Coronavirus Lockdown: Still Risky to Toot, No Entry Without Booster Shots, and More!

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

Remember all those stupid plastic barriers inside jeepeneys and other PUVs? You don't need a study to know that they did not prevent the spread of COVID-19 but here is a study anyway.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163696

A recent study done by the Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) found that less barriers in public transport actually reduce the risk of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) transmission, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Fortunato de la Peña said.  

"Results of the study show that the number of barriers and their arrangement greatly affect the airflow within these (public utility) vehicles. Barriers can be the seats with backrests, acetate or plastic barriers, and face shields, among others," he said in a taped report aired on Friday.

 

The study was funded by the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) and was conducted from May to October 2021. 

 

Led by Joel Maquiling of ADMU, the study aimed to identify significant risks of disease transmission among passengers of buses, Light Rail Transit (LRT), and Metro Rail Transit (MRT). 

 

To analyze the risks in public transport, the study team conducted 3D-simulations using a commuter bus, LRT2 and MRT configurations, according to de la Peña.

 

The current LRT and MRT configurations, where seats are arranged at the sides and passengers face each other, are found to provide better airflow within the vehicle compared to the current commuter bus setup, he said.  

He said the research team noted the importance of wearing face masks that perfectly fit the face, instead of using barriers of any form, which could also trap viral loads of SARS-CoV-2. 

 

Results of the study may be used to guide pertinent government agencies and policy makers in designing and implementing policies and guidelines, the DOST chief said.

Barriers of any form can trap viral loads of COVID-19. Surely this information can be applied to all the other silly and ridiculous plastic barriers still hanging up in stores and banks and other places. They are useless and should come down.

In November 2021 the government pushed a three day nationwide vaccination drive. Now they want to make this a monthly event.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1531642/govt-plans-to-conduct-bayanihan-bakunahan-every-month

The government is planning to make its nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 called “Bayanihan, Bakunahan,” which was originally held for three days, into a monthly event.

During Friday’s Laging Handa briefing, Presidential Adviser for COVID-19 Response Secretary Vince Dizon said the Bayanihan, Bakunahan will still continue, stressing the importance of intensifying mass inoculation as new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus seem to always emerge.

SARS-CoV-2 causes the serious respiratory ailment COVID-19.

(Yes, it will continue. We need to intensify our vaccination and we are planning to hold the program monthly.)

(You know the vaccination is continuous because experts said that COVID-19 mutates, it leads to various variants.)

Dizon is justifying vaccination because of the mutations and variants? Those variants and mutations are resistant to current vaccines! Not to mention the waning efficacy of the vaccine or the fact that they aren't really vaccine but experimental mRNA concoctions.

Thinking of visiting Manila's Dolomite Beach? You will need to book ahead online and bring your vaccination card.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/12/28/21/online-booking-vaxx-card-required-na-sa-dolomite-beach

Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach reopened to the public this Tuesday, while many more are on vacation this holiday season.

But it's not like before that those who want to take a walk can just come in, because those who plan to go here have to make an online appointment.

There is a QR code that can be scanned and the booking page will appear which will also serve as contract tracing.

They will receive an email confirmation for their schedule, as they will only be given 1 hour to stay on the beach.

When 1 hour is over, it will be announced and everyone will be released at a separate designated exit.Only 300 guests are allowed per schedule to control the public.

That is why there are not too many visitors at this time compared to when it first opened which was crowded and physical distancing was no longer implemented.

11 years old or younger are also prohibited because they have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Walk-ins are allowed if you have not booked as long as you are vaccinated. 

Who would want to go through all that hassle? 

There has been a slight uptick in COVID cases recently. The reason is YOU!

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163857

The slight increase in Metro Manila's Covid-19 positivity rate, average daily attack rate (ADAR), and reproduction rate was due to the holiday frenzy and not necessarily because of the Omicron variant, OCTA Research fellow Dr. Guido David said on Monday.

David said it is premature to say that the newest coronavirus variant had something to do with the spike in numbers.

Based on two-week growth rates (TWGR), David reported that the current reproduction number is at 0.85 percent while the ADAR in the National Capital Region (NCR) is at 0.82 percent.

The positivity rate slightly increased to 1.4 percent.

"(So we can't really say that it is Omicron-driven because we have seen this last year. The gatherings might have caused this, so we just really need to be extra careful)," he said in a media briefing.

Yes, it's YOU who are the problem with your holiday gatherings. Just stay home alone and do not have any family gatherings and the spread will stop. Really.

The Omicron variant is in the Philippines and the DOH says they are well prepared.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/28/2150543/doh-says-philippines-well-prepared-omicron-variant

The Philippine government is “well-prepared” to combat the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which is threatening health systems overseas, the Department of Health said Tuesday.

The Philippines has so far detected four cases of the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant—all among international arrivals.

“Right now with this Omicron variant, I think we are well-prepared than before,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

“What will be the most critical factor right now would be a lot of our citizens are vaccinated now compared to when we’re having the Delta variant…Right now were are preparing. Hopefully, we are able to manage this increase in the number of cases if ever Omicron enters our communities,” she added.

Early studies suggest the Omicron variant is more infectious than the already transmissible Delta variant, which caused a devastating surge in the Philippines from August to September.

They don't say exactly how they are "well-prepared." I guess we'll just have to take their word.

If you have business at City Hall in Iloilo then you had better have gotten booster shots or you aren't getting in.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/12/29/no-entry-to-iloilo-city-hall-without-booster-shots/

With the threat of COVID-19’s Omicron variant, only those who have availed booster shots are allowed entry to Iloilo City Hall starting January 17, 2022. 

Mayor Jerry Treñas announced that this requirement is both for City Hall employees and people who want to have transactions. 

Treñas said that all those who want to enter the building have to present their COVID-19 Booster Cards. 

Treñas’ announcement was also in a memo order issued by City Administrator Melchor Tan.

Iloilo City Hall is one of the few government buildings in the currently that currently only allows entry to fully vaccinated persons. 

Guards do check COVID-19 vaccination cards of all persons trying to enter the Iloilo City Hall. This has been implemented by the Treñas administration since August 2, when the threat of the Delta variant became apparent. 

While facing criticism for discriminatory act to the unvaccinated, Treñas is firm in implementing his plan next year.

Treñas assured that the city government will provide a space outside the City Hall so that the unvaccinated or those who have yet to get their booster shots can still conduct daily transactions.

It's a slippery slope of authoritarianism. First they force you to get two shots and now they changed the definition of being vaccinated and you are required to get a third shot. And who knows when it will stop? 

Metro Manila is now seriously considering a vaccination mandate.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/816308/metro-manila-to-study-possible-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-abalos/story/

Metro Manila is set to study the implementation of COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the region, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairperson Benhur Abalos said on Wednesday.

In a radio interview, Abalos said the Metro Manila Council, composed of the 17 mayors in the National Capital Region, approved a resolution creating a technical working group that will lead the study.

“Actually, approved na nga pala (It has already been approved actually),” he said.

(The resolution states that the Metro Manila Council together with the IATF will create a technical working group to look into the feasibility of having a vaccination mandate.)

Abalos said that the vaccination mandate means setting vaccination cards as a requirement for entering or visiting specific areas. He added that they will study its legality.

What about the ethicality of such a mandate? No one seems to think about how unethical its is to require someone get injected with an experimental drug in order to participate in society.

If you are planning on blowing a horn to celebrate New Years, you should really reconsider. It could be more deadly than a firecracker!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1533251/still-risky-to-toot-your-way-to-22

“Torotot,’’ the toy trumpets or horns traditionally used as noisemakers to welcome the New Year, may turn out to be just as harmful as powerful firecrackers, with the coronavirus pandemic far from over and the Omicron variant posing a new threat.

Like in the first year of the pandemic, the Department of Health (DOH) advised the public to consider other ways of welcoming 2022 without the risk of injury or COVID-19 transmission.

Horns, trumpets or whistles can spread the virus through saliva and aerosols discharged into the air, Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said on Tuesday.“We encourage everyone to use other noise and light producing devices or watch community firework displays,” Vergeire added.

To those who keep the tradition of welcoming the New Year on a booming note, authorities usually recommend banging pots or pans or playing loud music.

The DOH issued the reminder amid rising concerns over the Omicron variant, which is said to be more transmissible than the currently dominant Delta variant that has caused recent spikes in COVID-19 cases around the world.

Beat on pots and pans or play loud music all because of Omicron. With the rest of the world going back under lockdown because of Omicron it is very likely 2022 will see a return of lockdowns in the Philippines.

"Teach your children well," goes the old song but is this what was meant?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163885

Mayor Sara Z. Duterte has reminded parents anew to ensure that their children, especially those who have not yet received a vaccine against the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), adhere to the minimum public health standards (MPHS) in public or crowded places and other gatherings.

In an interview Tuesday, Julie Christine Indoyon, a mother of two kids, said parents need to practice requiring their kids to wear face masks.

Indoyon admitted having a difficult time convincing her three-year-old to wear the protective gear at first.

“He was really hesitant to wear a face mask, knowing that he was still a child and found it uncomfortable. But I told him that if he will not use it, he will be arrested by the police. He then (got) used to it,” she told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

She also urged other parents to adhere to the MPHS for their family’s protection.

“Do not let your kids go out without their face masks on. It may be hard to convince them at first but eventually, they will understand and will get used to it,” Indoyon said in the vernacular.

On December 27, Duterte issued the reminder on observing the MPHS after the Davao City Covid-19 Task Force observed that many children were not wearing their face masks properly in crowded places over the weekend.

“Our reminders for the parents regarding the minimum public health standards – whatever applies to adults also applies to the children. The children, who often touch anything with their hands and loiter around, (it) is very important for them to get used to wearing the face mask," Duterte said in a radio interview.

However, she clarified that infants are exempted from the mandatory wearing of face masks as they might suffocate.

She also advised parents to train their children to wear face masks at home and explain to them why they have to do so.

“This will also serve as a practice for the children once schools resume the face-to-face classes in the future,” Duterte added.

Never mind that children are not at risk of catching COVID-19 and never mind that there is no scientific basis and never mind that having children wear masks is unhealthy. Never mind all that because the government has spoken. So scare your children with the threat of arrest and teach them well to be obedient slaves.

Night Trash 10

At some point I stopped taking pictures of night trash because I have too many already. As long as there are stray dogs roaming around at night looking for a meal there will always be night trash.

Insurgency: NPA Trial Based on the Testimony of Ghosts

Last week 15 NDFP consultants or Reds or NPA or whatever you wish to label them were acquitted over the Inopacan massacre of the 1980's. This has upset certain groups as well as government officials but the details of the case are straight out of the X-Files.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1529206/case-of-traveling-skeleton-manila-court-acquits-peace-consultants-of-murder

A Manila court has resolved the case of “ghosts” crying for justice and “traveling skeletons” as it dismisses the murder charges against the supposed members of the communist group responsible for their death.

In a 97-page decision, Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 32 has granted the demurrers to evidence filed by former lawmaker Satur Ocampo, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Rafael Baylosis and Adelberto Silva; farmers Norberto Murillo, Dario Tomada, and Oscar Belleza; Exuperio Lloren and another demurrer filed by Vicente Ladlad.

A demurrer to evidence is in effect a motion to dismiss anchored on the ground that the evidence presented is insufficient.

The court also dismissed the 15 counts of murder against the following couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Lino Salazar, Presillano Beringel, Luzviminda Orillo, Muco Lubong, and Felix Dumali.

The dismissed the case becasue the evidence was insufficient. What exactly is the evidence proving that those people are guilty of murder let alone a massacre?

The case started in 2006 when a member of the 43rd Infantry Battalion heard “some noises, shouting and drumbeating” while resting in a hammock at the Tactical Command Post in Barangay Kaulisihan, Inopacan, Leyte.

The following day, while doing clearing operations, the Battalion member chanced upon farmer Floro Tanaid and asked him about the noise. Tanaid told him that the noise could have come from the souls of the people executed by members of the New Peoples’ Army in Sapang Dako.

Since the area is still within their jurisdiction, the soldier sought the help of Tanaid to check the place where the noise came from and did some digging. They eventually dug up a “long bone.” After getting the go signal from their commander, they had several diggings and discovered several skeletal remains believed to be of the 15 people executed by the NPA during the 80s.

During the trial, the court noted the inconsistencies in the testimonies of witnesses such as Tanaid, the guide who claimed that the military went to his house on Aug. 25, 2006, and sought his help in locating the mass grave while the military witness claimed he heard the noises only on Aug. 25, 2006. In meeting Tanaid, the witness said he “chanced upon him.”

On the other hand, the forensic pathologist from the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory Dr. Mamerto Bernabe admitted that upon examination of the skeletal remains, he did not conclusively identify any of the bones as belonging to a particular person.

Another witness from the PNP, PCI Jasper Magana said that while they were able to get buccal swabs from a list of persons provided by the military, by the time the PNP has the technology to generate DNA profiles from skeletal remains, “the prosecution did not bother to coordinate…to cause the DNA examination.”

This case started back in 2006 because a solider who was lounging in a hammock heard shouting and drumbeating. The next day he happened to meet a local farmer who told him the noises could be from the souls of the people executed by the NPA. Based on that information alone the two did some digging and found a "long bone." The commander was informed and he gave them the go ahead to continue digging. Remains believed to be of 15 people were exhumed. However a pathologist from the National Crime Laboratory said he could "not conclusively identify any of the bones as belonging to a particular person." The prosecution also failed to obtain any DNA samples form the remains.

But during trial the farmer and the solider gave different testimonies as to how they met and the circumstances in which they found the alleged mass grave. 

Let's continue.

Lawyers of the accused said that the skeletal remains were the subject of a similar case which was previously dismissed by the Baybay, Leyte Regional Trial Court. The skeletons were discovered in June 2000, in Barangay Monterico, Baybay, Leyte. Supposedly, the skeletons were that of Concepcion Aragon, Juanita Aviola, and Gregorio Eras, the same victims whose skeletons were also dug up in Inopacan, Leyte six years after.

A relative of one of the victims admitted participating in the diggings in Baybay, Leyte. The same witness said, “he does not know how  the then members of the 43rd Infantry Battalion were able to identify the skeletal remains of his father and brothers despite him not being able to identify them at that time.”

“Of course, logic dictates that these eventualities cannot or are impossible to happen unless these skeletal remains, as conjured by the defense, were exhumed in one place and thereafter, transferred and/or buried in another,” the court said.

“And despite the fact that this obvious inconceivability came up during the presentation of its evidence, the prosecution did not bother to clear this up by adducing evidence to elucidate these apparent improbable scenarios,” the court added.

Aside from the absence of forensic evidence, no other document was presented such as a death certificate or declaration of presumptive death. The court also noted that the testimonies of the witnesses are “palpably unreliable” due to “overwhelmingly numerous” contradictions.

The court said because the “prosecution miserably failed to establish the guilt of accused-movants beyond reasonable doubt for the 15 counts of murder filed against them and thus they deserve a verdict of acquittal.”

The skeletal remains were part of another case which was dismissed in 2000 according to the defense. These remains were allegedly the same remains found in 2006 which the court notes is totally impossible unless the defendants buried, exhumed, and reburied the remains. A relative of one of the dead says he did not understand how the military could identify the remains of his father and brother when he was not even able to recognize them.

The court concluded that there was no forensic evidence of any kind presented and that the testimonies of the witnesses are unreliable because of numbers contradictions.  Therefore the prosecution "miserably failed to establish the guilt of" the accused.  

The facts of the case and the lack of evidence has not stopped certain groups and officials from being disappointed in the lack of a conviction. Vice Chairman of the NTF-ELCAC Hermogenes Esperon's disappointment is quite notable for its lack of reference to the actual facts of the case and for his instance that being acquitted does not mean one is not guilty.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/1163201

An official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Sunday said despite the acquittal of 15 of 40 communist leaders and members, the grim fate suffered by Inopacan massacre victims in the evil hands of Jose Maria Sison and his co-defendants remains.

Secretary Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., vice-chairperson of NTF-ELCAC, expressed disappointment to the decision of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to acquit 15 Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) leaders for their role in the Inopacan massacre in Leyte in 1985.

"We are deeply saddened and dismayed with the news that the Manila RTC Branch 32, under Presiding Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina, has granted the demurrers to evidence resulting in the acquittal of known communists, namely: former Bayan Muna representative Satur Ocampo; National Democratic Front consultants Vicente Ladlad, Rafael Baylosis and Adelberto Silva, among others, two for the perpetration of at least 15 summary executions in the killing fields by the NPA in Sapang Dako, Inopacan, Leyte in the 1980s," said Esperon Jr., who is also National Security Adviser.

He said the murder cases were filed to give justice to the gruesome deaths of 67 persons, whose skeletal remains were unearthed in the said Leyte town on Aug. 28, 2006.

After the mass grave discovery, Esperon, who was then the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, filed 15 counts of murder before the Manila Regional Trial Court against CPP founding chair Jose Maria Sison and 37 others for their alleged involvement in the massacre.

"The clear intention behind the Inopacan massacre case is to stand, speak, and obtain justice for the dead -- the victims and their families. With the purest intentions, we fought for what is right and the truth. We hoped that light will shine and pass through even in the eye of the needle," Esperon said.

The acquittal, he said, does not mean that the crimes were not committed.

The Supreme Court (SC) held that once a demurrer to evidence has been granted in a criminal case, this amounts to an acquittal.

"With the quantum of evidence of proof beyond reasonable doubt required by our criminal judicial system, we still emphasize that a ruling in favor of the accused does not equate to innocence nor the finding that the crime did not happen. The philosophy is based on Blackstone's formulation that it is better to acquit ten guilty men, than to convict an innocent man. To reiterate, the decision is based on insufficiency of evidence and not that the crime did not happen at all," Esperon said.

He added that prevailing law and jurisprudence recognize two kinds of acquittal.

"First is an acquittal on the ground that the accused is not the author of the act or omission complained of. The second instance is an acquittal based on reasonable doubt on the guilt of the accused," he said, adding that acquittal on this case lies on the second kind, grounded on the alleged insufficiency of prosecution’s evidence.

"Again, it does not mean that the 15 murder cases were not committed and that the accused were not responsible for the gruesome crimes," he said. This simply means that the quantum of evidence of proof beyond reasonable doubt was not met in eyes of the presiding judge.”

"Still, the technical victory of the communists, in this case, does not obliterate in the eyes of history and of the people their brutal killing fields and summary executions without due process -- the emblem of their egregious and blatant disrespect of human rights and sanctity to life which they purport to protect," he added.

First of all it's interesting to learn that Esperon is the one who filed this case. That would mean the evidence he had was the same evidence presented in court. That is the same LACK OF EVIDENCE. Second of all while he does think these people are guilty he is more upset that communists got away. After all, as he lets us know, the CPP-NPA has waged a brutal war killing many. But that is confusing the issue. The issue is not their being communists but their culpability in this case. Did they in fact massacre so many people at Inopacan? 

Third of all his is insistence that these people are guilty. It could be that they are guilty. But the evidence that Esperon gathered and which the prosecution presented was found to be inconsistent and unreliable. You can't base a trial on the fact that a solider did some digging because he heard some ghosts making noises and found bones which could not be properly identified. Why does Esperon have no harsh words for the prosecution who failed to present a coherent case against the accused? Why does he not lament that the testimony of the witnesses was unreliable and inconsistent? Why does he insist these men are guilty despite their being NO EVIDENCE to support that assertion? That the "prosecution miserably failed to establish the guilt of accused-movants beyond reasonable doubt" is not a "technical victory." Rather, it is another damning instance of the horribly broken Philippine justice system attempting to dole out injustice.

Hermogenes Esperon is a moron who, despite his reference to Blackstone's Ratio which has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS CASE, does not give a single care about the rule of law. He wants every communist bagged and tagged BECAUSE they are communists and not because they are guilty of any real crime. For him being a communist is a crime.

Other groups, front groups for the NTF-ELCAC disguised as grassroots organizations, have also condemned this ruling.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163511

Groups of parents and other anti-communist organizations condemned the acquittal of about 15 leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) from their alleged involvement in the "Inopacan Massacre" in Leyte 31 years ago.

Members of League of Parents of the Philippines (LPP) or the Liga ng mga Magulang Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), Sulong Maralita, Hands Off Our Children (HOOC), and Yakap ng Magulang, staged a marching rally along Morayta Street in Manila City on Wednesday to express their disappointment to Manila City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 32 Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina.

"We, as parents, strongly condemned the decision of Judge Thelma Bunyi-Medina by dismissing it by mere technicality," LPP chair Remy Rosadio said during the protest rally. "With these, the people’s faith on the justice system has eroded and the only way for it to be restored is by giving full justice to the victims of the Inopacan Massacre."

Rosadio said the decision may increase the morale of the New People's Army (NPA), the CPP's armed wing, to continue their atrocities, such as extortion, recruiting more minors, and indigenous people.

She said the CPP-NPA-NDF and its allies might be manipulating the court system that resulted in the acquittal of the communist leaders.

Meanwhile, LIPI President Jose Antonio Goitia described the Manila RTC's decision as "regrettable" and a major setback to the country's fight against communist insurgency.

"The setback does not rule out the possibility that the CPP-NPA-NDF is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt," Goitia said.

These people are just as moronic as Esperon. They are what is referred to in the business as useful idiots.  See how they not only echo Esperon by saying this ruling does not mean they are not guilty but they go even further and allege that the CPP-NPA-NDF might be manipulating the court system which is why the accused were acquitted. Absolutely pathetic. 

These kind of stooges are why the AFP and PNP feel emboldened to obtain dubious search warrants and slaughter suspects when they suddenly burst into their homes unannounced. They have no idea about the importance of the rule of law but that is nothing to be shocked at.  This is not an Anglo-Saxon country where the rule of law was formulated and forms the backbone of society. This is the Philippines where natives pretend to be Europeans.

So the NTF-ELCAC is mad about this ruling and they are also upset about having their budget slashed. They say, "We shall make do."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163265

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC) will make do with the PHP17.1 billion budget allocation it received for its Barangay Development Program (BDP) next year, an official said on Monday.

National Security Adviser and NTF ELCAC vice chair Hermogenes Esperon Jr. attributed the reduction to the opposition of some lawmakers regarding the BDP's 2022 budget which was projected to benefit 1,406 communist terrorists-cleared communities by next year.

The amount is much lower than the PHP28.1 billion budget earlier proposed by Malacañang to Congress for the task force.

"(What will happen now is that, we will be giving out PHP12 million instead of PHP20 million. We look at how much PHP12 million can do. Usually, when you are building a farm-to-market road, it is usually a kilometer long, and is paved with eight inches of concrete, and is usually five meters wide, it costs PHP12 million, it could cost higher in mountainous areas. We will look at whether we give this to barangays or just cut it in half)," he said during an ambush interview at the Quezon City Hall of Justice.

Since the people in the beneficiary communities already knew that they will be getting PHP20 million for BDP projects, Esperon said they have no choice but to explain why some lawmakers are not amenable to giving them the proposed budget.

"(Whatever their reasons, it is up to the lawmakers to explain to the affected communities, we don't know their explanation, they told us that they will be using the money for Covid-19 response but do know that in Bayanihan 1 and Bayanihan 2, the government has already spent PHP601 billion for Covid-19 response)," he added.

It is not a mystery why lawmakers decided to slash the NTF-ELCAC budget. It's not because they are communists or support the communist cause. It's because the NTF-ELCAC is without oversight and cannot account for much of their spending.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/21/2149198/coa-finds-deficiencies-ntf-elcac-projects

The Commission on Audit (COA) has found several “deficiencies” in the implementation of programs, projects and activities (PPAs) of the six member agencies of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2020.

In its consolidated “Annual Financial Report” for national government-agencies, the COA said “incomplete documentation, low fund utilization and unutilized funds, unauthorized fund transfers and lack of guidelines on the use of funds” were observed in the implementation of various PPAs of the task force’s member-agencies.

It said the adverse findings “cast doubt” on the efficient use of public funds by NTF-ELCAC agencies – the Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The audit body said the DILG, in particular, failed to utilize P8.735 million intended for activities under “strengthened communication strategies, capacity development and alliance-building with all sectors for local peace and development.”

The COA said the DSWD’s regional Field Office 13 (CARAGA) had disbursed P1.28 million under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and P4.04 million under the Livelihood Settlement Grants or a total of P5.32 million for assistance to former rebels who surrendered to the government.

The payments were made despite inappropriate or lack of supporting documents, “thereby casting doubt on the propriety and validity of the transactions,” the COA said.

Will Hermogenes Esperon also be explaining to LGUs why the NTF-ELCAC has all these financial anomalies? Will he be explaining to them why the DILG failed to utilized P8.37 million in funds allocated for local peace and development? Will he sit down and tell them why the NTF-ELCAC doled out millions in bribes to rebel  surrenderees but did not properly document those transactions? Probably not because Hermogenes Esperon is a dishonest hack who does not care about the rule of law.

Not A Relaxing Stroll Through the Park

"Walking through the park just the other day, baby. What do you, what do you think I saw?" More like, what do you I think I heard? It sure wasn't the lilting keyboard riff of Misty Mountain Hop. Instead it was the blaring, loud cacophony of radio commercials. Not songs, just commercials. All emanating from the myriad speakers scattered throughout the park.

Not the greatest picture. It's something that needs hearing more than seeing anyway. Besides even in real life the speakers and pole sort of blend into the background. This is not the first time I have traversed this park only to be met with the annoying sound of the radio. But this time I decided to find the source. Here it is:

Believe me when I asked the lady at the desk why they are blasting loud radio commercials instead of something quieter and more suitable to a park she had no idea what I was talking about. I was tempted to smash that system to bits but that would have only exacerbated all my problems. The way this is set up I find quite mind boggling. There are about twenty poles with speakers scattered throughout out the park. Yet somehow they all have wires that lead underground and back to the stereo in this office. That's a lot of work and for what? So people can be annoyed by crummy commercials and boring, redundant pop songs they have heard a million times before! I don't know about you but I despise Celine Dion even more when I hear her tinny voice blasting through tiny speakers.

The strange thing is no one seems to care. There were plenty of people sitting on benches chatting, playing checkers, or just hanging out.  Here is one lady who set up shop and was waiting for customers. 

There are always several mani/pedicurists plying their trade in this park. Once I was walking through and some lady ran up to me saying "Sir, Sir!" I thought she was going to ask if I wanted a mani/pedicure but instead she asked something else I will not repeat here.

Anyway, this park sucks. It's not pretty to look at it and even if it was you couldn't relax here because the radio is playing loudly all day.

Retards in the Government 238

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163175

Four Taguig City cops are under restrictive custody after their alleged participation in the robbery of a Japanese national and his Filipina partner in Pasig City on Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos on Sunday ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to hold under custody Staff Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Cpl. Merick Desoloc, Cpl. Christian Jerome Reyes, and Pat. Kirk Joshua Almojera.

The four, assigned at the Taguig City Police Station, were among eight suspects who allegedly staged a robbery in Barangay Kapitolyo at about 12:10 a.m.

They reportedly held at gunpoint domestic partners Joana Marie Flores Espiritu, 26, and Japanese Kani Toshiro, 42.

Carlos also instructed NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. to place the commander of Taguig Sub-Station 1 on administrative relief to preclude any possibility of undue influence in the investigation.

NCRPO has stepped up pursuit operations against two other suspects, dismissed cop Ferdinand Fallari and a certain Ruwel Galang, who eluded arrest.

AJ Mary Agnas, 22, who allegedly works for the victims, was also arrested while a certain Jhon Carlo Atienza, 30, was found dead with a gunshot wound at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue and Tolentino Street in Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Makati City.

According to initial reports, the suspects forced Toshiro to open a vault and scooped out an estimated PHP30 million cash and an expensive mobile phone.

Eight people, including 4 cops and one dismissed cop, forced a Japanese man to open his fault so they could steal P30 million in cash. The Taguig Chief has been fired over this incident.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/12/20/2148978/taguig-police-station-chief-axed-over-p30-million-robbery

The commander of a police station in Taguig was relieved from his post yesterday after four of his subordinates allegedly robbed a Japanese man of at least P30 million in cash and gadgets in Pasig City on Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said he sacked Maj. Nimrod Balgemino Jr., commander of the Taguig police sub-station 1, to prevent “undue influence in the investigation.”

Carlos ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to probe S/Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Pat. Kirk Joshua Almojera and Corporals Merick Desoloc and Christian Jerome Reyes.

“I want to get to the bottom of this incident and unmask all persons involved in the crime,” Carlos said.

It's only a preventative firing to make sure the investigation goes smoothly without any "undue influence."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/21/2149198/coa-finds-deficiencies-ntf-elcac-projects

The Commission on Audit (COA) has found several “deficiencies” in the implementation of programs, projects and activities (PPAs) of the six member agencies of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2020.

In its consolidated “Annual Financial Report” for national government-agencies, the COA said “incomplete documentation, low fund utilization and unutilized funds, unauthorized fund transfers and lack of guidelines on the use of funds” were observed in the implementation of various PPAs of the task force’s member-agencies.

It said the adverse findings “cast doubt” on the efficient use of public funds by NTF-ELCAC agencies – the Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The COA said the DSWD’s regional Field Office 13 (CARAGA) had disbursed P1.28 million under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and P4.04 million under the Livelihood Settlement Grants or a total of P5.32 million for assistance to former rebels who surrendered to the government.

The payments were made despite inappropriate or lack of supporting documents, “thereby casting doubt on the propriety and validity of the transactions,” the COA said.

The COA says six government agencies have deficiencies in their use of NTF-ELCAC funds. This includes giving millions to former rebels without proper paperwork and supporting documents.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/12/22/2149359/33-cops-face-raps-over-pride-march-dispersal

At least 33 Manila police personnel were sued before the city prosecutor’s office on Monday for the violent dispersal of a Pride March in Mendiola last year.

Seventeen members of the so-called “Pride 20” filed a complaint against the lawmen for failing to observe maximum tolerance and violating their right to peaceful assembly, as well as unlawful arrest and slight physical injuries and maltreatment.

The police officers were also accused of stealing a van they used to drive the protesters to the Manila Police District headquarters.

The complainants also accused the lawmen of qualified gender-based street and public space sexual harassment under the Safe Spaces Act for berating them during the protest.

33 cops accused of violating the rights of homosexuals to peacefully assemble and have a parade. Also accusations of unlawful arrests and stealing a van.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/815650/mayor-congressional-bet-hurt-in-misamis-occidental-shooting/story/

Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental Mayor Michael Gutierrez and congressional aspirant Jason Almonte were wounded in a shooting incident that marred a Christmas party in Tangub City on Wednesday.

According to the Police Region Office 10 (PRO 10), PDP Laban and Asenso Ozamiz Local Party members were having a Christmas party when a "sniper fire" was heard at 8:45 p.m.

The bullet hit the frame of the glass door and a splinter hit the nape of Almonte, who is running as 1st district representative of Misamis Occidental, PRO 10 said in a report.

The slug hit the left temple and exited the nape of Michael Gutierrez, who is running for vice governor of the province.

Also present in the event was Misamis Occidental Representative Henry Oaminal.

Gutierrez and Almonte were rushed to Misamis University Medical Center where they received first aid before being transported to Mars General Hospital, Ozamis City for the operation.

Two politicians were wounded at a Christmas party. A third politician, a congressman, was present but was unharmed.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163546

Criminal charges have been filed by the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office against Senator Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros for alleged violation of Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wire Tapping Act.

In an information dated December 1 by Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Serafin S. Salazar and approved by City Prosecutor Elmer L. Rillo, Hontiveros was charged in connection with a text message in 2017 between then Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II and another person.

Hontiveros, the prosecutor said " willfully, unlawfully, knowingly and secretly intercept, record, possess a copy of such record, and show or communicate to other persons, the contents of the private communication" between Aguirre and another person "without the consent of all the parties thereto to their damage and prejudice".

The case was filed by Aguirre in 2017 when Hontiveros during a privilege speech in September of that year showed a photo of Aguirre while composing a text message on his phone.

The photo was shown to have Aguirre texting Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption member, lawyer Jacinto "Jing" Paras in connection with charges against the senator.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has been charged with wiretapping because she took a picture of DOJ Secretary Aquirre composing a text message and showed it to the Seante during a privilege speech. One wonders why this case is being filed now when it was original submitted in 2017.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/23/2149585/17-government-agencies-flagged-over-idle-projects

The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out 17 government agencies over delayed, abandoned and idle infrastructure projects amounting to P1.44 trillion, saying this may result in complete wastage of government funds.

In its consolidated annual financial report for national government agencies for 2020, the COA said various infrastructure projects implemented by the agencies “were either not executed in accordance with the plan, with noted deficiencies, not completed on time (or) not completed at all, which may result in waste of government funds or delayed enjoyment of project benefits.”

This was on top of uncompleted infrastructure projects amounting P1.1 billion implemented by various state universities and colleges, he said.

The audit body attributed the delays in the project completion to “abandonment by the contractor, inefficiency in monitoring of project implementation, poor planning and workmanship and lack of coordination with local government units and other agencies concerned.”

One of the agencies identified as responsible for the bulk of the delayed projects was the Department of Transportation-Office of the Secretary (DOTr–OSEC).

The COA says 17 government agencies have idle or delayed projects amounting to P1.44 trillion. the DOTr-OSEC is the office with the most delayed projects.