Newly Elected Bacolod Mayor and His Party Mates Take a Celebratory Trip to Japan

Recently the newly elected mayor of Bacolod City, Alfredo Beneitz, and a handful of his newly elected political party mates went on a trip to Japan. It is highly likely this trip would have flown under the radar had not the Mayor and several others tested positive for COVID upon returning home.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/11/bacolod-solon-2-councilors-on-trip-to-japan-with-mayor-catch-covid/

Three local officials were among 10 persons who traveled to Japan with Mayor Alfredo Abelardo ‘’Albee’’ Benitez and tested positive for Covid-19.

This was confirmed on Thursday, Nov. 10, by former Councilor Caesar Distrito, legal counsel of Team Asenso, the political party of Benitez.

Their results came out three days after Benitez announced last Monday, Nov. 7, that he tested positive for Covid-19 upon his arrival in Manila from an official leave in Japan.

He has mild symptoms and is working from home.

Distrito, in a statement, said that the three local officials were Rep. Greg Gasataya and Councilors Simple Distrito and Jude Thaddeus Sayson.

Upon arrival, all of them immediately took a swab test and isolated themselves.

Distrito, who also joined the trip, said that all of those who tested positive were in good condition and mostly asymptomatic or with very mild symptoms. They are all in isolation, he added.

He said that those who tested negative opted for voluntary isolation.

Distrito assured that all of them were fully vaccinated, and will comply with the protocol of seven-day isolation, as they continue to work at home.

In fact, he said that all of them attended their regular session virtually.

At first glance this is nothing to care about. We all know the experimental COVID vaccines don't prevent infection which means all those who advocate for them are fools so that is nothing new and politicians go on junkets all the time at the public's expense. But that seems to not be the case here. According to Caesar Distrito, the attorney for Albee's political party, Team Asenso, and a man who the Supreme Court disallowed to take the lawyer's oath because of unethical conduct calling him "unfit to become a member of the bar", the entire trip was funded by the mayor himself.

https://www.facebook.com/councilorcaesar.distrito/posts/5611424235644051

For the record, all of them were on official leave, and that no single centavo was spent from government funds. This is a sponsored trip, and all the expenses were shouldered by Mayor Albee.

That is an incredible statement. The Mayor of Bacolod City shouldered ALL the expenses on this trip to Japan?  That would include airfare, room and board, and possibly entrance fees to Universal Studios for about 30 people. That is quite a lot of money. Likely a few hundred thousand pesos. But if he alone shouldered all the expenses why does Councilor Wowie Orola thank Congressman Greg Gasataya?

https://www.facebook.com/jmorola/posts/10226477872590956

Streets of Japan

#WithAsensoBacolodFamily

#ThankYouMayorAlbeeAndCongGasataya

Karl Mango, a barangay chairman who attended the trip, also thanked Congressman Greg Gasataya.

https://www.facebook.com/karljohn.magno.1/posts/843051640065413

Thank you Team Asenso Mayor Congressman Greg Gasataya Albee Benitez

Likewise JR Alcantra also thanks Congressman Greg Gasataya even going so far as to call him "boss."

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=171478142150607&id=100078652669878

1st day in Osaka

Thank you Boss Mayor Albee Benitez

Thank you Boss Cong. Greg Gasataya

Looks like both he and Rodney C. Carmona forgot that the people who elected them are the boss and not the Mayor and local Congressional Representative. 

https://www.facebook.com/rodney.c.carmona/posts/10160686742675097

My first day in Osaka!!!
Thank u boss!!!

What role did Congressman Gasataya play in making this trip to Japan happen? In his official statement Team Asenso Attorney Caesar Distrito is not merely silent on the matter but denies that is the case when he claims the Mayor shouldered all expenses. Note that Wowie Orola hashtaged he was with the Asenso Bacolod Family. That is the newly elected political party in Bacolod City. This trip was apparently only for newly elected Team Asenso members. 

https://www.facebook.com/councilorcaesar.distrito/posts/5602169529902855

We were welcomed at the airport by the Vice Consul of the Philippine Consulate in Osaka, Japan, CHARLES LAWRENCE CHING, and volunteered to take the photo of the whole group. The delegation is headed by Mayor Albee Benitez and Congressman Greg Gasataya, with 8 incumbent councilors and Asenso Barangay Captain. This trip is sponsored personally by Mayor Albee.

I have been on plenty of vacations with large groups. Not one time were those groups ever referred to as delegations. A delegation is:

a body of delegates or representatives; a deputation.

It is rather odd to be on vacation and refer to your group as a delegation. Who are these people representing? Is this another one of those "working vacations" of which President Marcos is so fond? Why were they met by the Vice Consul of the Philippine Consulate in Osaka, Japan if they are only in Japan for a little R&R?

There is nothing wrong at all with a little R&R. Everybody needs it. But here's the thing. These people were only just elected back in May and invested in office in July. They have only been at work for a mere four months. Is it vacation time already? Of course not. And this is more than just a vacation. This is a reward from Mayor Benetiz for his party winning the 2022 election. 

Lending credibility to that thesis is the fact that several members of Team Asenso, including Team spokesman and lawyer Cesar Distrito, were previously allied with Grupo Progresso, the Party of defeated Mayor Bing Leonardia.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/elections/bacolod-city-bing-leonardia-loses-councilors-albee-benitez-2022/

Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia has lost three councilors to former Negros Occidental 3rd District representative Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Bantug Benitez, his main rival for the 2022 elections.

At a press conference late Saturday, October 2, former councilor Caesar Distrito announced he had accepted Benitez’s offer to be his running mate. Distrito introduced the 12-person council slate of Benitez, who did not appear at the press conference.

There has been no reaction yet from the Leonardia camp. 

Councilors Simple Distrito, the former councilor’s mother, Al Espino, and Bart Orola, all belonged to Leonardia’s Grupo Progreso (GP). Another member of the slate, Pao Sy, is the daughter of the late councilor Elmer Sy, who was also with Leonardia.

Caesar ran in 2016 under Leonardia and bagged the second-highest number of votes, after incumbent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, who was also wooed by the Benitez camp but stayed on with GP.

The other members of the Team Albee councilor slate are: Kalaw Puentevella, Jude Thaddeus Sayson, Homer Bais, Vladimir Gonzalez, Patrick Lacson, Jayson Villarosa, Sonya Verdeflor, and Mark Mayo.

Basically Albee pulled off a political coup by absconding with the disloyal party mates of Bing Leonardia and siphoning votes he would otherwise have received. That also includes Congressman Greg Gasatya who was previously allied with Lenoardia. The treacherous betrayal of Caesar Distrito and the rest sounds like the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Now, Team Asenso needs to get to work and prove to the people they made the right choice. There is a lot of work to be done in this town.

Is Benetiz aware that under Leonardia Ayala mall was built without adding the proper infrastructure to handle traffic?  There are no traffic lights at Ayala Mall which is one of the many problems he should be addressing. There is also the fact that traffic lights are regularly on the fritz which causes vehicles to pile up in long queues. But instead of assuring the citizenry of Bacolod the lights will remain on he paid for a trip to Japan which has enabled us to witness this display from the Captain of Barangay Singcang Rosinie Distrito who was accused by CENECO of stealing electricity.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10230367484836586&set=pcb.10230367489356699

And if Benetiz alone paid for this trip out of his own pocket why are several of those who attended thanking Congressman Greg Gasataya? Team Asenso attorney Caesar Distrito, when asked to comment, practically repeated the same talking points as before and did not explain Gasataya's role. 

The trip is privately funded, and sponsored by Mayor Albee Benitez for Councilors & Barangay Captains & private citizen like me, who are all members of the Asenso Bacolod. No government funds were spent in this trip. We had exposure trips to various tourism sites and establishments of Osaka & Kyoto, where we had learned a lot of their best practices, and maybe we can replicated here in Bacolod.

That would indicate that the trip was not entirely for R&R and lends credence to my thesis that this trip was a victory celebration for winning the election since only Team Asenso members were invited. If they were all going to learn about best practices then shouldn't every councilor and Barangay Captain who could attend have been invited and not just members of Team Asenso? Why make learning best practices a political issue? Will what they learned be conveyed to those who did not make the trip and are not part of Team Asenso?

This situation is comparable to if Marcos took all the elected Senators he sponsored on a foreign trip to celebrate their victory. The nation would not stand for it. There is too much work to be done and the Philippines has enough holidays already. Hopefully this trip was just an anomaly on the part of Mayor Benetiz and Team Asenso. But let's get real this is the Philippines and we all know what that means especially when Team Asenso is largely composed of disloyal, opportunity seeking, and self-serving politicians. 

Insurgency: Reds Steadily Losing Relevance

The AFP has been steadily fighting the NPA claiming to have shut down fronts, cleared provinces of rebels, and weakened morale among the remaining fighters. They claim the NPA is losing relevance to these crushing defeats.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1187875

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) is losing its relevance as it continuously loses to the military.

"The CPP-NPA-NDF is losing not just tactical battles, but relevance as well. With the remaining 24 guerrilla fronts, 19 of which are weakened and inactive, this leaves the Communist Party with five fronts to pursue its violent means of achieving political objectives," AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said in a statement late Sunday.

From a high of 89 NPA guerrilla fronts, these went down to 24 due to the government's ongoing civic and military campaign against the insurgents.

AFP chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro earlier said 19 out of these 24 remaining guerrilla fronts could be dismantled at the "soonest possible time".

Medel also said the relentless efforts by government security forces to defeat the NPA have also displaced its political units making them incapable of performing any party programs.

"With the relentless efforts of the government security forces to subdue insurgency, the CPP found its lower politico-military organs on the run, therefore incapable of implementing party programs, the lifeblood of its existence," he added.

While the AFP is encouraging all remaining NPA rebels and their allies to surrender and rejoin mainstream society peacefully, Medel said the military remains committed to sustaining the offensive against lawless violence.

"As the AFP calls for the remaining NPA members to return to the fold of the law, it also commits itself to sustain the offensive against lawless violence," he added.

With the insurgents no longer getting support, the AFP spokesperson said it is only a matter of time before the NPA is totally neutralized and defeated by government forces.

"With no mass bases to hide them, in no time the NPA will be destroyed by the combined strength of the government security forces. The CPP should accept that the battle is lost, that its programs need not be imposed with violence, and that it has the moral responsibility of saving its fighters from death and destruction," Medel said.

Medel, meanwhile, renewed his call to all Filipinos to help the military convey to the remaining rebels the government's message of unity and peace.

"Finally, we call on all the Filipino people to help us convey the message of unity and peace. Let the hatchet of hate be buried for our nation to move forward as one," he added.

Bury "the hatchet of hate?" Is he aware that the rebellion is not based on hate per se but on a desire to change the whole system? He says that nonsense after acknowledging that the because of the AFP's relentless operations the CPP has been unable to perform any of the party's programs. That is an interesting assertion which he sadly does not explain.

This week there was another display of the people showing their rejection of the NPA. Of course it was not spontaneous but was facilitated by the AFP.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188080

More residents of remote villages in Calatrava town, Negros Occidental province have rejected the presence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) while former militias surrendered their firearms during a peace rally held at the Barangay Marcelo covered court of the municipality on Monday.

The activity, which was facilitated by the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), was participated by about 400 individuals who displayed placards condemning the NPA atrocities, took their oath of allegiance to the government, and burned replica flags of the CPP-NPA.

In a statement on Tuesday, Lt. Col. J-jay Javines, commanding officer of 79IB, commended the resolve of the barangay officials and residents to withdraw support from the communist-terrorist group.

“Their willingness in condemning them shows the people’s clamor and earnest desire to live in a place where there is peace and development. With their continued support to our campaign against insurgency, we can surely put an end to local armed conflict,” he added.

Mariane Lumanog, executive assistant of Mayor Marilyn Era, administered the oath to those who expressed their allegiance to the Philippine government.

“We express our appreciation to the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for actively performing their role in preserving the peace and order of Calatrava,” the mayor said in her message delivered through Lumanog.

“Help the government in protecting your communities and cooperate with the authorities to be free from the influence of CPP-NPA,” she told the residents.

During the rally, former NPA Yunit Militia members surrendered five firearms to the authorities in exchange for a cash reward from the municipal government and sacks of rice from the PNP.

Turned over were a caliber .9mm Ingram pistol with 30 rounds of live ammunition and two magazines as well as two .38-caliber revolvers and two .357-caliber handguns.

How is that FORMER NPA members are only now Turing over thier guns for cash and rice? Did they not do that when they surrendered? That does not make any sense at all unless one keeps in mind this whole display, whether in earnest or not on the participants behalf, is psychological warfare targeted to make the CPP-NPA look weak and encourage the remaining fighters to surrender. But that clashes with the fact that the AFP is doing all they can to stymie recruitment efforts which appear to be going on as always. 

In September the AFP acknowledged that recruitment is happening in the Western Visayas, that is Negros Occidental, but said it is not alarming. 

https://www.dailyguardian.com.ph/army-npa-recruitment-in-schools-not-alarming/

As far as the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, the New People’s Army (NPA) recruitment is not rampant in schools in Western Visayas.

Major General Benedict Arevalo, 3rd ID commander, said that they don’t consider NPA’s clout in schools as alarming.

When asked how many schools are considered hotbeds of rebel recruitment, Arevalo said it’s just a handful.

But whether it’s alarming or not, Arevalo that they take it seriously.

“One student recruited is too much. One life is too much,” he said.

Almost two years ago, former Ilonggo activist and now National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) Jeffrey Celiz, or Ka Eric Almendras, tagged four schools as hotbeds of NPA recruitment.

But Arevalo did not confirm if these schools are still deemed as cradles of recruitment operations in Panay Island.

Negros is definitely where the AFP is concentrating a lot of its attention at the moment. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188041

Additional slots for the Special Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary (SCAA) for Negros Oriental are available for the proposed Tamlang Valley detachment in Santa Catalina town.

Lt. Col. Roderick R. Salayo, commanding officer of the Philippine Army's 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) based in Siaton, told the Philippine News Agency on Tuesday that the 50 slots for the new SCAA, now known as CAA 2, will be funded by the provincial government.

“It is commendable that the province of Negros Oriental has sustained its efforts and support over the years in providing funds for these paramilitary forces because they are important for peace and security purposes, and also to help protect critical infrastructure,” Salayo said in mixed English and Filipino.

Meanwhile the M I L F and AFP are fighting once again. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188140

Skirmishes between government troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (M I L F) members backed by lawless elements are ongoing sporadically in Basilan province's hinterlands, a top military official said Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, 101st Infantry Brigade commander, said troops from the Army's 64th Infantry Battalion stationed in the detachment in Barangay Ulitan, Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan, are on the defensive position as fighting continues.

“As of now, the troops are on the defensive position since the MILF are the ones attacking,” Gobway said in a text message.

The firefight broke out at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when a soldier stationed at a detachment in Barangay Ulitan was slightly bruised by sniper fire from an area occupied by MILF members and lawless elements.

Gobway said the M I L F members involved in the gunfight are led by a certain Commander Huram, whose group entered the village fully-armed, in violation of the conditions previously set by the Army unit based in the area to keep lawless elements at bay.

Huram’s group, which is now holed up in Barangay Ulitan, allowed the lawless group to stay with them, the Army official alleged.

Gobway said the lawless individuals have provided reinforcements for Huram’s group in the ongoing firefight.

Let's not kid ourselves that there was ever an honest ceasefire. The leader of the BARMM said as much:

 “We have not given up on our struggle.” 

“We are not surrendering. Decommissioning is not tantamount to surrendering,” said Ebrahim, who is also Chief Minister of the interim Bangsamoro government. 

“I would like to emphasize that the decommissioning doesn’t mean we have given up on what we used to fight for,” Ebrahim emphasized.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2019/09/martial-law-insurgent-free.html

Remember, the M I L F is still fighting for the whole of Mindanao as being their ancestral domain. That is and will always be the end goal. 

Senator Cayetano made an interesting admission in the Senate this week while descrying debating defense agencies' budgets.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1692021/alan-peter-cayetano-wary-about-open-discussion-of-defense-agencies-budgets

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano does not see the point in openly deliberating the budgets of defense agencies.

According to Cayetano, it will be easy for groups who want to overthrow the government if defense agencies funds would be available to the public.

“Why is it that we make it so easy for those who want to topple the government to show the budget of the DND (Department of National Defense), the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), the PNP (Philippine National Police)?” he asked during the Senate plenary session on Thursday.

He noted that Senate hearings and sessions are covered by the media and streamed on social media where people may “figure out strategically” what the departments have and do not have.

On the other hand, defense departments do not have an idea on the budget of the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, said Cayetano.

Contrary to Cayetano's statement the AFP has released a lot of information about the money the CPP collects. The AFP claims the CPP has billions and continues to rack in the money from overseas funding and local "taxes" or extortion fees. 

Thank goodness Sara Duterte is Vice President. Listen to this bring brained genius tell us all the key to ending war: good governance.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/11/vp-sara-says-good-governance-is-antidote-to-war/

Vice President Sara Duterte has pointed out in a speaking engagement before Mindanaoans that good governance is key to resolving conflicts.

She recognized the efforts on 1996 peace agreement between the Moro National Liberation Front and the government under the late President Fidel V. Ramos, and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government under the leadership of the late President Benigno Aquino in 2014, which made “Mindanao considerably quiet for quite a time now.”

She further said it is now “peace harvest season” in Mindanao, but will always demand for “collective” and “constant” attention.

“Harvest time — peace time — is a good time for us. It allows the government to address problems that, if not given appropriate attention, could be exploited by terror groups to foment anger and incite people to resist the government, resort to violence and join their cause,” Duterte said.

“Peace is a delicate, fragile beauty. It needs constant attention. In the case of Mindanao, it does not only need our continuous attention. It needs our constant, collective attention,” she added.

The Vice President also called on every Mindanaoan to always acknowledge the sacrifices of fellow Mindanaoans who fought against rebel groups to secure Mindanao and provide safety to the people.

“The seeds of peace that you have planted all these years, the seeds of peace watered by the blood of Filipino martyrs who fought against each other, the seeds of peace nurtured by your sacrifices and bravery and that undying fire I see in your eyes — they have grown and their flowers now in bloom,” she said.

“You have all the reasons to be proud of the tremendous job that you have done for Mindanao and your fellow Mindanaoans,” she added.

Believing that the “Mindanao Agenda is a Philippine Agenda,’ the Vice President said the Department of Education (DepEd), which she heads in a concurrent capacity, is eyeing to incorporate National Culture of Peace in the curriculum to further strengthen the advocacy of peace protection and sustainable development among schoolchildren.

"The sacrifices of fellow Mindanaoans who fought against rebel groups to secure Mindanao and provide safety to the people?" Does she mean people like her father who gave the NPA millions of pesos, told others to pay the NPA extortion taxes, and thanked them for his presidency? Or perhaps she means the Muslims who know what other militant Muslims are up to but decline to say anything because they think they will be spared? One thing is for sure, with a terrorist state in the midst of Mindanao, the BARMM, peace is remains a pipe dream.

Across the Philippines Electric Poles Blocking Roads Are Killing People

Electrical poles in the Philippines are not just an unsightly mess, they are also quite deadly.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188329

At least 8,736 electric poles are blocking widened roads in Eastern Visayas, posing danger to motorists, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office here.

The relocation of these poles requires P562.84 million in funds.

Of the proposed budget, only PHP48.93 million have been released from 2020 to 2021, said DPWH regional information officer, Cressida Paula Mangaporo, in a phone interview on Friday.

“We are still waiting for the release of funds requested for 2022. It’s not easy to get funds since there are other regions with pending requests to remove electric poles,” Mangaporo told the Philippine News Agency.

The official said the regional office expects more releases in 2023 since they have been making regular follow-ups to download the budget.

Of the 8,736 poles, 3,543 are in Samar province; 2,287 in Leyte; 1,656 in Northern Samar; 568 in this city; 518 in Southern Leyte; and 164 in Eastern Samar.

Leyte III Electric Cooperative (EC) general manager Allan Laniba, president of the National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives, said they have been requesting funds for the relocation of posts in the past four years.

“We submit(ted) all needed documents, and this has been discussed in budget hearings in the House of Representatives. We don’t have budget to relocate these poles. We installed these posts years before the road widening project,” Laniba said in a phone interview.

He pointed out that the posts should have been removed before the road widening since it is more costly to relocate poles after concreting.

“It is very illogical for engineers to concrete the road if there are still poles there,” Laniba added.

Mangaporo said the problem of unmoved posts will not be encountered in the new project since road widening projects that started in 2020 have already included funds for the relocation of affected electric poles.

Isn't that great? Road widening projects which began in 2020 will include the funds to relocate electric poles. Why were these funds not included in previous projects? Why is it that the president of the National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives clams they have been requesting these funds for four years and have been turned down every single time?

Will there be a Senate investigation? Don't count on it. Those clowns never want to investigate important problems that affect the entire nation. And yes, this is a nationwide concern. Note above that the regional DWPH director says the funds are hard to get because, "there are other regions with pending requests to remove electric poles." Even PNP officers have fallen victims to these poles. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188236

A police officer died on Wednesday night after his motorcycle hit an electric post that has not been moved since road-widening activities were done along a primary highway in Sta. Fe, Leyte.

Police Staff Sgt. Gary Cabujoc was heading to the regional police office in Palo town from his hometown in Barugo when the accident happened in Pilit village in Sta. Fe town at about 8 p.m.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said in its report, which was shared with journalists on Thursday, that Cabujoc hit the pole due to poor visibility and a lack of warning signs in the area.

Cabujoc fell to the creek and was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.

The PNP admitted that there have been many reports of road accidents due to the unmoved electric posts.

Leyte III Electric Cooperative (EC) general manager Allan Laniba, in an interview, called for the implementation of the Department of Energy – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) joint circular signed in 2017, prescribing the uniform guidelines and procedures for the relocation of EC distribution/sub-transmission lines, and the proper payment of the costs involved.

“There should be a just compensation for every pole to be removed. We discussed everything (with) DPWH and we’re still waiting for funds in the past four years. I don’t understand why the DPWH and contractors widened the road with the electric poles still there. This is a nationwide concern,” said Laniba, president of the National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives.

DPWH regional information officer Cressida Paula Mangaporo said they have been making regular follow-ups with their main office to finance the relocation of electric poles away from the widened road.

“We have been sending request and reiteration letters to our central office to download funds for poles relocation. For Leyte 1st District, which covers the town of Sta. Fe, our central office will download PHP39 million next year,” Mangaporo said in a phone interview.

In Leyte’s first congressional district alone, 535 electric poles should be removed from widened roads, according to the DPWH.

Allan Laniba, president of the National Association of General Managers of Electric Cooperatives,  claims he does not "understand why the DPWH and contractors widened the road with the electric poles still there." Maybe that's because he is the rare honest bureaucrat who cannot comprehend the corruption rampant in the DPWH?

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2021/3/31/pacc-names-most-problematic-agencies-corruption.html

The DPWH wins the distinction of being most corrupt agency every single year. Just Google "DPWH most corrupt" and see their many awards going back years. 

I have written about this issue of electric poles being in the middle of the road before back in 2019. I even took a video. 

Who is the genius engineer which planned and designed this road? What a waste of resources, work, man hours, money!  This section of newly widened road is absolutely useless. No vehicles can use it lest they crash into a electric pole. I am completely baffled as to the stupidity that went into designing, planning, and constructing this road right around these electric poles. Did they not take the poles into account? The DPWH should be held accountable for this major mess up.

The video speaks for itself and is below. Enjoy!

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2019/06/new-road-built-entirely-around-electric.html 

There is absolutely no way this problem which is a "nationwide concern" will be solved anytime soon. Keep in mind that these two articles are a snapshot of the larger problem. If there are 8,736 electric poles blocking the road in the Eastern Visayas alone just imagine the magnitude of the situation. And it's all because the DPWH is so corrupt that they can't perform their job correctly. How many more people will die before these poles are removed?

Retards in the Government 283

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

  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1689236/laguna-village-councilman-shot-dead

A barangay councilor in Santa Maria town in Laguna province was shot and killed on Thursday, Nov. 3.

The Region 4A police reported that John Vispo, a councilman in Barangay Cabuoan, was in a store at 8:20 p.m. when he had an altercation with one Reynald Ikling.

The heated argument prompted Ikling to shoot Vispo repeatedly with a handgun.

Police said the gunman fled after the shooting and left the village official dead on the spot.

The investigators did not specify the cause of the argument.

A further investigation was ongoing, while a manhunt was launched to arrest the assailant.

A village councilor  has been shot dead after an argument. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/04/husband-and-wife-ex-mayors-of-cagayan-townconvicted-in-p18-7-m-graft-malversation-cases/

Husband and wife who were former mayors of Amulung town in Cagayan have been convicted of graft and malversation by the Sandiganbayan for illegal disbursement of P18.7 million public funds from 2002 to 2009.

Former mayor Nicanor C. de Leon and his spouse, former mayor Pacita N. de Leon, were found guilty of one count each of graft and one count each of malversation.

Former municipal treasurer Luzviminda L. Macasio was convicted of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation.

They were sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment for each of their graft conviction. For malversation, Nicanor and Macasio were sentenced to 10 to 18 years, while Pacita and Macasio were sentenced to 10 to 13 years.

Nicanor and Macasio were each ordered to pay a fine of P16,340,959.04 for malversation, while Pacita and Macasio were each ordered to pay a fine of P2,332,182.61.

For civil liability, Nicanor and Macasio were ordered to refund to the Bureau of Treasury P16,340,959.04 plus interest, while Pacita and Macasio were ordered to pay back P2,332,182.61 also with interest.

Nicanor and Macasio were found to have released municipal funds through the issuance and encashment of Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) checks amounting to P16,340,959.04 from Oct. 2, 2002 to July 2, 2007. The second set of graft and malversation charges against Pacita and Macasio involved P2,332,182.61 from Aug. 30, 2007 to Jan. 2009.

In a decision promulgated last Nov. 3, the Sandiganbayan said the accused “were united not only in the perpetration of fraud, but also in its concealment.”

“She [Pacita] and her spouse have failed to present adequate evidence that can nullify any likelihood that she/he, together with accused Macasio and Remudaro, had put Amulung’s funds to personal use,” the anti-graft court said.

“Since they had failed to explain satisfactorily the shortage in Amulung’s accounts following Commission on Audit’s demand, the prima facie cases have not been effectively negated,” it said.

A husband and wife who were mayors of the came city have been convicted of malversation of funds over a period of seven years.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1689099/2-dswd-execs-sacked-after-cavite-mayor-complained-of-strict-requirements-for-aid

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo ordered the relief of two department regional directors in Cavite after Noveleta Mayor Dino Chua complained of alleged strict requirements being asked from families recently affected by calamity.

Tulfo also ordered an investigation on the complaint of Mayor Chua on the alleged demand for several requirements by the DSWD personnel before releasing aids to the constituents last Monday, October 31.

In connection to this, Tulfo has temporarily transferred Region 4A Director Barry Chua and Assistant Regional Director Mylah Gatchalian to the DSWD Central Office while the Office of the Secretary conducts an investigation into the complaint.

It was learned that Assistant Secretary Maritess Maristela of the Special Concerns Division will temporary take the place of Director Chua.

Mayor Chua in his complaint said, “Many requirements are being asked, people had been ravaged by the recent typhoon then they want people to suffer some more by demanding indigency certificate, residency certificate, ID, among others. The President has spoken already not to add burden to these people."

2 DSWD executives have been sacked after the Mayor of Noveleta complained about strict requirements for aid. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/06/leyte-village-chair-nabbed-in-drug-sting/

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency arrested a barangay chairman and his companion in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bonifacio, Mayorga, Leyte, on Saturday night, Nov. 5.

The suspect was identified as Junipher Lumpas, 46, the chairman of Barangay Poblacion Zone 2, Mayorga. His companion was identified as Bernard Silos, 22, a laborer, a resident of Barangay Bonifacio.

Lumpas is listed as a high-value individual on the regional level of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency for the quantity of illegal drugs he was able to sell.

Suspects were arrested after they sold a heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu worth P1,000 to a poseur-buyer.

They also yielded five grams of suspected shabu valued at P34,000 and the marked money.

Suspects are under the custody of the Mayorga municipal police station and face drug-related charges.

A barangay chairman who was also a high-value target has been arrested on drug charges. 

https://www-gmanetwork-com.translate.goog/news/balitambayan/balita/850477/pulis-at-isa-pang-lalaki-arestado-sa-caloocan-city-dahil-sa-iligal-na-armas/story/?_x_tr_sl=tl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Two men were arrested in Caloocan City after they were caught with illegal weapons. One of them is said to be a police officer assigned to the Quezon City Police District.

In a report by Jhomer Apresto on Super Radyo dzBB, it was said that the personnel of the Northern Police District arrested Police Staff Sergeant Gideon Geronga Jr. and Ulrik Waldemar in Barangay 176, Bagong Silang.

A concerned citizen approached the police mobile patrol and said that the suspects who were in Phase 7 in the said area were carrying guns, according to the Northern Police District.

When they went to the place, Geronga and Waldemar were seen handing out guns.

When the authorities approached, the suspects ran away but were caught immediately.

Here it was learned that the person who handed over the gun was Geronga assigned to QCPD Station 16.

At the moment, it is not clear why Geronga handed over a gun with three magazines and more than 20 rounds of ammunition.

The arrested suspects will be charged with violation of RA 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

A cop has been arrested on firearm charges.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1690058/village-councilor-shot-dead-in-cavite

A barangay kagawad (village councilor) in Tanza, Cavite was shot and killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen on Sunday.

In a report Monday, the Region 4A  police said Jimbo Villanueva, an incumbent councilor of Barangay Paradahan 2, was managing the flow of traffic in a funeral procession in the village at around 2:30 p.m.

The assailants, who were aboard a black motorcycle without a plate number, repeatedly shot the victim.

Investigators said the assassins sped off after the shooting.

Villanueva was taken to MV Santiago Hospital in Trece Martires City, but he died at 3:55 p.m. while undergoing treatment.

A village councilor has been assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons. 

https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/07/bucors-bantag-security-officer-zulueta-chargedas-principals-in-percy-lapid-middleman-killings/

Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Q. Bantag and BuCor’s Deputy Security Officer Ricardo S. Zulueta were charged as “principals by inducement” in the murder of Percy Lapid and inmate Cristito Villamor Palana, the alleged “middleman” in the slaying of the radio commentator last Oct. 3 in Las Pinas City.

The “middleman,” earlier identified as Jun Globa Villamor, died last Oct. 18 at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City barely a few hours after self-confessed Percy Lapid’s gunman, Joel S. Escorial, was presented to the media.

Escorial, in his confession, said he shot Percy Lapid three times which caused the radio commentator’s death.

The autopsy on Villamor’s remains showed that the manner of his death was “homicide” thru “asphyxiation” which was consistent with the testimonies gathered during the joint NBI-PNP probe.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, on instructions by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., ordered Bantag’s preventive suspension in connection with Villamor’s death.

In a statement during the press conference, the DOJ, DILG, NBI and PNP said:

“It was found through the investigation that both Director-General Gerald Bantag and DSO Ricardo Zulueta were behind the killing of both Percy Lapid and Jun Villamor.

“Director-General Bantag had a clear motive to effect the murders.

“For Percy Lapid, it was the continued exposé by the latter of the issues against the former on his show, ‘Lapid Fire.’"

Suspended Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Q. Bantag and BuCor’s Deputy Security Officer Ricardo S. Zulueta have been charged with murder. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188023

A village councilor of Barangay Alijis here was arrested together with her driver during a buy-bust that yielded PHP1.37 million in suspected shabu along Taculing Road on Tuesday.

Police identified the suspect as Abby Araneta, 28, a resident of ECC Villas Subdivision, and Freely Boy Aldas, 39, of Purok Cabugwason, Barangay Mansilingan, both tagged as high-value individuals by the Bacolod City Police Office.

Araneta, a single mother, is in her second term as a member of the Alijis Barangay Council and had also served as chairperson of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK).

“I have no comment. Since I became SK chairman in 2010 and became a kagawad for two terms for 11 years, Barangay Alijis knows me. Only the people of Alijis and those who know me can defend me,” Araneta said in the local dialect during an interview at the custodial facility of Police Station 7.

According to the police report, an undercover policeman purchased PHP5,000 worth of shabu from Araneta in a meet-up at around 3:15 a.m. during the operation initiated by the City Drug Enforcement Unit, which placed her under surveillance after receiving information about her alleged involvement in illegal drugs last month.

Operatives seized from the subject 12 sachets and two knot-tied transparent plastic bags containing the prohibited substance, weighing 201 grams with a standard drug price of PHP6,800 per gram.

They also recovered Araneta’s white Toyota Vios car, mobile phone, sling bag, and PHP700 cash.

Both suspects will be charged with violation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran, who personally knows Araneta, said the arrest of the barangay official should serve as a lesson not only to elected officials but also to other individuals involved in illegal drugs.

“It’s a lesson learned. You can’t escape the law. I pity her,” he added.

A village councilor has been busted with drugs.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/08/22/coa-orders-ex-caap-officials-to-return-p192-million-achievement-bonus

The Commission on Audit proper has ordered former Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines officials to return to government coffers a total of P192.188 million "achievement bonuses" given to officers and employees in 2014.

In the decision dated January 24, 2022 but was made public recently, the commission affirmed the notices of disallowance issued to various CAAP offices as it denied the petition of former officials led by retired Lt. Gen. William Hotchkiss III, Concordia Pagkaliwangan, Jocelyn Ching, Raul Eusebio, Rosario Nalungon and Fe Evangelista.

The former officials assailed the decision of the COA Corporate Government Sector Cluster Division holding them liable for the bonuses.

“The authorizing, approving and certifying officers remain solidarily liable for the total amount of disallowance which shall be reduced by the refunds made by the payees who are liable to return the amounts they actually received,” the COA proper said in the decision signed by then COA Chairperson Michael Aguinaldo and Commissioner Roland Pondoc.

The commission noted that the petition for review was filed beyond the reglementary period of 6 months to 180 days but it was set aside and the issue was resolved based on the merits of the case.

The COA stated that the granting of achievement bonuses was in violation of various laws and government regulations such as Republic Act No. 10149 or the Government-Owned and/or Controlled Corporation Governance Act of 2011, Executive Order No. 07 series of 2010, Administrative Order No. 103 series of 2001 and COA Circular No. 2013-003.

The decision also stressed that the achievement bonuses were not included in the 2014 CAAP Corporate Operating Budget and were thus deemed an irregular expenditure.

The COA has ordered the CAAP to return P192 million in bonuses which were deemed irregular. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188022

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr., on Tuesday ordered a manhunt against the suspects in the killing of a police officer in Cagayan province on Monday night.

“I trust that Police Regional Office (PRO) 2 (Cagayan Valley) thru Abulug Police Station is now seriously engaged in extensive investigation and follow-up operations to identify and immediately arrest the gunmen who killed Major Rafael Tangonan who was assigned in the Regional Finance Service Office 2. I am reiterating my directive to conduct a thorough manhunt to apprehend the suspect/s,” Azurin said in a statement.

Reports said the victim was driving his white Toyota Hilux with plate number ACA-228 when two men riding in a brown Toyota Innova suddenly pulled up beside him and shot Tangonan on Monday night at Barangay Libertad in Abulug town.

The unidentified suspects fled after the incident.

Azurin also expressed hope that the case will be immediately resolved through the help of technology, citing leads obtained from digital pieces of evidence from closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage that may have captured the movement of the suspects before, during, and after the shooting.

“While these police actions unfold, the PNP is extending all possible assistance to the family of Major Tangonan including administrative processes required for the immediate release of benefits and other financial claims. This case will not go unsolved, punishment is certain to those responsible for this heinous crime,” said Azurin.

A PNP officer has been assassinated by unknown men for unknown for reasons. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188221

Members of the Philippine National Police's (PNP) anti-scalawag unit arrested a police officer for grave coercion and cybercrime offenses in Bulacan early Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Warren de Leon, chief of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) said Pat. Julius Ramos, who is assigned at the Service Support Division of the PNP Intelligence Group at Camp Crame, was arrested in an entrapment at around 12:30 a.m.

The operation stemmed from the complaint of the suspect's former partner that he threatened to leak their intimate videos on social media if she refuses to meet up with him.

During the arrest, the suspect was caught at a traveler's inn in Barangay Tungkong Mangga, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan together with the complainant.

The suspect offered to delete the naked video of the complainant stored in his cellphone in exchange for sexual intercourse and coerced the complainant to submit to his will.

The suspect will be charged with administrative and criminal charges of grave coercion, the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 20212, and the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009.

A cop has been arrested for extorting his former partner over sex videos. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1188051

The Sandiganbayan has ruled to continue with the trial of a former Bataan provincial governor facing graft charges.

A resolution dated Nov. 3 written by Associate Justice Edgardo M. Caldona turned down a motion filed by Leonardo B. Roman, then Bataan provincial governor, who is accused of graft in the 2003 contract for the construction of a mini-theater at the Bataan State College in Abucay town which allegedly benefited a private contractor, VF Construction.

Roman had filed a "motion for leave to file a demurrer to evidence" last September which seeks the outright dismissal of a case based on the apparent insufficiency of the prosecution's evidence even without the defense giving its side.

"After a circumspect consideration of the arguments presented by the parties, the Court is of the considered view that the motion for leave to file demurrer to evidence (filed by Roman) is bereft of merit," the court said in ordering the case to proceed.

The construction contract had been ruled to be void and illegal as found by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its audit observation memorandum, which cited a lack of valid appropriation and noticed that there had been no stipulation on the period of performance or target completion date.

Despite the defects in the contract, Roman allegedly signed questionable documents particularly a certificate of acceptance, an accomplishment report, and a certificate of completion as well as checks made to the firm amounting to PHP3.31 million.

The COA also said the construction was only 50 percent completed contrary to the alleged completion of the project.

Graft charges against a former governor stemming from an illegal construction contract are going to proceed.