to decimate the communist terrorists in northern and central Luzon. We will continue to perform our mandated tasks in order to ensure the safety and security of our people and sustain the democratic way of life in this part of the country,” Burgos said.

Right on schedule? That schedule actually keeps moving from year to year.  Actually every time a new president is elected the AFP says they will defeat the NPA by the time that President's term is up. Duterte is out next year so the timeline is for 2022. Will they really be defeated by 2022 or will the goalposts move to 2028 with the end of the term of the next president?

Surrender really is what LGUs and the AFP want. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129283

Members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and their supporters in the town of Matuguinao, Samar are given until February 15 to surrender to the government or face charges.

This was the ultimatum set by Mayor Aran Boller and Philippine Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion commanding officer Lt. Col. Jasper Justito Pecson in a meeting with officials from the town’s 20 villages on Jan. 29.

“We are trying all we can to end the insurgency problem in my town if possible this year or maybe next year,” Boller said in an interview on Monday. “If they do not surrender before February 15, we will look for evidence to file charges against them.”

He added that they can use those who have already surrendered as witnesses in filing charges against NPA members and supporters, including community officials.

Those refusing to yield to the government will face charges for violating the Anti-Terrorism Act by collaborating with the communist terrorist group, according to the mayor.

“We need to end this problem for us to have peace. If there is peace, there is development. We cannot achieve development for as long as there are NPA, especially in our far-flung villages,” Boller told reporters.

February 15th seems rather arbitrary when Samar has been a hotspot for NPA. Some areas in Samar that were once declared insurgent free now are now overrun with the NPA. That is another mistake the AFP should learn from. They clear an area and then hand it over to LGUs instead of securing it themselves. The sad fact is the AFP does not learn from their mistakes. That is why the insurgency continues.

The January stats are in!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1391317/military-tally-87-npa-guerrillas-surrendered-yielded-16-guns-in-january

The military has counted 87 communist rebels who surrendered in Northern and Central Luzon in January alone.

“For the first month of the New Year, a total of 87 former rebels have already returned to the folds of the law and yielded a total of 16 assorted firearms,” said the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom), based in Tarlac province, in a statement released on Monday (Feb. 1).

The surrendered rebels, the Nolcom said, are now fulfilling requirements to avail themselves of benefits from the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program, which is part of the Duterte administration’s “whole-of-government” approach to the insurgency.

The well-funded program offers housing, education, health care, livelihood financing and cash to surrendered rebels. Each firearm surrendered by rebels would be paid P50,000.

At P50,000 per firearm that is P800,000 that has been doled out so far this year! That does not include whatever additional benefits the rebels will receive from E-CLIP.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129785

Two housing projects are set to be implemented for former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and indigenous peoples (IPs) in Zamboanga Sibugay province, a military official said Friday.

Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, commander of the Army's 44th Infantry Battalion, said the housing projects to be established in Barangays Balagon and Mirangan in Siay town, Zamboanga Sibugay, would benefit 210 recipients.

Templonuevo said the recipients consist of 110 former NPA rebels from Barangay Mirangan, and 100 former NPA supporters and IP families in Barangay Balagon.

It's amazing that no one has scammed the NTF-ECLAC to get a free house. But maybe they have. We just don't know because there has been no audit. The COA is dragging its feet. Why?

https://www.rappler.com/nation/coa-difficulty-auditing-duterte-intel-funds

Commission on Audit (COA) chairperson Michael Aguinaldo admitted to Congress on Wednesday, September 16, that the commission is practically helpless in auditing both President Rodrigo Duterte's intelligence funds, and the funds utilized by the task force he created, the National Task Force on Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC). 

"We are having difficulty also tracing what budget was actually used by the different departments (in the NTF-ELCAC budget)," Aguinaldo told the House of Representatives on Wednesday during deliberations on COA's 2021 budget. 

In the case of Duterte's intelligence funds, Aguinaldo said they are hard to audit precisely because they are confidential – citing as an example the case of informants whose identities will never be revealed because of the sensitive nature of their roles. This makes it impossible for auditors to check the agency's reimbursements and payments for these informants. 

The NTF-ELCAC was created in Decemer 2018 through Duterte's Executive Order No. 70, and was tasked to implement a whole-of-nation approach to end communism.

Its budget however is difficult to trace because the expenses are charged against the specific departments that carry out the tasks. 

NTF-ELCAC is composed of officials from different agencies, such as its spokesperson, Lorraine Badoy, who is an undersecretary of Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). 

Zarate said it's like the NTF-ELCAC is given a discretion to come up with a menu of its projects, and award it to different agencies. 

Aguinaldo said it was not unusual for a task force created by the President to charge expenses against the department. For example, if a task force is made up of different Cabinet secretaries, the expense of one secretary is charged against his department.

"But this (proposed budget) is quite big, so it's something we have to look at carefuly, the amout  of money involved is not typical when you have a task force involving different departments, those are issues we will really be looking at," said Aguinaldo.

It's too hard! The budget of the NTF-ECLAC is too big and spread across several agencies. It's a big problem and the solution might be to centralize the NTF-ECLAC rather than have them composed of differing departments. The solution of course is to find a solution to systematically audit the NTF-ECLAC and not just claim it's too big a problem.

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) has a message for those in the government who support the CPP-NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129696

The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) on Thursday said several supporters of communist terrorist groups (CTGs) have infiltrated different government agencies, working as state employees across various offices. 

In an interview over DZAR on Thursday, NICA Director-General Alex Paul Monteagudo said they know about the individuals who were able to infiltrate government agencies.

“We know who they are, that they are even party members, supporters of the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines]. But pinapaalam din natin sa kanila na alam natin. Alam nila na alam namin, alam ng security forces, alam ng gobyerno kung sino sila at binabantayan natin sila (We have informed them that we know. They know that we know, the security forces know, the government knows them, and we are watching them),” Monteagudo said.

He said even before President Duterte’s term, “Reds have already infiltrated the government with their 52 years of existence”.

“Halos lahat ng ahensya ng gobyerno ay napasukan na sa loob ng 52 years. They have all the time sa loob ng 50 taon na ma-infilitrate itong mga organizations natin (Almost all government agencies have been infiltrated in those 52 years. They had all the time infiltrating our organizations for more than 50 years),” he said.

Another mode of entering government service, Monteagudo explained, is through student leaders who were recruited to join different front organizations and later became members or supporters of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

He said students who decided to remain in the city but remained as CTG supporters were encouraged by the group to take civil service examinations.

After passing the examinations, Monteagudo said they enter government service and work in the agencies.

“Pero pag pumasok yun dun, ang part ng kanilang sweldo pupunta sa partido(When they enter the government, part of their salary goes to the party) but their primary function is to recruit more, to influence, to agitate and to indoctrinate and to act as eyes and ears of the CPP-NPA,” Monteagudo said.

He said NICA has been presenting special briefings in different government agencies on the extent of CTG infiltration on the bureaucracy.

As per NICA’s latest estimate, there are about 300,000 to 400,000 who are allies of different CPP-NPA-NDF front organizations.

However, Monteagudo clarified that being a member of these front organizations does not mean that they are terrorists.

300,000 to 400,000 allies of the CPP-NPA being the in the government is an incredible estimate. How exactly do they know that number? How do they know who these people are? He says they have been informed but so far no one has come forward publicly. But its not like anyone would. If they know who these people are then they should act. But then again the NICA admits that being a member of a front organization does not mean one is a terrorist!

NOLCOM says the NPA is facing imminent collapse. The AFP is also congratulating them for dismantling alleged CPP-NPA fronts.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1129430

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has given recognition to military units under the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) that were instrumental in dismantling communist terrorist fronts operating in Central and Northern Luzon.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay bestowed battle streamer awards to the units during his visit to the Nolcom Headquarters here on Tuesday.

Awarded were the Joint Task Force Kaugnay and Joint Task Group Defenders for successfully dismantling Komiteng Larangang Gerilya South Ilocos Sur (KLG SIS), the communist terrorist front that operates in the province of Ilocos Sur and some parts of Ilocos Norte and Abra.

Joint Task Force Tala and Joint Task Group Liberator were also awarded for successfully dismantling Komiteng Larangang Gerilya Quirino–Nueva Vizcaya, the communist terrorist front that operates in the provinces of Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya.

The KLG is the Guerrilla Field Committee and there are branches all across the country. They are not NPA fighters but just groups of supporters who provide aid in one capacity or another. It's a good thing that NOLCOM has dismantled that front and it could very well presage the end of the NPA in Central and Northern Luzon.

In the meantime the battle goes on and it is a violent battle with Filipino soldiers giving up their lives to end the insurgency and protect their nation.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/774835/two-soldiers-dead-in-army-clash-with-suspected-npa-members-in-quezon/story/

Two Army soldiers died and one soldier was wounded when members of the Philippine Army's 85th Infantry Brigade clashed with suspected members of the New People's Army in Quezon on Friday, the military said.

The names of the soldiers killed in action (KIA) and wounded in action (WIA) were withheld pending notice to their kin, according to the Army's 201st Infantry Brigade.

There were also casualties on the rebels' side but the number could not be confirmed yet, the Army said.

It's sad that so many soldiers have died in a war that has unnecessarily stretched out for so long.