Friday, June 14, 2024

Retards in the Government 369

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

 


https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/909238/porac-police-chief-relieved-following-pogo-hub-raid/story/

The police chief of Porac, Pampanga was relieved from his post amid the investigation into the alleged “scam farm” inside a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator  (POGO) hub that was raided this week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said the PNP will look as to how the Porac police force failed to detect the illegal operation of the POGO hub, according to a report of Super Radyo dzBB’s Glen Juego.

Aside from this, Fajardo said the PNP will also probe the town's municipal government on grounds that the POGO hub was allowed  to operate despite having no permit since 2023.

On Tuesday, authorities implemented a search warrant against the POGO hub based on a complaint of alleged human trafficking happening inside the 10-hectare establishment.

The POGO hub was reportedly involved in various criminal activities that include human trafficking, sex trafficking, torture, kidnapping, and scamming.

A total of 158 foreign nationals, mostly Chinese, were rescued during the operation.

Authorities said several more people inside the hub managed to escape after they supposedly received early warning of the impending raid.

The police chief of Porac has been relieved due to an investigation into a POGO hub.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/6/village-dad-shot-in-ormoc-city

A barangay kagawad or councilor was shot in Barangay San Pablo, Ormoc City, Leyte on Thursday, June 6.

The victim was identified as Ramie Matuguina, 49, married, kagawad of Barangay Salvacion in Ormoc.

Police said that Matuguina was driving a small blue hatchback and stopped in front of a store.

Two men who had been tailing him approached and fired at the unsuspecting victim.

Matuguina ran inside the store while the gunmen fled onboard a motorcycle toward Ormoc City proper.

He sustained bullet wounds and was brought to a hospital in Kananga, Leyte.

Police found six fired cartridges of a caliber .45 pistol, one discharged bullet, and a deformed slug in the crime scene.

The Ormoc City Police Station 1 launched dragnet operations in collaboration with neighboring police stations to track down the suspects.

A village councilor has been assassinated. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226429

A member of the Philippine National Police - Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) has been relieved of his post after testing positive for illegal drugs.

In a message to reporters on Friday, SAF Director, Brig. Gen. Mark Pespes, said the officer, with the rank of patrolman, was the only one out of 93 personnel who yielded a positive result in a random drug test last week.

The officer, he added, also tested positive in confirmatory tests conducted this week.

"Confirmed naman at di naman nag-contest 'yung subject. Relieved siya at inaantay dito for the formal investigation (It was confirmed and the subject did not contest the results. He was relieved and we are waiting for the formal investigation)," Pespes said.

The conduct of the random drug tests came after the SAF received intelligence information that one of its troops was using illegal drugs.

Pespes said the police officer was reassigned to the Administrative Holding and Accounting Section and would be subjected to pre-charge investigation and summary hearing proceedings.

If found guilty, the police officer could be dismissed from the service.

A member of the PNP-SAF has been relieved of his post after testing positive for illegal drugs.

A 57-year-old barangay councilor was gunned down in Barangay Dimayon, an isolated barangay in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte, on Thursday afternoon, June 6.

Police identified the victim as Otar Bada Alamada, male, married, councilor of Barangay Rebucon, Nunungan.

Investigation said Alamada went to Barangay Dimayon to visit his relatives when the suspect, Adam Mamorasa, legal age, a resident of Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, suddenly grabbed the M16 rifle that he was carrying for protection.

Mamarosa fired at Alamada and wounded B'ra Andam, 50, and Malik Guindo, 40, both farmers and residents of Barangay Dimayon.

Alamada sustained multiple bullet wounds and died on the spot.

Despite being wounded, Andam and Guindo managed to grab the firearm from Mamarosa and shot him.

Mamarosa sustained three bullet wounds and died on the spot. His body was taken by police to the Saint Michael's Funeral Homes in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte and had been claimed by his relatives.

Police said Dimayon is an isolated barangay, about 20 kilometers away from the Nunungan police station. The area has no mobile phone signal and can only be reached by foot, police added.

Fired cartridge cases for caliber 5.56mm and caliber 30mm were found in the crime scene.

Police are conducting a follow-up investigation.

A village councilor has been assassinated. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949595/cotabato-city-village-chief-survives-ambush-5-pals-hurt

A village official survived an ambush that happened along a busy street here on Friday evening, police said.

Colonel Querubin Manalang Jr,, Cotabato City police director, said in an interview that unidentified gunmen ambushed a Toyota Grandia of Edris Ayunan Pasawiran, village chief of Barangay Kalanganan 2, while he and companions were traveling along Mabini Street, Barangay Bagua 3 at about 8 p.m.

“Initially, there were five persons injured, two of them in critical condition,” Manalang told reporters on Friday night.

He added that per initial information, Pasawiran was unhurt.

Manalang said police investigators are yet to speak with the victims and their families to help determine the motive of the attack.

“When the police arrived at the crime scene, the victims already were out of the van,” Manalang said.

Police Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) recovered about 100 pieces of empty shells of a yet unknown weapon at the ambush site beside Pasawiran’s van which was riddled with bullets.

Manalang also said that minutes after the ambush, a mini-van was recovered in Barangay Rosary Heights 3 with a caliber .45 pistol, two bottles of gasoline, and a bloodstain at the driver’s seat.

Police are determining if the Mazda mini-van (plate numbrr NBC-1215) has something to do with the ambush against the village official.

Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao has condemned the ambush and directed the police to look deeper into the case.

A village chief has survived an assassination attempt.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/9/police-official-2-others-arrested-over-rentangay-carnapping-scheme

Three people, including a police official with a rank of lieutenant colonel, landed in jail for alleged carnapping involving a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) that was rented in Bamban, Tarlac.

The operation, according to a police report from the Highway Patrol Group (HPG), stemmed from the complaint of the owner of an MPV who sought police assistance after learning that her car was being sold on June 5.

The complainant said that it was the supposed buyer of her vehicle who contacted her through a messaging app to verify if she is indeed the registered owner of the vehicle that was being sold for P350,000. 

The complainant told the police that the vehicle was rented from her by a certain Michael Perez Bautista on June 2. The rent was for two days but was not returned on time. 

The complainant immediately sought police assistance and at around 7 p.m. on January 5, the operation was carried out in Baclaran, ParaƱaque City which resulted in the recovery of the vehicle and the arrest of three people.

Those arrested were later identified as Police Lt. Col. Gideon Ines, Jr.; 52; Michael Perez Bautista, 42; and Lyn Salazar Tuazon, 25.

The complainant said the car was accepted by Bautista during the rental process while Tuazon was the one who arranged the rental online. 

Police are conducting an investigation to verify the allegation that it was Ines who was giving orders on the selling of the rented car, following his presence and arrest during the operation.  

Police then warned motor vehicle owners to be alert against what they described as ‘rentangay” scheme wherein the rented vehicles are being sold without the knowledge of the owners.

Appropriate criminal charges are now being prepared against the arrested suspects while separate administrative charges will be slapped against Ines. 

A cop has been arrested for carnapping. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/10/ombudsman-suspends-for-6-months-marikina-city-building-official-6-engineering-personnel

The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has ordered the preventive suspension for six months of seven officials of the Marikina City Engineering Department due to the alleged solicitation of bribes in exchange for the fast tracking of building and occupancy permits.

Ordered suspended were City Engineer and Building Official Kennedy V. Sueno, Enforcement Section Chief Romeo G. Gutierrez, Jr., Building Inspector and Zoning Officer II Marlito E. Poquiz, Electrical Inspector and Electrician Foreman Alex V. Copreros, Engineer III Mark E. De Joya, Secretary and Administrative Aide III Abigail Joy C. Santiago a.k.a. Abby Salvador, and Electrician Foreman Manuel V. Santos.

"This Office finds sufficient grounds for the issuance of an Order for Preventive Suspension against respondents Sueno, Gutierrez, Poquiz, Corpreros, De Joya, Santiago,  and Santos considering that there is strong evidence showing their guilt," the OMB said in an order signed by Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires.

The order also stated: "The charges against them for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service may warrant their removal from the service; their continued stay in office may prejudice the investigation of the case filed against them; to preserve documents and evidence pertaining to this case which respondents have control and custody; and to avert the commission of further malfeasance and misfeasance in office by the respondents (those suspended)."

The complaint against the seven city officials were filed by spouses Brian and Agnes Torres who applied for a building permit at the Marikina City Engineering Office sometime in August 2021.

The couple alleged that they underwent "numerous obstacles" during the approval process, including the payment of P430,000 upon pressure exerted by the City Engineering staff. The spouses said the permit was not released.

They said that in September 2021 they were approached by a former employee of city's Rescue 161 to help in the processing of the permit with the assistance of De Joya and an individual named "Don." The couple then proceeded to construct a simple fence-like structure within their compound in mid November 2021, but they were issued a Violation Notice.

They also said the construction was suspended from Dec. 20, 2021 to Jan. 20, 2022, and they were allegedly given a run around until April 19, 2022 when they received a Notice of Revocation of their Building Permit.

After examining their complaint, the OMB agreed that there was "deep-seated corruption" within the city government of Marikina, as it has become the modus operandi of city officials to solicit monetary considerations in every step of the permit process.

"The pervasive nature of this corruption undermines the fairness and transparency of government procedures, ultimately eroding public trust in the integrity of governance," the OMB order stressed. 

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension for six months of seven officials of the Marikina City Engineering Department due to the alleged solicitation of bribes in exchange for the fast tracking of building and occupancy permits.

The municipal agriculture officer of Villaba, Leyte, who also served as a lay minister, was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in Viillaba on Sunday, June 9.

The victim, Marcing, 52, a resident of Barangay Poblacion, Leyte, Leyte, was attacked after conducting Masses in two barangays in Leyte, Leyte.

Police discovered the victim lying on the ground with multiple bullet wounds Barangay Cabungahan some 13 kilometers away from the Villaba town proper.

The victim who was driving a black car from Barangays Bagabao and Mataloto was shot using a .45 caliber pistol.

He died on the spot and the suspects fled on foot toward the interior of Barangay Cabungahan.

The gunmen allegedly took the victim's sling bag which contained cash, a cellphone, and sacramental bread.

Police are conducting follow-up investigation.

The municipal agriculture officer of Villaba, Leyte, was fatally shot by unidentified assailants in Viillaba on Sunday, June 9.

A patrolwoman was reportedly sexually harassed by a police major in Bulacan last June 7, according to the authorities.

In a report on Monday, Bulacan police identified the suspect as Major Gerardo Navarro.

Police said Navarro reportedly went inside the Women and Children Protection Desk office along Barangay Poblacion in Plaridel where the victim was taking a nap.

Awakened by the suspect’s hug, the victim tried to stop Navarro, who allegedly continued touching her body.

The cop reportedly left only after she cried for help.

Navarro will face complaints for violating Republic Act 7877 or the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law, police said.

A cop is facing charges for sexual harassing a female cop.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/10/9-cops-relieved-over-death-of-drug-suspect-in-batangas

The police chief and eight anti-narcotics operatives of this town have been relieved from their posts following the death of a drug suspect during an operation on May 28 in Barangay Lipahan here.

Police Lt. Col. Jesus Lintag was relieved and replaced by Police Lt. Col. Rommel Sorbido as officer-in-charge while the eight policemen were transferred to the Provincial Personnel Holding Center in Batangas City.

Police Regional Office 4-A chief Police Brig. Gen. Paul Kenneth Lucas has formed a special investigation team to determine if these policemen violated standard operating procedures and committed irregularities in the performance of duty. 

The victim, Bryan Laresma, alias Balot, was killed in a shootout with the police and two sachets of suspected shabu and a caliber. 38 revolver with bullets were recovered from him.

Laresma sensed that he was transacting with a police officer. He drew a gun and shot the lawman who returned fire and hit the suspect’s right thigh.

The suspect was taken to the San Juan District Hospital where he was declared dead.

Laresma’s relatives sought help of the National Bureau of Investigation for a re-autopsy and requested the Commission on Human Rights and House of Representatives to conduct parallel probes.

His sibling said Bryan had just alighted from his motorcycle when he was shot by the police.

Lintag said that the operation was legitimate and they are ready face to any investigation.

The police chief and eight anti-narcotics operatives of this town have been relieved from their posts following the death of a drug suspect during an operation on May 28 in Barangay Lipahan.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/2-lto-7-officers-face-grave-abuse-complaint

FIVE taxi drivers in Cebu have lodged a complaint against two officers of the Land Transportation Office in Central Visayas (LTO 7) for alleged grave abuse of authority, claiming they received “unreasonable, unfair, improper, and untimely” apprehension for having tinted taxi windows.

Taxi drivers Jessie Butlig, Wilfredo Soronio, Neil Lumapguid, Raul Barliso and Randy Campos, filed on May 27, 2024, a request for assistance before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on the alleged grave abuse of authority of LTO 7 officers Joel Catabas and Johnny Cella.

In their complaint-affidavit, the taxi drivers said Catabas and Cella apprehended them and imposed a P5,000 fine on each of them on separate occasions within a week, between April 24 and May 2, for alleged violations of LTO standards regarding window tints.

The drivers reportedly violated the standards set by the agency on operating with defective, improper, unauthorized accessories, devices, equipment and parts.

The drivers, however, maintained that the apprehension of their taxis due to tinted windows is “contrary to law or regulations.”

“Tinted windows on public utility vehicles, like taxis, neither constitute defective/ improper/ unauthorized accessories, devices, equipment, and parts nor change in color and other unauthorized modifications as they are not prohibited,” the drivers said in their six-page complaint-affidavit.

Attached in their complaint-affidavit are photocopies of the Temporary Operator’s Permit issued to them.

The drivers are represented by lawyer Aimele Rose Miano.

The drivers said that even if there is a restriction on installing tints, it should not be enforced strictly as tints are necessary for the safety and comfort of both drivers and passengers, especially in high temperatures. 

Miano said the drivers’ taxi units were originally untinted, but the tints were added due to passenger complaints about the heat.

The complainants noted that the high temperature caused discomfort, particularly for seniors and children. 

The extreme heat makes tinted windows essential for public utility vehicles. The drivers asserted that their taxis are not fully tinted, allowing law enforcers to peer inside. 

They also requested the Ombudsman to enjoin the LTO from continuing its apprehension of taxi drivers due to tinted windows.

Five taxi drivers in Cebu have lodged a complaint against two officers of  (LTO 7) for alleged grave abuse of authority, claiming they received “unreasonable, unfair, improper, and untimely” apprehension for having tinted taxi windows.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/11/ex-mindanao-state-u-chancellor-convicted-of-graft-malversation-of-school-funds

The Sandiganbayan has convicted former chancellor Taha Guro Sarip of the Mindanao State University Buug Campus (MSU-Buug) of graft and malversation of public funds for using P94,957.15 in school funds for the repairs of his personal vehicle in 2011 and 2012.

Sarip was sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to seven years for graft and from one year to three years for malversation. He was also barred perpetually from holding public office.

The anti-graft court did not impose any civil liability on Sarip since he had restituted the university of the amount he spent for his vehicle.

The court set aside Sarip's defense that he used the school's funds for the repairs since he was using his personal vehicle for his official travels.

"He (Sarip) did not present any travel order, or any evidence to show that his Toyota Innova vehicle was used on the dates of his official travels," the court said. 

Even assuming that the vehicle was indeed used for official travels, the court said that there was no evidence on record that would prove that the vehicle had to be repaired because it was damaged in the course of its use during official travels, it also said.

On Sarip's claim of good faith, the court said: "Contrary to accused Sarip's claim of good faith, the evidence on record would show that he was aware of the illegality of the disbursements."

"The Court finds that accused Sarip acted with evident bad faith when he knowingly approved the disbursements for the repairs and maintenance of his personal vehicle. Accused Sarip took advantage of his official position to gain in dishonest ways." the court ruled.

The Sandiganbayan has convicted former chancellor Taha Guro Sarip of the Mindanao State University Buug Campus of graft and malversation of public funds for using P94,957.15 in school funds for the repairs of his personal vehicle in 2011 and 2012.

A former soldier was killed, while another was wounded in a shooting incident Monday in Tinambac town in Camarines Sur province.

Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon, Bicol police chief, on Tuesday, June 11, identified the slain victim as Rey Alain Brugada, a former member of the Philippine Army and former village chief in Mananao. Wounded was Mary Jane Mayhay, head of the Tinambac Public Safety Office.

Unidentified suspects repeatedly hit the vehicle driven by Mayhay in Barangay Bagacay at 5:15 p.m.

Brugada died on the spot after suffering gunshot wounds in different parts of his body. Mayhay was brought to a hospital for treatment.

Dizon said they were still investigating the background of the victims and the motive behind the incident.

A former soldier was killed, while another was wounded in a shooting incident Monday in Tinambac town in Camarines Sur province.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1950369/lawyers-groups-slam-killing-of-prosecutor-in-davao-del-sur

Lawyers groups in this city are outraged over the killing of Davao Occidental Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Eleanor  “Ning” P. Dela PeƱa past 5 p.m. on Monday, June 10, on her way home.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Florante S. Retes, chief of the Digos city police,  said  Dela PeƱa, 54, was aboard a white Ford Raptor pickup and was on her way home to Chapter 8, Tienda, Barangay Aplaya in Digos City when attacked by an assassin.

Responding personnel from the Digos City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) found her dead at the ambush site.

Four hours after the killing, at 9:40 p.m., police arrested a man identified as Dela PeƱa’s half-brother at the national highway of Talas village in Sulop town of Davao del Sur.

According to the police, the suspect Arnel Galot Dela PeƱa, 56, a former policeman and half-brother of the victim, was identified through the statements of the victim’s son Kenneth De Leon, the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage near the crime scene and descriptions by witnesses.

Davao Occidental Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Eleanor  “Ning” P. Dela PeƱa was assassinated by her half-brother who is also a former policeman. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1950559/2-caloocan-cops-nabbed-for-alleged-robbery-extortion-of-a-drug-suspect

Two Caloocan City police officers and an individual were arrested in Quezon City on Monday afternoon for reportedly robbing and extorting money from a person allegedly involved in illegal drugs.

In a report on Tuesday, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said the two officers, Staff Sergeant Russel Ortega and Corporal Joel Taboga, and a civilian named Robin Caidic were collared during a police operation in front of Balon Bato Barangay Hall around 4:40 p.m.

Based on the investigation, victim Gerald Andrade claimed that he was on a motorcycle when the suspects, along with other police officers, blocked his path and reportedly took his wallet containing about P16,000.

Andrade, however, managed to escape from the police officers.

He was chased until the barangay hall, where the suspects were apprehended by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDU) operatives.

Prior to this situation, another officer backtracking CCTV footage for a homicide case saw the suspects running after the complainant.

This discovery prompted the CIDU operatives to quickly respond and go to the area.

When asked for documents indicating the legality of the suspects’ operation, QCPD said the suspects “failed to present any.”

The three arrested individuals and the complainant were brought to CIDU, along with the confiscated motorcycle and the P16,000 worth of cash.

Authorities are tracking down four other police officers for possible involvement.

They are Corporal Judy Rizare, Corporal Andy Moja, Corporal Mark Anthony Vinagrera and Corporal Alvin Cruz — who remain at large.

Two cops have been arrested for extortion while four other cops remain at large. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1950556/pampanga-village-chief-driver-killed-in-ambush

The village chief of Barangay San Pedro Cutud was killed in an ambush at past 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11.

The police scene of the crime operatives found no sign of life in Matt Ryan de la Cruz, 37, and his driver who sustained around 10 gunshot wounds, as they slumped on the front seats.

A live telecast of local television network CLTV36 showed the village official’s red car parked beside a gas pump station some 200 meters from the city’s new public market.

De la Cruz’s driver reportedly got down from the car and came back as it was being reloaded with gas when the gunman, reportedly using a long firearm, began firing, a witness reported.

The village chief of Barangay San Pedro Cutud has been assassinated.

An adversary shot dead on Saturday afternoon a Sama employee of the Pagadian City Tourism Office, also a barangay leader known for his extensive role in settling disputes among constituents in their seaside village.

In a report released on Sunday, the Pagadian City Police Office stated that the victim, Caloy Tanta Andal, 44, was on his way home from work when he was shot four times by a neighbor, identified only as Sahibil, while walking through a footbridge connecting houses in a Sama beachfront enclave in Purok Kabingaan in Barangay San Pedro.

Sahibil, also an ethnic Sama, and his three companions, overheard speaking to each other in their vernacular, escaped using a pumpboat hidden beside stilt houses a few meters away.

Barangay officials in San Pedro, home to mixed Sama, Tausug and Visayan communities, told reporters the slain Andal, a purok leader, and Sahibil had a heated altercation during a barangay conflict settlement meeting last month.

Andal, an employee of the Pagadian City Tourism Office, popular for his being active in resolving disputes among constituents in Barangay San Pedro, had reportedly reprimanded Sahibil for being unruly during their dialogue then.

Pagadian City Mayor Sammy Co on Saturday urged the officials of the Pagadian CPO and barangay leaders to cooperate in locating Sahibil and his three companions, all at large.

A city employee of the tourism office who is also a barangay leader has been assassinated. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/12/village-chair-sk-kagawad-hurt-in-ormoc-shooting

The barangay chairman and a Sangguniang Kabataan kagawad (councilor) of Barangay Alta Vista, Ormoc City, were wounded in a shooting incident in the area on Wednesday, June 12.

Police identified the victims as Barangay Chairman Dennis Laurente and Hanna Toralba, 21, SK kagawad.

Investigation said gunmen onboard a motorcycle overtook and fired at Laurente’s vehicle.

Laurente and Toralba sustained multiple bullet wounds.

Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez and Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez have offered a P200,000 reward for information leading to the gunmen.

The incident was caught on surveillance footage. 

Police are conducting follow-up investigation.

The barangay chairman and a Sangguniang Kabataan kagawad (councilor) of Barangay Alta Vista, Ormoc City, were wounded in an attempted assassination.

MalacaƱang suspended Gov. Edwin Jubahib of Davao del Norte for 30 more days after serving a two-month suspension.

Jubahib was slated to resume his office duties on Monday, June 10, after the 60-day preventive suspension imposed by MalacaƱang concluded.

However, another suspension directive thwarted his return, said Jubahib in a video message he posted on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, June 11.

“I regret to inform you (Davao del Norte residents) that I cannot return to my office as governor following another suspension order,” Jubahib said in a local dialect.

The Office of the President issued the 30-day suspension on Friday, June 7, for allegedly supporting a protest rally against the Northern Davao Electric Cooperative (Nordeco). 

Jubahib strongly disapproved of Nordeco due to its alleged low-quality service and power disruptions that hindered provincial growth.

He cited the Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos) as among the areas that endured the cooperative’s deficient operations, leading to demands for a more dependable electricity provider. 

Nordeco had earlier vowed to resolve the issue of power interruptions in Igacos and other concerned areas that have been the subject of complaints from the government and the people.

Jubahib said he will take the suspension as a challenge. He added that he stood up and fought for the people of the province who struggled due to the inconvenience Nordeco caused.

“If this is the price I have to pay for public service, then so be it,” the governor said while hoping for a positive outcome in the struggle for the welfare of the residents of Davao del Norte.

Jubahib was suspended on April 11 due to allegations of grave abuse of authority and oppression before the new preventive suspension order was issued.

MalacaƱang suspended Gov. Edwin Jubahib of Davao del Norte for 30 more days after serving a two-month suspension.

The Supreme Court has ordered a municipal trial court judge in Calamba City, Laguna, dismissed and disbarred for falsifying public documents in order to continue receiving the salaries of her contractual driver who had already resigned.

In a 42-page per curiam decision, the high court en banc found Vice Executive Judge and presiding Judge Sharon Alamada-Magayanes guilty of falsification of official documents, serious dishonesty and gross misconduct.

She was also cited for the commission of crimes involving moral turpitude and violations of the New Code of Judicial Conduct.

Her corespondents, court clerk Rachel Worwor-Miguel and court stenographer Beverly de Jesus, were likewise found guilty of falsification and serious dishonesty for falsifying the payroll registers by signing the document.

Wowor-Miguel was fined P140,000 for falsifying the payroll registers for seven periods while De Jesus was penalized P20,000 for falsifying the payroll register for one period.

According to the court, Alamada confessed that she signed the payroll registers of the Calamba City government for her contractual driver and certified that he rendered service for the period stated in the document although he had already resigned.

The high tribunal also noted that the ATM card of the driver was with the judge and that from September 2020 until July 2021, his salaries were still being credited to the ATM card and “consistently withdrawn upon the instructions of Judge Alamada.”

In dismissing the judge from service, the court ruled that her acts showed her moral depravity and she “fell short of the standards of a magistrate of the law.”

“Judges are repeatedly reminded to be irreproachable in conduct and to be free from any appearance of impropriety,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The high tribunal further ruled that Alamada’s false certifications and misappropriation of her staff’s salaries also constituted gross misconduct and serious dishonesty—both considered serious offenses under Canon VI, Section 33 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability.

“Judge Alamada’s acts did not only affect the image of the judiciary, but also put her moral character in serious doubt and rendered her unfit to continue in the practice of law,” it said.

The court added that it further considered the multiple offenses committed by the judicial officer, in addition to her “lack of remorse” and the severity of her offenses in imposing the penalty of disbarment.

The Supreme Court has ordered a municipal trial court judge in Calamba City, Laguna, dismissed and disbarred for falsifying public documents in order to continue receiving the salaries of her contractual driver who had already resigned.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/13/ex-occidental-mindoro-town-mayor-convicted-for-failure-to-remit-gsis-premiums-contributions

The Sandiganbayan has convicted former mayor Voltaire Anthony C. Villarosa of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro of violation of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Act of 1997 and ordered his perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Villarosa was also sentenced to two to four years imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of P10,000 for violation of Section 6(b) in relation to Section 52(g) of Republic Act No. 8291, the GSIS law.

However, he was acquitted of graft charge and alleged violation of Section 81 in relation to Section 272(b) of R.A. No. 8424, the Tax Reform Act of 1997.

Villarosa was charged for the failure of the municipality to turn over the remittance of the GSIS premiums and contributions of its officials and employees covering the period from Sept. 20, 2015 to May 20, 2016 amounting to P4,808,283.63.

In its decision, the anti-graft court said that Villarosa, as local chief executive of Mamburao, is "duty bound" to enforce the provisions of RA 8291. However, he failed to remit the GSIS contributions within 30 days from which they became due and demandable, the court said.

While Villarosa argued that he passed the responsibility of signing checks for the payment of the GSIS contributions, the court said that he failed to adduce evidence proving such delegation of responsibility.

"Villarosa cannot absolve himself from liability by merely passing the buck to the municipal administrators," the decision stated. "Even granting that there was indeed a delegation, Villarosa should have followed up on the status of the items he has delegated," it said.

The Sandiganbayan has convicted former mayor Voltaire Anthony C. Villarosa of Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro of violation of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Act of 1997 and ordered his perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Coronavirus Lockdown: Duterte Can't Recall, National Bible Quiz Returns, and More!

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

During a House hearing it was revealed that Duterte authorized the transfer of P47.6 billion from the DOH to the PS-DSM to buy face masks and other health supplies. But Duterte says he does not recall authorizing the transfer. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/06/2360716/duterte-cant-recall-covid-19-fund-transfer-ps-dbm

Former president Rodrigo Duterte does not remember authorizing the transfer of P47.6 billion to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) for the purchase of COVID-19 protective equipment, as claimed by former health secretary Francisco Duque III.

Duterte, however, conceded: “Maybe what I said is, ‘go ahead.’ ”

“I could not recall, for the life of me. Maybe what you are saying is true,” Duterte said during an interview with social media personalities in Davao City Tuesday night.

But he stressed: “Considering the huge amount of (fund) transfer, I would have insisted as a lawyer to put it in a memo or something.”

Duque on Monday told the House committee on appropriations that Duterte authorized the transfer because of the public health emergency.

While Duterte insists that he “cannot recall accurately” what he said, he conceded that he might have given the transfer a go-signal.

Duterte explained that since it was a pandemic, the government was hard-pressed to find a solution on how to protect the health workers.

“I ordered everybody to do everything they can do,” he said.

Salvador Panelo, who served as Duterte’s chief presidential legal counsel, said that Duterte’s directive was “regular” and was meant to protect the public from COVID-19.

Following calls to include Duterte in the probe on the government’s pandemic supply deals, Panelo said the purpose of the transfer was to do away with the bidding for the purchase of medical equipment like face masks, face shields and personal protective equipment that were urgently needed to respond to the pandemic.

He added that a regular bidding process would have delayed the immediate response required by the emergency situation and would have a “disastrous effect” on the nation.

“It is to the credit of the political will of PRRD (president Rodrigo Roa Duterte) and his decisive action, the enactment by Congress of Bayanihan To Heal As One Act I and II and the people’s disciplined response that saved the lives of millions of Filipinos,” he added.

At a hearing by the House appropriations committee last Monday, Duque said Duterte had ordered the transfer of P47.6 billion in COVID-19 funds from the DOH to the budget department’s Procurement Service, a move flagged by state auditors.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the former president should be included in the investigation into the pandemic supply contracts, since it can be proven that he was introduced to Pharmally officials by Michael Yang, his special adviser in 2017.

Duterte should, at the very least, explain the policy considerations that resulted in his directive to Duque, Hontiveros added.

In a recent statement, Duque said Duterte had been consistent and open in directing his administration to act swiftly and decisively and to do all that it could to fight the pandemic from the very beginning of the public health emergency.

“What has been lost in the political noise is the fact that these CSEs (common-use supplies and equipment) were procured sometime in April 2020, during the very beginning of the pandemic when the only way we knew to protect ourselves, most especially our health workers, from the COVID-19 virus was through face masks, face shields and PPEs,” Duque said.

“Their procurement was not only necessary, but was of extreme urgency. Moreover, having been declared CSEs, procurement of these items through the PS-DBM is mandatory under the law, and not discretionary upon the DOH. It was accordingly on the basis of the foregoing premises that president Duterte gave his approval to course the procurement of the said items through the PS-DBM,” he said.

How convenient. There is probably much about his presidency Duterte does not wish to recall.

Despite the low risk of COVID-19 as well as the prevalence of vaccines to prevent infection senior citizens are being urged to take caution against new variants.


https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/06/2360670/senior-citizens-urged-take-precautions-vs-covid-19

With the detection of new COVID-19 variants in the Philippines, senior citizens and the immunocompromised are advised to continue wearing face masks and get vaccinated.

There is no reason to panic despite the entry of new variants as they have been classified as low public health risk by the World Health Organization, infectious disease specialist Rontgene Solante said in a radio interview yesterday.

“The vulnerable population, or those aged 60 and above, those with comorbidities, immunocompromised and children must take precaution,” he said.

Filipinos inoculated with bivalent vaccines have better protection against severe symptoms, he added.

Hospitalization rate remains low, he noted.

The new COVID “FLiRT” variants, or KP.2 and KP.3, are low public health risk and less likely to cause severe infection, Solante said.

The public should not be complacent as COVID continues to mutate, he maintained.

Don't panic but take caution. 

Animanl bite cases in Bacolod have increased because people bought pets during the pandemic. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949059/animal-bite-cases-in-bacolod-increase-by-about-50

Animal bite patients seeking treatment here have increased by about 50 percent.

Based on the data of the Bacolod City Health Office (BCHO), the number of animal bite patients increased from 9,000 in 2022 to 14,000 in 2023.

Dr. Carlo Ortega, head of the BCHO rabies program, attributed the increase in animal bites to more persons acquiring pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the majority of the reported animal bite cases involved pet owners unlike in the past when they were mostly caused by stray dogs.

Do animals suddenly get aggressive after 2 years? This is a huge increase and brings up more questions.  

A Bilibid inmate went missing for a few hours. He was later found in the COVID-19 quarters. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1949027/missing-bilibid-inmate-found-in-covid-19-quarters

A person deprived of liberty (PDL) who was reported missing Wednesday has been found in the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) COVID-19 quarters.

Jonathan Villamor, who was supposed to be restricted at NBP’s Dorm A Medium Security Camp was discovered missing around 4 p.m. on June 5, following a final physical headcount.

NBP Acting Superintendent Corrections Head Inspector Roger Boncales reported to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. that the Medium Security Camp Office was promptly directed to trace the whereabouts of Villamor, who was eventually found inside Site Harry on Thursday.

Site Harry is the area within NBP where PDLs with COVID-19 are quarantined for treatment.

Due to this incident, Catapang ordered all jail facility officers to conduct physical inspections every five minutes, especially of PDLs tasked to do agricultural work.

“In that case, we will be able to track them down immediately to know their whereabouts should they not be on their designated work assignments,” Catapang said.

Is COVID that prevalent at Bilibid that patients need their own quarters?

The St. Paul National Bible Quiz is back after being cancelled by the pandemic.

https://interaksyon.philstar.com/trends-spotlights/2024/06/10/276829/st-paul-national-bible-quiz-returns-this-year/

The St. Paul National Bible Quiz is officially back.

Now on its 11th edition, the Bible trivia competition will be returning this September 2024 with the theme, “The Word: Inspiring Minds, Igniting Hearts.”

Organized by the Society of St. Paul, the yearly event was put on hold since 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A school may enter one or two teams, each with two members. The participating students are from Grades 7 to 9 (SY 2023-2024); these students will be in Grades 8 to 10 in the incoming SY 2024-2025.

The elimination round on Aug. 22 will be conducted simultaneously online and onsite using the online program developed by Asia Pacific College.

The participants will take the quiz in their respective schools. It will consist of multiple-choice questions, which must be answered within a given and limited time.

The regional finals on Aug. 23 will be at the same venue as the elimination round for the qualifying teams. The questions will be multiple-choice and true-or-false, to be answered within a limited time.

The national championship, featuring the regional champions, will be held on Sept. 14 at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City during the Manila International Book Fair.

Likewise another town festival is returning after the end of the pandemic. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226633

After three years of cancellation due to the Covid-19 pandemic and eruption of Mayon Volcano, the Legazpi City government is now in the thick of preparations for the 33rd Ibalong Festival celebration.

City Tourism officer Agapita Pacres, in an interview on Monday, said they already held a series of meetings with the chairmen of different committees to make sure that the festival events would be successful.

She said they invited different schools and pre-identified partner agencies to join the festival and hold events that would promote Legazpi City and the rest of Albay province and the Bicol region.

Pacres said the nine-day celebration will be held Aug. 9-17, adding that the opening parade would be participated in by schools, private groups, and government agencies.

It will start in front of the City Hall building and end at the Sawangan Park which is sandwiched between Mayon Volcano and the Albay Gulf.

“We are expecting over 20,000 people to attend in the Festival’s opening ceremony featuring the performances of invited bands at the Sawangan Park. There will also be a nightly beer plaza and other entertainments until the last day of the festival,” Pacres said.

She said the events would include the “Mutya ng Ibalong”, a street dance competition, sporting events, and a “bike challenge that would be participated by some local and international athletes.”.

Pacres added Ballet Philippines will perform the epic Ibalong dance as part of the festival events.

The Ibalong Festival is a non-religious event in Legazpi City that showcases the epic story of the Kingdom of Ibalong with three legendary heroes –Baltog, Handyong, Bantong-- and other ancient heroes.

How many more town festivals have yet to return now the pandemic is over?

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

The God Culture: 100 Lies About the Philippines: Lie #18 Filipinos Rejected the Santo NiƱo

Welcome back to 100 lies the God Culture teaches about the Philippines. Today's lie concerns the Santo NiƱo which Magellan gifted to the natives of Cebu. Timothy Jay Schwab says after Magellan was killed they rejected that statue. As we shall see this is another of Tim's many lies. 



This is another lie that is easily disproved if one reads the sources rather than cherrypick them for quotes. Magellan gave the King of Cebu the Santo NiƱo. Tim says when Magellan was killed Lapulapu took the statue as a trophy of war to Mactan and it was never worshipped.


SATAN'S TRICK EXPOSED. Sto. Nino Is NOT Jesus. Prophetic Warning 5

4:04 Now, what happened to this Santo Nino child after that? Well, they record it. Cebu didn't even keep it. It turns out according to the letter from the royal officials, that's people like Legaspi and all of the the different captains and generals and whatever titles of the Philippines, so, the Spanish royal officials that is, riding from Cebu in 1565, this is their actual letter translated into English as published in the encyclopedia series called the Philippines, uh the Philippine Islands, this is volume 2 number 55. About as credible and widely published as a history can get in fact and by the way so is Pigafetta's journal we which we used before it sits in the British Museum, the Italian Museum, and Yale University to this day. This is real history. Your textbook? Not so much. Now, let's read their actual words here. 

"We stopped at an island where Magellan, Magellan's men were killed." 

Where's that? That is Mactan, not Cebu. Get that? In other words Lapu-Lapu island that's where they are in this narrative. He then writes:

"We landed our men and disposed the artillery of the ships." 

They were attacking Mactan in response to their killing Magellan before of course. 

"Which were close to the houses of the town so that the firing of the artillery from the said ships in the arquebuses on land drove the enemy away but we were unable to capture any of them."

Imagine that. 

"Because they had their fleet ready for the sea." 

Smart Filipinos they were expecting this. 

"They abandoned their houses and we found in them nothing," hear that? "Nothing except an image of the Child Jesus and two culverins one of iron and one of bronze." Hmm. "Which can be of no service to us. It is believed that they were brought here at the time of Magellan."

This is the Santo Nino. Did you get this? The Santo Nino that Magellan brought the same one that is enshrined in the bulletproof glass paraded around on Santo Nino day as Jesus. It was not found in Cebu so Cebu shouldn't even be keeping this festival. And the other people were not worshiping it. Cebu was not worshiping it. It wasn't there. It was found with Lapu-Lapu's people on Mactan, you know the ones who rejected first and killed Magellan. It was likely given to Lapu-Lapu as a sort of trophy for his role which inspired the king of Cebu to follow and kill Barbosa and the other leaders. It was not being worshipped and what a statement. Everything was removed from these houses, got that? Everything except this Santo Nino and two other gifts that Magellan had given and not to Mactan and Lapu-Lapu, no, these are gifts Magellan gave to the king of Cebu and the Queen. The king of Cebu and his people rejected Catholicism. They did not worship this statue. Yeah there was a three week or so period but that was it. In the end they rejected and Lapu-Lapu people most certainly did not worship it.

In fact even here 40 years later they left it sitting there with just to culverins that's it nothing else. This was a statement saying this is not ours you can have it back. If they worshipped it or if it had any value they would have taken it with them. After all, the Spanish would not have even expected to find a statue among the inhabitants of Mactan of all places as they are the ones who rebelled first. Nothing in the narrative fits what we're being told.

Tim says the same thing in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure. 

Solomon's Gold, pg. 257

Not only was this a wholesale repudiation of Magellan, Barbosa and everything European including their religion and their King, but when the Spanish returned to Mactan forty years later in 1565, Filipinos there were not worshipping the Santo Niño idol left behind.

“We stopped at an island where Magallanes’s men were killed...”
As we have just said, they declared that not only they would not give us anything, but that they were willing to fight us. Thus we were forced to accept the challenge. We landed our men and disposed the artillery of the ships, which were close to the houses of the town, so that the firing of the artillery from the said ships and the arquebuses on land drove the enemy away; but we were unable to capture any of them, because they had their fleet ready for the sea. They abandoned their houses, and we found in them nothing except an image of the child Jesus, and two culverins, one of iron and one of bronze, which can be of no service to us; it is believed that they were brought here at the time of Magallanes.” 

–Letter from Royal Officials of Filipinas from Cubu, 1665

The inhabitants of Mactan took everything from their houses of value and fled except very minor items. All that remained from their houses was two culverins and the Santo Nino idol left by Magellan in Cebu. He did not leave this idol in Mactan. Perhaps Lapu Lapu secured it from the King of Zubu as a trophy of sort. However, there is zero evidence this statue was worshipped that entire time between 1521 and 1565 in Mactan. In fact, the people of Mactan were sending a message in leaving behind practically only this one thing. They did not worship it and stating “we think you left something when you were here last.”

This letter is in a book of other documents about the same events. It is a brief description of the Spaniards landing in Cebu and finding the Santo NiƱo. From the very book Tim quotes, The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume II, 1521-1569, we read the following:

The fleet set sail for CebĆŗ, where after landing they found the village deserted. Legazpi ordered that each mess of four soldiers should take one house and the rest of the houses be destroyed. Everything was removed from the houses before any were destroyed. The general ordered that a thick set palisade of stakes be built, including therein a few wells of fresh water. "This village was built in triangular shape, with two water-fronts and one land side." The artillery was placed to defend the coast, while the Spaniards relied on the palisade for protection on the land side, until the fort could be built. Companies were sent out to scour the country for food, and "always brought back fowl, hogs, rice, and other things … and some good gold." The natives to the number of one hundred came to make peace one day. "In this town when we entered we found therein a child Jesus. A sailor named Mermeo found it. It was in a wretched little house, and was covered with a white cloth in its cradle, and its little bonnet quite in order. The tip of its nose was rubbed off somewhat, and the skin was coming off the face. The friars took it and carried it in procession on a feast day, from the house where it was found to the church that they had built."

http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13280/pg13280.html

Mactan is RIGHT NEXT TO CEBU. It would not be surprising if these new arrivals mixed up Mactan and Cebu. In fact Legazpi makes this same conflation in this very volume.

https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/13280/pg13280.html

in that part where the men of Magallanes were killed, called the island of Cubu

In fact Legazpi is even more direct in his letters about this Child Jesus being found in Cebu.

From this village of Cubu, I have despatched the ship with the father prior [Urdaneta] and my grandson, Phelipe de Zauzedo, with a long relation of the things which I boldly write here to your excellency. They will inform his majesty at length, as persons who have been eyewitnesses of all especially of what has taken place here, the state of the new settlement, and the arrangements made for everything.

And because it is worth knowing, and so that your excellency may understand that God, our Lord, has waited in this same place, and that he will be served, and that pending the beginning of the extension of his holy faith and most glorious name, he has accomplished most miraculous things in this western region, your excellency should know that on the day when we entered this village one of the soldiers went into a large and well-built house of an Indian, where he found an image of the child Jesus (whose most holy name I pray may be universally worshiped). This was kept in its cradle, all gilded, just as it was brought from EspaƱa; and only the little cross which is generally placed upon the globe in his hand was lacking. This image was well kept in that house, and many flowers were found before it, no one knows for what object or purpose. The soldier bowed before it with all reverence and wonder, and brought the image to the place where the other soldiers were. I pray the holy name of this image which we have found here, to help us and to grant us victory, in order that these lost people who are ignorant of the precious and rich treasure which was in their possession, may come to a knowledge of him.

The Philippine Islands, Vol 2, pgs 214- 216

He is also wrong that the natives did not worship the Santo NiƱo. They admitted they did so. Antonio Morga writes the following about Legazpi's mission to the Philippines and the finding of the Santo NiƱo.

He continued his voyage until reaching the island of Sebu, where he anchored, induced by the convenience of a good port and by the nature of the land. At first he was received peacefully by the natives and by their chief Tupas; but later they tried to kill him and his companions, for the Spaniards having seized their provisions, the natives took up arms against the latter; but the opposite to their expectations occurred, for the Spaniards conquered and subdued them. Seeing what had happened in Sebu, the natives of other neighboring islands came peacefully before the adelantado, rendered him homage, and supplied his camp with a few provisions. The first of the Spanish settlements was made in that port, and was called the city of Sanctisimo Nombre de Jesus [Most holy name of Jesus], because a carved image of Jesus had been found in one of the houses of the natives when the Spaniards conquered the latter, which was believed to have been left there by the fleet of Magallanes. The natives held the image in great reverence, and it wrought miracles for them in times of need. The Spaniards placed it in the monastery of St. Augustine, in that city.

History of the Philippines, Antonio Morga

It is simply not true that the Santo NiƱo was not found in Cebu or that it was not worshipped. To this day its finding in Cebu is celebrated every year by devotees and the people continue to pray to it for miracles. Timothy Jay Schwab's claim to the contrary is another lie he teaches about the history of the Philippines. 

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Insurgency: Reds Moving to Recover Lost Ground

The Army has sent an artillery platoon to Northern Samar to help eradicate insurgents. That is because the AFP says the NPA has regrouped. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226181

The Philippine Army in Eastern Visayas has welcomed the arrival of an artillery platoon to help eradicate insurgents in Northern Samar province.

Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division (8ID) spokesperson, Capt. Jefferson Mariano, said in a phone interview Tuesday that the 2nd Howitzer Platoon of the Army’s Armor Artillery Regiment is highly trained to perform artillery operations.

The platoon previously assigned to Capiz province under the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has two howitzer tubes and nine personnel.

“The platoon will be under the operational control of the 803rd Infantry Brigade. Their main effort is to confront the regional guerilla unit of the NPA’s (New People's Army) Eastern Visayas regional party committee in the province of Northern Samar,” Mariano said.

The NPA unit has regrouped after the dismantling of two front committees in Northern Samar. The military said these NPA remnants are not in control of any village in the province.

The deployment of the Howitzer Platoon will bolster the existing firepower capabilities towards the complete eradication of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA in the region.

The revelation that the NPA is regrouping in Northern Samar comes a month after the region was declared to be under internal peace and security.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/6/northern-samar-declared-under-stable-internal-peace-security

Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the 8th Infantry Division, announced that Northern Samar is now under a state of Stable Internal Peace and Security after no active NPA guerilla fronts were found operating in the province.

Ligayo added that all the barangays in the province are free from NPA influence.

Abalos presided over  the Joint Regional Task Force 8-End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) Peace and Development Dialogue here on Monday, May 6.

The dialogue highlighted the peace and security status and the collaborative efforts of the members of the Peace, Law Enforcement, and Development Support Custer of JRTF8-ELCAC and the successful civilian-led dismantling of the remaining guerilla fronts.

Brig. Gen. Efren Morados, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, disclosed that there are only five NPA vertical units left which are remnants of different front committee units in Eastern Visayas.

Morados said that there is one criteria to enable Northern Samar to be declared as insurgency-free. "There should be no report, sightings, or movements of NPAs in the area," he said.

The PNP has sent 299 cops to the Western Visayas to prevent the resurgence of the insurgency. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226277

A total of 299 police officers who completed training under the Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (RPSB) Program are currently deployed in 17 Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDAs) and urban barangays in Western Visayas.

“They are required to conduct environmental scanning and interview families so they will know the concerns of the barangay and not just focus on peace and order. It will continue for six months,” Police Regional Office 6 (PRO6) Regional Director Brig. Gen. Jack Wanky said in an interview on Wednesday.

The program aims to sustain the gains of the Community Support Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Retooled Community Support Program of local government units.

“This aims to prevent the resurgence of insurgency, insulate unaffected communities from the recovery efforts of the communist terrorist group, and to assist the communities address their peculiar concerns and facilitate in availing the basic services of the government they need to avail,” the regional police said in a statement.

The deployment included one barangay each in Aklan and Antique, two in Iloilo City and Negros Occidental, three in Capiz, and four each in Iloilo province and Bacolod City.

“We have created an oversight committee to assess the performance of 299 cops having an immersion in villages. Weekly, they will visit RPSB teams to determine if they are exercising their mandates. They have a checklist on what to do during their six-month immersion period,” the Region 6 top cop added.

The PNP also admits the NPA is attempting to regain lost ground in Southern Luzon.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/8/reds-moving-to-recover-lost-ground-in-southern-luzon-says-armamento

Police Lt. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento, commander of the Area Police Command-South Luzon, said the New People's Army is moving to recover lost ground in Southern Luzon.

Armamento, speaking during the first anniversary of the Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) commitment of this town recently, reminded barangay officials and local government units to be more vigilant as communist rebels plan to regain barangays by recruiting students and progressive groups in the community.

He urged barangay officials inform authorities if they see new faces in their communities.

So, what we see is that the NPA is regrouping and there is a potential resurgence in the Visayas and Southern Luzon. This comes amidst the AFP saying the insurgency is practically defeated. In fact they already declared the NPA has been strategically defeated. But we see that is not the case as the AFP and PNP is sending in reinforcements to prevent a potential resurgence which means the NPA is alive and still poses a threat.

All the while the AFP has been saying the NPA is on the outs they also continue to claim the NPA is recruiting through protests. They handed out pamphlets at a high school seminar red-tagging protestors and demonstrators. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/5/chr-flags-afp-s-distribution-to-students-of-red-tagging-pamphlets

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has expressed its "deep worries" over reports that members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) distributed "red-tagging pamphlets" to students during a recent seminar held at Taytay Senior High School in Rizal.

The pamphlets seemed to point out that the recruiters of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA) "could be found at protests" and are "teaching people to despise government," the CHR said.

In a statement, the CHR said the distribution of the pamphlets is deeply worrying as it resorts to "arbitrary labeling."

"While the CHR is one with the State in preserving and protecting the country’s peace and security through the adoption of policies countering the threats of terrorism and underground armed rebellion, we believe that it is still essential to raise awareness about the potential dangers of arbitrary labeling," the CHR said. 

"We should also focus on sustainable solutions and measures that address these problems, ensuring that security efforts do not infringe on the rights and freedoms of individuals," it said.

At the same time, the CHR said the distribution of the pampletes also sends a wrong message about rallying, since protests and peaceful dissents are fundamental human rights. 

It cited Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which states that "no law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances."

"Participating in protest and dissent are forms of public expression used to voice grievances, not to identify themselves as part of an insurgency or communist armed rebellion. Regardless of political orientation and ideology, participating in a protest is an exercise of fundamental human rights, allowing individuals to express their concerns and demand change," the CHR pointed out. 

It was the Kabataan Party-List which reported the pamphlet distribution by the members of the AFP's 80th Infantry Battalion (IB). The pamphlets, which the partylist dubbed as "brainwashing pamphlets," bore drawings of students wearing red shirts that reportedly blame everything bad on the government and can be spotted in rallies.

The CHR took note of the response on the pamphlet distribution made by the National Security Council's (NSC) which refuted the allegations and stated that it is only for informing students about indicators that they are being recruited by communist rebel group organizers.

It acknowledged the importance of protecting the welfare and safety of students. However, it is essential that these efforts "do not stigmatize legitimate expressions of dissent," it stressed. 

It then urged all Filipinos, particularly those in security forces, to refrain from disseminating what it described as "misconstrued" information that could hinder the freedom to protest or compromise the safety of individuals exercising their democratic rights.

It said: "The Commission remains committed to its Constitutional mandate to protect the rights of all. We believe that participation in peaceful protests should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of insurgency or joining an underground armed movement. Instead, it is a legitimate and protected means for people to seek redress from the government, integral to maintaining a healthy and responsive democracy."

This is clearly a violation of the SC ruling that only the ATC can assert who are communists.

In the meantime a BIFF leader has been apprehended. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1226349

Agents of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) apprehended a senior field commander of the Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) with multiple murder cases in Maguindanao del Sur on Wednesday afternoon.

Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca, chief of the CIDG in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), identified the suspect as 65-year-old Abunawas Ibad Damiog of Barangay Alongan, Datu Piang town.

“Armed with search warrants, CIDG operatives arrested Damiog near his home in Datu Piang. He was armed with a .45-caliber pistol when arrested around 1 p.m.,” Huesca said in an interview on Thursday.

Damiog is the third most wanted person in BARMM, CIDG records showed.

According to Huesca, Damiog is facing a string of murder, double frustrated murder, multiple attempted murder, and destructive arson charges before local courts.

He is also accused of violating the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

Damiog's group allegedly attacked the town of Datu Piang on Dec. 3, 2020, setting ablaze a police car and strafing the Roman Catholic Church in the area.

He also allegedly led the BIFF harassment against an Army detachment in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur, killing a soldier and injuring two others several years ago.

Damiog was one of the trusted lieutenants of BIFF founder Ameril Umra Kato, who died of a heart ailment in April 2015.

In 2021, Damiog was among the five BIFF combatants who surrendered to the Army’s 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade in Ampatuan, Maguindanao Sur.

That is another BIFF leader neutralized.

Monday, June 10, 2024

A Tale of Two Murder Cases

The Philippine justice system is quite broken and there is no better way to demonstrate that fact than by comparing cases involving the same crime. The following two cases involve murder. It's the details that differ.

This first case is rather open and shut as it involves a witness, a ballistic examination, and a paraffin test. Presumption of innocence notwithstanding this man is guilty. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1947975/makati-prosecutors-office-finds-basis-to-sue-road-rage-suspect-for-murder

The Makati City Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause to file a murder case against the suspect in a road rage that occurred along the southbound lane of the Edsa Ayala tunnel in Makati City.

The incident resulted in the death of a stay-in driver.

Citing a resolution released by the prosecutor’s office on Monday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said suspect Gerard Raymond Yu is facing complaints of murder and carrying of firearms without permits.

“The Office of the City Prosecutor of Makati has issued a resolution finding probable cause to charge our arrested suspect Yu with murder charges for violation of Article 248 of the Revised Penal Code and violation of Section 31 of Republic Act 10591,” Fajardo said, speaking in a mix of English and Filipino, in a press briefing on Tuesday.

The PNP official said the paraffin test results on Yu and the ballistic examination of his firearms were among the bases the prosecutor cited.

Last May 29. Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. revealed that Yu tested positive for gunpowder from the confiscated weapons, which also matched the recovered fired cartridge at the scene.

“In the body of the resolution, the prosecutor says that he [Yu] chased [the victim] and made sure that he positioned himself on the right side of the Innova so that the victim would not notice him,” Fajardo said.

“The case was elevated, and the prosecutor agreed to the murder case we filed yesterday. The city prosecutor also filed information for murder before the Regional Trial Court of Makati,” she added.

And rightly the Makati prosecutor's office says they will be filing charges. There is no waiting for the victims family to file a case. There is no nonsense. There is the City legal office taking charge and filing a case.

Compare that to the following case. A 20 year old 11th grader (that is a whole different story!) was gunned down in his house in front of his parents. It was a case of revenge over a charge of rape. No matter the victim appears innocent. The fact is the cops and the parents seem to know who the perpetrator is. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/6/police-brutal-slay-of-grade-11-student-triggered-by-alleged-rape-incident

Police said that the brutal killing of a Grade 11 student in Barangay Granada here was triggered by rumors linking him to an alleged rape incident.

Police Capt. Portia Nillosan, head of Police Station 5, said that 20-year-old Nicus Balagosa was allegedly shot by the father of the alleged rape victim in front of his parents in their house on Sunday, June 2.

Balagosa was mistakenly tagged as one of those who allegedly raped the 16-year-old daughter of one of the gunmen, according to Nillosan. 

Nillosan said the alleged rape incident happened a few days ago, when the teenage girl and Balagosa attended a friend’s birth anniversary party with their two other friends aged 17 and 19.

However, it was reported late to the police, she added.

After learning the incident involving his daughter, Nillosan said the girl’s father confronted Balagosa’s two friends who denied any involvement in the incident.

However, Nillosan said that the girl’s father may have heard rumors linking Balagosa to the incident that triggered him to act violently.

Nillosan said that based on medical examination, the girl was positively sexually molested. But she noted that based on their investigation, Balagosa had left the party before the alleged rape happened.  

She said they are probing Balagosa’s two friends in relation to the alleged rape incident.

Nillosan said they already have four persons of interest in the shooting incident and they have also identified the girl’s father as one of the two gunmen. However, she refused to name him to protect the identity of the alleged rape victim.

She said they were not able to clearly see the license plates of the get-away vehicle through a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, making it difficult for them to identify the car owner.

She said they are awaiting Balagosa’s family to file murder charges against the perpetrators who are still at large.

Wow. There are suspicions about who pulled the trigger but nothing definite at this point and the PNP is waiting for the FAMILY TO FILE CHARGES????  Are they supposed to conduct an investigation and figure out who killed their son? OF course not. That is the job of the PNP. And they should be the ones who file the case and forward it to the City Prosecutor's Office. 

Now, let's look at a third case. DILG Secretary Abalos has warned barangays that all online sexual child abuse cases must be prosecuted. There is no room for settlement. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/6/5/abalos-warns-barangays-no-settlement-of-online-child-sexual-abuse-cases

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin “Benhur’’ Abalos Jr. warned barangay officials on Wednesday, June 5, that there should absolutely no settlement of Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or exploitation of Children (OSAEC) cases at their level.

In a press briefing, Abalos urged the public to report online child sexual abuse and exploitation cases to proper law enforcement authorities as he vowed that those involved would be prosecuted.

He reiterated that local officials could be held liable if proven that they are instrumental in the “settlement’’ of these cases.

To all those watching now, these are children, victims, this is a crime. You cannot say that this is only a camera that is only focused on them like that. Because there is this mindset. Some will say that is only a camera, no, even if it is only a camera, even if it is anything, this is a crime against children,’’ Abalos emphasized.

In the same briefing, National Coordination Council (NCC) against OSAEC Executive Director Margarita Magsaysay stressed that the barangay should endorse these cases to proper law enforcement authorities since settlement of this nature is out of the question.

She cited that the preference to settle these cases at the barangay level has probably something to do with maintaining family harmony, which should not be done since justice is not served to the child/victim with the perpetrators having the luxury of victimizing other children again.

Look at the reasoning here. There is to be no settlement because online child sexual abuse is a crime. No kidding!  But so is murder. So is homicide as a result of reckless driving. So is theft. So are so many other crimes yet the so-called justice system lets these crimes slip through the cracks because either the victims and the perpetrators settle or the victims refuse to prosecute. 

But it should NEVER be the job of the victim to prosecute. This is why so many criminals get away. Prosecution should be up to the City Prosecutor. And that is why the Philippine justice system remains broken.