CCTV footage of a brazen daylight hit in Sta Rosa Philippines. Very professional. Not the work of amateurs. PNP says the victim was involved in illegal drugs.
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Sleeping Children
I see children sleeping on the sidewalk very often. Where do they come from? Where are their parents? What is their story? Sometimes they are in groups but most times they are alone. A sad and troubling state of affairs.
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Martial Law: Forsaken
Perhaps you think that because the BARMM passed now peace will reign in Mindanao. All the troubles of the Moros have been solved. You would be wrong. The creation of the political entity known as the BARMM is only half of the MILF-GPH peace plan, the first phase. The second phase of the peace plan is the normalisation process.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/11/govt-starts-dialogue-with-milf-for-full-implementation-of-peace-agreement/ |
The government has started meeting the family and community leaders in the camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in order to orient them on what to expect when the peace agreement is fully implemented.
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil- Mercado said the first meeting was held at Camp Bushra in Lanao del Sur where family and relatives of MILF fighters were briefed about the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The Normalization Track has four major components: the security aspect, socio-economic development program, confidence-building measures, and transitional justice and reconciliation.
With its overreaching implications and vast importance to the MILF-GPH peace agreement the Normalisation Track has seemingly been the least discussed aspect of the peace agreement in the media and amongst politicians. What was widely reported is that the BARMM will give more political autonomy to the Moro people and will help correct historical injustices. Exactly how that is supposed to happen is hardly discussed but a lot of it has to do with the Normalisation Track.
Allow me to quote from a previous post about what comprises the Normalisation Track.
Normalisation is an important part of the peace process and it consists in decommissioning MILF forces and absolving MILF members charges with crimes. That is amnesty for past terrorist acts. Let's take a brief look at it. The document can be viewed here.
It starts off:
In the name of God the beneficent, the merciful.
That is the Islamic Bismillah. What kind of treaty starts off with a religious invocation? Right away we get a glimpse that this whole normalisation process is in accord with Islamic law and will be more favourable to the MILF than the Philippine government. Let's take a look at of some of the provisions.
A. Policing
5. Upon its establishment and pending the implementation of the agreed policing in the Bangsomoro, the BTA shall have substantial participation in choosing the head and in the employment and deployment of the existing PNP in the Bangsomoro. The head of the police force will be selected from a list of three (3) eligible officers recommended by the PNP.
B. Transitional Components of Normalisation
2. To ensure effective security collaboration, several joint mechanisms shall be established. The Joint Normalisation Committee (JNC) shall coordinate the different processes in normalisation. The Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC) shall coordinate the security component of the normalisation process. The Joint Peace Security Teams (JPSTs) shall be operating units composed of the Armed forces of the Philippines (AFP), the PNP, and the MILF's Bangsomoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). These mechanisms shall work for the maintenance of peace and order and the stability of the areas mutually identified by the GPH and the MILF.
B3. Joint Peace and Security Teams
1. Contingents from the AFP, PNP, and the BIAF, shall be organised into the JPSTs that will work for the maintenance of peace and order and the stability of the areas mutually identified by the PGH and the MILF.
2. The JPSTs shall have the falling additional functions:
a. Tracking and documenting of private armies and other armed groups, and the reduction and control of weapons and material
C. Decomissioning
2. Decommissioning shall be a process that includes achieves aimed at achieving a smooth transition for the BIAF members to productive civilian life.
3. To achieve the above goal, a comprehensive needs assessment shall be undertaken for the members of the BIAF and their communities as a basis for a comprehensive socio-economic development program.
D. Redeployment of the AFP
1. The government shall redeploy AFP units and troops from or within the Bangsamoro, consistent with a normal and peaceful life and the progress in the other aspects of normalisation.
2. There shall be a joint security assessment and an inventory of AFP units and troops in the Bangsamoro to ensure an order redeployment of AFP units and troops, and avoid a security vacuum in the Bangsamoro. The AFP shall only retain installations necessary for national defence and security.
4. There shall be coordination between the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government in the movement of the AFP in the Bangsamoro. In the exercise of this coordination, protocols shall be established by the Central Government and the Bangsamoro Government.
G. Socio-economic Development Program
5. The Parties recognise the need to attract multi-donor country support, assistance and pledges to the normalisation process. For this purpose, a Trust Fund shall be established through which urgent support, recurrent and investment budget cost will be released with efficiency, transparency and accountability. The Parties agree to adopt criteria for eligible financing schemes, such as, priority areas of capacity building, institutional strengthening, impact programs to address imbalances in development and infrastructures, and economic facilitation for return to normal life affecting combatant and non-combatant elements of the MILF, indigenous peoples, women, children, and internally displaced persons.
I. Resource Mobilisation
1. The GPH shall provide the necessary funding for the normalisation process.
J. Confidence-Building Measures
1. Upon the signing of this Annex on Normalisation and as a gesture of goodwill, the two parties shall constitute joint task forces for the previously acknowledged MILF camps:
a. Camp Abubaker as-Siddique in Maguindanao
b. Camp Bilal in Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur
c. Camp Omar ibn-al Khattab in Maguindano
d. Camp Rajaumda in North Cotabato and Maguindanao
e. Camp Badre in Maguindanao
f. Camp Busrah Somiorang in Lana del Sur
The task forces will assess the needs, plan appropriate programs, and undertake the necessary measures to transform these areas into peaceful and productive communities.2. To facilitate the healing of the wounds of conflict and the return to normal life, the Government shall take immediate steps through amnesty, pardon and other available processes towards the resolution of cases of persons charged with or convicted of crimes and offences connected to the armed conflict in Mindanao.
What benefits do the Philippine government receive from any of the foregoing? Peace? Stability? Neither of those are assured. The GPH is giving up land and authority to the MILF. They are allowing the MILF to dictate who heads the PNP as well the movement of PNP officers and AFP units and troops in the BARMM. The AFP, PNP, and BIAF are to collaborate together to ensure security in the BARMM but the BIAF is also set to be decommissioned and BIAF camps are to be transformed into "peaceful and productive communities." The GPH is also giving up prosecuting MILF terrorists who have been charged with crimes related to the conflict in Mindanao. The MILF is getting off scot-free and will not be held accountable for their deeds. This is not a deal at all. Why would anyone in the GPH sign this document?
Filipinos, who are footing the bill for the whole process, deserve complete transparency on this issue. Does the nation at large understand that MILF criminals will be pardoned outright and no justice will ever be served for past crimes committed? Does the nation at large understand that the MILF will now dictate not only who runs the PNP but also all their movements as well as those of the AFP in the BARMM? Does the nation at large understand how much money this will cost and that they themselves will be funding it? That MILF terrorists will be given up to P100,000 while so many law abiding citizens remain hungry, poor, and out of luck? Why is no one in the media or any politician discussing the implications of the normalisation process?
It would be quite a shame if billions are poured into the BARMM and no peace or stability is achieved. Everyone is counting on the BARMM. Even those outside of the BARMM but still in its shadow are hoping to benefit from its successful implementation.
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| https://www.luwaran.com/news/article/1821/hopes__expectations_still_high_among_bangsamoro_outside_the_barmm_core_areas |
Hope and expectations from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are the undying optimism of the Bangsamoro people living outside the core areas of BARMM to be able to improve the quality of life.
During their regular meeting Monday, Moro Community leaders have expressed anew their hope and positive expectations that BARMM leaders will be able to deliver better governance than its predecessor (ARMM) since lessons were learned from the past where many people remain poor and marginalized.
With the advent of the new region, members of Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) are presumed to be aware of their mandates who vowed to adopt the so-called “Moral Governance” in order to realize the Bangsamoro aspiration.
Tahir further said that the Bangsamoro residing outside the BARMM core areas are ensured of certain assistance such as economic, social and cultural development as provided in Article VI. Inter-Governmental Relations. Section 12. in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) legally known as Republic Act (R.A. 11054)Let's be perfectly clear here. The Bangsamoro aspiration is independence. That is what the entire 50 year insurgency has been about. Never forget that MILF split from the MNLF over this issue of limited autonomy versus independence. The MNLF chose the former. I wrote about this here and here and I refer you to those posts from more about the goal of the MILF and MNLF being an independent state. Whenever you hear about the "Bangsomoro aspiration" realise they are ultimately talking about independence from the Republic of the Philippines.
Why is so everyone so hopeful that the GPH, the Philippine government, will be able to fulfil all of its promises especially when so much money will be needed? Yolanda funds have still not been spent! Marawi remains in ruins despite billions being raised for the job of reconstruction. Not even Butig has been rebuilt! "Butig?," you ask. "What is Butig?" Why that is the city Maute first captured in November 2016. It was the prelude to Marawi.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/15/forsaken-lanao-town-awaits-govt-aid/ |
As far as Asmiah H. Omar is concerned, this town, which was caught in the middle of the battle between soldiers and Islamist militants in 2016, has been all but forsaken by the government.
The fighting has left Butig in ruins, Omar, a Grade Six teacher at Poctan Elementary School here, said in an interview with Manila Bulletin.
She feels government efforts to rebuild the town and help the people recover from their loss have ground to a halt.
“Nahuli kami sa priority. Parang hindi kami napansin. Kami iyong una na nawalan, na-depressed as in sumabog iyong mga bahay, buildings, kahit isang poste walang Makita,” Omar said.
“It is a very sad feeling. Everytime you wake up in the morning, wala ka ng makikitang bahay”, she said.
The fighting forced Omar and many other residents to leave Butig. When they returned, they found their homes destroyed.
“Pakiramdam namin parang nawalan kami ng dyamante na hindi na maisasa-uli. Pero kahit konti man lang walang nakiramdam na tumulong ng ganito at magbigay ng ganyan,” she said.
Government assistance did not arrive until much later.
Omar said their hopes to have their homes rebuilt have faded.
“Sa Marawi ginagawan na ng paraan, rehabilitation, may bahay na kahit konti, may nauwian na ang nawalan ng bahay”, said Omar, referring to the massive reconstruction effort in Marawi City.
Poctan Elementary School will have to cope with overcrowded classrooms, “so that the pupils will not be left behind in their studies” she said.
Omar was thankful when a foundation distributed school supplies to the students recently.
Butig is so forsaken that the Manila Bulletin can't even mention the name in the headline or write a story that tells what is happening. What we get is a brief few statements from a resident and observations about the school. What foundation donated school supplies? Quality journalism from the Philippines once again!
Back in 2018 when the Marawi Task Force was being formed agencies were told to include Butig in their rebuilding plans.
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| https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1004106 |
The municipality of Butig in Lanao del Sur must be included in the interventions being crafted and implemented by the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM) member agencies.
The call was made by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Assistant Secretary Felix Castro, Jr., manager of the TFBM Field Office in Iligan City, during the first meeting for 2018 of the TFBM Working Group.
"Butig will be included in the Marawi and Lanao del Sur rehabilitation plan being drafted, with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) as the lead," Castro added. Lanao del Sur was included since prior to the Maute siege in Marawi, the towns of Butig and Piagapo were first terrorized by the said group.
Some 20 classrooms were damaged. With the help of the TFBM, Butig town signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) to rebuild the classrooms.
According to Pansar, the construction of 13 classrooms will start in January 2018.
If classroom space is still limited then it is a safe bet that the OCD did not rebuild the classrooms. What has been happening in Butig? Job training. DIY job training initiatives.
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| http://bangonmarawi.com/2019/03/31/dost-launches-livelihood-projects-in-butig-town/ |
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in partnership with the Skills Mastery Institute for Learning Entrepreneurship and Success (SMILES) Foundation has launched here the skills training on “Do-It-Yourself (DIY)” bamboo shelter production and the establishment of a corn mill to benefit the locals and some home-based internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Marawi City.
The corn mill will be operated and maintained by a group composed of farmers, women, and unemployed skilled workers from the different barangays of the municipality.
As a member of the Subcommittee on the Business and Livelihood, DOST will train the residents on vegetable production, as it also plans to revive the handloom weaving industry in support of the recovery, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of Marawi and the adjacent war-affected communities in Lanao del Sur.
Do the citizens of Butig really need to learn these skills? The know-how to construct bamboo shelters seems to be in the DNA of Filipinos. Do farmers really need to learn how to produce vegetables or women how to weave? It seems pointless to teach people skills they likely already know. If they can construct bamboo shelters why not just bypass the government and make their own houses?
Anyone who trusts the government to fulfil the promises made of rebuilding Marawi and Butig had better sit down and be prepared to wait a very long time. The Philippines hasn't even fully recovered from World War 2!
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| https://asiancorrespondent.com/2010/08/philippines-remains-devastated-long-after-world-war-ii-ended/ |
In short, World War II left the Philippines devastated long after it ended, historians and sociologists say.
This damage, they say, defines the modern Filipino: poor and lost, perpetually wandering the globe for economic survival, bereft of national pride, and – like the women of Mapanique – forced to suffer, to this day, the indignities of their violation.
Many foreign nations have contributed to the fund to rebuild Marawi. The amount is in the billions! Foreign governments are also offering something else to the Philippines: assistance with security strategies.
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| https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/06/13/phl-joins-moscow-security-meet-boosts-ties-with-russia/ |
The Philippines participated in the eighth Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) in April 2019.
National Defense Undersecretary Cardozo M. Luna headed the delegation, with Philippine Embassy in Moscow’s Defense Attaché Col. Dennis Francis V. Pastor; Third Secretary, Vice Consul and Political Section Head Anna Marie Mae R. Guerra; and military assistant from the Department of National Defense Lt. Col. Carlos Chan. The Philippines has been participating in the MCIS since 2015.
Among the topics discussed were modern military challenges and threats; countering terrorist threats; peacekeeping; military-to-military engagements; regional security in Asia, Africa and Latin America; and the situation in the Middle East—specifically the implications of defeating the Islamic State of Syria and Iraq or ISIS—as well as efforts in stabilizing the region.
Luna also granted an interview with Russian news entity Sputnik, where he shared that “the Philippines is committed to strengthen ties with nontraditional security partners like Russia.”
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/12/enhanced-joint-operations-capabilities-discussed-in-pa-chiefs-visit-to-spanish-army/ |
Bilateral ties between the Armies of both the Philippines and Spain have been boosted following the recent visit of Philippine Army (PA) Chief Lt. Gen. Macairog S. Alberto to the Spanish Army in Madrid, Spain.
During his visit to the Spanish Army headquarters from June 4 to 11, 2019, Alberto discussed with Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Francisco Javier Varela Salas efforts to mutually benefit in the training and education that will enhance joint operation capabilities of both armies.
The Philippine Army’s interest in enhancing its own Army Aviation Battalion and how their Spanish counterparts may extend its support was also discussed as Alberto visited the Fuerzas Aeromóviles del Ejército de Tierra, the Helicopter Command of the Spanish Army.
“I come to you from our home country as part of the Philippine Army – an organization that is currently on a consistent and committed push for reform through the Army Transformation Roadmap,” Alberto said in his speech.
“I am happy to share with you that through the Army Transformation Roadmap, the Philippine Army is making great strides in terms of professionalism of its soldiers, modernization of equipment, capability to conduct a wide variety of operations, and in terms of good governance and contribution to nation-building,” he added.
The Philippine Army, it was recalled, broke down its 18-year ATR into three base camps to create a sense of urgency in achieving its vision to be a world-class army that is a source of national pride.
In 2016, it aimed to be a well-equipped Army that has established a respectable image in Southeast Asia. By 2022, it expects to be a modern and respected Army in Asia. By 2028, it aims to fully realize its potential as a world-class army.
Who says the AFP is not world class now? Duterte has called the AFP the best army in the universe. But that is not why Duterte has told the NPA their time has come.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/697638/duterte-to-npa-you-are-about-to-end/story/ |
Monday, June 17, 2019
Hi, My Name is...2
Ready to meet some more friends? Put on a friendly face and say hello.
Hi, my name is Christian Paduga and this is my friend Reme Capin. One night we attended a dance at the barangay hall and were having a really good time. But soon it was time to go home. On the way back we were both shot several times. In fact people at the dance heard the gunshots but ignored them because they were having too good a time dancing. You could say that was the last dance for me and Reme because we both bled to death in the grass while everyone was dancing the night away back at the barangay hall. At least we got our pictures in the paper.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/238189/danao-city-murder-two-friends-killed-after-attending-benefit-dance |
Quoting results of their initial investigation, Gomez said that Nangka residents heard several gun bursts at dawn today, but ignored these because they were still enjoying the benefit dance that was organized by the barangay.
Hi, my name is Roger Laquina. I'm a pastor of a Protestant church amongst the Manobo tribe. My daughter's fiancee messed up the traditional dowry so I forbade the wedding from taking place. She didn't listen to me so I hacked her up with a bolo and then I hacked a random neighbour. While in jail I complained of stomach pains so the cops agreed to take me to the hospital. On the way I asked if they could stop so I could pee. When they did I grabbed one of the cops' guns and then his partner shot me in the head. I made it the hospital dead on arrival.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1127811/cops-kill-manobo-protestant-pastor-who-hacked-daughter-2-neighbors |
Hi, my name is Benjie Dela Rosa. I'm a pretty bad dude. My neighbours know me as a toughie who likes to threaten others with his gun. One time I was even arrested on murder charges but luckily for me the case was dropped. Just for kicks I decided to take my cousin and his friend hostage. Surprisingly the police were summoned and they showed up with weapons drawn. We exchanged a few shots and I ended up shooting my cousin. Nothing serious though. Just a flesh wound. However the cops kept firing at me hitting several places in my body and now I am dead.
Hi, my name is Gerry Dabucol. On Independence Day my friend Edsan Canillo, you might know him as Pretty Boy, and I went to a disco dance at the barangay hall. We were talking and it got all heated which lead to my friend getting knife and plunging it deep into my chest. It was totally out of the blue. I don't understand what happened. Hopefully I will be able to continue my work as a masyador which means I call cockfight bets at the cockpit.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/238965/pretty-boy-stabs-masyador-friend-in-barangay-sawang-calero |
H, my name is Buboy. I'm a stray dog. Even though I am a stray I had a man who took care of me for four years, gave me food, patted my head, an called me good boy. Sadly he died and the whole nation saw my picture as I wept over his casket. I got a lot of attention over that photo but no one came to give me food or pat my head and call me a good boy. No one came to take me home either. Without my adopted master I was left on my own. One night I was following a guard hoping for scraps and love when I decided to cross the highway. That's when I was hit by a car and died.
"This mind-numbing incident, a tragic end to Buboy's story, mirrors how we neglect the loyal and loving askals — exposing them to dangers even when we have the chance to take care of them. They deserve better — loving families and secured homes," it said.
"When animal-loving people want to bring home a dog, we allow them. When abandoned dogs have that chance to be in a loving and secured home, we also have to give them that. They just simply deserve better."
Hi, my name is Ronnie Obenza. I was a seaman for a long time until I married and settled down. One night I hopped on my bicycle and rode over to my ancestral house to turn on the lights. On the way back a motorcyclist shot me. When I fell he shot me a few more times in my head and body. I have no idea why. I had no enemies as far as I knew. But now I am dead.
Hi, my name is Jason Eric Keller. I had been living the good life in Davao since February 2017. As an American I can stay in the Philippines for up to three years on a tourist visa and with the depreciated peso my savings goes real far. Unbeknownst to me in December 2018 a court in Connecticut charged me "with enticing a child to engage in sexual activity and also for receiving child pornographic materials." I had no idea there was a warrant for my arrest or that my passport had been revoked. So I was shocked when I tried to extend my visa and was promptly arrested. I don't know how long I will be detained by the BI before I am deported but eventually I will be making my back to the USA.
Hi, my name is Regina Orbes. I am a Zumba teacher. While driving down the highway on my motorcycle I was gunned down by an assassin. I have no idea by who or why and neither does the PNP. Chalk me up amongst the hundreds of unsolved motorcycle murders that occur in the Philippines each year.
Hi, my name is Reynaldo Sitoy. My younger bother Eduardo and I were arguing and it got very heated. So heated that we scrambled off to get weapons with which to fight each other. In a rage I grabbed my trusty knife and ran back to stab Eduardo but alas for me he brought a gun. They say never bring a knife to a gun fight and I can attest to that truth for my little brother shot me in the head and now I am dead.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/239290/construction-worker-shoots-dead-elder-brother-in-cordova |
Saturday, June 15, 2019
I Wrote A Letter to the City Administrator and You Won't Believe What Happened Next
Back in February I posted an article about a leaning crosswalk light. The light had actually been dangerously leaning against the roof of the market since January. In vain I waited to see how long it would take for the light to be fixed. Six months passed and it was still leaning. So I decided to get to the bottom of it. Why was this light still not fixed?
Here is the light on June 3rd.
The first place to ask questions was the management office of the market. I walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. Only two people were inside. They offered me a seat and I asked about the light. Why was it not fixed yet and who is supposed to fix it?
"We told the City Administrator's Office but they have not responded," I was told.
I thanked the man for the information and made my way to City Hall after I snapped the above photo.
The City Administrator's office was high on the third floor. I made my way through the building and was shown a seat where I waited to talk to someone. The lady I spoke with asked me what I needed and I showed her the photo I took.
"This crosswalk light has been leaning on the roof of the market for six months now and I want to know when it will be fixed. The officials at the market said they informed this office but no action has been taken."
"Sir," she said, "you must write a letter of complaint before we can do anything."
"But here is the picture. What need for a letter? Just send out a crew to fix the light."
"Sir, you must write a letter."
There was no way out. A letter must be written so a letter I wrote. Who can understand the ways of bureaucracy? Two days later I returned only to be turned away because all government offices were closed due to it being Eid al-Fitr or the last day of Ramadan. Why were there no signs posted about this closure when I visited previously? What a waste of my time!
It was next afternoon when I finally delivered my letter. The receptionist stamped my copy and that was that. It as hardly a letter of complaint. More a statement of fact.
Dear Atty. Juan Orola, Jr.;
I am writing about a crosswalk light which has been broken for six months and is in dire need of repair. This light is located at Burgos Market on the corner of Burgos and Hilado streets. As you can see in the picture below the light is leaning on the roof of the market and is a hazard to all who work at the market. The light has been in this condition for six months. Please direct the relevant agencies to repair this light before someone gets hurt.
Thank you for your time
When I told others that I was going to write this letter they responded don't do it. Only the barangay captain could write such a letter and I would be branded persona non-grata I was told. I said the lady in the office instructed me to write a letter, why would she tell me to do so if only the barangay captain can write one? The thought that my letter might be all for nothing lingered in the back of my head as I left City Hall.
The only thing to do now was wait and see if the light got fixed. On Monday June 10th I received the following text message from the City Administrator.
What an exciting message! It meant the City Administrator read my letter and I was not going to be branded persona non-grata. But how long would it take to fix the light? A few weeks? Months? Certainly not right away especially as Wednesday was Independence Day and it would surely take more than one day to send out teams to complete the necessary repairs.
Turns out I was wrong. I don't know when they did it but by Thursday morning, June 13th, the light was wholly fixed.
They even set it on a new base which means it was fixed correctly and not haphazardly.
The speed with which my letter was acted upon is encouraging but raises a few questions. Did the management office of the market really contact the City Administrator's office? Did they submit a letter? If so why would the City Administrator act upon mine but not theirs? If they did not submit the requisite letter then why did they fail to do so? Why even have to write a letter in the first place? Why not just be able to call a hotline to report things which need fixing? Why not take my photo as proof enough and send out a crew immediately?
None of us mere mortals will ever understand the mysteries of bureaucracy but the quick action upon reception of my letter gives me encouragement. I wonder what else I can have fixed with only a letter.
Friday, June 14, 2019
Retards in the Government 106
It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) was flagged by state auditors for its payment of P70.25 million worth of pension to 5,721 soldiers who turned out to be dead.
"Comparison of the payroll of pensioners and list of reported deaths for CY 2018 disclosed that 5,721 or 84.5% out of 6,768 total reported deaths continuously received their regular monthly pensions which ranged from 1 to 64 months, thus [resulting] in the overpayment amounting to P70,250,300.00," said the Commission on Audit (COA).
COA recommended that the PVAO identify the officials involved in the lapse and "hold them liable."
This is apparently a lingering problem in the PVAO because from 2015 to 2016, the agency also paid pension to dead veterans. The agency, in fact, improved in 2018.
How hard is to verify payees are still alive? Is there not a system in place to notify the PVAO of the death of payees?
With this problem, the officials wondered how PhilHealth could be trusted to manage efficiently the universal health care program’s initial fund of around P257 billion.
They lamented that over the years, the PhilHealth management seemed to have turned a blind eye to the situation even as a number of hospitals have taken advantage of it.
The hospital schemes range from upgrading ailments of patients and admitting beyond their bed capacity to treating dead patients.It's a redundant question. PhilHealth will not be able to efficiently run the UHC program. More money will be lost and it will be a disaster. European style social programs are not for the Philippines.
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| https://www.rappler.com/nation/232456-duterte-tells-coa-not-seek-refund-marawi-rehabilitation-funds-hajj |
"I'm asking COA to reconsider – ano ba naman 'yang (what is) P5 million. Actually, that P5 million is worth billions in terms of your kind generosity to finance the poor people na Muslim para makapag-Hajj (poor Muslims so they can participate in Hajj)," he told a roomful of Muslims and government officials.
But COA said the money should be refunded since it is "not among the authorized expenses in the Memorandum of Agreement executed by the Office of the President and the HUDCC."
The P5 million was part of the P500-million fund from the Office of the President for operational expenses of Task Force Bangon Marawi, headed by the HUDCC.
Duterte told state auditors to deepen their understanding of Muslim culture, saying this would cause "less friction in society."
He then said that if COA's findings lead to jail time for Del Rosario, he and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte should also go to jail because they both dedicated some Davao City funds for Mecca pilgrimage of some Davaoeños.
"Don't put Del Rosario in jail because I'll have to go to jail too, and Inday. We will revolt in Mindanao. I will start again to gripe against the historical injustices of the Moro," said Duterte.
The HUDCC illegally diverted Marawi rehabilitation funds to send 27 Maranaos on the Hajj. Now the President is asking the COA to turn a blind eye because if they don't then there will me more rebellion in Marawi and Mindanao. He also admits that Davao City funds were diverted to send people to Mecca. Duterte is literally giving his blessing to corruption because it benefited a few Muslims.
He helps arrest drug pushers when he is on duty as a police officer, especially since he is a member of the Labangon Police Precinct’s Drug Enforcement Unit.
But when he goes off duty from his law enforcement job, Police Corporal Rogelio Atillo, surprisingly dons another secret hat as he allegedly turns into the person he chases as a police officer — a drug pusher.
It's amazing how many drug dealing cops are part of drug enforcement units.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1127963/philhealth-mafia-seen-behind-padded-claims |
A PhilHealth official, who requested anonymity for security reasons, said that every time someone new came in to head the state insurance company, a group of board members saw to it to bring to that person’s attention the need to review PhilHealth’s case rates and the payments made, which the Commission on Audit has repeatedly flagged over the years.
Despite calls for a review of the existing rates given to hospitals or to at least put in place safety measures, another PhilHealth official said “nothing has been done.”
“We all know that we’re losing a lot of money. Why isn’t there anybody who’s in a position to do something about it not doing something?” said the official, who also requested not to be identified.
One reason the “racket” persists, despite public pronouncements of accountability, is the existence of a “mafia” in PhilHealth, which “ensures that there’s no review of the rates and overpayments,” the official said.
And how does this supposed mafia, which he alleged “is sadly composed of the majority of the executive committee,” get what it wants?
“They gravitate and ingratiate themselves to the [PhilHealth] president and make sure that nobody else gets close. They befriend him and cater to his whims,” he said.
What happens next is that the mafia will turn the tables on officials who seek reforms in PhilHealth by accusing them that they are, in fact, the real mafia, he added.
“There is a culture of fear. You can’t blame them. Once in a while, there would be motherhood statements denouncing the fraud, but nothing happens. Those who really try to fix it, they get removed, end up being called troublemakers. I really feel sorry for them,” she said.
Even doctors and hospitals, she said, would not dare come forward to talk about the shenanigans going on in PhilHealth out of fear that their accreditation will be removed, thus depriving them of patients.
There is too much money to be made from skimming off the top. With no incentive stop graft and corruption the loses will continue to pile up.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1071557 |
The regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO) in Central Visayas on Tuesday warned members of the Philippine National Police in the region, who are caught investing in a pyramiding scheme of a Mindanao-based organization that is now active in the region, that they will be relieved and disarmed.
Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, PRO-7 regional director, issued the warning after he received reports that more than 10,000 people have been recruited “to invest” in the KAPA Community Ministry International Inc. since it started operating in Cebu three weeks ago.
The organization has been actively recruiting teachers, police officers, personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Sinas was quoted in a radio report as saying.
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| https://www.rappler.com/nation/232549-duterte-orders-shutdown-investment-scams |
President Duterte has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to shut down investment scams like Kapa-Community Ministry International, operating mainly in Southern Mindanao.
In an interview by his friend Pastor Apollo Quiboloy livestreamed on YouTube very early on Saturday morning, June 8, Duterte said the activities of these companies were clearly a form of "syndicated estafa."
Several investment scams have sprouted in Southern Mindanao and have reportedly branched out to as far as Luzon in recent days. These include Kapa, headed by Joel Apolinario, which promises a 30% “love gift” each month.
Some schemes, such as the Tagum City-based Rigen Marketing, Jogle, and Ever Arm, even promise a return of up to 500%.
In the interview, Duterte said the NBI should immediately put a stop to these schemes
The Securities Exchange Commission had repeatedly issued cease and desist orders (CDO) against Kapa and other investment schemes but they continued to defy the orders.
Apolinario's group challenged the SEC order before a General Santos City court but it was rejected. In March, the SEC made its CDO against Kapa permanent.
Ahead of the midterm elections, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the police and local government officials to shut down Kapa and other investment schemes but even mayors and governors were reluctant.
A politician hinted that going against these investment schemes could mean defeat. For example, in Davao del Norte, Kapa alone has over 10,000 members, according to sources.
There were also some reports that several politicians wooed votes by telling people they would not shut down Kapa and others when they win.
If the government really wanted to shut down this "ministry" they would do it. They arrested Maria Ressa several times over taxes evasion and libel. They even dragged her before the SEC and revoked Rappler's registration. If they wanted to get the owners of Kapa they could do it end of story and it appears some local officials do not want to go after them.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1128254/occidental-mindoro-town-treasurer-gunned-down |
Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, the Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan police information officer, said Reydante de Lara, 53, was traversing the national road onboard his motorcycle when, at Sitio (sub-village) Esperanza in Barangay (village) Mulawin, two unidentified gunmen riding in tandem on a motorcycle shot him at around 6:30 p.m. Lara died on the spot.
Another LGU official assassinated by motorcycle killers.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1128590/incoming-mayor-isko-to-launch-probe-as-boystown-hole-yields-unspoiled-food |
A 10-foot hole inside a controversial facility for abandoned children and elderly yielded piles of food stuff which Mayor-elect Isko Moreno Domagoso said were signs of a sabotage against his incoming administration even at the expense of the needy.
Domagoso on Monday (June 10) said heaps of rice, sugar, coffee, noodles, oatmeal and chocolates were buried in the hole but these were not spoiled or past their expiry dates.
“The food stuff was not spoiled,” said Domagoso, who defeated outgoing Mayor Joseph Estrada by a landslide and became one of the young politicians able to topple a political dynasty.
“These are still fit to eat and could still benefit children and the elderly living in Boystown and who have nothing to eat,” Domagoso said.
“This is clearly an attempt to sabotage the city government of Manila,” he said in a statement, referring to his incoming administration.
“These are government property,” Domagoso said. “If they would be thrown away, the head of the center should be informed,” he said.
Domagoso conducted an inspection in response to social media reports that food products had been dumped at the Boystown in an attempt to hide these from the incoming administration.
Throwing away food owned by the city and intended to feed orphans and the elderly is indeed callous and sickening.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/238663/senator-bato-challenges-critics-to-a-debate |
Senator-elect Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is challenging critics, or persons who are doubting his intelligence to serve as senator, to a face-to-face debate.
“Kinsa nang mga tawhana, iatubang kanako, debatihon nako bisag usa pa ka tuig. Kun moingon sila nga walay sulod akong utok, debate ta,” said Dela Rosa, who was in Cebu to celebrate his win with his Cebuano supporters.
(Who are these people who said that I am not smart enough to be a senator? Show them to me because I can have a debate with them that would go on for a year. If you say my mind is empty, then let us engage in a debate.)Dr. Bato has already admitted that he does not know what the Senate does and that he will practically be Duterte rubber stamp. What is there to debate? Nothing!
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/697468/sandigan-finds-ex-bohol-mayor-guilty-of-illegal-fee-collections/story/ |
The Sandiganbayan has found the former mayor of Carmen, Bohol guilty of illegal exaction for his supposed unlawful collection of fees from business permit applicants in 2009 amounting to P110,700.
The case stemmed from Molina and Pana's collection of P300 from more than 400 applicants of municipal business permits (business plates) between January to February 2009 despite the lack of an ordinance authorizing additional fees aside from those allowed by law.Ten years later and a decision has been rendered.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1129466/garin-says-philhealth-had-been-paying-for-a-lot-of-ghost-treatments |
(A lot of the people they have no real ailments but documents will be submited to PhilHealth to make it appear they are sick and payments will be collected.)
(The real thing is that the people are being given food, transportation fare and P500 so they will be contented and happy. But the hospital, in cahoots with doctors and PhilHealth officials, they will collect around P16,000 and sometimes P32,000.)
Garin then recounted that PhilHealth was also funding treatments of alleged fake cataract surgeries in 2006.If no one was held accountable in 2006 then no one will be held accountable in 2019 either.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out the Office of the Vice President (OVP) over several deficiencies in the implementation of its locally funded projects (LFPs) totalling P44.664 million under its Angat Buhay program.
Based on COA’s annual audit report uploaded on its website on Tuesday, the OVP transferred in 2018 a total of P44,664,978.64 to 29 cities and municipalities to finance various projects and activities as part of its Angat Buhay poverty alleviation program.
Among the deficiencies cited by the audit body was OVP’s failure to demand official receipts (ORs) as well as liquidation and accomplishment reports from the recipient local government units (LGUs), “casting doubt on the regularity, completeness and accuracy of the projects.”
Interesting because this is Robredo's signature program. Why wouldn't her office be more diligent in making sure the projects are properly implemented and accounted for?
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/697054/duterte-claims-journalist-ellen-tordesillas-has-cancer/story/ |
President Rodrigo Duterte claimed on Saturday that veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas of VERA Files has cancer.
In his interview with Pastor Apollo Quiboloy on Sonshine Media Network, Duterte alleged that Tordesillas has been soliciting financial help because of her condition.It turns out Duterte lied. Tordesillas does not have cancer and did not ask fir money when she did have it. Once again the President proves he is a liar.
In its 2018 audit report, the COA said PDEA spent P110.821 million in its local travels by Dec. 31, 2018. But airfare payments and liquidation reports amounting to P22.451 million, or 40.99 percent of the total travel expenses incurred for the period, had insufficient supporting documents.
COA added that PDEA submitted some 101 disbursement vouchers for various transactions amounting to P51.831 million which also lacked official receipts.
“This situation is not in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations and casted doubts on the validity, existence, occurrence, and regularity of the claims,” COA noted.
“The incomplete documentation of the transactions, aside from non-adherence to existing rules and regulations, rendered difficulty in ascertaining the propriety, necessity and validity of the transactions,” it added.Thank goodness for the COA which has oversight of the finances of all these departments. Not a single one is without irregularities.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/239005/dispute-between-two-mambaling-chiefs-affect-distribution-of-senior-citizen-financial-assistance |
The senior citizens of Barangay Mambaling were the latest to be affected by the continuing dispute between suspended Barangay Captain Gines Abellana and Mambaling first councilor and Acting Chief Anne Marie Palomo.
This after the distribution of the financial assistance for the senior citizens was delayed because of the standing feud between both barangay officials.
Barangay Councilor Owen Atillo, an ally of elected and suspended Barangay Captain Gines Abellana, told CDN Digital that the distribution of the cash assistance was supposed to be done at the Mambaling Barangay Hall on Thursday morning, June 13, 2019, from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
A few weeks ago these two people were preventing emergency fund from being released to fire victims. This week it's senior citizens who are suffering because of their feud.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1129762/feud-worsens-between-duterte-press-execs |
The head of the government-run Philippine Information Agency (PIA) has been stripped of authority over personnel amid an escalating internecine strife among President Rodrigo Duterte’s press officers.
PIA Director General Harold Clavite received on Tuesday an order from Communications Secretary Martin Andanar subjecting his decision to hire, fire or discipline employees to Andanar’s final approval.
Clavite responded on Wednesday through a post on his Facebook account, saying the order was one of Andanar’s “ill-advised and haphazard” decisions.
The order came a day after the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) announced that it was investigating Clavite for alleged corruption.
It said Clavite was being investigated for alleged splitting of contract for the purchase of Asean Komiks, misuse of funds for hotel accommodations, and irregularities in the production of information materials for the Employees’ Compensation Program and in the airing of the government television program “Like Pinas.”
Splitting of contract is a strategy to skirt auditing and bidding rules.
Clavite, in a Facebook post on Monday, said the allegations were baseless and unsubstantiated, and was part of a “demolition job” that had been going on since he undertook a series of financial and organizational reforms in the PIA, including a fact-finding inquiry into irregularities in the agency’s transactions.
The head of the PIA is being investigated for corruption at the urging of the PCOO. The head of the PIA calls the charges baseless and are part of a demo job for exposing corruption in the PIA. Who knows where this will go?
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| https://www.rappler.com/nation/232949-robredo-claims-presidential-electoral-win-marcos-calls-serving-assumption |
Vice President Leni Robredo on Thursday, June 13, urged the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to rule on the revision of pilot provinces, claiming “clear victory” in the electoral protest.
“Without preempting the resolution of the Honorable Tribunal, the result of the revision, recount, and re-appreciation of the ballots clearly confirm the victory of protestee Robredo. Wherefore, it is respectfully prayed to the Honorable Tribunal to immediately resolve all pending incidents after the revision and recount of the ballots from 3 pilot provinces,” said Robredo’s motion.
The protestant, defeated vice presidential candidate Bongbong Marcos, was quick to call the claim “self-serving assumptions.”
The official count from the 2016 results showed Robredo with 263,473 lead over Marcos.
Based on recount from pilot provinces Camarines Sur, Negros Oriental, and Iloilo, the Robredo camp is claiming that the lead has become 279, 215 or an increase of around 15,000 votes.
Whatever the truth is hopefully the recount can be resolved sooner rather than later.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/13/coa-wants-bi-officials-employees-charged-for-failing-to-collect-fines-from-erring-airlines/ |
The Commission on Audit has recommended the filing of administrative charges against Bureau of Immigration officials and employees for allowing the departure of aircraft owned by airlines that owe the agency over P273 million in administrative fines for bringing into the country undocumented aliens.
COA also chided BI officials for splitting job orders and purchase orders in implementation of projects and the procurement of tabulating stock forms amounting to P4.10 million and P5.23 million, respectively.
Sounds like the BI is pretty corrupt.
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| https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/06/13/eleazar-sacks-pasig-city-station-commander-for-messy-precinct/ |
NCRPO Director Major General Guillermo Eleazar sacked Thursday a station commander in Pasig City after he discovered empty bottles of liquor, water, and plastics scattered inside the precinct.
The desk officer and administrator of the precinct, whose names were withheld, were likewise removed from their post.
The PNP is doing its best to portray a clean environment and credible, effective policemen as part of the PNP transformation program 2030.
Nothing new about this. Bato sacked a few people for messy precincts. Why are there liquor bottles on any PNP precinct grounds? That should be grounds for termination!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1128161/coa-flags-navy-over-p2-26-b-deals-via-pitc |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Philippine Navy over some P2.26 billion in delayed and unimplemented deals that it coursed through the state-run Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC).
In its annual audit report, the COA said procurement outsourcing through the PITC was “ineffective” and deprived the Navy of the immediate use of the planned projects.
“The inability of the PITC to deliver the goods and services is contrary to the very purpose of procurement outsourcing which is to hasten project implementation and had resulted in accumulated huge idle funds,” the COA report, released on June 3, said.
According to the report, the Armed Forces of the Philippines tapped the PITC in 2014 to procure major goods, services and infrastructure projects for the military.
However, the COA found that the memorandum of agreement between PITC and the AFP did not specify timeliness for completion of projects outsourced to them.
Due to the inefficient system, the Philippine Navy had transferred some P2.26 billion to the PITC, but as of the end of 2018, only a measly 3.5 percent or P81.84 million worth of equipment and supplies had actually been procured.
“The lack of timeline of delivery or completion of procurement procedures … is disadvantageous to the AFP,” the COA said.
Even the Navy cannot escape the eye of the COA!
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/697591/locsin-on-reed-bank-incident-f-ck-the-international-community/story/ |
"F*ck the international community. It can be bought. This is our fight and in the end ours alone," Locsin said on Twitter.
He was replying to Twitter user @skokiemanila whose tweet to him on Wednesday read: "Formal protest.. talk talk talk.. present it to international community.. ask other friendly nation for support. (Wait) for the political result."Why is this idiot the Secretary of the Department of FOREIGN Affairs?
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