It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1058665/china-must-be-a-senior-uncle-to-southeast-asian-countries-like-ph-says-arroyo |
These people do not understand that China is looking out for China. They aren't out to foster friendship for friendships sake or mentor poor countries so they become prosperous. China is no one's senior uncle.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1058842/pnp-releases-artists-sketch-of-gunman-in-businessmans-slay |
In the sketch released by the Central Luzon Police, the suspect was described as male, aged 40 years old or above, and between 5’8” to 5’10” in height. It also said the suspect has black hair, black eyes, fair complexion, and has a chubby built.
Chief Supt. Joel Coronel, director of the Central Luzon Police, earlier said witnesses and CCTV footage of the shooting incident helped investigators get a description of the suspect.
Have you ever seen a police sketch like this? How ridiculous. Surely with this sketch and that specific description the PNP will catch this killer soon. This is what every motorcycle assassin looks like. Funny that on the sketch the "nature of case" is listed as "shooting incident." What a way to refer to a murder!
Newly assigned Manila Police District director Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao Jr. has declared “martial law” at the MPD after two police officers “fled” minutes after a random drug test was announced on Monday.
All police officers, regardless of rank, “will now have to toe the line and strictly follow orders,” Danao said.
“No police official will be happy if they know that there men are into drugs. Imagine, you’re a policeman, how can you serve and protect if you are considered a problem of society?” he said.
During Monday’s flag ceremony, some officials noticed that the two rookie police officers left the MPD compound after Danao ordered drug testing for all personnel.
A new take on the whole cleaning up the ranks thing the PNP constantly claims they are doing.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059085/stay-away-pimentel-tells-rogue-elements |
Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday asked “rogue elements” claiming to be from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) to stop claiming to be legitimate members of the ruling party after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) recognized Pimentel’s group as the real PDP-Laban.PDP-Laban is still having trouble with groups pretending to be them.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/12/01/espenido-to-complete-unfinished-business-in-ozamiz-city-albayalde/ |
Aside from waging a relentless and chilling drug war in the city, Albayalde said he wants Espenido to handle and follow-up all the cases filed against high-profiled personalities, including the Parojinog political clan which was tagged in various illegal drug activities.
“The main factor [of his reassignment] is for him to handle all the cases they have filed because they were the arresting officers. What we are wary of is that these cases might be dismissed when he was removed there,” Albayalde said in Filipino over a radio interview at DZMM.What a ridiculous excuse. If it was necessary for him to handle all the cases he filed then they should not have transferred him. It's obvious he is being sent back to wipe out the rest of the Parojinog's as Duterte said he would do.
A VILLAGE chief was shot dead by four unidentified assailants on two motorcycles in front of his store in Barangay 16, Bacolod City Saturday night, December 1.
The victim was identified as Barangay 16 chief Nelson Ligaya Jr., 48.
Chief Inspector Sherlock Gabana, public information officer of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), said Ligaya was having a drinking session with his four friends at 9:30 p.m. when he was shot at close range by one of the assailants. His companions were unharmed.
Politicians are quite often gunned down during drinking sessions. Another one bites the dust.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059290/senator-sees-little-time-for-pork-review |
“[In] my experience, we need at least one month to discuss the budget because if we don’t examine it one by one, there may be problems, especially with lump-sum amounts,” Gatchalian said in an interview on dzBB radio.Last week the Senate literally suspended its session so they could watch a basketball game and now this guy says their won't be enough time to scrutinise the budge properly!!!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059275/coa-tells-bulacan-town-to-return-money-used-to-buy-ipads |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered the municipal government of Guiguinto, Bulacan, to return to the government the P747,478.81 it spent in July 2012 to buy 37 iPad 2 tablets supposedly to be given to deserving students despite its financial constraints.This happened in 2012 and now final judgement has been given. But what happened to the iPads? Did they get to the students? Where are they now?
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1058903/sandigan-doubles-imelda-bail-martial-law-foes-hit-leniency |
In a Nov. 28 resolution, the court’s Fifth Division granted Marcos’ “motion for leave to avail [herself] of postconviction remedies” and allowed her to post “double the amount of her original bond” on Nov. 16, making her bail P300,000.
The clerk of court said Marcos was given 15 days to avail herself of postconviction remedies under the rules of court.
Does this mean that by the middle of December this lady will be hauled off to prison? Don't hold your breath!
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/11/30/1873045/police-file-kidnapping-trafficking-charges-vs-satur-party-list-solon |
Ocampo—president of Bayan Muna party-list and a former member of Congress—and Castro were in Talaingod town on a humanitarian mission when they were arrested, a member of the ACT party-list said.
According to a statement posted on Facebook by Rep. Antonio Tinio (ACT party-list) on Thursday, the mission was stopped at a roadblock. "The solidarity mission convoy was attacked by men believed to be members of the paramilitary group known as Alamara," Tinio said.
Alamara is a paramilitary group that human rights groups have linked to attacks on indigenous peoples' communities in the province.
The Save Our Schools Network said Ocampo and Castro were on a mission to rescue school children and teachers evacuating from a militarized community.
Just on the surface these charges sound bogus. But who knows? DFA Sec. Teddy Locsin also thinks these charges are bogus and his public say-so has earned a rebuke from the Palace.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059314/malacanang-locsin-support-for-ocampo-not-govt-position |
Malacañang on Monday distanced itself from the remarks of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin slamming the arrest of former lawmaker Satur Ocampo on kidnapping and human trafficking charges.
“We wish to state that his personal position on the matter does not reflect the official view of the Administration on the issue,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.Panelo goes on to give lip service to the principles of presumed innocence and letting justice take its course but he contradicts himself by saying there is an "official view of the Administration on the issue" as if these people are already guilty. How long will Locsin stay as DFA Sec. when he keeps contradicting the Palace? Duterte is clear he wants not just his men but even the House and Senate to toe the line and accept his policies.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059183/palace-expects-senates-support-in-dutertes-push-for-federal-govt |
The Senate has repeatedly said charter change is DOA. No wonder Duterte has several of his men, Go and Bato among others, running for the Senate next year. If enough get in then Duterte will likey get everything he wants.
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| https://www.rappler.com/nation/218111-duterte-says-he-takes-marijuana-stay-awake |
"It's a killing activity and I think the – my age, ako hindi masyado kasi nagma-marijuana ako eh para magising. Sa iba, hindi na kaya," he said on Monday, December 3 during the conferment of awards for the ASEAN National Organizing Committee in Malacañang.
(It's a killing activity and I think the – my age, me not so much because I take marijuana to stay awake. It doesn't work, with others.)
What? Marijuana will put you to sleep. Also he does not say how he takes it. Smoking? Eating? But hold on. Hold on just a minute.
Yes HAHAHAHA!!! It's just a joke. Everything he says is a joke! But with the Philippines in the midst of a bloody drug war why would he joke about drugs? Because its funny! HAHAHAHAHA!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059568/duterte-on-admission-to-marijuana-use-of-course-i-was-just-joking |
A former barangay captain was gunned down by still unidentified assailants in Barangay Cabugao here Monday morning.
Former barangay captain Frederick Valin, 58, of the said barangay died on the spot due to mulitple ginshot wounds.
Initial investigation showed that the victim was on his way home on a motorcycle when he was attacked.
Another (former) politician killed by motorcycle assassins.
“The alliance that we form recognizes our intention to cooperate and unite on behalf of our parties for the benefit of all,” Estrada said during his speech.
He also said that the alliance went beyond self-interest to fully serve the public.
The president's daughter has teamed up with an ex-president who plundered the nation and they dare say this is to fully served he public and is for the benefit of all.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059845/one-joke-will-not-make-duterte-a-bad-leader-palace |
“He has set a good example for being a good leader. One joke will not make him a bad leader,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
“Now with respect to the joke, you know, you cannot deprive any person, not because he’s the President, to crack jokes. As he said, he does it because usually, events are boring. So he gives some jokes to make us laugh,” Panelo said.
“First, marijuana is not a stimulant to make you awake. It’s the opposite. So obviously there’s no logic there. He is just making fun. The fact that the people were laughing, it’s really a joke.” he said.
“If there’s no logic. If people, the audience would laugh, then it’s a joke,” he said.No logic plus laughter equals a joke? The Speaker's comments are void of logic and they are far from being a joke. The problem with Duterte is that he is ALWAYS joking. Or he claims to be after the fact. Whether it is about selling out the country to China or rape, everything is a joke to him and no one can trust the words coming out of his mouth.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059687/palace-its-a-go-for-fuel-tax-hike |
Last week, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Socioeconomic Panning Secretary Ernesto Pernia recommended the continuation of the next round of taxes.
They cited the recent decrease in crude prices as the reason for withdrawing their previous recommendation to suspend the next round of fuel tax increase.Do these economists not understand that the price of oil fluctuates and will certainly increase again? 55:1 here we come!
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/12/04/1874040/rappler-ceo-posts-bail-evades-arrest |
Ressa had undergone fingerprinting but no pictures were taken of her since she brought along her mugshots.Who knew that in the Philippines you can bring your own mugshots to your booking! And how did she have them made?
“Taking into account primarily the fact that she is of advanced age and for health reasons, consistent with the doctrine in Enrile vs. Sandiganbayan, bail is allowed for these seven cases,” read the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division’s Nov. 28 order shown to reporters on Monday.
The Supreme Court’s controversial August 2015 decision — penned by now Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin — allowed Enrile to walk out of detention while awaiting trial for the nonbailable case of plunder, due to “special, humanitarian and compelling circumstances.”
The high court cited “the fragile health and advanced age of Enrile,” who was then 91. Now 94, Enrile is running for senator while his P172.8-million plunder case has yet to reach the trial stage.The doctrine in Enrile vs. Sandiganbayan should be applied universally right? The precedent here is that old people don't deserve to languish in jail. But what about this guy who's story I included last week?
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/11/27/1872066/age-fails-save-retired-cop-71-prison |
In a resolution promulgated on Nov. 19, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division found as “unmeritorious” the “urgent petition” of retired Sr. Supt. Salvador Duran Sr. that he be placed under house or hospital arrest and that his jail sentence be reduced from 10 years to just six months to six years, citing old age and deteriorating health condition.
“Significantly, there exists no law or rule which authorizes the service of sentence of imprisonment of a convict by final judgement by hospital/house confinement, more popularly referred to as ‘hospital arrest’ or ‘house arrest,’” the ruling penned by division chairman Associate Justice Rafael Lagos read.
It would seem this guy should be able to successfully appeal to "the doctrine in Enrile vs. Sandiganbayan." But who cares about this guy because he is not rich and powerful. It therefore does not apply to him.
While the official campaign period for next year’s midterm elections does not start until Feb. 12 for national posts, a number of candidates have already placed television ads or set up billboards with their faces.
The Comelec, however, cannot do anything about this since the Supreme Court ruled in 2009 that premature campaigning was not an election offense.
The high court said that this was because one could only be considered a candidate once the campaign period had started.
Jimenez noted that he also did not see the need for an erring candidate to be charged just to serve as an example for the others.
If the Supreme Court has ruled that early campaigning is not an offence and the Comelec does not even wish to charge candidates who campaign early if it were an offence then what can be done? Nothing. Not a thing. The Supreme Court's ruling makes no sense either. One has to file a certificate of candidacy before the election. So is everyone who filed one of those back in October not a candidate until February?
(Free discourse is important to me and proper language should be used. When it comes to the President, he is accepted by the people. He was elected as he was, let us let him be, but he's not someone I should imitate as a spokesperson.)
Sadly Pinoys accept whatever is thrown their way. Whether it's a President who curses like a sailor or Presidents who plunder the nation, Pinoys love it when they are abused and the nation made to look foolish. They voted the plunderers back into office (Arroyo and Estrada) and if Duterte had more time to live and the will to run they would put him in the Congress like they did with Arroyo.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1059895/verifying-china-weather-stations-may-provoke-beijing-palace |
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said this after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted the government may never confirm if China has indeed built weather stations in contested islands in the West Philippine Sea.
“You need to go inside the territory that this particular country claims that it’s theirs. So you may have some problems there. It may even provoke something that we don’t want,” Panelo told reporters in a Palace briefing.
“They claim that it’s theirs but the arbitral ruling says it’s ours. Meanwhile, nobody seems to want to enforce it. That’s precisely why we are using the mechanism of diplomacy and negotiation,” he added.What diplomacy? What negotiation? The Philippines could use this ruling as leverage but they refuse to even do that. China wants to invest so much in this country and even "share" in drilling for natural resources and instead of using this ruling as leverage Duterte is saying he needs China and joking about how the Philippines is another province of China!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060276/well-done-locsin-disputes-commendation-for-roxas-yolanda-relief-work |
In a Twitter post, Locsin said: “In fact, United Nations (UN) officials said at my first UN conference that Yolanda relief was well done by Mar but f***** up by civil society and multilateral busybodies from abroad all grabbing foreign donations.”
This is not the first time a tweet from Locsin has made the news and has had to be censored. His twitter feed is not very vulgar but being that he is a public official it should never be vulgar. But vulgar men are the kind of officials running the joint.
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| https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1777354/Manila/Local-News/Duterte-Kill-useless-bishops |
"Itong mga obispo ninyo, patayin ninyo. Walang silbi 'yang mga g***** 'yan (Your bishops, kill them. Those stupid are useless). All they do is criticize," the President said in a speech delivered at Palace's Heroes Hall.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/677221/duterte-almost-90-of-catholic-priests-are-homosexuals/story/ |
"No offense intended, I have so many relatives who are gay. I have two brothers-in-law who are gay, but most of the priests there are homosexuals. Almost 90 percent of you, so do not postulate on immorality," he added.
Ummmm......let's just accept Duterte for who he is??? He has freedom of speech???? Uhhh.....he's just joking??? Yeah! That's it. He's just joking!!!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060605/kill-bishops-palace-says-thats-only-hyperbole-for-dramatic-effect |
Sought for comment, Panelo explained Duterte did not literally mean to kill the bishops.
“He actually means stop criticizing and do some good for this country. Help us,” he said.
“The President, just like any ordinary human being, is upset when the good things that he does for this country are not even appreciated by people who are supposed to support, like the Church,” he added.
The Palace official continued, saying he agreed with his wife who said Duterte only meant “kill them with kindness.”
Now that is world class gas lighting! You really have to admire the audacity of this administration when they tell the people Duterte did not say what he said. He did not mean "kill them with kindness" Scroll back up and read the context. He said kill them, they are stupid, useless, and only criticise.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060691/doj-asks-several-courts-to-stop-trillanes-from-leaving-the-country |
The DOJ is court shopping again to get the verdict they want.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/economy/677243/duterte-to-pinoys-no-reason-to-be-sad-over-being-taxed/story/ |
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday assured the public he will not allow corruption to thrive in the government under his watch, so the public should not be 'sad' about the taxes levied on their shoulders.
"Do not be so sad about being taxed because your money here during my term is safe," he said during a Presidential Awards ceremony in Malacañang.
On the other hand, Duterte assured the people that he will not condone the squandering of public funds, as proven by his previous action of sacking allegedly corrupt officials.
"I will not allow corruption. I have fired so many Cabinet members for just an infraction," he added.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060611/palace-wants-arroyo-to-explain-alleged-p2-4-b-pork-barrel |
Right now Paris is burning as the people riot over a proposed fuel tax. Meanwhile in the Philippines Duterte is going to increase the taxes on fuel once more and he tells the people not be sad because their taxes will be spent wisely all the while Speaker Arroyo has allowed her district several 2 billion of those taxes! But don't expect the natives to riot or revolt over taxes like so many societies have done. They will take this taxation without representation lying down and not say a word.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1060742/over-26000-pnp-personnel-slapped-with-admin-cases-since-dutertes-term |
But how many cases have been filed since the year 2000 when the PNP allegedly began cleaning its ranks in earnest?
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| https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/12/06/1874753/dominguez-dealings-chinese-loans-we-learned-past-mismanagement |
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III on Tuesday said the Duterte government would be careful in dealing with Chinese loans, adding that the country has learned from “a previous administration’s” mismanagement of Chinese financing.
The economic managers of the Philippines can't even manage the domestic economy and he expects the people to believe they can faithfully manage huge foreign loans from China after admitting they messed up before! Yeah, right!
