Friday, April 13, 2018

Retards in the Government Part 44

It's part 44 of Retards in the Government.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/04/06/18/piol-duterte-ordered-nfa-council-abolition
Pretty sure he cannot actually legally do this.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/04/06/duterte-plans-to-take-over-supervision-of-nfa-and-its-policy-making-body/
Roque also maintained that the NFA Council headed by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. would not be abolished, contrary to earlier reports. 
“It’s NFA that will be transferred to Office of the President with the NFA Council,” he said.
Yeah Duterte can't just abolish the office outright.  But he can restructure it so that all the powers of the NFA Council are essentially vested in him with the council itself being merely a rubber-stamp.
http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/04/07/duterte-to-NFA-ignore-council-import-rice.html
"Sinabi ko na sa kanya [I told him], 'Ignore the Rice Council which is mandated by law, go ahead and make the importations,'" he said in a speech during a dinner concert in Pasay City.
The nations top law enforcer who is out against any whiff of corruption telling the NFA Secretary Aquino to ignore the law is...I am left speechless. There are now words to adequately describe these kinds of shenanigans.  The epitome of corruption perhaps?

http://business.inquirer.net/248752/ph-import-500000-mt-rice-year
NFA Administrator Jason Aquino has ordered the importation of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice under the government-to-government (G2G) scheme. While the G2G scheme is believed to be more prone to corruption and less transparent since it does not require the disclosure of the bidding’s base price, its procurement process is considered the fastest.
Each grain of rice imported by the NFA now represents so much corruption.  A scoop of corruption to go with your liempo. Sarap!
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/980484/pnp-chief-clears-cebu-city-mayor-of-drug-links
Both the PNP and the PDEA have cleared the Mayor of Cebu from having any drug links. So was former DOJ Sec Aguirre lying? Or are the PDEA and the PNP lying? An affidavit from 2016 and no links established yet.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/649066/pathologist-challenges-phl-officials-view-that-us-cameraman-committed-suicide-in-cebu-jail/story/
If the PNP murdered this guy it would not be the first time PNP officers murdered a foreigner. See the case of Jee Ick Joo.

https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2018/04/06/1803406/bus-accidents-prompt-dpwh-conduct-road-safety-audits
In the Philippines there is no such thing as preventative safety measures. Horrible accidents have to happen before anyone cares enough to check on the conditions of roads or construction sites or make sure building are up to code.
PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the relief of all personnel of Land Transportation Office (LTO) assigned in the truck weighing station in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya following complaints of extortion activities in the area. 
Piñol said as much as 1,000 trucks pass through the weighing scale everyday and the extorted money amounted from P500,000 to P1 million daily or up to P30 million every month. 
“They said that this has been going on for over 10 years now and previous administrations seemed helpless in stopping the extortion operations,” he added.
This sounds good but if these allegations are true and for 10 years these men have been extorting truck drivers out of millions of pesos then they need to be charged with a crime and not just relieved from their jobs.
“We cannot guarantee there will be no blood in our campaign against illegal drugs,” said Albayalde, who is also the current chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). 
Albayalde said he would continue implementing the programs of PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa in addressing the country’s drug problem.
"Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." But why should it be any different.  He will do as the President, at who's pleasure he serves, tells him. No more. No less.
"Our plan is to initially lower the tax rate for corporations from 30% to 25%. But our proposal to Congress is to allow us to do that only if there is a reduction in the amount that we provide for incentives," Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez said on Tuesday.  
"Some guys have been receiving incentives for 40 years... Shouldn't people grow up and compete with the rest of the world?" he said.  
Dominguez said they will retain tax incentives, but they need to make sure the country gets something in return. 
There's more tax reform to come. At the end of the month, the Finance department will file TRAIN 2+, updating taxes on tobacco, alcohol, mining and gambling. TRAIN 3 will be submitted by the end 2018, covering property taxes. To be submitted in 2019 is TRAIN 4, which covers taxes on investments.
If you thought the first TRAIN bill, which cut income taxes by raising excise taxes thereby increasing inflation, was a wreck you ain't seen nothing yet. Note that there are 3 more TRAINs making their way through the Congress. The DOF wants to cut incentives for corporations and compensate for the by providing a tax rate of 25%. Funny how DOF Sec Dominguez says, "Shouldn't people grow up and compete with the rest of the world?" when the Philippines has been the recipient, with the permission of the WTO, of quantitative restrictions on rice imports along with a special tariff rate since 1995 all because they cannot compete in the free market.

How do corporate investors feel about TRAIN 2?
https://www.philstar.com/business/2018/04/08/1803796/train-2-fears-stall-manufacturing-growth
Fears emanating from the second tax reform package continued to drag new investments into the local information technology (IT) and manufacturing sectors. 
“No one is closing or stopping but no new investments in manufacturing and IT until investors know the TRAIN 2 result,” Plaza said. 
“Foreign chambers and industry locators/organizations are submitting their position paper on TRAIN 2 appealing not to change the incentives because they have seen continuing investments,” she added. 
“Government knows why (there is a drop) because business chambers, foreign embassies, and industry locators sent their petitions to the DOF and Congress about their opposition to TRAIN 2. Industries are fighting for retention of PEZA incentives,” Plaza said. 
In 2017, PEZA recorded its worst year for new IT and manufacturing investments. 
Despite ending the year with an 8.89 percent growth in total investment approvals, PEZA registered total IT investments of P15.56 billion and manufacturing investments of P48.36 billion, the lowest for both sectors in PEZA’s history. 
“Manufacturing firms don’t want to invest if there is uncertaintybecause in manufacturing, it requires huge investment in equipment and machine,” PEZA manager for promotion and public relations Elmer San Pascual  earlier said.
Manufacturers are afraid. They don't want to lose the incentives that allows them to continue to invest in the country. How does this square with the recent survey that the Philippines is the number one place to invest? If there is fear about TRAIN 2 then how will the Philippines attract the industries they hope to bring to the country?
Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez and aerospace industry officials, in a briefing at the Clark Freeport Zone yesterday, said the country is well positioned to become a regional hub for the industry. 
Lopez said the industry is considered “very essential for the future of our country” given its huge potential for jobs generation and export earnings. 
“The Philippine aerospace industry has chartered significant growth in the last few years and we see this emerging industry ready to compete in the global market. We see the Philippines participating more not only in the global supply chain of aircraft manufacturing but also in the maintenance of these aircraft,” Lopez said. 
Damien Damperon, vice president of the Aerospace Industries Association of the Philippines, said the Philippines is an enticing market for investors in the aerospace industry “mainly because of the high educational level of people combined with amazing work ethics demonstrated every day.” 
“Investing in the Philippines today is a very wise choice for investors,” Damperon said.
You can't blame these guys who want to Aim High and increase the aerospace industry to the Philippines. But how is investing in the Philippines today a wise choice when the economic situation is uncertain? Did the men they speak with have any knowledge of TRAIN 2 and disappearing incentives? Empty phrases like "very wise choice for investors" or "amazing work ethics demonstrated every day" are not going to cut it. Investors need stability and reliability in the economically and with the people. Where are these highly educated and deeply ethical workers in the Philippines?
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/980714/doh-records-871-new-cases-of-hiv-infections-in-february
In addition, 723 cases, or 86 percent, were newly diagnosed infections involving males who had sex with males. A third of the 871 new cases were from Metro Manila.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/pinoyabroad/news/649279/doh-data-show-5-537-ofws-have-hiv-aids-says-lawmaker/story/
Bertiz said that based on the DOH's registry, 4,763 of the infected OFWs are male. 
He added that 140 OFWs have been newly diagnosed with HIV from January to February this year. 
The new HIV-positive OFWs include 129 males and 11 females. 
"Almost all of the OFWs in the registry acquired the infection via sexual contact," the lawmaker said. 
He said that OFWs are more susceptible to having HIV or AIDS because they are "they are exposed to foreign cultures that usually encourage high-risk behavior, including casual sex."
Both of these articles are necessary to get the bigger picture on AIDS and HIV in the Philippines. This lawmaker is actually blaming "foreign cultures" on the rise of AIDS amongst OFW's. But look at the statistics. Amongst OFWs and those in the country the newly infected are mostly men. Gay men. Does Beritz think the Philippines has a a culture which does not encourage high-risk behaviour? He is out of his mind. Filipinos are not saints and the culture here tolerates and embraces the LGBT community.  It is this specific community which is driving the AIDs increase.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/lifestyle/2017/09/08/homo-and-bi-sexuality-driven-new-aidshiv-cases-philippines-561145
For this lawmaker to blame the rise in AIDS cases on foreign cultures is outrageous. 
An October 2008 decision of the SC had classified the island as both forest and agricultural land that belongs to the government as it junked ownership claims by several resort owners. 
The SC classified the owners of resorts fronting the shoreline as merely “builders in good faith” because the area is a forestland that cannot be privatized. 
“The continued possession and considerable investment of private claimants do not automatically give them a vested right in Boracay. Nor do these give them a right to apply for a title to the land they are presently occupying,” said the 35-page decision penned by now retired Associate Justice Ruben Reyes. 
It explained that only owners with valid land titles since June 12, 1945, the date prescribed under the Public Land Act or Commonwealth Act 141, could claim ownership to their properties in the island. Most owners of beachfront properties are without titles. 
The groups lamented that even if they already spent millions to develop their respective properties, they could not be granted ownership.
This changes everything! In 2008 the SC ruled that Boracay belongs to the government and that none of the land could be privatised. Yet investment and building continued despite resort owners not being able to own the land and have a proper title. So how are these resorts even allowed to be there in the first place? Who issued building permits and on what basis? On what authority? Everyone there is a squatter! The existence of this ruling and the continuing existence of Boracay as a resort island proves that the whole matter is full of corruption. This is the Philippine way of doing business. Why would anyone want to invest here?? Is Duterte going to raze it all to the ground?

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/981162/duterte-boracay-to-be-a-land-reform-area-for-farmers-after-closure
 “You want to know now, I’m going to make the announcement. It’s going to be a land reform area for the Filipinos,” Duterte said in a press conference in Davao City before flying to China on Monday afternoon. 
 “Consider Boracay a land reform area. I will give it to the farmers, to the Filipino first,” he said. 
 “Give it to the people who need it most. That is an announcement. It will be a land reform area. Period,” added.
There is no telling what Duterte will really do. But it would be funny if all the resorts were bulldozed and the entire island turned into farmland.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/04/09/1804326/duterte-tells-sereno-i-am-now-your-enemy
“I am putting on notice that I am now your enemy. And you have to be out of the Supreme Court,” the chief executive said. 
Duterte said he would ask his ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, to expedite the impeachment process.  
"I am asking the Congress, what’s taking you too long? Do not create any crisis in this country. I will not hesitate to do what is to the best interest of my country. If it calls for your forced removal, I will do it," he said. 
The president also said that he would encourage the government’s chief lawyer, Solicitor General Jose Calida, to do his best on the quo warranto petition he filed against the chief justice. 
“I already told you Sereno that I did not meddle. If you are insisting, then count me in. Count me in and I will egg Calida [on] to do his best,” he said.
True colours shining through?
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2018/04/07/2-city-hall-employees-nabbed-drug-busts-597313
More government employees caught doing drugs.
“Basta ako [As for me] I will run under the administration ticket,” Estrada said 
“If they will not get me, I will run as an independent but I will be supportive of the administration of President Duterte no matter what happens,” the former senator said. 
Estrada also vowed to support the administration’s projects and legislative agenda for as long as these would benefit the people.
Disgusting. This man is accused of plundering millions and is out on bail despite his offence being non-bailable and is even going to speak at a conference on good government and now he is going to run for office again. If he wins a seat just remember that's what the people wanted!
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/649524/bato-mark-my-word-i-will-succeed-vs-drug-lords-in-bilibid/story/
"I will not give you the details but I tell you, mark my word, I will succeed. Hindi ako magpapatalo sa mga drug lord na 'yan, as to how I will do it, just (use) your wild imagination," he added.
Sure. Whatever. Bato said he would cleanse the PNP of rouge cops and scalawags but he didn't. He should shut up and do his job without all the theatrics.
The mayor of Caluya, Antique has been charged at the Sandiganbayan over her alleged unlawful approval of the cutting of 245 coconut trees in the municipality in 2014. 
Ombudsman prosecutors filed one count of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and one count of violation of Section 5, in relation to Section 9 of the Coconut Preservation Act against Mayor Genevive Gumban Lim-Reyes. 
Reyes allegedly "willfully, unlawfully and criminally" ordered the cutting of 254 coconut trees planted and cultivated on the five-hectare land of a certain Juliet Ramos in Barangay Tinogboc on February 28.
This happened four years ago and he is jus now being charged.  Slow moving justice in the Philippines.

“Number one, you can question why he (Osmeña) knew that the illegal drugs in Cebu City came from China. From that information, maybe he (Osmeña) has inside information about the drugs that come to Cebu City,” Duterte said. 
She added that a mayor like Osmeña wouldn’t talk about illegal drugs coming from China if he doesn’t know about the process or the system of transport. 
“That is the question that should be asked from him (Osmeña). If he has knowledge about that illegal drugs, he should report it to the police and they can work together to control the drugs coming into the city,” Duterte said. 
Second, Duterte said Osmeña must produce proof on how illegal drugs from China came into Cebu City. He owes it to the public and the authorities. 
“As local chief executive, you work with the local police to control it and arrest the suspects,” Duterte said. 
Duterte also denied Osmeña’s claim that her father, President Rodrigo Duterte is afraid to deal with China on the issue about illegal drugs. 
“That is false. The President is very passionate about his war against drugs. When it comes to illegal drugs, the authorities act regardless of country and citizenship. They do something about it,” the Davao City mayor sad.
Sara Duterte is a very disingenuous woman. Last week the Mayor of Cebu said drugs are coming from China and Duterte is afraid to confront China to stop it. This week Sara Duterte acts surprised to hear such a thing and says if Osmeña knows something he should go to the police. She says he must produce proof that illegal drugs came from China.  All right so here's the proof:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/163783/news-china-pdea-drugs-shabu-mexico-drug-cartels
It's common knowledge at this point that China is a plentiful source of illegal drugs. Why would she act so stupid? For one thing it seems there is a concerted effort to link Osmeña to the drug trade and for another she accompanied her father on his visit to China this week. She is just being basic.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/165477/duterte-ready-open-ph-doors-rohingya-refugees
Duterte has been accused of all kinds of human rights violations and he thinks they will let him accept refugees?  Where would all these people go anyway? They are Muslims so maybe put them in the ARMM where they can join ISIS and fight for the caliphate.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/200042-supreme-court-war-on-drugs-state-sponsored-killings
"The government's inclusion of these deaths among its other accomplishments may lead to the inference that these are state-sponsored killings," the SC said in a resolution released on Tuesday, April 10. 
In the resolution, the High Court denies Solicitor General Jose Calida's motion for reconsideration of the SC order for government to provide full documentation of Oplan Tokhang. Despite Calida's appeal that documents would risk national security, the SC is compelling the government to turn them over to the court. 
The SC took judicial notice of the 2017 yearend report of the Duterte administration "where deaths in cases related to illegal drugs and the internal cleansing conducted within the Philippine National Police (PNP) are touted as accomplishments." 
According to the report, 3,967 drug personalities died in anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016, to November 27, 2017, while there are 16,355 homicide cases under investigation from July 1, 2016, to September 27, 2017. 
"This is a total of 20,322 deaths during the Duterte administration's anti-drug war from July 1, 2016 to November 27, 2017, or an average of 39.46 deaths every day," the SC said. 
It added: "This Court wants to know why so many deaths happened."
The government has been loathe to turn over these documents but not that they are being forced to do so we might find out the truth of the drug war and whether or not there have been EJKs.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/981978/barangay-bets-warned-be-truthful-in-declaring-party-affiliation-or-face-consequences
Now why would a candidate lie about that?
https://www.rappler.com/nation/200009-alvarez-wants-house-representatives-impeach-sereno-may-2018
It's pretty much a done deal for Sereno.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/649829/pet-orders-leni-bongbong-camps-to-explain-disclosure-of-info-on-vp-vote-recount/story/
The Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) wants to know why the camps of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo have disclosed "sensitive" information in the ongoing vice presidential vote recount despite being ordered not to.
Like I said previously:  Corruption will ultimately be the winner in this recount.
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/649817/peter-lim-to-doj-public-outrage-is-not-evidence/story/
Assailing Aguirre's two-paragraph order, the Lim motion claimed it does not appear the erstwhile Justice chief "actually reviewed the records of this case." 
"There is no discussion whatsoever on the evidence presented by complainant, much less any error in the findings on which the resolution is based," the motion read.  
"Intriguingly, despite the voluminous records of this case, which include multiple counter-affidavits from the respondents and the parties' respective memoranda, it took the Secretary of Justice only one week to vacate the resolution without citing any factual or legal basis therefor," it added.
Dismissing this case in the first place and then reopening it because of public outrage and not the merits of the case has opened a huge can of worms. For sure his rights are being violated for having to go through this process once more. Likely he will walk. Legally he should walk. Isn't this double jeopardy? This is the Philippine justice system at work.
https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/04/12/1805294/china-commits-help-philippine-state-media
The Philippine government secured RMB 17 million (P140.8 million) worth of aid from the Chinese government to improve the country’s state media during President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to China. 
Andanar also announced that there would be a media exchange program with China, even noting that Xi emphasized the importance of the media cooperation between his country and the Philippines. 
“We all know that the Xinhua News Agency is one of the most successful news agencies in the world and the CCTV is also one of the largest broadcasting networks in the world; China Radio International also,” he said. 
The PCOO chief added: “In terms of management, in terms of the technology that they are using, we, in the Philippine government media, have so much to learn from them.” 
But the former newsreader recognized the “different ideologies and different paradigms in reporting” of the two nations.
At least Andanar recognises the differences between China and the Philippines, whatever they may be. This move is right in line with Duterte's turn to China and PDP-Laban's drive to have their members learn governance techniques from China.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2018/04/12/minglanilla-village-officials-surrender-firearms-598100
Barangay officials with unlicensed firearms. Colour me surprised!

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