Retards in the Government 229

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

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1907849/Cebu/Local-News/Drug-crazed-ex-cop-causes-huge-fire

A FORMER policeman believed to be under the influence of drugs has been blamed for a fire that hit Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, early dawn on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021, which left 113 families and 460 individuals homeless.

Witnesses said the ex-cop, identified as Richard Sumalinog Tagadiad, set his house on fire while hallucinating that ants were out to kill him.  

“Nangita siya sa mga hulmigas nagbitbit sa lighter kay duslitan niya. Nasugatan sa among silingan tama daw kaayo (A neighbor saw him looking for ants bringing a lighter and saying that he will burn them. He was so high on drugs),” said Carol Mosqueda, a daycare teacher in Barangay Labangon.

The fire which started in Tagadiad’s house at around 2:39 a.m. quickly spread to 80 other homes and damaged P1.5 million worth of properties along 229 F. Salvador Ext. Sitio Labsalex.

The blaze was put out by firefighters more than an hour later at 4:13 a.m.

Witnesses said after setting his two-story house on fire, the former police staff sergeant ran off and stayed at a nearby bakeshop smoking and simply eating “puto” (a Filipino steamed rice cake).

Neighbors who saw him there beat him up.

This was not the first time Tagadiad tried to burn his house, police investigators said.

He reportedly burned several candles on the second floor of his house each time he was very high on drugs, witnesses told police.

Neighbors would then rush to his house and put out the fires while reminding him of the danger.

An ex-cop burned down his house and neighborhood. This is also not the first time this has happened. 

https://www.panaynews.net/antique-brgy-treasurer-shot-dead/

Two masked motorcycle-riding gunmen shot to death a village treasurer in Barangay 8 here yesterday noon.

The 41-year-old Jose Servano Jr. of Barangay Del Pilar, Hamtic town was walking in front of the Old Capitol building with punong barangay Adrian Macuja when attacked.

The motorcycle back rider shot Servano at close range on the head.

Servano was rushed to the Angel Salazar Memorial General Hospital where he expired.

Macuja said the victim had no known enemy or someone he had grudges with. He also brushed aside allegations of the incident being politically related.

Despite having no known enemies or grudged the PNP are eyeing personal grudge as the motive of this assassination.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/13/21/mayoralty-bet-nabbed-for-alleged-drug-possession

A mayoralty candidate in Mountain Province was arrested after he was allegedly caught with P2.28 million worth of marijuana bricks and leaves at a checkpoint in Sadanga town on Wednesday.

Operatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police identified the suspect as a former policeman and candidate for mayor in Sabangan, Mountain Province in the 2022 elections. 

His four companions were also arrested, including a 17-year-old.

Besides the marijuana stash, ammunition for a 9mm gun was also confiscated.

An ex-policeman and a candidate for mayor was busted with P2.2 million worth of marijuana bricks.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1502897/6-manila-cops-arrested-for-alleged-extortion

Officers of the Manila Police District (MPD) have arrested six of their colleagues for alleged extortion.

According to a report from MPD, the six police officers were arrested inside the P. Algue Police Community Precinct (PCP) in Jose Abad Santos, Tondo on Thursday.

They were identified as Staff Sgt. Jeffrey Mejia, Cpl. Jigie Azores, Cpl. Johndee Toledo, Cpl. Kevin John Villanueva, Pat. Danny Rangaig, and Pat. Kenneth Cordova, who are all stationed at the said PCP.

The arrest stemmed from the complaint of Jericho Laniog, SK chairman of Barangay 313, Zone 31 in District 3 who, along with his two companions, was arrested by the said police officers for alleged violation of curfew.

The officers also claimed that a tube or pipe used for drugs was found from one of Laniog’s companions.

The accused police officers  brought Laniog and his companions to their PCP where they allegedly demanded P50,000 for their immediate release. The victims were then released after shelling out P47,000.

Six cops arrested for extortion.

https://www-gmanetwork-com.translate.goog/news/balitambayan/promdi/807278/dalawang-pulis-patay-sa-pamamaril-sa-naga-city-suspek-patay-din/story/?_x_tr_sl=tl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fil&_x_tr_pto=nui

Two policemen were found dead on the spot in Naga City, Camarines Sur after they were shot in different places last Saturday night. 

According to the report of Police Regional Office 5, Police Master Sergeant Romeo B. Padua of Police Station 1 was walking home from his duty. 

As he passed Padi-an Street, Barangay Dinaga, he was suddenly beaten on the head by the suspect, Jerico Cano, 33-years-old. 

After being beaten, Padua lost consciousness and fell. 

The suspect immediately took the police gun and shot it in the head.

The suspect allegedly walked from the scene of the shooting as if nothing had happened. 

While the suspect was walking, he passed another policeman, Police Corporal Juarez Del Valle of Police Station 5, in Zone 4, Barangay Tabuco, who immediately shot him in the head. 

According to Police Regional Office 5, after the second policeman was shot, the suspect went home to Sabang, Naga City and was even able to shout that he was the "hit man". It was here that the police caught up with him to respond.

Two policeman assassinated on the job.

https://www.panaynews.net/3-dead-in-antique-shootout/

Two related shootings in barangays Cubay North and Cubay South in Bugasong town on Friday left three people dead: a policeman, a village councilman and a man reportedly suffering from nervous breakdown. 

Police identified them as Police Staff Sergeant Elvin Agting, 42, of the Bugasong police station; 60-year-old barangay kagawad Efren Florendo of Cubay South; and 33-year-old Roy Jalipa of Cubay North.   

According to Police Lieutenant Fritz Padroncillo, chief of the Bugasong police station, a group of policemen from their station led by Agting responded to an alleged shooting in Florendo’s house around 5:40 p.m. 

Florendo was shot by Jalipa who allegedly went berserk, according to Padroncillo.

Policemen did not chance on the suspect as he reportedly ran home to Cubay North. 

Police went to Jalipa’s house to negotiate his surrender.    

Jalipa reportedly agreed but shot Agting on the face using a 12-gauge shotgun. 

The police retaliated and shot Jalipa to death.

A village councillor was assassinated in his own house. The suspect also shot a cop in the face and was killed by the other cops.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1503268/village-secretary-slain-inside-barangay-hall-in-samar

A village secretary died after being repeatedly stabbed inside the barangay hall of Binanalan, Sta. Rita town, Samar at 3:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17.

Suzette Palicte, 49, was working even on a Sunday when the suspect barged into the barangay hall, said Major Neil Fernando Cerdeña, chief of the Sta. Rita Police Office.

Their investigation showed that a short confrontation transpired between Palicte and the suspect, after which the latter pulled out a bladed weapon, commonly called “pisaw,” and stabbed her in different parts of her body.

The suspect, Jonelo Besco, fled through the back of the barangay hall into the rice paddies and was cornered in one house by some residents.

Cerdeña said the residents were not able to arrest Besco because he was armed.

“The suspect fired a single shot from an improvised gun, prompting the residents to wait until the policemen arrived in the area,” Cerdeña said.

A village secretary was stabbed to death in her own office.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1157187

The police here has launched a manhunt for two “persons of interest” who shot dead an off-duty police officer on Tuesday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Joan Muyco Maganto, Tacurong Police chief, has condemned the murder of Police Executive M/Sgt. Augusto Braganza, 53, of Barangay Baras who died from two gunshot wounds in the head.

“We strongly condemn the killing of PEMS (Augusto) Braganza. When a police officer is killed, it is not the agency that loses an officer, it’s an entire nation,” the Tacurong City Police said in a statement of condemnation posted on their Facebook page on Wednesday.

Investigation showed that the off-duty police officer was driving his motorbike on his way to his farm in Barangay Baras at about 4 p.m. when gunmen on a separate motorbike shot him from behind along a barangay road in Purok Summer Snow.

Maganto said police investigators are eyeing personal grudge as the motive behind the incident.

Off-duty cop assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1157338

Anti-narcotics agents, backed by police and military forces, arrested Thursday morning a mayoral candidate for possession of illegal drugs.

Lt. Col. Rolly Oranza, Midsayap town police chief, identified the suspect as Tom Nandang, also known as Datukon Nandang, 52, who is temporarily residing in Barangay Upper Glad 1 here.

“Nandang is a registered voter of Northern Kabuntalan, Maguindanao, and is seeking the mayoralty post in that town for the 2022 polls,” he said.

Oranza said agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 12 (Soccsksargen), the Midsayap police, and elements of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion jointly served the search warrant against Nandang at about 4 a.m. Thursday.

Nandang did not resist arrest but vehemently denied he was into illegal drugs.

Mayoral candidate busted for drugs. Claims he is innocent.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/807754/lacson-doh-bought-p4k-cellphone-at-p15k-each-dashcams-73-overpriced-too/story/

The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday was urged to investigate the procurement of Basic Life Support (BLS) equipment for ambulances in Calabarzon, including alleged overpriced mobile phones and dashcams. 

At a Senate budget hearing, Senator Panfilo Lacson said local government units (LGUs) might be “shortchanged” by the DOH supplier as the ambulance purchased at P2.5 million each, only contains 21 pieces of BLS equipment even though the DOH specifications require 30 pieces of equipment. 

(Now my question is, are you not going to conduct an investigation on the supplier because it seems that the LGUs were shortchanged because the DOH specified 30 BLS equipment but the ambulances delivered only have 21 pieces of equipment each.) 

Lacson enumerated the pieces of equipment included in the P2.5-million ambulance which he earlier claimed to be overpriced. 

He mentioned the procurement of mobile phones, dashcams, ambulance collapsible stretcher, and automatic external defibrillator (AED) which had “huge discrepancies” if the retail price is compared to the bidding price for DOH Region IV.

DOH allegedly purchased more overpriced equipment.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/807402/complaint-filed-vs-qc-s-belmonte-others-over-allegedly-overpriced-food-packs/story/

A graft complaint was filed against Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and other local officials on Monday over allegedly overpriced food packs procured by the local government. 

Task Force Kasanag President John Chiong filed the complaint against Belmonte, QC Officer-in-Charge Ruby Manangu, LXS Trading representative Angelica Solis, and employees of the LGU and the company at the Office of the Ombudsman 

Chiong alleged that the local government bought 250,000 food packs for P287,475,000, a price of P1,149 per unit, in November 2020. 

However, he said the food packs should have been purchased at P715 per pack, amounting to a total of P178,808,000. 

“Thus, there is a clear and blatant overprice amounting to more than P108,000,000 for the 250,000 food packs purchased by the Quezon City Government,” Chiong claimed.

A graft complaint has been field against the Quezon City Mayor and other officials for overpriced food packs.

Coronavirus Lockdown: More Cops, All-Access Privilege, and More!

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

The IATF has decreed that all incoming passengers who have been fully vaccinated do not have to undergo the mandatory quarantine procedures. But DOH Secretary Duque was not informed of this decision beforehand.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/806927/duque-not-consulted-on-scrapping-of-quarantine-for-fully-vaxxed-travelers/story/

Health Secretary Francisco Duque III on Thursday said he was not consulted on the decision to remove the mandatory facility quarantine for fully vaccinated inbound travelers from “green” countries.

Duque is the chairperson of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), which made the decision on Wednesday.

In an interview on ANC, Duque said he has always supported the mandatory quarantine at facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I just want to put on record that I wasn’t part of the IATF that deliberated on this yesterday, because I was in a budget hearing with the Senate,” he said.

Due to this, the Health Secretary said he will raise some concerns with the IATF during their meeting on Thursday afternoon.

“I was told that in some countries, they’re doing this now. But those countries can afford to do it because their national vaccination coverage is more than 70%, whereas we are only at 30%,” Duque said.

Duque is the chairperson of the IATF but was not part of the team that made this decision? How is that even possible? It shows a complete lack of coordination within the IATF. 

The NCR alert level has dropped but none of the mayors were consulted beforehand by the IATF.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/15/21/mayors-not-consulted-over-shift-to-alert-level-3-in-ncr

Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro on Friday said the capital region’s local chief executives were not consulted on the easing of quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila starting this weekend.

(No talks or meeting between the Metro Manila mayors and the IATF happened and we just received this new alert level that’s why some mayors were asking and even studying how to safely implement this new alert level system.)

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said in an interview on Thursday that Metro Mayors did not recommend easing quarantine restrictions.

Government on Wednesday announced the Metro Manila’s 13 million people will shift to Alert Level 3 from October 16 to 31.

(I am in favor of this for the economy, but we need to be careful with the minimum public health standards, we should set the guidelines properly. This is what I fear that what happened last month when an announcement was made only to be withdrawn or when our low COVID cases in Metro Manila sees another increase.)

With this government there is no need to coordinate with mayors apparently. They decide and everyone else obeys or else.

Quarantine for 7 days upon arrival in the Philippines is mandatory for all travelers except those fully vaccinated. For one woman being quarantined turned deadly.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1910472/Bacolod/Local-News/Kin-seeks-help-on-death-of-Negrense-ROF-while-in-hotel-quarantine

THE family of a returning overseas Filipino (ROF) from Murcia town, Negros Occidental is seeking help to shed light on her death while being under quarantine at a hotel in Makati City.


Shiela Mae Hallares, 40, of Barangay Lopez Jaena, arrived in the country on October 8.  


Hallares, a domestic helper from Lebanon, was quarantined at Eurotel Hotel upon her arrival.


Hallares’ brother, Patrolman Nico Malibong, told SunStar Bacolod that they were shocked when the dead body of his sister was found inside her hotel room Wednesday, October 13.


Prior to her death, Hallares was really in good shape and was even telling them through video calls that she was joining Zumba dance while under quarantine at the hotel, Malibong said.


He said they started to worry when his sister had already failed to connect to them.


Malibong added that they asked the help of their cousins in Manila to check on her.


The hotel staff forced open Hallares’ room and saw her body lying on the bed near the electric fan, the policeman said.


He said bloodstains were noticed in the comfort room and on her bed.


Hallares’ brother claimed that it is negligence on the part of the hotel as they do not check on their guests, especially that it is a quarantine facility accredited by the Department of Health and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.


Hotel staff told them that their internet connection was down for two days, he said.


Malibong said he believes that the last two days when they could not contact his sister would have been the time that she had gone through an unnoticed emergency.

“Is this the kind of treatment they give to an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) who is supposed to be the unsung heroes in the country?” Malibong asked.

Another article gives this additional information:

“There was blood on her bed and the bathroom,” Malibong said. 

They were informed that the victim died from a hemorrhagic stroke and had been dead since Oct. 11. 

“The hotel staff should have been concerned when she did not eat her meals and checked on her. There was also no medical personnel at the facility,” Malibog said.

He said his sister had food allergies. Malibog said his sister asked the hospital staff to buy her medicine but was told they could not do it.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1503312/negros-occidental-cop-seeks-probe-on-owwa-makati-hotel-after-the-death-of-his-sister-while-in-quarantine

Why would there be no medical personnel at a quarantine facility. It makes no sense and this is another senseless and death that has happened during the quarantine. This woman's death will of course be forgotten and with good reason. There are more important things to think about like what goodies one can win just for getting vaccinated.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1502058/cebu-city-offers-house-car-cash-for-the-vaxxed

To encourage more people to get inoculated against COVID-19, the city government announced it would raffle off a number of prizes for fully vaccinated residents.

The prizes include a house-and-lot package, a car, P100,000 worth of gift certificates for hotel accommodation, P100,000 worth of scholarships, and P100,000 worth of groceries, according to acting Mayor Michael Rama.

The mechanics of the raffle draw will be announced during its official launch on Oct. 18. The city government is targeting to vaccinate at least 700,000 of its 1 million residents to achieve herd immunity, which happens when 70 percent or a large part of the population is immune to a specific disease. As of Wednesday, Cebu City registered 322,063 fully vaccinated residents.

Sounds fun but whois paying for all that? In Quezon City fully vaccinated people will get full access to the malls.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156961

Shoppers in Quezon City will be required to present their coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination cards if they want to access all shops and services in malls.

Unvaccinated persons will be allowed entry but only for essential purposes such as buying in grocery and medical and drug stores, and availing of government services.

“As we want to vaccinate more people, we also directed mall managements to gather and list down the name, contact number, and barangay of unvaccinated patrons and submit it to the city government so they can immediately be scheduled for vaccination,” QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement issued Sunday night.

The slippery slope is indeed real and it is not wrong to see this as a precedent that will soon trickle down so that the unvaccinated will be barred from participating in society.

According to the DOH 12,970 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been discarded due to temperature and other issues. Meanwhile in Cebu a private hospital is conducting clinical trials for a Chinese made vaccine apparently without FDA approval or the knowledge of the city.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156942

Acting Mayor Michael Rama on Monday reminded medical centers here conducting a clinical trial for any coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccine brand to properly coordinate with the city government.

Rama said in a radio interview any medical researches that are conducted in the city must be “well coordinated” with the health officials as well as local medical experts to avoid concerns on missteps in the conduct of trials.

“They need to connect with the Cebu City Health Department before they conduct medical trials in our jurisdiction. We have the Local Government Code which said that no project could be implemented with the mayor and the City Council not being aware about it,” Rama said in a mix of Cebuano and English.

Rama’s comment came after reports circulated on local media that a private hospital here is conducting a clinical trial for Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by a Chinese pharmaceutical company, WestVac Biopharma R&D.

Councilor David Tumulak also raised concerns in his privilege speech before the City Council on Wednesday (Oct. 13) over the clinical trial and urged the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health (DOH), and the city health department to investigate the matter

However, Dr. Mary Jean Loreche, DOH-7 chief pathologist, said in an earlier interview the conduct of clinical trial for the WestVac vaccine was properly coordinated with the office of Mayor Edgardo Labella.

Loreche said the pharmaceutical firm has secured a permit from the Ethics Board of the Department of Health and the proposal to conduct a clinical trial was submitted to the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development.

Why are clinical trials happening in the Philippines for a Chinese pharmaceutical company? Are there no Chinese guinea pigs available?

While citizens of the NCR have been relishing their new found freedom since the alert level was lifted the PNP says they will be deploying more cops to enforce health protocols. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/10/19/2135228/more-cops-be-sent-out-enforce-pandemic-protocols-public-areas

The chief of the Philippine National Police ordered all unit commanders in Metro Manila to send more police officers to areas where the public will be as Metro Manila shifts to Alert Level 3, a looser form of quarantine against COVID-19.

In a statement, Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said he issued the order in response to an appeal by the Department of Health to continue implementing the minimum public health safety protocols.

The DOH issued the reminder after people started flocking to churches, malls, parks, and other areas over the weekend because of the lower alert status.

Police data shows that from Saturday to Sunday, 5,606 Filipinos were fined for violations of minimum public health standards, while 7,867 were warned. 

"I have already directed our unit commanders in the National Capital Region to increase police presence in all possible areas of destination of our countrymen following the downgrading of alert level in Metro Manila," said Eleazar, who added that the order came from Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. 

"We understand the concern of our colleagues in the Department of Health and the medical community regarding the reports that have been shown where people flocked to sights, malls and other places last weekend," he added.

The past 581 days of community quarantines have seen government officials loosening quarantine protocols to revive the economy, followed by enforcement officials labeling people who go out or find themselves in crowded areas as hard-headed. 

According to Eleazar, health officials expressed concerns over what they describe as an apparent complacency on the part of the people when they go out of their homes "to take advantage of the easing of restrictions."

You can't blame people for wanting to stretch their legs after being forced to stay home for so long. Knowing the PNP there will be plenty of extortion and violence in the name of enforcing health protocols.

OFWs may seem to be a blessing to the economy because they remit millions of pesos each year. But it is also a brain drain leaving the Philippines diminished of the manpower it needs.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/10/19/21/hospitals-fear-manpower-drain-after-staff-resignations

A group of private hospitals said on Tuesday it is concerned with a possible shortage of manpower as scores of staff resigned to pursue jobs abroad.

In the past 2 to 3 weeks, about 5 percent of nurses filed resignations because they wanted to work abroad, said Private Hospital Association of the Philippines, Inc. president Dr. Jose Rene de Grano. 

(If we cannot stop this exodus, perhaps in another 6 months, we might run out of nurses and our health facilities will be crippled.) 

(That is what we fear because if we are too lenient with letting our healthcare workers leave and we fail to replace them quickly, we might run out of healthcare workers. Our acceptance of patience will be limited.) 

Some health workers earlier complained of low pay and poor working conditions. 

On Sunday, Dr. Maricar Limpin, president of the Philippine College of Physicians, acknowledged that some health workers avail of job opportunities abroad because of the attractive pay.

(If we can increase the basic pay of our nurses, they might have second thoughts about leaving the country, because they will feel that with a salary higher than the current rate although not really at par with what's offered abroad, it's better to stay here and be with their families.)

(But if the difference between the salary here and abroad remains wide, then we'll really have a hard time keeping our nurses here. We have to accept that they will really get much higher pay abroad, and it's also really different if they get the chance of working in foreign hospitals, especially in the UK and the US.)

You can't blame these people for seeking better pay and working conditions. And the nation can thank Marcos institutionalized the OFW program as an official part of the Philippines. 

Hopefully this pandemic is over soon. All signs point to improvement.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1157037

The Covid-19 situation in the National Capital Region (NCR) continues to improve based on the latest data of the OCTA Research Group.

In a tweet on Monday, OCTA Research Group’s Guido David said NCR's seven-day average is 1,448 with a positivity rate of 9 percent, down by 1 percent from the previous data.

OCTA also observed a continuous downtrend in NCR's healthcare utilization rate (HCUR) and intensive care unit utilization rate (ICUR).

"The region's reproduction number is at 0.57 while healthcare utilization rate is at 44 percent and ICU occupancy is at 59 percent,” Guido said.

The previous data was 47 percent HCUR while the ICUR was also at 59 percent.

He added that NCR's current average daily attack rate, or the number of individuals infected per 100,000 population, dipped to 10.23 cases from the previous 11.87.

So says the OCTA anyway. But they don't matter much. It's the IATF whose word is gospel concerning all things COVID-19.

"I Am a Filipina"

Oh, boy. Here we go again. Another foreign born Miss Universe Philippines pageant contestant insisting she is a genuine Filipina. This is despite growing up and being educated in a foreign land and not even knowing how to speak the native language.

"I am a Filipina." So says 3rd place Miss Universe Philippines contestant Victoria Velasquez Vincent as the reason she turned down an offer to from New Zealand to represent them in the Miss Universe 2021 pageant.

https://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2021/10/12/2133608/i-am-filipina-victoria-vincent-turns-down-offer-be-miss-new-zealand-miss-universe-2021

Victoria Velasquez Vincent, Miss Universe Philippines (MUPH) 2021 Charity, revealed that she was offered to become Miss Universe New Zealand 2021 after the MUPH coronation night but she declined.

In her Instagram account, Victoria said that she declined the offer because her heart will always be for the Philippines. 

“Shortly after the MUPH coronation night, I was offered to be Miss Universe New Zealand 2021. After a week of contemplation, countless discussions with my family, friends and team, I eventually came to the decision to politely decline the offer,” Victoria said. 

“So many people will say I’m crazy for turning down this opportunity, but I had to choose what I know in my heart was the right thing to do. My heart is, and always will be here to serve the Philippines. Some may say I’m not Filipina enough, and that’s ok. I know who I am. I know what I stand for. I am a Filipina,” she added. 

She, however, thanked the Miss Universe New Zealand organization for their faith in her. She also thanked the Miss Universe Philippines organization for their support. 

“Thank you to the MUNZ org for your kindness. I am endlessly grateful that you had faith in me and offered me the opportunity of a lifetime. Thank you to the MUPH org for offering your support regardless of what I decided to do,” she said. 

“I am so excited to see what the future holds for us, Philippines,” she added.  

Now, this is quite odd. Why would New Zealand offer the spot of Miss Universe New Zealand to the third place winner of the Miss Universe Philippines contest? Do they not have a candidate? And why this particular person? She's a Filipina, right?

WRONG!!

Victoria Velasquez Vincent, much like Miss Universe Philippines and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, is NOT a Filipina. She is in fact a New Zealander. Born to an Irish Father and Filipina mother Victoria has spent all of her life in New Zealand making only occasional visits to the Philippines. On one holiday trip she was kidnapped at the market!

Hear Victoria in her own words with her very own thick New Zealand accent which is a dead giveaway as to her nationality.

Victoria Velasquez Vincent Interview with Luis Portelles: Miss Universe Philippines 2021 Journey

6:40 Honestly the whole thing is just so surreal to me because I like I said I was born and raised in New Zealand.

13:02 You know, I think, for me, the most important thing that I really want people to understand is that being Filipino isn't defined by the language that you were raised to speak, or the color of your skin, or any of your other physical features, you know. It's about who you are on the inside and it's about the values that you hold and how Filipino those values are. And you know my my external appearance might not be a direct representation of Filipinos, you know, what they are calling pure Filipinos, but my heart is truly Filipino and my heart is with my Filipino people and I think that's the most important thing

That's been one of the things that sometimes people raise a lot you know the fact that you were not born in the Philippines can you tell us briefly about your background because I know that you've mentioned this in other interviews and also I don't want to be redundant but just for people who are watching who might not be aware of that can you give us a little bit of your background. 

So, I was born and raised in New Zealand my mom is Filipina Spanish and my dad is Irish

16:22 So, obviously you are representing the province of Cavite which is the the historical capital of the Philippines. Do you feel like that's a big responsibility? 

I do yes. Especially because I studied heritage conservation so, you know, I kind of have like a direct link educationally I have a direct link to the history of Cavite and so i feel like yeah people will expect me to do a really good job at representing the province and my goal is to make sure that I do. Because in my heart I know that you know even though i wasn't born and raised in Cavite I do have the values of what it means to be a Caviteño.

Who can stand this garbage? Being a Filipino is a matter of the heart? What a lie. This lady is lying to herself and to us. Her ONLY claim to being a Filipina is her mom's blood. Filipino citizenship is entirely by blood, jus sanguis, and not by birth, jus soli. That is why there are so many Filipinos around the world who have never set foot in the Philippines. They are the children of OFWs and expatriates. 

Being a Filipino most certainly has to do with the language one speaks, the food one eats, the values one holds dear, the way one sees the world, and the way one looks. Victoria doesn't have any Filipino values. She has New Zealand values. She probably wipes after she pisses and puts the seat down before she goes! I bet she took one look at the tabo and said while wincing with disgust, "Eww! No way." Even her very distinctive New Zealand accent gives her away as being NOT A FILIPINO! She does not even speak the local language!

1:01:54 I hope people see that even though I am a half Filipina, I wasn't born and raised here, I don't, you know, speak their language fluently, my, my heart is in the right place and, yeah, I want people to see that.

Victoria Velasquez Vincent LIVE with Tita Lavinia

In that interview Victoria Velasquez Vincent admits she is not a Filipino and expects people to look past that fact because "my heart is in the right place." 

Victoria's advocacy, both personal and pageant related, is to build proper buildings for Filipinos. She bizarrely says that because of colonialism Filipino architecture is all messed up and that these buildings aren't designed with Filipinos in mind. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQ7QhpPMdds/

I remember seeing a site similar to this circa 2012 - make-shift homes in such close proximity to high-end residential condominiums. That image, and the undeniably complex phenomenon of poverty in the Philippines influenced the path I decided to take with my Architecture and Heritage Conservation degrees. 6 years later I took this photo to include in my Master’s thesis.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances that cause their existence, make-shift dwellings are an example of Filipino ingenuity, local materiality and creativity, as well as Filipino resilience. 

After centuries of colonization, our historic architectural identity has been diluted and Western design principles are working against the typical Filipino’s fundamental way of living. In a society that favors the upper class, the gap in social classes is expanding rapidly. 

The complex nature of poverty cannot be solved by one person, or in a short period of time, but that doesn’t mean the ultimate goal of a sense of social equality is unattainable. I’m so proud to see organizations in the Philippines working towards realizing this goal. Today marks the start of learning from them, offering them my time, my working hands and my knowledge. 

Reduce the gap. Reinforce our culture. Design for Filipinos.

What is the "historical architectural identity" of the Philippines? Bamboo huts? How are the Western design principles that are part of the architecture in the Philippines "working against the typical Filipino’s fundamental way of living?" What does that even mean? Are these same Western design principles which are also prevalent in New Zealand working against the typical Maori's fundamental way of living? Does she even care about the Maoris? Sounds like baseless anti-Western atrocity propaganda to me.

So, let's sum up here. Victoria Velasquez Vincent, who has a Filipina mother but was born and raised in New Zealand, has come to the Philippines to put her architecture degree to work by revamping the whole of Filipino architecture in an effort to solve poverty and help the poor. Her Filipinoness is not to be disputed because being a Filipino is a matter of the heart and not genetics or the language one speaks. 

She reminds me of a certain fat white American man who once said the same thing and who everyone rightly mocked.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/transracial-man-born-white-feels-like-he-is-filipino/491290902

Riding in a flamboyant purple vehicle, Ja Du shows up to a coffee shop to open up about his new identity. 

Ja Du, born a white male named Adam, now considers himself a Filipino. Turns out the purple ride he drives around in is called a Tuk Tuk, an Asian-derived vehicle used for public transit in the Philippines he says. 

Ja Du is part of a small, but growing community of people who considers themselves transracial. It refers to someone born one race, but identifies with another. 

Sound weird? Not to them. Ja Du says he grew up enjoying Filipino food, events and the overall culture. 

“Whenever I’m around the music, around the food, I feel like I’m in my own skin,” he said. 

“I’d watch the history channel sometimes for hours you know whenever it came to that and you know nothing else intrigued me more but things about Filipino culture.”

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2017/11/a-filipino-trapped-in-white-mans-body.html  

What makes this all the more sickening is that she probably doesn't even have a thought in the world about her real home country, New Zealand. She owes her entire upbringing and education to that nation. Is she proud to be a Kiwi or does she think that's racist? It's disgusting that Filipinos will readily accept this lady as one of their own. Victoria Velasquez Vincent and others like her cheapen and degrade the Philippines and Filipinos by redefining what it means to be a Filipino.