Lots of news involving China, murdered politicans and prosecutors, and just good old fashioned corruption.
“The President was just expressing his opinion,” Roque said in an interview with reporters, as he stated that there was actually no threat from the President’s enemies to oust him.
Serrano said the directive from the Comelec central office to suspend the proclamation of these winners did not cite the specific disqualifications, but it's likely that the SK candidates were overaged (or over 24 years old) and that they, including the barangay candidate, had not established enough residency in the barangays where they ran.
Why would you run for an office for which you are not qualified?
The officials include those appointed under the administrations of President Rodrigo Duterte and former President Benigno Aquino III.
Lapid, Jimenez, Singson, Paje, and Almendras are among the respondents appointed by then-President Aquino.
On the other hand, Teo, Año, Densing, Cimatu, Montano, and Villar are among the appointees of President Duterte.
Wow! Corrupt officials appointed by BOTH administrations! See how corruption transcends party?
A tale of two village officials. This one lost his re-election bid.
And this guy won his election bid.
The suspect is currently being subjected to tactical investigation at the Alegria MPS in preparation for the filing of a charge of illegal possession of firearm and ammunition, Romana said.
Drugs and guns. In the Philippines guns or drugs or both have brought down many a petty village official.
“It’s so shocking because I’m discovering something new every day. And it’s saddening because large sums of money are involved here. Not just P1 million or P2 million, but hundreds of millions,” she said.
The secretary has ordered the suspension of all DOT projects pending the results of a review by the Commission on Audit (COA).
Puyat has also ordered a review of the foreign travels made by tourism officials.
“You did not enter the government service just to tour around the world. That’s why [the government has embassy] attachés,” she said.
Teo, Puyat’s predecessor, was criticized last year after she brought her executive assistant and utility workers to a number of foreign trips.
It's not shocking to anyone paying attention to the way Filipino politicians work. Corruption reigns at every level and no department or branch of government is free from the scourge. What's shocking is that this lady is so naive. She is like those people who think all Yellow party members are evil and everyone else is clean and that Duterte is going to root out corruption. Well....SURPRISE! Corruption is still here even under Duterte.
This is not the first time a Mayor from Lanao del Sur was attacked. In 2016 one mayor did not escape.
It must be tough being a politician in such a violent area. As a mayor you would probably want a gun or two or three. Or 15!
Recovered during the raid were 15 assorted high- and low-powered firearms, including a locally made replica of a .50 caliber Barret sniper’s rifle, AK-47, and M79 grenade launchers.
Tago has been serving as Pantar mayor for the past four months. He replaced Pantar Vice Mayor Hadji Rakim Alingan, who had assumed the town’s mayorship when Exchan Limbona was killed in an ambush on December 29, 2016.
His predecessor was murdered in an ambush in 2016. He was only trying to protect himself. But this story isn't over yet!
A mayor of Lanao del Norte province who was arrested for possession of high-powered firearms has been released to the custody of an adviser of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The military released Pantar Mayor Jabar Tago after Secretary Abdullah Mama-o, Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers and Muslm Concerns, prevailed upon the military to give him custody of the local chief executive who was arrested on May 13.
Mama-o was also recently named special envoy to Kuwait.
Based on documents shared with reporters, Mama-o wrote the military on May 14 to make the demand. “It’s okay with me if only the mayor, Jabar D. Tago, will be released under my custody. The other detainees prefer to be detained by the military in Iligan City,” Mama-o wrote.
The release of Tago raises questions about the military's power in Mindanao, which is under martial law.
How much power do generals hold over their areas of responsibility? Do politicians bow to the military or is it the other way around?
In this case, the military yielded to a politician. It's a precedent that could affect how politicians perceive the military and the morale of troops implementing a crackdown on illegal firearms.
Major General Rosseler Murillo, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer: “They were released because they could be detained only for 36 hours [in the absence of charges]. We will resort to the regular filing [of cases through the prosecutor’s office]."
Rappler sources privy to what happened said Mama-o badgered the military. Murillo initially defied Mama-o, but the Malacañang executive went to Murillo's superiors.
Rappler learned Mama-o made repeated requests to the military as early as Sunday, May 13, but he was ignored. On Monday, May 14, the military confirmed the mayor's arrest.
Mama-o didn’t give up. Later on Monday, he wrote Murillo a letter formally seeking to take custody of 3 of 6 people arrested on Sunday, including the mayor.
“This shall serve as formal request that the foregoing parties be released under my custody while their case is being investigated. I assure you that they will cooperate with the military and the police should there be any investigation scheduled for their appearance,” Mama-o said in the letter.
“I am taking personal responsibility of their appearance for such investigations,” Mama-o said. The handwritten note was on the same request letter.
A day later, Tago and 5 others were released to the custody Mama-o's representative, lawyer Nur Jaypha Bacaraman-Asum.
On what grounds were these men released into Mama-o's custody? What legal authority and standing does he have? Aside from being a close friend to Duterte I'd wager none. Why did he want the mayor realised to his custody? The military says they will be filing charges but why didn't they file charges immediately? Why use a lame excuse that one can only be held for 36 hours in the absence of charges? More importantly when it's said that Mama-o appealed to Murillo's superiors just who are those superiors since Murillo is a two-starred Maj. General? Most importantly how big a role, if any, did Duterte play in releasing these men?
“This is very disturbing because this is our main beach. I’m very worried because this is closer to the shoreline than the buildings,” Cimatu told reporters after he inspected the sewerage pipeline Saturday morning.
The sewerage pipe stretches parallel to beach for at least four kilometers from Angol Road in Barangay Manoc-Manoc at the southern end of the island to Station 1 in Barangay Balabag at the northern end.
Members of a DENR team use a high-tech ground penetrating radar device to detect underground pipes illegally discharging into the waters of Boracay Island.
The sewerage pipe installed by the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA) has at least 70 manholes along the beach. The PTA (now Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority), is an agency of the Department of Tourism.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu on Saturday continued to check for violations of environmental laws in this resort island, only to find that one of the biggest violators was the government itself.
I do not understand why Inquirer often publishes the same stories with different headlines but they do and these stories are basically the same. The compliment each other so I include both. Why is the Philippine Tourism Authority constructing anything? Isn't their job to promote the country? And it turns out former PTA Sec. Teo and her husband along with 33 others are being investigated for this anomalous pipeline.
The anomaly stems from there being only one bidder but allegations that bidding was never made public. Does anyone care about the details? The gestalt is a culture of CORRUPTION!
Unfavorable road conditions, brought by water pipe repairs and heavy traffic congestion, forced organizers to call off the opening stage of the Le Tour de Filipinas on Sunday.
What was expected to be a relatively flat 157.15-kilometer cruise from Liwasang Aurora at the Quezon City Memorial Circle in Quezon City encountered several restarts due to pipe repairs in Valenzuela and Marilao in Bulacan, then came to a shuddering halt near the halfway mark at the Plazang Luma in Arayat, Pampanga because of an unexpected gridlock.
"The race was stopped for one reason: unmanageable traffic, which was rather surprising on a Sunday morning," lamented Commissaire 4 Jun Lumibao, who monitored the situation closely with Chief Commissaire Louise Jones from Australia.
"The organizers made several trips here, around four to five times, on a Sunday morning to test the traffic," Lumibao explained.
Why not name the Philippines bike race something more native? Why try to copy the name "Tour de France?" It would be a perfect time to show case the linguistic culture anyway. This laughable incident belongs in this catalogue of government corruption because it was ground to a halt by road repairs and heavy traffic. Those are two of the most ubiquitous road hazards in the nation. I bet they had already repaired those water pipes ten times in the past 5 years. I am unfamiliar with traffic in this area but I know where I live traffic flow could be greatly improved by getting all the obstacles out of the way. Obstacles like: dogs, people, barbecue stands, shanties, parked vehicles, fruit stands, fishmongers, makeshift sari sari stores, etc, etc, etc.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday showed a matrix of the alleged illicit affairs of a priest in Cagayan who was shot dead in April.
The President didn't name the slain priest, but the bond paper bore Fr. Mark Anthony Ventura's name and photo.
"Mangabit ka og asawa og sundalo, police, vice mayor, patay ka gyud," he said as he attended a fiesta celebration in Tabogon, Cebu.
(If you are having an affair with women married to soldier, military, vice mayor, you're dead.)
The matrix labeled "Possible Motive (Love Triangle)" showed eight women associated to Ventura.
Duterte also belied allegations that the New People's Army (NPA) was responsible for the killing.
Why? Why do this? What kind of President inserts himself into a murder case like this by justifying the murder and by insinuating that the murderer might be a government employee!? If an affair can get you killed then he just put all those women in danger by exposing them.
Here are his comments badly translated:
At this time, I am really playing geopolitics. You know, I have nothing America. I have nothing against the Americans. As a matter of fact, I know the bond that exist that bonds them between ...
Most of our military men and police, most of them who graduate, go to America to take special courses there. In the police, investigation, they go to Quantico. Of course, I realized that.
But you know, I am. Keep your camaraderie with them, the ties that bind you. But remember, America is not a country that is [race?] Consistent also.
One time, they would criticize me even publicly. I do not mean it but I have a country of my own and do not criticize me in public, in a press conference. Just what like [Obama?] Did.
T *** i ** [Obama?] He is bright. In a press briefing, he criticized the Philippines. He criticized the government as if we were --- the state of Puerto Rico.
So I got angry, I said, "You're Obama. L **** ka. Go to hell. "The bubbles are over.
The problem with America is this. They think that they are a separate kind from the rest of the world. They even try to pretentions that they ... It's really out there. Bigots.
When as a matter of fact, we are more bright in them. Says that, America, Americans, throw it out of the field. You did not visit the two days, all of them dead.
https://pcoo.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/20180520-SPEECH-OF-PRESIDENT-RODRIGO-ROA-DUTERTE-DURING-THE-GROUNDBREAKING-OF-VISTA-ALEGRE-HOMES.pdf
I would really like to see the statistics on how many AFP and PNP graduates deploy for training at Quantico. Often times Duterte does not know what he is talking about and I am applying that assumption to this statement. Quanitco is shorthand for saying the FBI and the Marine Corps. Are AFP and PNP personnel seriously receiving that kind of training? Or does he mean that they get extra training in the USA and not specifically Quantico? Here is one story of PNP officers receiving training in the US.
https://ph.usembassy.gov/us-homeland-security-investigations-trains-philippine-national-police-officers-united-states/ How many more are there?
Newly elected Senate President Vicente Sotto III bade a temporary goodbye to Eat Bulaga, the country's longest-running noontime television show that helped propel him to power.
"Papaalam na muna ako (I will temporarily leave)," Sotto told reporters on Monday, May 21.
Asked if this means he would no longer host the show even on Thursdays and Saturdays where there are no Senate sessions, he said: "'Di na siguro, 'di na muna. Usap kami ni Vic and Joey and Tony Tuviera." (Not yet, for now. I will talk to Vic, Joey, and Tony Tuviera.)
Sotto, his brother Vic Sotto, and friend Joey de Leon are part of the triumvirate TVJ. Tuviera, meanwhile, is the show's producer.
In an earlier interview with Rappler, Sotto attributed his "practical" thinking to the show that propelled him to power. He would not be the politician that he is today, he said, if not for Eat Bulaga!
So let me get this straight. Eat Bulaga!, a noontime variety show which he hosted, is what propelled him to power? Sotto would not be the politician he is today if not for this show?? Not legal training, not university, not real world experience with people or in government institutions but his work as a comic host of a silly variety show made him the politician he is today? Is there any nation who's politicians are as dumb and unqualified as the Philippines?
The Commission of Audit (COA) recommended the dismissal of 81 "consultants" hired by the Bulacan provincial government in 2017.
The 81 consultants were hired on 6-month contracts and were paid from P10,000 to P40,000 monthly. In 2017, a total of P20 million was reportedly spent to pay them.
Many were found to be lacking in expertise, based on COA's evaluation of their records and performance. Their assignments were vague or duplicated the jobs of regular employees.
The consultants also failed to submit necessary documents for their contracts, and they had no accomplishment reports.
The COA report released on May 15 said hiring the personnel was a violation of Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
"The consultants engaged by the management have no technical or professional expertise, with no definite expected output and their services could be performed or provided by regular plantilla personnel," the report said.
Local governments in the Philippines just throw away money on silly projects and unqualified workers.
The Department of Transportation announced it has suspended Cordillera Regional Director Jesus Eduardo Natividad for allegedly demanding and accepting money in exchange for approving applications for Certificates of Public Convenience. Natividad is also being investigated for allegedly requiring district heads for monthly remittances.
Assistant Regional Director Datu Mohammad Abbas also allegedly extorted money in exchange for the release of impounded vehicles. A separate complaint was filed against him for brandishing a gun.
The two officials were slapped with a 90-day suspension on Monday, the department said in a statement.
Bribery, extortion, and brandishing a gun will only get you a 90-day suspension in the Philippines.
Roque later on specified that Tolentino's supposed dealings involved a presidential sister, but he declined to give more details. Duterte has two sisters, Eleanore, the eldest of his siblings; and Jocellyn, who is 3 years younger than him.
"The order of the President to all government officials is not to entertain any of his relatives regarding any contract with government," said Roque.
While there had been many issues raised against Tolentino, it was his supposed defiance of Duterte's order that drove the President to fire him, said the spokesman.
Why would he consult the President's sister? What leverage does she have? Maybe this is retaliation for his statement that the Mindanao rail project is being purposely delayed so it can be totally funded by foreign loans?
Newly elected politician is a newly arrested politician!
Philippine National Police spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao said his killing may be related to cases he had handled.
Gee, you really think so? This is the 9th prosecutor or former prosecutor murdered since October 2016.
“It is high time that a nationwide call to arm the NPS be made. That self-defense trainings and mechanisms be set in place to safeguard the very lives of these selfless public servants,” he said on Wednesday.
Indeed.
Salonga pleaded guilty in misrepresenting his PDS, claiming to have graduated in 1979 with a degree in AB Journalism from the University of the Philippines.
Another fine graduate of
Recto University.
The former budget officer of the Special Action Force (SAF) kept P37 million of undisbursed additional subsistence allowance (ASA) of SAF troopers, a Senate hearing led by Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed on Tuesday.
During the Senate inquiry into the alleged illegal withholding of SAF allowance, former SAF budget officer Senior Superintendent Andre Dizon admitted that the funds remained in his custody even after he was relieved from SAF.
But Lacson asked where did the P37 million come from after he was told that the SAF allowances were used for the organized messing of SAF troopers deployed at the National Bilibid Prison.
“It’s hard to believe that you kept in your custody such amount of money,” Lacson told Dizon in Filipino.
This is a strange little case the details of which are coming out little by little. See the value of a Senate investigation? This is why there must be an investigation into the Marawi attack. All the details would be revealed.
Under the proposal approved on Tuesday's en banc session, this section reads the President may declare martial law "in case of lawless violence, invasion or rebellion, when the public safety requires it."
Former inspector general Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Bocobo said "lawless violence" refers to terrorism and violent extremism, including religious extremism.
He denied the insertion of the phrase was a "downgrading" of the requirements to warrant a declaration of martial law.
"Hindi naman downgrading. We are adopting what is the present situation and what we can foresee in the near future," he told a press briefing on Wednesday morning.
These people just don't learn. "Lawless violence" is such a broad phrase that it can, and most certainly will be, interpreted in a way that the writers of this new fangled document did not intend. Have they not learned from the Sereno debacle that wording must be exact? The Supreme Court and others interpreted the word "may" in a way the writers of the Constitution did not intend. The entire country is under threat of potential and facing actual "lawless violence" at this moment. It would be better for them to not include a provision for martial law in the first place. Why do they think the need such a provision?
"We are adopting what is the present situation and what we can foresee in the near future" likewise this is also problematic. They should be attempting to write in a way that is as universal as possible and not specific for the present. These writers can look to the present US debates on the second amendment and learn all about that.
Rep. Edcel Lagman, in a press conference, said the 8 justices should be impeached for "culpable violation of the Constitution and patent betrayal of public trust."
"Verily, the grievously errant eight Justices must be impeached for culpable violation of the Constitution and patent betrayal of public trust, among other impeachable offenses. Only a contrite and complete recantation by reconsidering their unlawful, controversial and unpopular decision can save the eight Justices from impeachment," he said.
Lagman also said he and his allies will file their complaint soon.
"Most probably by second week or the end of the first week of June. It all depends on whether the 8 justices would reconsider their decision," he said.
This is what I mean when I say the wording of any new constitution must be EXACT. All this hubbub with Sereno is over the little word "may." Now we have more threats of impeachment and who knows how that will go?
Sounds good but then you realise that most of these degrees will come from a Philippine university and having a worthless degree in tourism and hospitality management will qualify you for elected office just the same as having a law degree.
The Duterte cabinet needs to get on the same page and stay on message.
“We don’t wanna talk about this publicly… because of its implications on the MOU [memorandum of understanding],” Villanueva told reporters after the hearing.
Haha! Of course they don't want to talk about such a terrible and undiplomatic blunder publicly!
Four armed men claiming to be New People’s Army (NPA) rebels shot and killed on Wednesday a defeated candidate for barangay councilor in Sitio Calubihan, Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental province.
Rodolfo Ambong, 48, a barangay tanod who ran and lost for Tan-awan barangay councilor last May 14 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, died on the spot due to multiple bullet wounds.
Santos said Ambong was charged with murder but the case was dismissed due to the non-appearance of witnesses against him.
Police said they were looking into the possibility that the murder case had something to do with his killing.
Interesting. But why would the NPA be involved if this is related to his dismissed murder case?
Remember when bloggers and tweeters and Congressmen were calling for Aquino's head? Calling him a murderer? Calling the dengevaxia scandal genocide? And now we learn that President Duterte's daughter and two of his grandchildren have received this vaccine! Is this proof that those people are morons who caused an unnecessary panic?
Well they finally got him. How long until he has a "heart attack" in a Manila jail?
“The President told them to resign or they would be fired. He told them he did not like gambling. They are from Apeco, not Pagcor (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.),” he said.
Bertiz said the President got mad when he learned that the officials granted a 75-year gaming franchise to an unspecified free port locator.
“He also expressed anger over their issuance of permits for gambling activities outside Apeco,” he said.
He likened such permits to those issued by the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA).
One firm CEZA has allowed to conduct gambling activities outside the Cagayan free port in Sta. Ana town is Meridien Gaming, which is identified with Charlie “Atong” Ang.
Some Bicol congressmen have complained that Meridien has extended its operations to their region, and that some of its operators were engaged in illegal gambling.
“And you give these contracts for foreigners for 75 years? P..... i... di ka ba gago. Ilang presidente ang dadaanan niyan – 75 years, you must be crazy. (Son of a… you must be crazy. How many presidents will the franchise go through)?” Duterte said.
Now this is kind of strange because these permits to gambling businesses were likely given to Chinese operators who are setting up gambling sites all over the country. And we all now how much Duterte loves China.
An estimated 100,000 migrants, mostly Chinese, have flooded into pockets of the Philippines capital since September 2016, and the deluge is rippling through the city’s real estate market in ways that are unique among the world’s urban centers. While Chinese investors have been snapping up big swathes of high-end housing in Hong Kong, London and New York for years to move their money offshore, this new rush is motivated by something different: Manila’s booming gaming industry.
More than 50 offshore gambling companies that cater to overseas Chinese punters have received permits to operate in the city since President Rodrigo Duterte’s government began awarding licenses 19 months ago. While bets are placed remotely, the operators need Chinese speakers in Manila to handle everything from marketing and customer queries to payment processing for overseas clients.
I would be surprised if Duterte is unaware of this situation. If he really does not like gambling then why is this happening?
More China kowtowing and cowardice from the Palace. Sometimes the headlines speak for themselves.
This headline really gets me because on May 25th a little old lady, Sister Patricia Fox, is being booted out of the country for allegedly messing with Philippine sovereignty for criticising the government. Duterte will go after old ladies but won't dare face the dragon.
Duterte says he "has nothing America". Does he mean he does not own anything American made. If so it would be interesting to hear his excuse about his Harley Davidson.
ReplyDeleteHe is saying he has nothing against America. But I don't think that's the case. It sounds like he has plenty against America when he says Americans don't keep their promises or they are stockpiling weapons via EDCA or whatever else he says.
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