Retards in the Government 233

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

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1514009/donsol-councilor-two-other-aspirants-found-dead-in-bikoy-advinculas-rented-place

An incumbent councilor and two other personalities vying for the said local position were found dead in Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula’s rented place in Daraga, Albay, authorities reported on Friday.

According to an initial report, Advincula, 32, personally went to the police on Friday morning to report the incident, which happened on Thursday evening.

The victims were the municipal councilor of Donsol, Sorsogon, Helen Garay, 53; as well as two other aspirants for councilor in the said town identified as Karren Averilla, 44; and Xavier Mirasol, 61.

Advincula told the police that he found the victims in his rented establishment at Barangay Busay in Daraga, Albay on Thursday evening, at around 8:30 pm.

Initial investigation revealed that the suspects could have been killed at around 8:00 am, 10:30 am, and 12:30 pm, according to the report.

It can be recalled that Advincula was involved in the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video which surfaced back in 2019.

One politician and two aspiring politicians turned up dead in Bikoy's house under unexplained circumstances.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/12/21/sc-bars-ex-neda-chief-neri-from-holding-public-office

The Supreme Court has barred former government official Romulo Neri from holding public office after it found him guilty of grave misconduct for brokering the controversial NBN-ZTE deal in 2007.

Neri served as director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) from 2006 to 2007 during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In a decision promulgated July 5, 2021 but uploaded on the Supreme Court website only on Thursday, the SC Third Division dismissed Neri from service, cancelled his eligibility, forfeited his leave credits and retirement benefits and perpetually disqualified him from reemployment in government service.

“Petitioner actively brokered for ZTE's bid by using his public position despite knowing the corruption involved in the project,” the High Court said in a 19-page decision.

Neri had testified in a Senate hearing that then Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos bribed him P200 million to approve the national broadband network deal with Chinese company Zing Xing Telecommunications Equipment (ZTE), who submitted a proposal to put up a national broadband network that would link all government agencies and offices.

Former NEDA Chief Romulo Neri has been barred for life from holding any government office because of a corrupt deal he brokered back in 2007.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159505

The son of a congressman here and his companion were gunned down by an unidentified assailant on Thursday afternoon in far-flung Barangay Pagatapat.

Maj. Jerson Estanilla, City Police Station 7 commander, said an investigation is still ongoing to identify the killers of Roland Sherwin Uy, 45; and Samuel Tabalan, the caretaker of the family’s sand and gravel business.

Estanilla said they responded to a report about a shooting at around 1 p.m. at a quarry area in Pagatapat where Uy has a sand and gravel business.

Police later found the two victims dead when they arrived.

Uy is the son of Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Rolando Uy and brother of City Vice Mayor Rainier Joaquin Uy.

The victim was also serving as Carmen's village councilor at the time of his death.

A village councilor who is also the son of a Congressman was assassinated by an unknown man for unknown reasons.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159705

The chairperson of a far-flung barangay in Enrile, Cagayan was arrested for possessing high-powered guns and bullets in a raid at his residence on Friday evening, the police said in a belated report on Sunday.

Lt. Col. Efren Fernandez II, the newly installed spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-2 (Cagayan Valley), said Wilfredo Dueñas, the village leader of Liwan Sur, did not resist arrest.

Seized from him were an M-14 rifle with magazine and 12 bullets, four additional magazines with 45 bullets, a 12-gauge shotgun with a bullet, three rifle grenades, three magazines for .45 caliber handgun with 42 bullets, three homemade shotguns, two bullets for .40-caliber gun, two bullets for 9mm pistol, eight used .45 caliber cartridge cases and a magazine for M-16 rifle.

A village chief was arrested for possessing high-powered guns and bullets.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159774

Joint police and military operatives have arrested three men, including a soldier, in an entrapment operation involving the sale of firearms and ammunition in this city, officials announced Monday.

Brig. Gen. Florence Ortilla, Police Regional Office (PRO-9) director, identified the arrested suspects as Cpl. Alkhaizer Balboa, 36, assigned at Camp Enrile, this city; and his two cohorts as Rodolfo Llenado Jr., 37; and Remar Hadjiri, 43.

Ortilla said the three were arrested in an entrapment operation around 1:30 a.m. Sunday at a hotel along Gov. Camins Avenue, Barangay Canelar, here.

Ortilla said confiscated from the suspects were government-issued firearms and ammunition that included two M-16 Armalite rifles, one M60 Machinegun, one M653 rifle, two .45-caliber pistols with ammunition, 14 boxes of caliber 5.56 live ammunition, empty shells, ammunition box, gun parts, a pick-up truck, and PHP800,000 marked money.

He said the entrapment operation was launched following days of surveillance on the illegal activity of the suspects.

A soldier and two of his cohorts have been arrested for illegally selling weapons.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159772

A couple found guilty by a Marikina court of selling drugs from their home to undercover cops four years ago have been acquitted by the Supreme Court (SC), citing lapses by officers in the handling of evidence.

The SC acquitted and ordered the release from prison of Aminodin and Bernadette Rago and set aside the Marikina City Regional Trial Court Branch 193's guilty verdict on the illegal sale and possession of drugs.

After reviewing the records, the SC found compelling reasons to reverse the judgment of the Court of Appeals (CA), citing "several unexplained gaps in the chain of custody”.

Among other things, the court said there was no evidence that the seized items were properly placed in an evidence bag or container upon confiscation.

The testimony of one of the arresting lawmen also "lacked details on how he handled and stored the seized items while in transit to the police station and prior to their turnover to the forensic chemist".

There was likewise a discrepancy as to who personally received the seized items when they were turned over for the laboratory examination as it was first received by a policeman for recording purpose before it was turned over to another office for the actual examination.

"All told, the chain of custody has been broken, which the prosecution failed to adduce any justifiable reason for its non-compliance by the apprehending officers. Thus, the acquittal is in order," the SC ruled.

These people may be guilty but it just goes to show that proper procedure in handling evidence is very necessary to ensure that guilt. This is not the only case to be dismissed because PNP did not follow proper protocol.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1515301/la-union-court-dismisses-drug-case-vs-julian-ongpin

The La Union Regional Trial Court has dismissed the drug case against Julian Ongpin, son of business tycoon Roberto Ongpin in connection with several grams of cocaine found in the room that he shared with visual artist Breanna “Bree” Jonson.

“After an independent assessment of the evidence on record… the Court is constrained to dismiss the criminal case for lack of probable cause to issue a warrant of arrest against accused Julian Roberto Ongpin, in view of the utter non-compliance of the requirement of Sec. 21 of RA (Republic Act) 9165,” Presiding Judge Romeo Agacita Jr. said of San Fernando RTC Branch 27.

Section 21 of RA 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act refers to the chain of custody for authorities to strictly follow the procedure in handling confiscated drugs.

Non-compliance with the chain of custody can render the evidence inadmissible that may result in the dismissal of the case against the accused.

In Ongpin’s case, the court said the confiscated cocaine was not immediately marked during the seizure.

“Such flagrant lapse in the chain of custody puts into serious doubts the evidentiary value and integrity of the seized items,” the court said.

The court added that the police cannot also argue that there should be a presumption of regularity when they have processed the scene of the crime.

“To allow the presumption to prevail notwithstanding clear lapses of the established procedure is to negate the safeguards precisely placed by the law to ensure that no abuse is committed,” the court said.

The PNP says they will be investigating this case to see what happened and who is responsible. It sounds like they have a real problem with handling evidence.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159947

The Sandiganbayan has sentenced a former lawmaker and two others for two counts of graft in the funding of a vocational education program run by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) using Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2005.

In a 33-page decision written by Associate Justice Oscar Herrera Jr. dated November 12, the anti-graft court’s Special Second Division sentenced former Iloilo 2nd District Representative Judy Syjuco, former TESDA deputy director general for field operations Santiago Yabut Jr., and Tagipusuon Cooperative president Maria Nela Yniesta from six to eight years in prison for each count.

The three were also ordered to pay the government a total of PHP6.984 million in civil liabilities.

The pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution “more than sufficiently established the required quantum proof for the conviction of the accused of the offenses charged”, the Sandigan ruled.

On July 23, 2014, they were accused of entering into transactions with the cooperative, founded by the Syjucos in 1998, for the implementation of TESDA’s “Education for All” program.

The transaction involved a Memorandum of Agreement with the Tagipusuon Cooperative, covering its Invigorating Constituent Assistance in Reinforcing Employment (I-CARE) Program, to be funded by Judy Syjuco’s PDAF for PHP20 million.

The cooperative, according to the investigation, was unqualified at the time.

A former member of the House of Representatives and two others have been convicted for illegal using PDAF funds back in 2005.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1160015

A former soldier was arrested for possession of an unlicensed firearm at a checkpoint here, police reported Wednesday.

Maj. Carl Jayson Baynosa, Pigcawayan town police chief, said Akmad Nando Datu Manguda, 37, used to serve the military under the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade.

Manguda, of Barangay Tamontaka, Cotabato City, did not resist arrest after the police found a Bushmaster 5.56 mm rifle in his vehicle at a checkpoint in Barangay Presbitero around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

“He has no pertinent documents with him whatsoever regarding the firearm,” Baynosa said.

A former solider was caught at a checkpoint with an unlicensed weapon. 

Coronavirus Lockdown: Last Country in the World to Resume Physical Classes, Free Rides to Vax Hubs, and More!

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

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of personal hygiene. For that reason the PNP have built a toilet for one sitio in Benguet.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1911846/Baguio/Local-News/Cops-build-restroom-for-sitio-in-Benguet

WITH the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic highlighting the importance of personal hygiene, Benguet policemen built a public restroom for a small community in Tublay, Benguet.

Personnel from the 2nd Benguet Provincial Mobile Force Company constructed the restroom for the residents of Sitio Bongog in Barangay Basil while building a house for a beneficiary of their “Pabahay Handog” project.  

The expenses for the restroom were sourced from contributions of the police personnel, as well as from the donations of other individuals and stakeholders.

The construction of the public restroom is expected to benefit more or less 70 residents of the sitio.

The before and after picture is astonishing but knowing how things are in the Philippines the newly constructed CR is not that much cleaner. Still, it would be a good thing if there were more public CR's to discourage public urination and open defecation.

Residents in Kidapawan can now avail of free transportation to get vaccinated.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159397

Some 500 residents here had free rides going to vaccination centers with the support of the city’s tricycle and motor taxi groups this week.

Jabby Omandac, president of the Federation of Kidapawan City Tricycles Association (FKITA). said the initiative aims to help poor residents who want to avail of the government's vaccination rollout get to the vaccination hubs for free.

“All FKITA member-drivers, especially those based in interior villages here, are participating in the program,” he said on Wednesday.

Another group, the Kidapawan-Makilala-Matalam-M’lang Skylab Operator and Drivers Association (KiMMMASODA), also joined the program.

“Since Monday to Wednesday, we had ferried some 500 passengers to various vaccination centers in the city,” Omandac said in an interview with reporters here.

As a gesture of appreciation, the city government shouldered the commuters' supposed fares based on the rates being submitted to them daily by the FKITA and KiMMMASODA groups

According to the government there is no reason for any Filipino to not be vaccinated.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159538

As more supplies of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccines pour into the country, a consultant of the National Task Force against Covid-19 said Filipinos no longer have a reason not to get vaccinated.

"(There is no more reason to have second thoughts on whether we should be vaccinated. The supply is already here. The only thing needed to be done is the implementation or to intensify our vaccination program)," NTF Against Covid-19 medical consultant Dr. Maria Paz Corrales said during an interview shortly after the arrival of a total of 866,970 Pfizer vaccine doses at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Thursday night.

With sufficient stocks of vaccines at hand, Corrales said the government is now doing everything to ensure that Filipinos get themselves vaccinated.

"(This is why advocacy programs, invitations are now all out. All sectors, all Filipinos are now being urged to get themselves vaccinated. Supply is no longer a problem," she added.

The government is certainly doing everything it can to make sure "Filipinos get themselves vaccinated." This included making vaccine mandatory for workers were there are enough shots available.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/11/12/2140799/govt-makes-covid-19-vaccination-mandatory-site-workers-areas-enough-shots

The government has made vaccination against the coronavirus mandatory for workers in government and private firms who report on-site in areas with enough supply of the shots, Malacañang announced Friday.

Malacañang said employees who are unvaccinated cannot be terminated, but will be required to undergo regular RT-PCR or antigen testing at their own expense.

It added that all eligible workers in public transportation services in the road, rail, maritime and aviation sectors shall also be required to be fully vaccinated as a condition to continue operations.

Public and private establishments may refuse entry or deny service to people who remain unvaccinated or are partially vaccinated despite being eligible for the jab, Malacañang said.

The thing is though vaccines are not being made mandatory per se. One does not have to get vaccinated but if one chooses to not be vaccinated then they must constantly undergo RT-PCR testing. In Maguindanao one cannot even travel without showing a vax card or a negative RT-PCR test.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159751

Police authorities manning border quarantine checkpoints in this province will start implementing the “No Vaccination Card, No Entry” policy on Tuesday.

Colonel Jibin Bongcayao, Maguindanao police director, said the implementation of the new policy at border checkpoints was based on an executive order issued by the provincial government.

Bongcayao said those who have no vaccination cards must present negative results of the RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction) test with a three-day effectivity.

“While the Covid-19 infections have slowed down, the threat of the disease remains,” he added.

He added that those who will just pass by or go to other areas but must get through the province's major thoroughfares must also present a certification that they had been vaccinated.

It's all ridiculous because despite being vaccinated one can still become infected and transmit the virus to others. Having this requirement serves no purpose except to grant even more power to the authorities.

School's back in session for some students.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/11/15/2141445/after-19-months-philippines-begins-gradual-return-classrooms

Filipino students in select public schools returned to classrooms on Monday for in-person learning, the first time in almost two years since the coronavirus pandemic began.  

The Philippines became the last country in the world to resume physical classes this month per a UNICEF monitoring, with Venezuela allowing face-to-face classes in late October.  

Some 100 public schools are participating in the Department of Education's pilot study, which President Rodrigo Duterte has given his approval.  

"We are happy to see our learners inside our classrooms as we recognize the significance of face-to-face learning in their social development," DepEd said in a statement. 

The Philippines is the last nation on earth to resume physical classes. And only 100 public schools are participating because this is merely a "pilot study!" Just goes to show how backwards the Philippines' response to the pandemic really is.

But not only have classes in a few schools resumed but now children in QC can go out and play in child-friendly safe zones.

https://mb.com.ph/2021/11/11/qc-govt-allows-minors-to-enter-child-friendly-safe-zones/

The Quezon City government announced on Thursday, Nov.11, that minors are now allowed to enter parks, malls, and commercial establishments that are classified as “child-friendly safe zones.” 

These zones include the Quezon Memorial Circle, La Mesa Ecopark, Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center, parks located in different barangays, malls, and other confined spaces with “safety seals”. 

Minors can visit the said places regardless of vaccination status, but they should always be accompanied by their parents/guardians who already got their COVID-19 jabs.

All throughout this pandemic I have seen children out and about playing and at stores. It's as if no one was really enforcing the rules.

What's the best Christmas present you can get your family members? Getting vaccinated of course!

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1160001

The best Christmas gift one can give their loved ones this holiday season is to get vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019, National Task Force (NTF) Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., said.

“The best Christmas gift that we can give to ourselves, our families, our friends and co-workers, and everyone in the community is to have ourselves vaccinated. Get the Covid-19 jab now so we can have a better and safer Christmas,” he said in a news release.

At the prospect of being injected with an experimental mRNA vaccine of which the long term effects are not known, which does not prevent infection, and still allows one to transmit the virus perhaps even Santa Claus would say, "No, no, no!"

Hi, My Name is...18

There's more people to meet in the Philippines. Come say hi to all the Riff-raff.

Hi, we are the Callanta family. One night when our son Jomil came home on his motorcycle another motorcycle pulls dup behind him and started firing. My wife Marvic and I ran out to rescue him and we got caught up in the hail of bullets. You know what they say, The Family That Gets Shot Together Stays Together.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1499568/family-survives-shooting-incident-in-urdaneta-city

Three members of a family — husband and wife and their son — were injured after surviving a shooting incident early morning Saturday in this city.

Police report said victims Armando Callanta, 62; his wife Marivic, 60; and their son Jomil, 30, were attacked by a gunman at around 4 a.m. in front of their house in Catablan village.

Investigation showed that Jomil had just arrived from work and was about to park his motorcycle in front of their house when the suspect, who was riding on a motorcycle with a partner, shot him.

His parents went out of the house to rescue him when the suspect also shot them several times.

The victims sustained bullet wounds in their legs and hands and were taken to the Urdaneta District Hospital for medical treatment.

Hola, me llamo Franco Sanchez. I am from Spain but I have been living in the Philippines for a while now. Long enough to have met a young girl online and go on some dates with her. We also took drugs and had sex at my place. Fun times. But, what a coincidence, this same girl was also the girl a senior US diplomat is accused of sexually abusing. What a small world!

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/10/14/2134114/arraignment-spanish-man-charged-child-abuse-child-pornography-set

A Spanish man accused of sexually abusing and taking videos of his acts with a 15-year-old Filipino girl, the same victim in the case against a former US diplomat, is set to be arraigned before a Taguig court on Friday.

Justice Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said Franco Sanchez is facing ten counts of child abuse charges and a case of alleged violation of anti-child pornography law for sexual abuse of a 15-year-old Filipino girl before a local court.

The DOJ earlier said that Sanchez and the minor victim met on different dates from December 2020 to February 2021. The two met online and he would fetch her and bring her to his residence in Taguig City where they allegedly used illegal drugs and had sexual intercourse.

In a separate incident, Sanchez allegedly filmed the victim’s sexual act with him and a certain “Gill.”

The victim in Sanchez’s case is also the same girl who was sexually abused by former US diplomat Dean Edward Cheves, who was indicted by a Virginia court for sexual acts with a minor and who faces a separate child abuse and child pornography charges before a Pasay court.

Hi, my name is Francisco Loreno Jr. I fled to the Philippines to avoid facing child molestation charges back in the USA but I was caught not long after I arrived.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1156677

An American citizen of Filipino descent, who has a standing arrest warrant in the United States for child molestation, has been arrested in a joint operation Thursday.

In its initial report, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), one of the agencies that carried out the operation, said 47-year-old Francisco Loreno Jr. was arrested at a hotel in Mandaluyong City after the US Embassy reported that has an arrest warrant.

“(After his arrival from a Japan Airlines plane, the US Embassy immediately coordinated with the PCG to investigate the suspect in a hotel in Mandaluyong City where he checked-in since October 8, 2021),” the PCG said.

The investigation began on October 9 and was followed by the PCG’s coordination with the Bureau of Immigration for Loreno’s arrest.

“Dinala siya ng mga otoridad sa US Embassy para agad na maasikaso ang repatriation sa Amerika (he was brought by the authorities to the US Embassy for the immediate processing of his repatriation to the US),” the PCG said.

Hi, my name is Maria Elena Belos Peque. I was a contract worker for San Carlos City until I was assassinated by a gunman while riding to work. Strangely enough my husband was also assassinated a few months before me. Depending on who you ask this was either over a land dispute or a debt I owed. Well, I sure won't be remitting that debt now.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1504337/worker-killed-months-after-husband-slain-in-san-carlos-city

A job order worker of San Carlos City was shot to death Monday, months after her husband was also killed.

Maria Elena Belos Peque, 40, was on board a tricycle on the way to the San Carlos City Hall when she was shot by a gunman on a motorcycle, the police said.

The victim suffered a gunshot wound on the head. She was rushed to the San Carlos City Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

“It is possible that she was killed over a land dispute that allegedly also was the motive for the killing of her husband early this year,” the police said.

Mayor Renato Gustilo said Peque was a job order worker assigned at the city government’s accounting office.

Gustilo said there were talks that she was killed because of an unpaid debt.

Hi, my name is Renalyn Maming. I was a prostitue in Bacolod City. Most of my clients were truck drivers whom I also stole from. I was walking my usual route when a motorcycle pulled up and both riders fired at me. One of them shot me in the eyebrow which is what killed me.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1912119/Bacolod/Local-News/Commercial-sex-worker-shot-dead

A COMMERCIAL sex worker was shot dead by an unidentified assailant on board a motorcycle at the Reclamation Area, Barangay 2, Bacolod City Wednesday, November 3, 2021.

Police Lieutenant Jonito Pastrana, deputy commander of Police Station 2, identified the fatality as Renalyn Maming, 23, of La Castellana town, Negros Occidental.  

Pastrana said the victim was walking along the reclamation area when the suspect along with his companion shot her around 1:20 p.m.

He said the victim succumbed to a lone gunshot wound on her left eyebrow.

An empty shell believed to be of a .45 caliber revolver was recovered from the crime scene.

Pastrana said the victim has several records for theft victimizing her clients, who are mostly truck drivers.

He said three days ago, an unidentified man was looking for her claiming that she stole his personal belongings.

Police Station 2 is still conducting further investigation to determine the motive and to identify the suspect.

Hi, my name is (has been withheld by the police.) I have been suffering mental problems for the past five years. One day my older sister was preparing breakfast and I jsut lost it. I took a bolo and hacked her to death and then I hacked my brother. He did not die but he was seriously wounded. I also wounded a man who came over to help. Thankfully I will not be facing criminal charges because I am mentally-ill.

https://dailyguardian.com.ph/mentally-ill-woman-kills-sister-injures-brother/

A senior citizen died while her younger brother was injured after they were hacked by their sibling at Sitio Cadiacap A, Barangay Tapi, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental last Tuesday.

Police identified the fatality as Elisa Tabujara, 72 while the wounded victim was Herman Nabaja, 55.

Police Lieutenant Dennis Melgarejo, deputy police chief of Kabankalan City Police Station, said the 58-year-old suspect, whose name was withheld, entered Tabujara’s house early that day and suddenly attacked the latter with a bolo while she was preparing to cook rice.

Tabujara shouted for help, prompting Nabaja to respond, but he was also hacked by the suspect who resided near the victims, Melgarejo said.

Tabujara succumbed to hack wounds in her head, right shoulder, and back, while Nabaja is confined at a hospital after suffering hack wounds in the head and left arm.

Melgarejo said there was no commotion or argument that happened among the siblings that day.

The family told the police that the suspect was not able to sleep for about two days, and had not taken her medicine.

The suspect has been suffering from a mental illness for five years now but this was the first time she went violent, Melgarejo said.

Melgarejo said the suspect is now in the custody of her daughter, as no charges could be filed against her due to her medical condition.

Hi, my name is Charles Lee Frazier. I don't live in the Philippines at all. I live in Ohio. Between April and July 2019 I paid several Filipinas to send me lewd pictures of their children. I also talked to them about rape and infanticide. A court sentenced me to 27 years in prison.

https://www.cleveland.com/court-justice/2021/11/ohio-man-gets-27-years-in-prison-for-paying-poor-filipino-mothers-for-child-porn.html

A southwest Ohio man who already was a registered sex offender was sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison after he admitted he paid poor women in the Philippines to send him pornographic images of children.

Charles Lee Frazier, 42, of Sidney, pleaded guilty in March to attempting to produce child pornography. He was sentenced Friday to 27 years in prison. 

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio says court documents show Frazier used Filipino dating sites to connect with women in poverty. He then communicated with the women using Skype, asking them for sexually explicit pictures of their children in exchange for money, prosecutors say.

Frazier also sent child-pornography images to the women as examples of what he wanted them to create with their children. He also asked the women to show the images to their children in an attempt to convince them to engage in sexual behavior, court records show.

The documents say Frazier discussed committing violent acts against children, including killing infants during sexual assaults.

From April through July 2019, Frazier sent money to women in the Philippines in exchange for child pornography, documents show. Frazier sent about $800 to one individual for nude images of a 7-year-old girl. Authorities say that one of the women said she needed the money for food.

Frazier was a registered sex offender at the time of the offense, convicted in 2011 for receiving child pornography. He was sentenced to 84 months in prison for that conviction.

Insurgency: Court Voids Warrant

The PNP-AFP have done a bad thing. One of the baddest things they could have done. If you recall back in March a warrant was served on several suspected communists. Nine people ended up dead. Turns out one of the warrant was total rubbish.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/809196/batangas-court-voids-bloody-sunday-search-warrant/story/

A Tanauan City court has voided a search warrant issued against an activist whose home was among those raided by policemen during the "Bloody Sunday" operations in March that left nine people dead.

In an eight-page decision, the court also declared as quashed the information against Erlindo Baez, a Bayan coordinator in Batangas, and the cases against him as dismissed.

“Under the Constitution, any evidence obtained in violation of a person’s right against unreasonable searches and seizure shall be inadmissible for any purpose or proceeding,” the court's decision read.

The court also ordered the Tanauan City Police to release Baez from custody.

According to the decision, requisites for the issuance of a search warrant include specific description of the place that must be searched, among others.

The court said the search warrant issued by Presiding Judge Jason Zapanta of Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 74 only commanded officers to make an immediate search at “Brgy. San Vincente, Sto. Tomas City, Batangas.”

It further said that no pictures or documents were attached that would aid the officers in their search.

“It is therefore clear that the subject search warrants failed to specifically and sufficiently describe the place to be searched,” the court said.

If there was anything in that house incriminating Baez it is now worthless. But remember when then PNP Chief Sinas insisted that all the warrants were completely valid?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/113287

“It's a legitimate operation because they are covered by search warrants. Kung alam niyo kung gaano kahirap kumuha ng search warrants then naintindihan niyo you have to justify the charge, witnesses (If you know how difficult it is to get search warrants, then you understand that). Those are legitimate operations covered properly by the documents issued by the court,” Sinas told reporters when sought for comment on Monday.

Search warrants are difficult to get? Apparently not in this instance nor in a previous instance in Bacolod.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/03/09/2083107/search-warrant-qc-led-arrest-bayan-activists-bacolod-quashed

A Bacolod City court has quashed the search warrant issued by Quezon City Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert that led to the arrest of several activists in Bacolod in 2019.

In a statement, NUPL Panay Chapter said the Bacolod City Regional Trial Court Branch 42 granted the Motions to Quash Search Warrant and Suppress Evidence filed by Karina Mae De La Cerna, Cherryl Catalogo and John Milton Lozande.

It added that similar motions were granted in the cases against Proseso Quiatchon, Albert De La Cerna and Noli Rosales.

NUPL Panay said the accused were arrested following the police’s implementation of search warrants issued by Villavert in the office of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) in Bacolod City. They were charged with violation of Comprehensive Firearm and Ammunition Regulation Act — one of the common cases filed against activists that have kept them in jail.

In resolving their motion, Acting Presiding Judge Ana Celeste Bernad ordered the quashal of the search warrant over “non-conformity with established constitutional rules and the evidence.”

This is the second reported nullification of search warrant issued by Villavert. The Mandaluyong court in February declared as void the search warrant that was implemented and led to the arrest of Manila Today editor Lady Ann Salem and trade unionist Rodrigo Esparago.

In the case against the Bacolod activists, the court said the search warrant failed to “describe the place with particularity,” as it noted that it only identified one place but upon their ocular inspection, there are three structures in the compound.

The court stressed that the validity of search warrant does not only rest on probable cause as determined by judge upon application. “[I]t is essential too, that it particularly describe the place to be searched, the manifest intention being that the search be confined strictly to the place so described,” it said.

These activists were jailed for two years all because of a warrant that should never have been issued in the first place. Along with declaring the CPP-NPA soon to be irrelevant the issuing of faulty warrants is a huge problem for the PNP. It leads to cases being tossed and only serves to tarnish their reputation and the reputation of the courts who issue them. Sadly this problem is not going away anytime soon.

Activism may be a front for the communists but it is not in and of itself illegal. Neutralizing activists certainly has not stopped the 53 year insurgency.  Likewise banning books won't stop the insurgency either.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1512755/book-industry-group-joins-protest-vs-library-purge

According to the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), the removal of books with sensitive or challenging content is a violation of freedom in publishing and freedom of thought, and impedes critical thinking and empathy.

“When we ban certain books, we teach our young to retreat to silence when they need to speak. We push them to close their ears from fear when they need to listen, and we let them grow blind to what they should see,” it said in a recent statement.

It commended UP Visayas Chancellor Clement Camposano for refusing to follow the lead of Kalinga State University, Isabela State University, and Aklan State University in purging their libraries of books and documents deemed subversive.

“If we are afraid of books, then we have a problem,” he said.

That could not have been said better. If books are to be feared then there is a problem. But why is the PNP-AFP concentrating on so-called subversive material in college libraries now? According to Philippine Army Commander Lt. Gen. Andres Centino the NTF-ELCAC has allowed troops to focus more on combat ops.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1158720

Philippine Army (PA) commander Lt. Gen. Andres Centino said the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has allowed troops to focus more on combat missions and security operations.

"The NTF-ELCAC, which relies on the comprehensive whole-of-nation approach in solving the insurgency problem, allowed our troops to focus on combat missions and security operations," Centino said in a statement posted at the PA's Facebook page on Thursday.

Communist insurgents suffered a massive blow with the death of top New People's Army (NPA) commander Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos. He died in an encounter in the hinterlands of Impasug-ong, Bukidnon last October 30.

What is being said here is that because of the NTF-ELCAC enough active NPA fighters have surrendered that the AFP does not have to worry about fighting them or coercing them to come out of hiding. Now the government's bribery program is lucrative enough that one would have to be a fool to not surrender and avail of all the offered benefits. That means the government can focus on the big fish like Ka Oris. But they are also pressuring college libraries to remove subversive material even if it can be proved no one have ever checked out those books. Why? In one instance there was no evidence that the books had ever been checked out.

Lt. Gen. Andres Centino is the newly appointed AFP Chief and in his inauguration speech he told his troops that the final blow versus the Reds must be dealt soon in order to meet Duterte's deadline of defeating the insurgency before his term expires.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1514194/centino-tells-troops-deal-final-blow-vs-reds-to-meet-duterte-deadline

“Our commander-in-chief has entrusted to us a crucial responsibility—to end the local armed conflict before the end of his presidential term on 30 June 2022,” he said in his assumption speech on Friday (Nov. 12).

“We must unleash our full force for the final blow that will ultimately destroy and defeat the enemies of the state,” he said.

The Philippines has one of the world’s longest-running insurgency, with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army waging a guerrilla war for more than 50 years.

Centino said the military welcomes insurgents who want to return to the government fold, but warned rebels who would keep fighting that “the full wrath of the AFP will hit you hard to the brink of your extinction in the face of our society.”

Every President since Marcos has tasked the AFP with defeating the insurgency by the end of their term. It's a total PR move that, if actually done, would give all credit to the current President. This kind of deadline does not take into account realties on the ground and causes false hopes. It is one reason among many that the AFP cannot properly defeat the insurgency. They are too busy trying to rush things to appease the current President, whoever he may be.

In fact, Centino is so bold as to proclaim that the AFP is close to defeating every security threat.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1159614

In his assumption speech, Centino said the winning streak of the AFP can be attributed to the "firm conviction and full support of our Commander-in-Chief," a reference to President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

"The AFP also enjoys a plus 74 or excellent net satisfaction rating (among) Filipinos based on the most recent social weather station survey. These assurances fuel the dauntless spirit of the men and women of the organization in conquering the challenges of the day. From internal security to external defense, and the ramifications of the unseen enemy during this Covid-19 pandemic," he added.

Centino also said the AFP is more than motivated in carrying out its core purpose of protecting the people and securing the state.

"With the issuance of Executive Order 70 and the creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in the country, we will continue to pursue a whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach against all threats. Our relentless operations against the terrorists will ensure a physically and psychologically secured environment conducive for inclusive progress," he added.

Under his leadership as the 57th AFP chief, Centino said that there will be four priority thrusts that will serve as a "baseline and guiding mechanisms" in accomplishing missions in the organization.

These are operational efficiency, optimal use of resources, advancing professionalism and meritocracy in the AFP, and capability development.

This haughty assurance is all based on the NTF-ELCAC. Apparently without this program the AFP absolutely cannot defeat the communists. It just goes to show how weak the AFP is when the government has to resort to bribery to defeat the insurgency. Are we really to believe that the AFP could not bring the insurgency to an end until EO 70 established that program? That is inconceivable seeing as this is not the first communist rebellion in the Philippines. The Hukbalahap Rebellion lasted 12 years from 1942-1954. Military might put an end to it, not bribery.

Despite the operations of the NTF-ELCAC since 2018 the CPP-NPA has continued to amass billions of pesos.  In Northeast Mindanao alone they have collected 1 billion pesos since 2016.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1158365

The Army's 4th Infantry Division (4ID) on Sunday revealed that the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) of the New People’s Army (NPA) has collected PHP1 billion in the last half decade – the biggest amount of communist extortion money in the Philippines.

 

Col. Edmund delos Santos, 4ID's civil-military operations officer, in a press conference Sunday, said based on their monitoring since 2016, the NEMRC has collected an average of PHP200 million yearly totaling to over PHP1 billion in the last five years.

"The collection from Caraga region comprised 60 percent of the overall extortion nationwide, some of the collections are also used to fund (NPA regional committees in) other regions," he said.

 

Maj. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., 4ID commander, said the NEMRC is where Myrna Sularte, alias Maria Malaya, operates collecting "revolutionary taxes" from private businesses such as mining and construction companies.

Sularte, the NEMRC secretary, is the wife of NPA spokesperson and national operations command (NOC) officer Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, who was killed during an encounter with the Army’s 403rd Brigade forces in Impasugong, Bukidnon on October 30.

This 1 billion pesos is only 60% of the total nationwide which means the total is about 1.6 billion pesos. That is whole a lot which is why the AFP is now going after Ka Oris's wife but that does not include the P5.8 billion collected from foreign donations.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/08/03/2117131/cpp-npa-collected-p58-billion-foreign-donations

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) was allegedly able to collect P5.8 billion in foreign donations and revolutionary taxes from 2016 to 2018, officials said yesterday.

The money was allegedly used by the communists to finance their terrorist activities and support the lifestyles of their leaders.

The NICA said the communist group exploited the issues on human rights and indigenous peoples (IPs) to convince their donors to donate.

Monteagudo said that another source of the communists’ funding is the “revolutionary tax,” which NPA guerrillas impose and extort from businesses in rural and remote areas.

“Aside from terrorism, the funds were also used to support the lifestyle of their leaders allegedly like Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, who was supposedly using the money to finance his son’s education in Poland, as mentioned by President Duterte during his last State of the Nation Address,” Monteagudo said.

NICA director Monteagudo apparently has no idea if what he is saying is true. That is why he says Zarate allegedly and supposedly has used this money to finance his sons education in Poland. Why would a Filipino seek an education in Poland? This kind of non-committal statement coming from the director of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency is outrageous. Either Zarate is or he is not utilizing CPP-NPA funds. It should be a straight forward process to determine the truth but instead the head of NICA is relying on unproven allegations. That is how the PNP ends up with warrants that ultimately end up being voided. It's one big cycle of faulty intel and spurious allegations and there seems to be no end to it.