T-Shirt Factory Destroyed in Fire

 A fire at a T-shirt factory has killed 16 people and destroyed the business. 

https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/15-dead-as-fire-blazes-residential-area-in-tandang-sora-quezon-city

A fire broke out in a residential area being used as warehouse in Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City, on Thursday morning, leaving a total of 15 deaths, including a three-month-old child.

According to RH Val Gonzales, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that the fire blazed at around 5:00 a.m. early morning, and the fatalities were found beyond recognition, and there are still three who fortunately survived.

Moreover, the casualties were still being identified by the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Scene of Crime Operations (SOCO) division personnel.

Based on the incident report from the BFP, the fire started at around 5:30 a.m. and was raised to its first alarm at 5:44 a.m.

It was declared under control at 6:28 a.m. and was officially fired out by 8:04 a.m.

According to BFP NCR Director FCSupt. Nahum Tarroza, there are highly combustible materials inside the establishment, including paints and other materials.

Tarroza added that they also found many working violations, which included the lack of permits as well as a small area that large machines being used in the production of clothes could not fit in.

Furthermore, Brgy. Tandang Sora said that the T-shirt factory just had its permits renewed last month.

The volume of acceptances at the factory appeared to be high as it operated despite an incomplete working permit.

Meanwhile, the BFP is conducting a thorough investigation into the fatal incident that killed 15 people.

Whoops!  It turns out this "factory" and "warehouse" is actually just a regular old house in a RESIDENTIAL AREA. It also had no proper permits though it was in the process of RENEWING its permits. Who the heck granted this business a permit to operate as a t-shirt factory in a residential area?  They need to be held accountable. 

Let's read another report of this same incident. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/31/15-dead-as-fires-hits-building-in-qc

At least 15 workers died when they were trapped in a fire that gutted a two-storey residential-commercial building housing a t-shirt factory in Pleasant View Subdvision, Barangay Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Thursday morning, Aug. 31.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire status was raised to first alarm at around 5:30 a.m. and was declared under control at around 6:44 a.m.

The blaze was extinguished at around 8:04 a.m.

Authorities have yet to disclose the amount of damage to property caused by the blaze as well as the number of families/individuals affected.

The BFP and Quezon City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (QCDRRMO) personnel retrieved the bodies of the victim after responders were able to put out the fire.

In an interview, BFP Regional Director Chief Supt. Nahum B. Tarozza said that following their inspection, they found out that the commercial building only has one entrance and exit door and the t-shirt printing business operating inside it has no fire safety permit. 

He said that the 15 fatalities, who were personnel of the t-shirt printing business, were staying at the rooms at the back part of the building when the incident happened. Their names have not been disclosed. 

He added that the victims allegedly attempted to escape but failed. Their bodies were found outside their rooms. 

The BFP chief said that the fire allegedly originated from the old office of the business which was located on the first floor of the building according to the witness, while some of the materials used for the t-shirt printing are flammable such as paint and plastic. 

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

“The local government of Quezon City expresses its heartfelt condolences to the family and relatives of the victims of the fire in a building in Barangay Tandang Sora this morning,” the city governement said.

It said the City Social Services Development Department (SSDD) is now coordinating with the families of the deceased victims to provide them with assistance.

“Currently, the Department of Building Official (DBO) and Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD) are checking if the business using the establishment has enough permits and documents. Among the things to be investigated is if there is a violation of the National Building Code, Fire Code of the Philippines, zoning ordinance, business permit, occupancy permit and other laws and ordinances,” the local government said.

“We would like to assure the public, especially the families of the victims, that we will give priority to a thorough investigation to hold accountable the agencies or individuals who made the mistake that caused this incident, along with the implementation of additional measures and policies to prevent it from happening again in the future,” it added.

Now we get some more details. The building had only ONE ENTRANCE AND EXIT and NO FIRE SAFETY PERMITS! The "Department of Building Official (DBO) and Business Permit and Licensing Department (BPLD)" is checking to see if there were violations of "the National Building Code, Fire Code of the Philippines, zoning ordinance, business permit, occupancy permit and other laws and ordinances."

Obviously there were such violations. But on a positive note it appears there were no bars on the second floor windows. At least they have not indicated that is the case. It's another area that warrants investigation.

Finally, one more story about this situation.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/31/23/16-dead-in-tandang-sora-fire

Sixteen people, including a 3-year-old girl, were killed in a first-alarm fire that ravaged a house converted to a t-shirt manufacturing establishment in Tandang Sora, Quezon City on Thursday morning, authorities said.

Fire Chief Supt. Nahum Tarroza of the Bureau of Fire Protection-National Capital Region said on TeleRadyo Serbisyo the house on Kennedy Lane was undergoing expansion when the fire struck on the first floor of the house. He said chemicals used for t-shirt printing could have caused the fire to spread rapidly.

The owners of the house and their 3-year-old child were among the fatalities. Most of the fatalities were stay-in workers, the fire official said. 

Three survived the fire including Mariafe Parle, an all-around maid of the owner. She said that they were in deep sleep when the fire broke out and she escaped through a window.

She even tried to rescue the girl who was carried by her mother, but she had difficulty breathing. Parle sustained injuries on her hands and feet from jumping off the window.

Another survivor recalled that it was difficult for them to locate the front door, which is the only way out of the house.

Tarroza said they would launch an investigation into the fire after they learned that the house had no permits to operate. The house has yet to secure a fire safety inspection certification from the BFP.

Firefighters took too long to respond to the fire after they were given the wrong address, Tarroza said. Heavy floods in parts of Quezon City also impeded fire trucks from reaching the area quickly.

Since the maid jumped out of the window it is established that at least that particular window did not have bars. 

It is also noted that most of the fatalities lived at the job site. That is a real problem in the Philippines. No one should be living at their job. It is simply inconceivable that anyone is living in a factory. 

And for the coup de grace we learnt that the firefighters were given the wrong address which resulted in them arriving too late. 

What a horrorshow. Everything wrong with the Philippines is contained in the story. The reappropriation of residential areas as industrial/business areas. Workers forced to live in the factory. No regard for safety. 

No regard for safety is the key here. It seems as if everything in this nation is jury-rigged. I can say with confidence this is not the first such tragedy nor will it be the last. 

Insurgency: Communist insurgency to End During Bongbong Marcos’ Term

National Security Advisor Eduardo Año claims the insurgency is going to end during the term of Bongbong Marcos. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1824876/insurgency-to-end-during-bongbong-marcos-term-says-ano

"We will finish this local armed Communist conflict. And from there, we will support just the developments and we will be certain about the delivery of services."

"What we can see in the term of President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr., finally it will be ended."

National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año made these statements in a briefing in Malacañang, as he talked about the rebellion of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army.

Año admitted insurgency cannot be totally eliminated, but he believes the issue may be brought down to a negligible point.

“While we may not be able to attain this zero insurgents, but at least reduced to an irrelevant number that will not cause concern for peace and order,” he said.

“They will become isolated and just become bandits, because of lost ideology and non-support from the people,” he projected.

The national security adviser said once the rebellion has been wiped out, the military can already focus on security conflicts with other countries.

“Right now, we have so many geopolitical issues and challenges to face,” he observed.

“We need the Armed Forces to now focus their eyes on external threats,” he said.

Año thinks AFP should be concentrating on the defense of Philippine territories, amid China’s aggressive stance in West Philippine Sea.

He said one way to combat insurgency is for government to provide services that will raise the quality of life of people in rural areas.

Oh, look at that. He is so not confident in his proclamation that he has to admit "we may not be able to attain this zero insurgents" but they can reduce them to a negligible point where they become irrelevant. But I thought the NPA was already irrelevant? How many times has the AFP declared them to be irrelevant? Remember the AFP has declared a strategic victory over the NPA. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209058

The inability of “weakened” guerilla fronts to wage wars is a “strategic victory” for peace efforts, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Saturday.

During the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, NTF-ELCAC director Alexander Umpar noted that the government has dismantled 69 of 89 guerilla fronts since the creation of the task force in 2018.

Umpar said only one of the 20 remaining guerilla fronts is active while 19 others are already weakened.

“‘When we say strategic victory, this is the 19 weakened guerilla fronts and only one is left to be confronted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines),” he said.

“There are still concerns about the armed groups but they are no longer able to initiate an armed struggle or to [topple] down our government. So, ‘yun ‘yung (that’s the) strategic victory,” Umpar said.

"There are still concerned about armed groups?" What exactly are these concerns if "they are no longer able to initiate an armed struggle or to [topple] down our government?" Don't expect anything coherent from the AFP.

These types of proclamations are completely worthless and should not even be taken with a grain of salt but should be totally ignored. In this continuing series about the insurgency I have shown again and again that the AFP makes premature announcements about the demise of the NPA. Yet they keep coming. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208992

The country continued to make significant strides in attaining peace and order, with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leading the declaration of Palawan Island as “insurgency-free” on Friday.

“The process of finding peace for all communities in the Philippines is still ongoing,” he said in a media interview in Puerto Princesa City.

“But we can also celebrate because we have seen there is progress and the situation is good,” he added.

Marcos attributed the successful implementation of the peace initiatives and anti-insurgency efforts to the government’s “whole-of-nation” approach.

He also lauded the “collaborative and inclusive” efforts of the Regional and Provincial Task Forces to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), Provincial Peace and Order Council, partner agencies and Palawan residents to end insurgency on the island.

“The milestone that we celebrate today epitomizes the commitment that you have put to end the decades-long insurgency in the area through the provision of national reintegration programs for former rebels and promotion of the island’s peace and security,” Marcos said.

They have not made it clear if Palawan is actually insrugent free or if there as a negligible number of rebels left. Whatever the case this will be "good for tourism.

Election season is here complete with checkpoints and gun bans.  The Army is using voters to not vote for NPA backed candidates. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208645

Army officials on Monday urged the public to avoid electing candidates supporting communist groups during the upcoming Barangay and Sannguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

Lt. Col. Terence Ylanan, the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion (53IB) commander, said they reiterated the reminder after learning that a certain candidate in Dumingag town, Zamboanga del Sur, allegedly giving sanctuary to remnants of a New Peoples Army (NPA) unit operating in the area.

Ylanan said the area's last six NPA remnants were monitored in the hinterlands of neighboring Zamboanga del Norte, hiding from the authorities after the military managed to cripple the group's recruitment drive.

Villagers, he said, must help the military put an end to the NPA's extortion and harassment in the area, and not to allow their supporters to hold seats in the government.

"With such actions, the voter-parents could truly secure their children from being recruited to be among the rebels holding firearms," Ylanan said.

Said village is located in the boundaries of Zamboanga del Sur and Zamboanga del Norte, with little to no access to the town center, and was a haven for the rebels in the past years, Ylanan said.

The village's road was prioritized and provided funding by the local government to address the problem through the intensified campaign against the communist rebels in July 2020.

The 53IB also provided a medical and dental mission with the Dumingag local government.

If there are NPA backed candidates and the AFP knows who they are they should name names and alert the COMELEC. 

Viscom continues the fight against the NPA thought they do need a morale boost.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208676

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr.’s visit to the Visayas Command (Viscom) last weekend has inspired troops to carry on government’s efforts to clear more villages from the New People’s Army (NPA) infestation.

Viscom chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo said Brawner’s visit on Saturday raised the morale of the Army in intensifying internal security operations, as he lauded the soldiers for their efforts that resulted in the neutralization of 204 NPAs and recovery of 168 firearms.

Viscom’s incessant community support program (CSP) was also commended as it resulted in the clearing of 418 villages from NPA infestation and the cooptation and reorientation of 113 former NPA-affiliated mass organizations or sectoral front groups.

Arevalo said the whole-of-nation approach has a huge impact in the campaign against insurgency in the central Philippines.

“We could not have done this without the support of the local government units, our partner agencies in the local Task Force ELCAC (ending local communist armed conflict), other stakeholders, and most especially our people. It is their strong will that motivates your Team Viscom to strive for the attainment of a just and lasting peace in the Visayas region,” Arevalo said in a statement.

He vowed to sustain the gains in the fight against the NPAs, vowing “no letup in the operation to prevent the terrorist group from regaining their foothold in the region.”

The efforts to ensure long-lasting peace and development in the Visayas will be sustained through the cooperation of the various government agencies, he said.

With their motivation to end the local communist armed conflict in the Visayas region, Arevalo said they would not stop urging the few remaining members of the NPA to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law while the government has prepared programs for them to become useful members of the community.

The NTF-ELCAC continues to play a central role in the fight against the insurgency and now they have a surprising new partner: The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1824974/cbcp-to-be-represented-in-the-ntf-elcac

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has now representatives in the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), according to Executive Director Usec. Ernesto Torres on Thursday.

The NTF-Elcac had reorganized and expanded the taskforce, with hopes of having a more holistic approach to ending local insurgency.

Torres explained that there are two private representatives in the NTF-Elcac, one would be from the religious sector and one from the business sector.

“When we first approached the CBCP leadership, we were accepted warmly. We did not have a problem with them, in fact, they already accepted to cooperate with us because we were able to explain to them, about the program of the government,” Torres said in a mix of English and Filipino during a Palace briefing.

According to Torres, the representative from the CBCP will be Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista with Father Jerome Secillano as his alternate.

“We are a very religious country, so if I’m not mistaken, more than 80 percent of our population is Catholic or Christian, so the organization could be felt down to the barangays and even sitios. So they are organized as such, so with them on our side, it would be a lot easier for us to disseminate, to cascade the information, the good news of the government to those living in far flung areas,” he said.

What's strange about this is that religious figures connected with the Catholic Church have been attacked by the government as being supporters of the NPA. Catholic youth groups have called them out for this move. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1825311/against-catholic-teachings-youth-groups-surprised-with-cbcp-joining-ntf-elcac

At least two youth groups expressed surprise and concern about the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) decision to join the government’s anti-communist insurgency task force, saying that such a move contradicts Catholic teachings.

In a statement on Friday, the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP) questioned why the CBCP is looking to participate in the activities of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac), when the said body has “attacked” religious leaders and community organizers, as well as linked them to communist rebels.

“Given the news of CBCP’s said membership in the NTF-ELCAC, we warn against the devilish agenda of the NTF-ELCAC, especially with its habit of attacking religious leaders and community organizers who advocate for our democratic rights such as right to land and livable wage as way of manifesting our faith that does justice,” SCMP national chairperson Kej Andres said.

“We continue to condemn to high heavens the invasive tactics of NTF-ELCAC to militarize and infiltrate civilian authorities. The agency has also been a den of malicious lies that has spewed red-tagging of individuals from beauty queens to high-ranking church people. We hope that the Church would continue to be a safe space for the least, lost, and the last,” he added.

Andres said that SCMP will wait for the CBCP’s explanation, but they also wish that the body would realize that several key figures of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines have stood up against abusive governments while several of its members have allegedly died at the hands of state forces.

“As we wait for an official statement from the CBCP, we hope that they would reach a discernment that reflects the long-standing tradition of Roman Catholics that have stood up against tyranny, most famously, (Jaime) Cardinal Sin’s clarion call to inspire the EDSA uprising,” the SCMP leader said.

The CBCP was quick to give that clarification.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/01/23/cbcp-clarifies-engagement-with-ntf-elcac

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) clarified on Friday that only its commission would engage with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and not the entire body. 

In a statement, CBCP President and Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said the Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs's involvement with the NTF-ELCAC would address Church concerns on red-tagging of some cause-oriented groups. 

David also said that the commission intended to provide "moral-ethical approaches" in addressing insurgency in the country. 

"It’s not exactly CBCP as a conference but the Episcopal Commission of Public Affairs that is there as a private sector representative," David said. 

"As such, this Commission has access to the NTF-ELCAC ExeCom and more opportunity to express the Church’s specific concerns, since its mandate is to act as a liaison of the CBCP to the public and private sectors and to advance some of the social concerns and issues of the Church." 

David said that the CBCP as a whole would discuss the issue and evaluate whether it is necessary for the commission to join the NTF-ELCAC's executive committee. 

It appears reports of the CBCP joining the NTF-ELCAC have been overblown as it is only their commission on public affairs which will be engaging the the NTF-ELCAC.

Children Steal Internet Cables

Children running amuck. Hanging cables causing problems. It's the hallmarks of Philippinefails. A barangay in Manila claims they lost internet connectivity because children, "youths," were stealing cables from utility poles. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/880229/barangay-in-manila-loses-internet-due-to-youths-stealing-cables-from-utility-pole/story/

A number of residents of a barangay in Manila have been left without internet connectivity after some of the youth in the area stole cables from a utility pole, which then fell into the street.

According to Barangay 410 Kagawad Froilan Dela Cruz, a utility pole—servicing local telecommunications firms—fell due to some of the youth in the area stealing cables. Some of the cables have been left lying on the street.

Prior to the incident, the barangay apprehended some six of the youth in the area, four of whom were minors and were since released. They were said to have been cutting the cables and selling them.

(There were some youths stealing the cable and when they cut the cables, they dangled. These were then pulled down further by passing cars.

We are among those still without internet. I have a child working from home.)

GMA Integrated News is still trying to reach out to the concerned telecommunication firm.

For its part, the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) warned motorists to take caution in areas with hanging cables, even as it clarified that its poles are usually higher and thicker.

"We always tell the drivers of big vehicles, may they be a truck or any other huge vehicles plying the roads, to take caution," Meralco vice president and head of corporate communication Joe Zaldarriaga said.

So, these children pulled down cables causing them to dangle and passing cars pulled them down further? What kind of driver just mindlessly drives into low hanging electrical wires? 

The comment of Meralco vice president and head of corporate communication Joe Zaldarriaga is totally ridiculous. He admits they are constantly warning vehicles to be wary of low hanging wires. But there shouldn't be any low hanging wires!

Take note the "children" were selling these wires.  That means it's a whole ecosystem of theft. Who is stupid enough to believe these children were acting alone?

Retards in the Government 325

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

 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/25/15-year-old-shot-dead-by-police-in-rizal

The policeman and his cohort behind the fatal shooting of a 15-year-old boy in Southville 8B, Barangay San Isidro, Rodriguez, Rizal on Sunday, Aug. 20, have been arrested and charged, the Rizal Police Provincial Office (Rizal PPO) said.

The police identified the victim as John Francis Ompad and the suspects as PCpl. Arnulfo Sabillo, 37-years-old from the Rodriguez Municipal Police, and Jeffrey Baguio, 27-years-old.

According to the police report, the victim's brother, identified as John Ace Ompad, was flagged down while riding his motorcycle by Sabillo and Baguio at a checkpoint where they demanded to see his driver's license.

John Ace said he was scared and refused to present his license to the suspects as they were wearing civilian clothes and were allegedly reeking of alcohol. This prompted him to take off his helmet and throw it at the suspects.

Sabillo drew out his firearm and shot John Ace but the bullet instead hit John Francis in the abdomen when the boy emerged from their house.

The victim was first rushed to the Casimiro Ynares Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to East Avenue Memorial Medical Center in Quezon City where he died while undergoing medical treatment.

Meanwhile, police officers arrested Sabillo and Baguio and seized Sabillo's Taurus pistol loaded with live ammunition.

 

The pistol was turned over to the Rizal Provincial Forensic Unit for ballistic and gunpowder examination. Sabillo was also subjected to paraffin tests to determine the presence of gunpowder residue.

The two suspects were charged with homicide and attempted homicide while Sabillo will also be charged administratively. The Rizal PPO added that all personnel of ComPAC 5, the team of Sabillo, were administratively relieved from their duty for further investigation and possible lapses that might have occurred before and during the shooting incident.

A cop has been arrested for shooting a 15 year old boy. Seems he was drunk at the time.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/25/dep-ed-official-suspended-due-to-overpriced-laptops

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday, Aug. 25, confirmed that one of its high-ranking officials has been suspended following the order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman.

In an official statement, the DepEd announced that it has received an Order from the Office of the Ombudsman concerning the “alleged overpriced laptops” for public school teachers procured in 2021.

The Ombudsman ordered the preventive suspension of one of DepEd’s current officials, Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn M. Sevilla, for the "duration of the proceedings but not to exceed six months." 

Sevilla also served under the leadership of former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones.

DepEd stated that it will “adhere to due process” and comply with the issued Order.

A DepEd official has been suspended in connection with the overpriced laptops.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/27/mmda-personnel-nabbed-for-threatening-to-shoot-neighbors-in-qc

Quezon City Police District (QCPD) operatives arrested a Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) personnel after he allegedly threatened to shoot his neighbors with a gun in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City on Friday, Aug. 25.

Lt. Col. May Genio, QCPD Holy Spirit Station (PS 14), identified the suspect as Recto Barasi, 40, a MMDA constable.

The report showed that the suspect was irritated from the noise coming from outside his house, which was allegedly caused by his neighbors at around 9:45 p.m. on Friday.

Police said Barasi went outside his house, pointed a handgun towards his neighbors, and threatened to shoot them, saying “Gusto nyo pagbabarilin ko kayo diyan?! Ang iingay niyo ha (Do you want me to shoot you?! You’re all noisy).“

The PS 1 deployed personnel to the area after concerned citizens reported the incident.

Upon their arrival, operatives asked Barasi to present the pertinent documents for his firearm.

The suspect showed an expired License to Own and Possess a Firearm document, which led to his arrest.

Seized from the suspect were one Armscor calibre.45 pistol and one magazine with eight live ammunition.

He is facing charges for grave threats and violation of Repulic Act 10591 or the "Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act." 

An MMDA personnel has been arrested for threatening to shot his neighbors and for not having a properly licensed gun. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1822583/ombudsman-orders-dismissal-of-pampanga-town-mayor-3-others-for-anomalous-purchases

The Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the mayor of Mexico, Pampanga and three others on Wednesday for grave misconduct in purchasing the municipality’s construction materials.

A 17-page consolidated decision concluded that Mayor Teddy Tumang, municipal accountant Perlita Lagman, municipal engineer and former Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) vice chair Jesus S. Punzalan, and Administrative Officer V and former BAC member Luz C. Bondoc, were found guilty following the anomalous purchases of construction materials.

The mayor and three other local officials were also meted with forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancelation of eligibility, and barred from taking civil service examinations.

“The evidence presented is substantial to find respondents liable as all the above-mentioned elements of Grave Misconduct are evidently present when respondents knowingly and intentionally circumvented R.A No. 9184 to make it appear that the purchase of the base coarse and other materials were legal,” the decision said.

A separate consolidated resolution also recommended the filing of 41 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, by way of conspiracy, against Tumang, Punzalan, Bondoc, BAC chair Marlon Maniacup, BAC members Lucila Agento, Romeo Razon; as well as William Colis, the supplier of the construction materials.

The resolution also recommended the filing of 23 counts of violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 and seven counts of violation of Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code against Tumang, Maniacup, Agento, Punzalan, Bondoc, Razon, Lagman, and Colis.

The Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal off the mayor of Mexico, Pampanga and three others over anomalous construction purchases. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1823133/village-chief-shot-dead-in-albay-town-hours-after-filing-coc

A village chief in this town was gunned down by an unidentified assailant on Monday afternoon (Aug. 28), authorities said.

Based on an initial police investigation, victim Alex Repato of Barangay San Jose was killed in front of his house around 5 p.m.

Prior to the shooting incident, Repato had filed his certificate of candidacy around 11 a.m. as he was seeking re-election in the barangay polls in October.

Police were still investigating the killing, including the motive.

Libon Vice Mayor Mark Gregor Edward Sayson condemned the attack, describing it as a “senseless act [that] has no place in our society.”

A village chief was assassinated shortly after filing his COC.

https://tribune.net.ph/2023/08/28/road-rage-driver-a-dismissed-qc-cop/

The driver of the vehicle, who identified himself as Wilfredo “Willie” Gonzales, THE DAILY TRIBUNE found, is a 63-year old former Quezon City policeman assigned at the QCPD Station 9  in Anonas.

Gonzales was ordered dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman along with ten others including his station commander in 2000 for releasing two Chinese nationals in exchange for P650,000.

The two Chinese nationals, Jimmy Tan and Albert Koo were found to be carrying some 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride when they were arrested.

The driver of the red sedan who figured in a road rage incident with a bicycle rider in Quezon City is not the registered owner of the vehicle, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza II disclosed on Monday, 28 August.

Mendoza explained that there are two violations that appeared to have been committed in relation to the Republic Act 4136, or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code as a result of the incident between the driver of the KIA Rio and the bicycle rider on August 8—the first is Section 27 (Improper Person to Operate a Vehicle) and Section 48 (Reckless Driving).

A man involved in a road rage incident is a dismissed corrupt cop. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/880307/10-maritime-cops-in-custody-as-persons-of-interest-in-navotas-teen-s-beating/story/

Ten members of the Maritime Police in Navotas, including a police major, are now in restrictive custody of the Navotas Police over an attack on a teenager that left him bruised and wounded.

According to Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras" on Monday, the 10 are considered persons of interest in the incident where, according to the 15-year-old victim's mother, the boy was struck, kicked, and hit with a heavy blunt object by Maritime Group (MG) members last Friday, August 25.

The victim was brought to a nearby hospital, and then was accompanied by the Navotas Police to the Maritime Police to identify the perpetrators, but the victim said none was present during the visit.

Following the statement, the mother then said she would no longer be filing a case. GMA Integrated News has reached out to the family for comment on the matter, but they declined.

"It’s a fact now na merong nanakit sa kanya. 'Yun ang gusto nating malaman ngayon kung sino among the reported na mga tao ng MG ang may kagagawan nito," said Northern Police District chief Police Brigadier General Rizalito Gapas, who went to the maritime police station himself to learn more about the incident. 

(It's a fact now that somebody hurt him. That is what we want to know: who among the reported people of the MG did this.)

Northern NCR Maritime Police chief Police Major Randy Ludovice said that the 10 are now required to explain the incident. 

(They must explain within 24 hours...we only learned [of this] yesterday because nobody made a report to us.)

Investigation shows that the boy may have been stopped by the maritime police over the suspected theft of a cellphone. However, said Gapas, "Kahit pa siya ang kumuha o hindi, ang issue dito ay 'yung sinaktan 'yung bata."

(Whether he took it or not, the issue is the child was hurt.)

The 10 maritime police officers have given their statements to the Navotas Police's Women and Children's Desk.

"This investigation would include possible criminal or administrative charges pag na-establish natin [when we establish the case]," said Gapas.

The Navotas City Police also hope that the victim will come forward and speak with them.

(We spoke to the chairman. He assured us that they will comb the fish port area to find the victim.)

The city police said that there will be no cover-up and that they will seek justice for the victim even if he and his family do not want to come forward.

10 cops are being held in connection with the beating of a 15 year old boy.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208813

The chief of police of Mandaluyong City has been relieved from his post after testing positive for illegal drugs.

Col. Cesar Gerente yielded positive results during a random drug test with top officials of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), along with other commanders and chiefs of different offices and support units on Aug. 24.

Based on the copy of the dated Aug. 27 obtained by the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday, Col. Mary Grace Madayag replaced Gerente as the city's acting chief of police.

Gerente has been assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Section under the Regional Personnel and Records Management Division of NCRPO for further investigation on administrative charges.

Following the incident, the NCRPO ordered all 497 personnel of the Mandaluyong City Police Station to submit to a random drug test on Aug. 28, all of whom yielded negative results.

NCRPO director Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, meanwhile, said random drug testing seeks to weed out drug-using police officers within their ranks.

The police chief of Mandaluyong City has been relieved after testing positive for drugs. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208762

Unidentified gunmen shot dead an aspiring village chairperson while having lunch with companions shortly after he filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections office here Tuesday.

Haron Dimalanis, 40, of Barangay Malingao, was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Malingao is one of the 63 villages in North Cotabato that are now part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) under the so-called Special Geographic Area.

Lt. Col.Peter Pinalgan Jr., Midsayap town police chief, said the victim was having lunch in front of the municipal hall when suspected guns-for-hire opened fire at about 11:45 a.m.

The Comelec office is beside the town hall in Barangay Poblacion 3.

Injured was Dimalanis’s companion, identified as Habir Kambiong, 27.

The two gunmen, in bull caps and bonnets, fled onboard a motorbike.

Police investigators found eight empty shells for .45 caliber pistols at the scene.

A candidate for village chairman has been assassinated. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/8/30/coa-flags-dep-ed-over-p362-m-deposits-in-unauthorized-unnecessary-dormant-bank-accounts

The Commission on Audit (COA) said the Department of Education (DepEd) has more than P362.7 million in "unauthorized, unnecessary, and dormant bank accounts" that violate the General Appropriations Act of 2022.

In its audit report, COA said that DepEd has a total of P362,760,156.45 cash in banks under the accounts of its central office and nine regional offices and the funds have not been reverted to the national treasury.

"Results of audit, verification, and validation of cash accounts revealed that some bank accounts were maintained without specific authority or legal basis, contrary to the pertinent provisions of laws, rules, and regulations," it said.

"Furthermore, these bank accounts include collections/receipts from various sources still retained in the said unauthorized current accounts as standby funds and are kept available at their disposal," it added.

COA expressed apprehension that the funds in the bank accounts could be exposed to misuse or misappropriation, when instead these could be used to augment the financial requirements of unprogrammed activities and settlement of valid obligations.

It pointed out that one law violated is Section 10 of the General Provisions of the General Appropriations Act for 2022, which states that all departments, bureaus, offices, and instrumentalities of the government are mandated to close and revert all balances of special accounts, fiduciary or trust funds and revolving funds to the general fund.

It noted that there are three conditions on the reversion to the general fund, namely: when there is no legal basis for its creation, when its terms have expired, and when it is no longer necessary for the attainment of the purposes for which it was established.

COA recommended that DepEd should initiate the closure of "unauthorized, unnecessary, and dormant" bank accounts, discontinue the practice of transferring unutilized Notice of Cash Allocations (NCAs) from the Modified Disbursement System (MDS) account to their bank accounts, and remit the balance to the national treasury.

The COA says the DepEd has millions in unauthorized bank accounts.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1208816

Police and military authorities arrested here Tuesday night four armed men, one of them a candidate for village chair, for possession of unlicensed high-powered firearms.

The arrest of the group came hours after a village chair aspirant was murdered near the Commission on Elections office here at about noontime of the same day.

Lt. Col. Peter Pinalgan Jr., Midsayap police chief, said a police team was conducting a checkpoint operation in Barangay Bual when a white pick-up truck without license plates was flagged down for inspection at about 6:30 p.m.

“Our police officers were implementing gun ban via plain view principle when they noticed what appeared to be a pistol protruding in the waist of one passenger,” Pinalgan said in a radio interview Wednesday.

The four were asked to alight from the vehicle and further inspection resulted in the discovery of four .45-caliber pistols and two M16 rifles with ammunition from the suspects.

“They have no gun ban exemption from the Comelec. Their guns were unlicensed,” Pinalgan said. “They are still undergoing investigation while the firearms have been forwarded to the police crime lab for validation and cross-matching.”

Pinalgan said one of the arrested suspects was a candidate for village chair of Barangay Sambulawan, also in Midsayap. 

He withheld the identities of the suspects pending further investigation.

A candidate for village chair has been arrested for violating the gun ban.