It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
Nine enforcers from the Land Transportation Office in Caraga Region (LTO-13) were arrested in an entrapment operation on Thursday in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, for alleged bribery.
PRO-13 information chief Lt. Col. Jennifer Ometer said personnel from LTO Manila coordinated with the police for the entrapment operation.
Personnel from the PRO-13 intelligence division and Buenavista Municipal Police Station conducted the operation.
Ometer said the arrested suspects are now under the custody of the Buenavista police station, with charges being prepared for filing in court, Ometer said.
They face direct bribery charges and violations of Republic Act 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act).
Nine enforcers from the Land Transportation Office in Caraga Region (LTO-13) were arrested in an entrapment operation.
The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) relieved Police Major Fortunato Sabio Villafuerte, chief of the Sibulan Municipal Police Station in Negros Oriental, for failure to stop illegal gambling.
Villafuerte, who was relieved under the One Strike Policy on illegal gambling, was relieved in an order issued Thursday, June 18, by Police Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, PRO-NIR chief, following an anti-illegal gambling operation conducted by the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) in Purok Mauswagon, Barangay Looc, Sibulan on Wednesday, June 17.
A woman arrested for allegedly violating Republic Act No. 9287, the law against illegal gambling.
Recovered from the suspect were betting paraphernalia, betting records, cash believed to be gambling proceeds, and other pieces of evidence.
Under the OSP, police chiefs may be relieved from their posts when successful operations against illegal gambling, e-sabong, online gambling, or smuggled cigarettes are conducted by National Operational Support Units or the RSOG within their jurisdiction.
The policy is anchored on the principle of command responsibility and may be implemented without prejudice to further investigation and possible administrative charges.
The PRO-NIR said that Villafuerte’s relief is an administrative measure intended to strengthen accountability and ensure the effective enforcement of anti-criminality programs.
He will remain under investigation regarding command responsibility and compliance with operational directives.
Cardiño stressed that the policy serves not only as a disciplinary mechanism but also as a means to promote vigilance and proactive leadership among police commanders.
“It reinforces our commitment to accountability and command responsibility,” Cardiño said, noting that police leaders are expected to exercise effective supervision and aggressively address illegal activities within their areas of responsibility.
He added that the policy sends a clear message that complacency has no place in law enforcement and that public trust is earned through concrete results and decisive action.
To ensure uninterrupted police operations in Sibulan, Police Capt. Mary Jean Gutierrez was designated as Sibulan MPS officer-in-charge.
The National Police Commission (Napolcom)-NIR supports the implementation of the OPS, describing it as an important tool in maintaining peace and order and enhancing crime prevention efforts in the region.
The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region relieved Police Major Fortunato Sabio Villafuerte, chief of the Sibulan Municipal Police Station in Negros Oriental, for failure to stop illegal gambling.
A police officer assigned to the Police Regional Office-5 (Bicol) was arrested in an entrapment operation on Thursday, June 18, for allegedly extorting money from an applicant.
Police Lt. Col. Malu Calubaquib, spokesperson of PRO-5, said that the suspect was arrested inside Camp Gen. Simeon A. Ola here by the Regional Intelligence Unit-5 (RIU-5), the Regional Intelligence Division (RID) Tracker Team, which served as the lead unit, and the Legazpi City Police Station.
Calubaquib said the suspect is a 40-year-old police officer assigned to the Regional Medical Unit-5. He was apprehended after receiving the P38,000 boodle money from the complainant.
The suspect asked the amount from the applicant in exchange for passing the medical phase of the Philippine National Police (PNP) recruitment process.
Calubaquib said the victim sought the assistance of the police who conducted intelligence and surveillance activities.
The suspect was brought to a hospital in Legazpi City for medical examination before he was turned over to the Legazpi City Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.
The suspect faces further investigation and administrative and criminal charges.
PNP-Bicol Director Police Brig. Gen. Erosito N. Miranda said the arrest reflects the organization's intensified internal cleansing program and commitment to eliminate corruption and misconduct within their ranks.
Miranda said that recruitment and personnel selection processes within the PNP must remain merit-based, transparent, and free from any form of influence or monetary consideration.
"This serves as a stern warning that any form of irregularity or corruption within the recruitment process and the organization will not be tolerated. We will continue to intensify internal cleansing efforts to ensure that those who tarnish the name of the service are held accountable," he said.
A police officer assigned to the Police Regional Office-5 (Bicol) was arrested in an entrapment operation on Thursday, June 18, for allegedly extorting money from an applicant.
A 60-year-old former police officer and two other suspects were arrested, and over P1.3 million worth of suspected “shabu” (crystal meth) was seized in a buy-bust operation in Mandurriao District on Tuesday afternoon.
Personnel of Iloilo City Police Station 10 (ICPS10), under the leadership of Officer-in-Charge Police Captain Lester Oliveros, conducted the operation in Barangay Navais at around 2:40 p.m.
The primary suspect, a 60-year-old married resident of Barangay Navais identified by the alias “To Pepit,” is a former police officer who went absent without official leave (AWOL).
Arrested with him were alias “Mark,” 37, a mechanic from Barangay Katilingban, Molo, and alias “Noel,” 47, a driver from Barangay San Isidro, Jaro. Authorities tagged the suspects as high-value individuals (HVIs).
During the operation, law enforcers confiscated about 200 grams of suspected shabu with a Standard Drug Price (SDP) of P1,360,000.
Recovered pieces of evidence included four heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets and three knot-tied plastic sachets containing suspected shabu, along with the buy-bust item. Police also recovered marked money and other drug-related paraphernalia.
The suspects are now detained at the ICPS10 custodial facility and face charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) Director Police Colonel Wilbert Parilla commended ICPS10 personnel for the successful operation, stressing the significance of apprehending high-value individuals, including a former member of the police force.
“This serves as a strong warning to those involved in illegal drugs. We will not stop or relent in our campaign against illegal drugs, regardless of a person’s age, status, or background,” Parilla said.
He added that the ICPO will sustain aggressive, intelligence-driven, and lawful operations, with continued community support, to keep Iloilo City safe from illegal drugs.
An ex-cop has been busted for drugs.
Nine out of 281 Coast Guard District Southern Visayas (CGDSV) personnel in the Negros Island Region (NIR) tested positive for illegal drugs during a random drug test conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Barangay Calindagan, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental on Wednesday, June 17.
“They were placed under restriction until the confirmatory results will come out from PDEA,” Lt. Junior Grade Ronnielyn Lapitan, CGDSV spokesperson, said.
If they tested positive in the confirmatory test, Lapitan said that a disciplinary action will be imposed up to the maximum penalty of dismissal from the service and they will face an administrative case.
Lapitan noted that if these personnel tested negative in the confirmatory test, they will still be subjected to an investigation, but will be allowed to return to their duties.
She said that PDEA acknowledged that there are cases of false positives, thus a confirmatory test is necessary as this could determine if indeed illegal drugs caused the positive results or other factors.
Lapitan said the PDEA assured them that the confirmatory results from lloilo will not take long. She added that these personnel have no record for any offense and have taken random drug tests in the past as part of the agency’s mandate to ensure a drug-free workplace.
Lapitan stressed that the CGDSV remains committed to uphold the agency’s zero drug tolerance policy to enable them to perform their tasks and functions better and serve the public efficiently.
She said that succeeding drug testing will be conducted randomly to more than 1,000 CGDSV personnel in the region.
This is part of the PCG’s continuing efforts to uphold discipline, professionalism, and operational excellence within its ranks, reinforcing the organization’s commitment to ensuring that all personnel remain fit, competent, and capable of effectively carrying out maritime safety, maritime security, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and marine environmental protection functions.
9 Coast Guard personnel tested positive for drugs.
A police officer was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman while he was praying in a mosque in Barangay Uyaan Proper, Madamba, Lanao del Sur, at around 7:42 p.m. on Saturday.
Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia, Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) director, identified the victim as Chief Master Sgt. Alioden Sarangani, also known as Alioden, a resident of Barangay Tungantungan, Madalum, Lanao del Sur.
He was assigned to the Madamba Municipal Police Station.
According to a Madamba station police report, Sarangani was praying inside the mosque when the assailant entered and shot him, killing the victim on the spot from a gunshot wound to the head.
The assailant immediately fled the scene after the shooting.
Authorities have launched an investigation to identify the suspect and determine the motive behind the attack.
Abecia strongly condemned the incident and assured the public that efforts are underway to bring the perpetrator to justice.
A police officer was shot dead by a still unidentified gunman while he was praying in a mosque.
The Office of the Ombudsman has elevated its case against suspended Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, Vice Mayor Elanito Peña, and 11 other municipal officials after formally filing graft charges before a Cebu court over their denial of a quarry rehabilitation plan.
In a press release issued on Monday, June 22, the Ombudsman said it found probable cause to charge Enad, Peña, 10 members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and Municipal Administrator Junrie Casquejo Bragat with a violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The criminal case, filed before the Regional Trial Court in Naga City, Cebu, stemmed from the local government’s repeated refusal to approve a rehabilitation plan covering an area in Sitio Napo, Barangay Guindarohan, Minglanilla.
Charged alongside Enad and Peña were councilors Oscar Cañares Dela Calzada Jr., Samuel Gordsin Adlawan Jr., Jesus Denoyo Velez, Jeremias Llanos Cañares, Jaime Secretarya Caumeran, Jenifer Dejan Lariosa, Proserfina Laput Fajutrao, Jenny Zafra Young, Petronilo Entera Traya, and Rick Ryan Zafra.
The Ombudsman also included Bragat in the indictment.
The filing is the latest development in a case that already led to the preventive suspension of Enad, Peña, and the 10 councilors for one year beginning February 2026.
The suspension created a leadership vacuum in Minglanilla and prompted the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to facilitate temporary leadership arrangements to ensure uninterrupted government services.
Under existing succession rules, then-First Councilor Lheslen Enad assumed the role of acting mayor following the suspension of the town’s top elected officials.
The case traces its roots to reports of ground cracks discovered above a quarry site in December 2021.
Following the reports, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) conducted a geohazard assessment, which later prompted the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to issue a cease-and-desist order (CDO).
To address safety concerns, complainants Jomara Konstruct Corporation and Jomara Agri Foods and Supply Corporation submitted a rehabilitation plan for the affected area.
According to the Ombudsman, the proposal received support and technical recommendations from the MGB, EMB, and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).
Despite those endorsements, the Municipality of Minglanilla repeatedly refused to approve the plan.
The Sangguniang Bayan eventually passed resolutions denying both the rehabilitation proposal and the complainants’ applications for a Special Waste Disposal Permit.
In its resolution, the Ombudsman said the respondents acted with “evident bad faith, manifest partiality, or gross inexcusable negligence” when they rejected the rehabilitation plan despite the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ partial lifting of the cease-and-desist order to allow its implementation.
The anti-graft body also faulted the officials for allegedly disregarding technical findings and recommendations from government experts.
“Not only did the respondents reject the recommendations of the DENR, but they also deliberately ignored the findings and recommendations of the PENRO, MGB, and the Sangguniang Barangay of Guindarohan, Minglanilla, Cebu,” the Ombudsman said in its ruling.
The Ombudsman further concluded that the respondents provided an “unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference” to competitors when they disregarded recommendations to implement the rehabilitation plan.
Investigators also found sufficient basis to establish a conspiracy among the respondents.
According to the Ombudsman, the municipal council members acted in concert when they passed Sangguniang Bayan Resolution No. 271, Series of 2022, denying the rehabilitation plan, while Enad subsequently approved the measure.
The Ombudsman dismissed the complaint against the acting Sangguniang Bayan secretary for lack of merit.
With the filing of the criminal case, prosecutors will now seek to prove before the trial court that the officials violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
A finding of probable cause does not determine guilt. The respondents will have the opportunity to answer the charges and present their defense during court proceedings.
As of posting time, Enad had yet to issue a statement on the filing of the case.
CDN Digital sought his comment, but had not received a response.
The Office of the Ombudsman has elevated its case against suspended Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, Vice Mayor Elanito Peña, and 11 other municipal officials after formally filing graft charges before a Cebu court over their denial of a quarry rehabilitation plan.
An incumbent barangay chairperson was arrested in a joint anti-drug operation in Barangay Marapong, Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte on Monday.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 9–Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Office, the Sibutad Municipal Police Station–Municipal Drug Enforcement Team (MDET), and the 1st Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Mobile Force Company (ZNPMFC) conducted the operation.
Authorities identified the suspect as alias “Negro,” 41, single, and the sitting chairperson of Barangay Marapong. He was apprehended during a buy-bust operation in Purok 4. He is a resident of nearby Purok 5.
Confiscated from the suspect were approximately 5.2 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P35,360, the marked buy-bust money and a flip-top cigarette pack used to conceal the alleged drugs.
Charges for violation of Sections 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs), Article II of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are being prepared against the barangay official.
An incumbent barangay chairperson was arrested in a joint anti-drug operation.
The Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office (MOCPPO) has launched an investigation into a viral video showing a police officer allegedly mishandling and pointing his firearm at a civilian in Barangay Antipolo, Dapitan City, on Sunday night.
A video shared with the Inquirer showed the police officer pointing his gun and asking a man if he knew who he was and if they were friends. The police officer also threatened to fire his gun at the man. The incident occurred outside a store.
Col. Reynaldo Maclang, MOCPPO director, confirmed that the officer assigned to the Sapang Dalaga municipal police station has been relieved from his post and placed under restrictive custody at the provincial headquarters. He has also been disarmed pending the outcome of the probe.
Maclang stressed that the provincial office does not tolerate misconduct, abuse of authority, or irresponsible handling of firearms.
“The ongoing investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, and appropriate administrative and criminal charges will be imposed against personnel found to have violated existing laws, rules, and regulations,” he said.
The police official assured the public that the matter is being treated with “utmost seriousness and fairness” in the interest of transparency and accountability.
He added that MOCPPO remains committed to upholding professionalism, discipline, and due process.
Authorities urged the public to allow the investigation to proceed and await official findings.
The Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office has launched an investigation into a viral video showing a police officer allegedly mishandling and pointing his firearm at a civilian in Barangay Antipolo, Dapitan City.
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed two separate graft charges against Borbon, Cebu Vice Mayor Noel Dotillos before the Regional Trial Court in Bogo City over the unauthorized release of a municipal anniversary bonus in 2019 and the contracting of his wife as municipal health officer in 2024 when he was still municipal mayor.
The Ombudsman denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Dotillos and Municipal Budget Officer Teresita Cabahug and affirmed its earlier finding of probable cause to prosecute the officials.
One of the cases stemmed from the release of a ₱570,000 anniversary bonus to municipal employees in 2019 without an appropriation from the Sangguniang Bayan.
Dotillos and Cabahug argued that the absence of an appropriation for the anniversary bonus was merely a procedural lapse and did not automatically constitute graft.
They maintained that the bonus was approved and processed in good faith, believing it was lawful and beneficial to municipal employees.
However, the Ombudsman was not persuaded and upheld its earlier ruling.
“With no appropriation to support the subject disbursement, the Municipality of Borbon suffered undue injury in the amount of ₱570,000 as this sum was never supposed to be disbursed as an anniversary bonus. Simply put, the municipal government had no budget for an anniversary bonus, but respondents-movants authorized its grant anyway,” the ruling said.
In a separate case, Dotillos allegedly failed to secure prior authorization from the Sangguniang Bayan when he entered into a contract of service with his wife, retired municipal health officer Dr. Corazon Dotillos, in 2024.
The arrangement allowed Dr. Dotillos to continue serving as municipal health officer and receive compensation after her retirement.
Dr. Dotillos retired in 2021 and was granted two six-month extensions by the Civil Service Commission.
The Ombudsman said Dotillos exhibited manifest partiality or evident bad faith in entering into the contract of service with his wife.
Prosecutors alleged that the transaction gave unwarranted benefit or advantage to the mayor’s spouse and was prejudicial to public service and public interest.
“The claim that there are no physicians available or willing to work as MHO in Borbon, Cebu, is self-serving. There is no proof that the plantilla item was ever published after respondent Corazon’s retirement, and any effort was made to secure a permanent appointment for such a position. Every contract renewal required the passage of a new SB Resolution. Respondent Noel exhibited manifest partiality and/or evident bad faith when he renewed his wife’s COS on 15 April 2024 without securing the corresponding SB authorization,” the ruling said.
The Ombudsman recommended bail of ₱90,000 for each charge.
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed two separate graft charges against Borbon, Cebu Vice Mayor Noel Dotillos before the Regional Trial Court in Bogo City over the unauthorized release of a municipal anniversary bonus in 2019 and the contracting of his wife as municipal health officer in 2024 when he was still municipal mayor.
