It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/26/bu-cor-s-jail-guard-ex-pdl-arrested-for-killing-mom-son |
A Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) jail guard and a former person deprived of liberty (PDL) have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the killing of two persons during a kidnapping and robbery incident in Quezon City last June, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said on Friday, July 26.
NBI Director Jaime B. Santiago presented the two arrested persons who were identified as Corrections Officer 1 Pio Jonathan Aniero Eulalio and former PDL Raymond David Reyes.
Santiago said Eulalio and Reyes were arrested by the bureau’s operatives led by NBI Homicide Division (NBI-HD) last July 12 and July 11, respectively, in Cavite.
He said the two are suspects in the killings of Christian Razon Ortega and his mother Gloria Razon Ortega.
After their arrest, they were charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) with robbery with homicide, and kidnapping for ransom with homicide, among charges.
With the arrest of Eulalio and Reyes, the NBI said the two suspects identified as their employer Vergel Burata Olanda who had been arrested last July 12 and now in the custody of the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG).
The NBI said the suspects ambushed the victims who were aboard a white L300 van in Quezon City on June 10.
Christian was gunned down while his mother was kidnapped by the suspects who also took P100,000 in cash, it said.
It also said that the suspects later demanded from the family a P5 million ransom for the release of Gloria who was eventually killed and found dumped in a ravine beside a dump site in Bay town, Laguna last July 12.
An employee of the BuCor has been arrested for murder.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/25/negros-occidental-village-dad-killed-over-grudge |
A 66-year-old barangay councilor was allegedly stabbed to death by his son’s friend over a grudge in Barangay Canjusa, Pulupandan, Negros Occidental on Sunday, July 21.
The victim was identified as Fernando Jacildo.
Police Major Edfel Balibadlan, Pulupandan police chief, said the 32-year-old suspect entered Fajildo’s house through the balcony and stabbed the victim with a knife while he was sleeping in his bedroom.
The victim sustained six stab wounds and was declared dead in a hospital.
The incident was witnessed by the victim’s daughter who heard her father shouting for help.
Balibadlan said the suspect was seen by the victim having a drinking session with some companions on his way home but they did not greet each other.
The suspect and the victim’s son were good friends but had a rift when the suspect learned that the victim’s son allegedly threatened his nine-year-old niece.
Instead of confronting the victim’s son, the suspect turned his anger on Jacildo who is his friend’s father.
The suspect was arrested in his piggery in Barangay Canjusa and police recovered the bladed weapon from his possession.
Murder charges were filed against the suspect on Tuesday, July 23.
A barnagay councilor has been stabbed to death.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/26/coa-flags-butuan-city-over-p92-5-m-unimplemented-projects-in-2023 |
The Commission on Audit (COA) said the failure of Butuan City to implement seven projects worth P92.5 million in 2023 deprived its constitutents of their socio-economic benefits.
In its annual report, the COA said the seven projects that were not implemented were the Construction of Mandamo Water Supply (P5,000,000), Construction of Amparo Water Supply System (P3,000,000), Construction of Bugsukan Water Supply System (P5,000,000), Construction of Dumalagan Water Supply System (P5,000,000), Completion of SP Building at Barangay Doongan (P20,000,000), Development of Butuan City Rice Research Center P-II (P34,500,000), Rehabilitation of City Hall Compound Power Supply (P20,000,000).
When quizedd by state auditors, the COA said the City Engineering Department (CED) declared that the construction of the Dumalagan Water Supply System and the development of the Butuan City Rice Research Center were cancelled due to budget reallocation and revision of project design.
The auditors also found that the remaining projects such as the construction of water supply systems for Barangays Mandamo, Amparo, and Bugsukan, the completion of the SP Building, as well as the rehabilitation of the City Hall Compound Power Supply, were still ongoing, the COA said.
It said the audit team confirmed with the City Procurement Management Department (CPMD) that the winning bidder for the construction of water supplies duly received the Notice to Proceed on Feb. 5, 2024.
On the other hand, it said, the pre-bid conference was held last Feb. 05, 2024 for the completion of the SP Building, while the bids and awards committee (BAC) resolution recommending the award for the rehabilitation of City Hall Compound Power Supply is still underway.
"Considering the above conditions, the funds allocated for priority development projects were not optimally utilized by year-end due to cancellations and delayed implementation," the COA said.
"This indicates that the corresponding projects were not procurement and implementation-ready. This likewise resulted in constituents being deprived of enjoying the socio-economic benefits expected from the supposed completed projects," it also said.
The COA report recommended that the Butuan City Development Council (BCDC) prioritize readily implementable and procurement-ready programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) to prevent waste of resources due to delay or non-implementation.
It also asked the CPMD to fast-track the procurement process for the remaining 2023 implementable development projects to ensure it does not interfere with the procurement of the following year's priority projects.
The Commission on Audit said the failure of Butuan City to implement seven projects worth P92.5 million in 2023 deprived its constituents of their socio-economic benefits.
Over P114.5 million in fund transfers done by Cebu City to various non-government organizations (NGOs) and people’s organizations (POs) since 2009 remain unliquidated, according to the latest audit report by the Commission on Audit (COA).The unliquidated funds have translated into financial mismanagement and lack of accountability within the city administration, the audit agency said.
The COA report, audit observation memorandum (AOM) No. 2024-011 dated April 2, 2024, outlines that these fund transfers, meant for the implementation of various programs and projects, were found to be inconsistent with COA Circular No. 2007-001.
This inconsistency has severely affected the reliability of the reported balance as of the year-end.
Among the NGOs and POs flagged in the report, Alay Lakad Inc. has unliquidated amounts totaling P868,540.80 since 2009, with an additional P500,000.00 remaining unliquidated since 2013.
The Association of Barangay Council (ABC) has unliquidated funds amounting to P7,200,780.95 from 2007 to 2019 and an extra P3,750,000.00 unliquidated since 2022.
The Barangay Councilor’s League has P11,898,331.94 unliquidated from 2014 to 2021 and P2,250,000.00 unliquidated since 2022.
Similarly, Lihok Filipina Foundation Inc. has P1,520,075.00 unliquidated from 2008 and P353,750.00 since 2009.
The Philippine Councilors’ League has P982,077.31 unliquidated from 2012, with an additional P450,000.00 unliquidated since 2014.
The Sangguniang Kabataan Federation has P1,704,209.82 unliquidated since 2019, with P20,000,000.00 unliquidated since 2022.
The University of Southern Philippines has P356,266.75 unliquidated since 2008, and the Vice Mayor’s League of the Philippines has P200,000.00 unliquidated from 2006, with another P2,000,000.00 unliquidated since 2022.
Lastly, the Federation of Cebu City South District Association Inc. has had P212,500.00 unliquidated since 2006, with the same amount unliquidated since 2007.
COA Circular No. 2007-001 mandates NGOs and POs to submit a final Fund Utilization Report within 60 days after project completion, certified by their accountant and approved by their president or chairman. This report must include an inspection report, a certificate of project completion, and a list of beneficiaries.
However, the failure to comply with these requirements has led to a significant portion of funds remaining unliquidated.
The audit report reveals that the non-submission of liquidation reports has severely hampered transparency and accountability.
Approximately 43.65 percent or P50,008,674.78 of the total balance remained unliquidated due to the non-submission of liquidation reports and supporting documents.
A portion of these unsubmitted reports, about 41 percent or P20,420,087.94, pertained to fund transfers aged between 9 to 17 years.
The delays and deficiencies in submitting and processing these reports have thrown reliability into the question of the city’s financial reporting.
A substantial amount of P36,899,703.96 worth of liquidation reports was suspended by the pre-audit section due to missing documentation, with P24,668,466.06 still undergoing pre-audit.
To address these issues, the COA has recommended that the city management review the Memorandum of Agreement to enforce actions against defaulting NGOs and POs, conduct a thorough review of outstanding balances, and adjust impairment allowances to reflect the actual likelihood of collection.
Additionally, they suggest implementing a one-time cleansing of all dormant accounts and refraining from granting financial assistance to NGOs and POs with outstanding unliquidated fund transfers.
The City Accountant’s Office (CAO), in their reply dated April 23, 2024, committed to similar initiatives concerning its Due from Local Government Units (LGUs) accounts.
THE Commission on Audit (COA) flagged anew the Cebu City Government for failing to recover the “excessive” advance payment made in 2021 for a delayed and unimplemented drainage project in the South District.
Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, in a press conference on Thursday, July 25, said the City shall look into the percentage of the completion rate of the drainage project and action to be undertaken against the contractor.
COA, in its 2023 audit report, questioned again the contract that the City Government awarded through a bidding process to a Manila-based contractor for the design and building of the drainage mains located in several streets across the city on April 19, 2021, as part of the City’s flood control program.
The contractor was given a 15 percent mobilization fund of P199.323 million made in 2021 for the design phase of the P1.3 billion flood-control project along Cabreros St.-N. Bacalso Ave.-V.H. Garces St.; A. Gabuya St.; and Leon Kilat St.-Escano St., Cebu City.
COA, in its 2022 Audit Report, also flagged the City for making “excessive” advance payments after the project did not improve from the design phase to actual construction.State auditors said that the contract started in April 2021 and ended in November 2022; however, with three suspension notices, the new contract was created and expired in November 2023.
The COA, in its inquiry through the contractor’s response to the suspension notices up to Feb. 16, 2024, said the project remains in the design phase.
The Department of Engineering and Public Works also informed COA on March 1, 2024, that the project was endorsed to the Contract Termination Review Committee on Sept. 25, 2023, for termination.
However, no resolution has been reached on the matter.
The COA added that the contract can no longer be extended if it has already expired, as stipulated under Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
It added that the law may allow advance payment in a lump sum or two installments, not exceeding 15 percent of the total contract price.
“Apparently, this is to accommodate some unique situation wherein one time/lump sum payment is not justifiable, fair, and practical to both parties or is not serving the purpose,” the COA said.
“Prolonged inaction by the City’s authorities does not only make the recovery of such amount futile due to uncertainties of the time but shall continuously deprive the City of such significant amount to fund its projects and programs, aside from loss that the City may suffer due to the consistent decline in the value of money over time,” it added.
COA recommended to the local chief executive to expedite the resolution from CTRC of the contract termination and demand the return of the advance payment.
Garcia said on Thursday that he had several meetings with the contractor before the issue came out, and he was told that among the challenges facing the contractor was that they were not given the necessary documents for the design of the drainage mains.
This includes knowing the owners of the lot that will be affected by the project; however, City Hall was not able to provide copies to the contractor.
“At any rate, I am looking into it, and we are meeting them. Definitely, maningil gyud ta nila sa atuang advance payment nga atung gibayad nila (We will charge them for the advance payment that we paid),” Garcia said.
He added that, based on a percentage of the completion rate of the design phase, the City Government might deduct the payment from the amount the contractor has to repay.
THE Commission on Audit flagged anew the Cebu City Government for failing to recover the “excessive” advance payment made in 2021 for a delayed and unimplemented drainage project in the South District.
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| https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/4-bohol-cops-face-probe-for-allegedly-breaking-into-a-house-in-botched-operation |
FOUR police officers assigned to the Panglao Police Station will be investigated after they allegedly invaded a house around 4 p.m. last Saturday, July 20, in Dauis town, Bohol.
Alias Am-Am claimed that during the incident, she was on her way to the supermarket with her father to make a purchase, when she got a call telling her that four police officers in civilian clothes had broken into their home without saying something or introducing themselves.
This prompted them to return home to check what was going on.
Am-am stated that before the incident, her younger brother was cleaning his motorcycle when he saw that one of the four armed men ran in his direction, prompting him to flee and hide inside his room.
But the armed men followed him, destroyed the room's wooden partition and once inside, they pointed a gun at him and ordered him to drop to the ground, causing a commotion inside the house.
Am-am claimed that when they asked the undercover cops what they wanted, they got no response.
She then took a video footage of the incident using her cellphone and threatened to call the police.
(When we arrived there, I said I would record a video of you because you won’t speak or identify yourselves. Because they weren't sure if the men were police officers or not, as seen in the video, my companion suggested that they would call the police).
After a few minutes, the cops departed, but Am-am reported that their P3,000 in cash and her younger brother's jacket were gone, which they thought taken by the former.
The video was later posted on social media and gained over 2 million views as of this writing.
The victims already reported the incident to the Dauis Police Station, and they are now preparing to file charges against the suspects.
The Bohol Police Provincial Office is now acting on the complaint.
Police Regional Office (PRO 7) Director Brigadier General Anthony Aberin's spokesperson, Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, claimed that based on the report from the Bohol Police Provincial Office, what was seen in the video was a valid police operation.
The Panglao police was launching an anti-illegal drug operation but since they failed to catch their target, they instead filed a case against Am-am’s younger brother for breaking Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Those family members present during the operation will also be sued for obstruction of justice.
In order to avoid interfering with the ongoing investigation, the two police officers seen in the video have been relieved of their duties and moved to the Bohol Police Provincial Office.
As usual, the defendants will be given due process and the opportunity to explain their side on the issue.
If it comes out in the investigation that the said police officers committed an offense, administrative and criminal sanctions will be imposed on them.
FOUR police officers assigned to the Panglao Police Station will be investigated after they allegedly invaded a house.
Still unidentified perpetrators killed a barangay tanod (village watchman in English) while inside his house here on Sunday, July 28.
The victim was identified as Reynaldo Saavedra, 50, who worked as a barangay tanod in Barangay Sawang Calero.
Based on initial investigations from the police, Saavedra was lying down on a sofa in his living room in his house in Barangay Sawang Calero past 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Suddenly, two men dressed in black long sleeves and with their heads covered in helmet, barged in and then proceeded in firing towards the barangay tanod.
Witnesses told investigators they saw the two perpetrators flee from the victim’s house after hearing the gunshots.
Saavedra’s relatives immediately brought him to a nearby hospital but he eventually succumbed to the multiple gunshot wounds on his body.
Meanwhile, the San Nicolas Police Station (Station 6) continue to investigate the reason behind Saavedra’s killing, including finding out the identities of the suspects.
A barangay tanod has been killed inside his own home.
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| https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/city-called-out-for-excessive-power-use |
THE “seemingly excessive” use of Christmas lights even after the holiday season, along with additional, unnecessary street lights on some streets, which have contributed to the jump in Cebu City Hall’s electric bill, has been flagged by state auditors.
Based on the latest Commission on Audit (COA) report, 4.17 percent of City Hall’s total income in 2023 was used to pay its electric bill amounting to over P289 million for the entire year.
The COA noted that the City has not established an Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Office, nor designated a local EEC officer. It also said the City has yet to develop a clear EEC plan, which is required under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act of the Philippines.
The non-establishment of an EEC resulted in huge electricity expenditures, deficiency in energy conservation measures and unimplemented energy efficiency projects totaling P65 million, state auditors said.
The COA added that without an EEC plan, the City Government will have no clear direction on how it will improve, control, monitor and evaluate its energy consumption.
The City Government’s electricity bills have gone up steadily for the past six years.
In 2018, the City’s electricity bill was P205,296,114; P220,361,444 in 2019; P214,759,016 in 2020; P242,991,403 in 2021; P271,142,680 in 2022; and P289,494,388 in 2023.
COA said the increase in electricity rate may be partly to blame, although its effect may oftentimes be minimal as power utilities are subject to strict government regulation, thus, the significant increase each year cannot be attributed to the price factor.
The City initially tried to control its energy use.
The Department of General Services posted in every office and department in City Hall the directive to regulate the use of energy, including restricting water dispensers to two units per floor; limiting use of air-conditioners from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. only; deploying printers at a ratio of one printer to at least three employees; prohibiting the use of cooking appliances like rice cooker, electric stove, water heater, coffeemakers and microwave; prohibiting Christmas lights, variable lights or any decorative materials using electricity; and unplugging office equipment or appliances when not in use or before leaving the office.
But state auditors said this directive lacked enforcement and did not have the necessary parameters to ensure compliance.
State auditors particularly pointed out the excessive use of Christmas lights, variable lights, or any decorative materials using electricity.
“Even after the Christmas season or outside the usual tourism hour of the downtown city, the City Hall building’s exterior, both the executive and the legislative building, including its newly occupied satellite office were wrapped with series lights every night,” said state auditors.
The COA said there were also visible “unnecessary or extra lights” on some streets like T. Padilla or on streets in Barangay Lorega San Miguel though the existing lamp posts already serve their purpose.
“These excessiveness ran counter with the City’s own directive and ultimately with the aforementioned Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act resulting in a waste of financial resources,” the COA noted.
The City has four unimplemented projects, including the installation of a solar system with an appropriated budget of P50 million, the solar energy electrification of a school building in Barangay Lorega amounting to P3 million, the installation of solar panels as alternative source of power in San Roque and T. Padilla with a budget of P10 million and P2 million, respectively.
The COA pointed out that the City’s energy efficiency and conservation projects don’t appear to be a priority both in budget dimension and terms of implementation.
State auditors said the projects have the potential to significantly reduce the City’s electricity consumption.
It also said that this not only reflected in a missed opportunity to enhance energy efficiency with corresponding positive financial implication but also raised concerns regarding the effective utilization of allocated resources.
The COA recommended that the City establish an EEC office to be handled by a properly designated EEC officer.
The City is also enjoined to enhance its existing energy conservation measures by translating the directive into a formal management policy with effective enforcement and compliance mechanisms.
State auditors also asked the City to implement austerity measures in electricity consumption by controlling the excessive use of series lights and variable lights, especially those without clear and significant purpose.
They also urged the City to take proactive steps to expedite progress by establishing a clear timeline for execution.
Cebu City has been flagged by the COA for an excessive electric bill and not establishing an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Office.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/31/ex-barangay-official-sent-to-jail-for-falsifying-driver-s-licenses |
A former barangay official in Iloilo was sentenced to more than two years of imprisonment for falsifying driver’s licenses, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said on Wednesday, July 31.
Aside from imprisonment, LTO chief Assistant Secretary Vigor D. Mendoza II said Mary Jane B. Bama was also ordered by an Iloilo municipal trial court to pay P5,000 penalty for of five counts of falsification by a private individual under Article 172, Paragraph 1 in relation to Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code.
The cases stemmed from the operation against people involved in falsifying driver’s license wherein Bama was arrested.
Mendoza said the penalties given to Bama should serve as a strong message to all people engaged in illegal activities using the LTO that the agency is now fighting back to ensure that no clients would be duped.
A former barangay official has been convicted of falsifying driver's licenses.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1967836/trillanes-sues-rep-duterte-vps-husband-ex-boc-head-for-drug-smuggling |
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed a drug smuggling case before the Department of Justice on Wednesday against Davao City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, Atty. Mans Carpio – the husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, former Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon, and several other personalities allegedly involved in the P6.4 billion shabu shipment seized in 2017.
Also named respondents are Taiwanese businessman Charlie Tan, some Davao local officials, a Taiwanese businessman and a retired military official from Davao.
The case stemmed from a May 2017 issue where 602.2 kilograms of crystal meth, worth P6.4 billion, were imported from China using the Bureau of Customs’ express lane.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee conducted a series of public hearings, which revealed that the contraband was given a “green lane” passage to slip through the Customs’s alert system and did not undergo physical inspection or document verification.
“This morning, I filed a case against Pulong Duterte and other members of the Davao group smuggling syndicate,” Trillanes told reporters.
“This is the result of the Senate investigations conducted in 2017, in which we have identified Pulong, Charlie Tan, and Mans Carpio, as the masterminds behind the Php6.4 billion shabu shipment that was allowed to slip through Customs in collaboration with its Commissioner Nic Faeldon and former Presidential Adviser Allen Capuyan, who was known as the ‘Big Brother,’” he recalled.
“The conspiracy to import the subject shipment from China to the Philippines necessitated the crucial interventions of the ‘powerful insiders’- the corrupt customs leadership, and more importantly, the very powerful protectors who used their influence to consummate this unlawful crime of importation of billions of pesos worth of dangerous drugs into the country,” he said.
Trillanes also claimed the 10 respondents violated Section 4 in relation to Section 26(a) of Republic Act No. 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 as amended by Republic Act No. 10640; and Republic Act No. 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed a drug smuggling case before the Department of Justice against Davao City First District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and several other personalities allegedly involved in the P6.4 billion shabu shipment seized in 2017.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod on Wednesday recommended a 60-day suspension for a barangay chairperson facing a complaint of three counts of violating the government procurement act, constituting misconduct in office and abuse of authority.
An administrative complaint was filed against Ronela D. Juaneza and Janette L. Gacuma, barangay chair and treasurer of San Isidro in Jaro district, respectively.
The city council, through the Committee on Personnel, Good Government, Public Accountability and Oversight, has no jurisdiction over Gacuma because she is not an elected official but found evidence that warrants the filing of a complaint against Juaneza for violation of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The committee, chaired by councilor Rex Marcus B. Sarabia, in its report during the regular session, said it found “merits” against Juaneza who “acted alone without the approval of the barangay bids and awards committee… and procured several items for and in behalf of the barangay without the observance of a mandated public and competitive bidding process.”
The three procurements included PHP365,488 for well-milled rice, PHP235,660.72 for drugs and medicines of senior citizens in January, and PHP94,122.32 for office supplies.
Sarabia said the recommendation for suspension is not part of the penalty but only to secure documents needed during the hearing of the ad hoc committee.
In a separate interview, Councilor Irene Ong, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, reminded barangay officials to always follow the law.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod recommended a 60-day suspension for a barangay chairperson facing a complaint of three counts of violating the government procurement act, constituting misconduct in office and abuse of authority.
