The numbers this week: 0 politicians assassinated! What a miracle!
The case stemmed from the charge filed by Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez over the Consolidated Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) between Tagum Agricultural Development Authority (TADECO), where Floirendo's family is a major stockholder, and its subsidiary Anflo Management and Investment Corporation for the lease of land in the Davao Penal Colony to be used as a banana plantation.
The JVA was executed in 1979 which extended the period of lease for 25 years and renewed in May 2003 for another 25 years.
Alvarez had claimed Floirendo was already a member of the House of Representatives at the time the contract was renewed. Floirendo also allegedly served as a stockholder of TADECO in 2003 despite being in public office.
Another slow moving case through the Sandiganbayan.
Moreover, he said the fund allocation for a program that is not yet approved by Congress “goes beyond the logic of the program spending, planned spending of the government.”
Likewise, he questioned where the P90-million fund was sourced as it was not included in the 2018 budget.
“We are already at that stage, may na-allocate na P90 million para sa information dissemination sa federalism. Saang item [kukunin] yun under the DAP (Disbursement Acceleration Program) ruling? I don’t recall an item in the budget in 2018 on the information dissemination, campaign for federalism,” he said.
All good questions. All deserving an answer. Wish they'd do the same for Marawi and investigate that situation. At least ask questions.
Pernia explained on Thursday, August 9, during the announcement of the economy's secondquarter performance that the recent move of the BSP could address the second-round effects of rising prices. However, he also said that the move would only address demand pull inflation.
"Monetary policy is more of a demand side solution to inflation, not the supply side. But our inflation is mostly caused by the supply side– the availability of goods, high global oil prices. Those are the main causes of supply side inflation, as well as the unavailability of rice on time,” Pernia said.
“It will not directly address the supply side of inflation,” Pernia added
The economic managers of the Philippines cannot agree on sensible fiscal polices or remedies.
Based on its assessment, NIA faces delays in project implementation because of ROW issues, peace and order situation, delay in the release of funds and budget allocation process, delays incurred in the bidding process of civil works that attribute to the late start of contract works, unworkable site condition within the project area due to bad weather, ongoing farming activities, and poor contractors’ performance resulting to extension in project implementation.
For next year, NIA is seeking a budget of P55 billion, which is higher than its actual budget of P41.6 billion this year and its proposed 2018 budget of more than P50 billion.
So far the PCOO, the DND, and now this agency are all seeking budget increases. How many more agencies are wanting more money? And if the NIA cannot properly implement current projects then why should more money be given to them?
Following a five-hour meeting between President Duterte and members of the fragmented Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) last Thursday evening, the two factions – led by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and lawyer Rogelio Garcia – have yet to reconcile their differences.
Duterte mediated between the warring factions, urging them to unite or go their separate ways, presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said yesterday, adding this would be critical to the party’s position in next year’s midterm elections.
The President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, said Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), the regional political party that she leads, is willing to help the embattled PDP-Laban.
Party politics is never pretty. If the head of the party cannot unite the two factions then perhaps nothing can. Not even Sara Duterte.
Of course it does.
“An international drug syndicate will never gamble in bringing illegal drugs here if they don’t have contacts within the Customs who will help facilitate the entry,” Aquino said in a phone interview. He did not give details.
In a GMA News interview on Friday, Aquino expressed belief BOC chief Isidro Lapeña was unaware of the illegal activities of some of his men.
He said it was impossible for X-ray machine operators at the Customs to have not detected the narcotics inside the containers. “Those X-ray machines should have the capability (to detect drugs). If they don’t, then we should buy new equipment,” he said.
In a press briefing, Lapeña lamented the failure of PDEA to share intelligence information with the BOC.
“I would like to state on record that paramount in increasing our effectiveness in carrying out our mandate of border protection in the suppression and prevention of smuggling of any commodity is the timely receipt of intelligence information from the lead agencies primarily tasked to eliminate illegal drugs in the country, and the close coordination with proper authorities between agencies,” Lapena said.
“Our mechanisms are in place, and consistent with my policy to verify all derogatory information received, I would have immediately alerted all those shipments and, if necessary, the entire port to prevent the release of illegal drugs. Since my assumption, the Bureau of Customs conducted intensified and relentless efforts against any form of smuggling,” he added.
Corrupt BOC employees, no sharing of information, blah, blah, blah. 6.8 billion worth of anything does not simply walk into the Philippines. Not without help.
“Examination of the cash card balances of beneficiaries’ accounts with the LBP [Land Bank of the Philippines], prepaid card and First Consolidated Bank- Palawan, Bohol and Siquijor and other provinces revealed that as at December 31, 2017, there were 2,671,314 accounts with unwithdrawn balances totaling ₱1,323.453 million from 2008 to 2017,” CoA said.
These included 1,889,994 accounts with P1.2 billion, ranging from P501 to over P50,000, which were not withdrawn from 30 to over 2,190 days upon payout.
“It bears emphasizing that the cash grants are benefits given to the poorest municipalities, homeless and indigenous people whose economic condition is equal to or below the provincial poverty threshold to augment their day to day expenses. It is very remarkable that the accounts have very significant unwithdrawn amounts. It gives, therefore, an impression that the holders of the accounts are not in dire need of assistance for the education of their children, health needs of the family and other basic expenses of a family,” the state auditors said.
“The continuous non-withdrawal of the cash grants only showed that the holders do not need the financial assistance/cash grant and do not really belong to the poorest of the poor as well as may not be eligible to be a CCT beneficiary; thus, defeating the purpose of the 4Ps/CCT program to alleviate poverty by improving the health, nutrition, education of the poorest families, homeless and assistance to indigenous people,” it said.
It is not unheard of for corrupt authorities to sign up ghost beneficiaries as a way to launder money. Perhaps that is what is happening here. Perhaps this money is being stored for the right time by someone. Or perhaps the recipients aren't aware of how to use this money. The situation deserves more scrutiny.
Senior Inspector Christopher Obrial, 40, a commander of Police Community Precinct 10 in Pasig City, reportedly got angry when an unidentified driver of a Toyota Fortuner going in the same direction sideswiped his car at the corner of Timog and Tomas Morato Avenues at around 11:30 p.m., according to Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr., Quezon City Police District director.
Instead of stopping, the Fortuner’s driver sped off towards EDSA, prompting Obrial to fire a .45 caliber pistol in the air. Witnesses reported him to the police.
In a video taken by one of the arresting officers, Obrial could be heard shouting profanities as he was arrested along Kamuning Road.
He is facing charges of illegal discharge of firearm and alarm and scandal.
A few weeks ago a cop was arrested for slapping a bus driver so angry cops causing a scene aren't so rare.
Joseph Lladones, 37; Rafael Aldrich Magtira, 25, and Mervinson Diaz, 30, were having a drinking binge in a bar in Barangay Pinyahan when Diaz had altercation with another customer, 45-year-old Ruel Castañeda, said Chief Superintendent Joselito Esquivel Jr., director of the Quezon City Police District.
QCPD Station 10 commander Superintendent Louise Benjie Tremor said both parties were drunk at the time of the incident.
“It was a brawl involving drunk people,” he said in a phone interview.
Drinking is no excuse for misbehaving. It was just a few weeks ago a drunk cop aimed his gun at a teenager and threatened to kill him. This type of behaviour is far from rare.
After waffling on her claim to be seeking a post in the Congress it's good she can finally settle on something.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the relief of top military officials over alleged anomalous transactions in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) health units, his spokesperson said on Monday.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte has ordered the relief and court marshal proceedings against 20 officials. Among those involved are the AFP Health Service Command (AFPHSC) chief, Brigadier General Edwin Leo Torrelavega; commander of V. Luna Medical Center, Colonel Antonio Punzalan; and AFPHSC chiefs of the Management and Fiscal Office and the Logistics Office, among others.
"Several high-ranking officials and employees of the V. Luna Medical Center and Health Service Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines undertook anomalous purchases of equipment and engaged in fraudulent transactions," he said in a media briefing.
Anomalous transactions included ghost purchasing, splitting of contract to circumvent mandatory bidding processes, and conceiving fictitious suppliers, Roque said.
Alleged anomalous transactions. How many of those are reported by the COA every week in various government offices? And yet all those people still remain in office. Does Duterte really have the power to court martial anyone?? Or to demand such a proceeding take place??
In a 2017 report released yesterday, state auditors said 820,682 learning materials (LMs) ended up being damaged and rendered useless due to insufficient warehousing facilities to house the deliveries and to lack of prudence on the part of DepEd to ensure their safety.
Investigators found that the textbooks were damaged because of the defective inside gutter and downspouts, causing flood inside the warehouse. They also found that the damaged LMs were disposed of to clean the area and eradicate bad odor.
The VP recount has shown that the same thing has happened with ballots. Damaged and useless ballots because they were improperly stored. Sounds like the Philippines has a warehouse problem.
The common denominator between Hugpong and the nine political parties, which hailed from areas as varied as Ilocos Norte, Bohol, Zamboanga, Pampanga and Misamis Oriental, was their support for Mr. Duterte’s policies, he said.
Imee Marcos said the alliance was the “first step on the road to federalism” as it sought to empower regional parties over “monolithic, hierarchical Metro Manila-based parties.”
She hinted at resurrecting Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, the political party of the late dictator President Ferdinand Marcos, in a talk with journalists in Davao Occidental last week.
Remember when Sara Duterte said her party was only going to be a regional party and that she was surprised anyone outside the region was taking an interest in her newly formed party? So much for those lies! Most certainly she is building political capital for the future. After all Duterte, her father, will not be in office forever.
The same story but with different characters happens very often.
In a speech at Malacañang, Duterte admitted that he told the military and the police during a command conference that he was growing tired of chasing corrupt government workers.
“Sinabi ko sa mga sundalo at sa mga pulis: Guys, I want you to know that I am thinking of stepping down because I’m tired,” Duterte said. “I am not angry [with] anybody. My chase against graft and corruption seems to be endless, and it has contaminated almost all government departments and offices.”
Is he just now catching on to the fact that the entire Philippine government and not any specific party is throughly corrupt from head to foot? He won't step down though. He has made this promise/threat before. He has also said Leni Robredo is incompetent to be president but that is who would replace him if he did step down.
That clarifies everything. Looks like Duterte will be staying on for his full term.
Sen. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate economic affairs, wants the cash-based budget system in order to instill discipline among the many agencies of government in the use and budgeting of their assigned appropriations.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson, chairman of the Senate public order and dangerous drugs committee, said a cash-based budget system is illegal because Congress has yet to pass an enabling law.
Explaining why he favors a cash-based budget system, Gatchalian said the many ills during the last 10 years is under-spending of the national budget (General Appropriations Act or GAA).
Funds not spent during that fiscal year goes to the National Treasury and have to be appropriated by Congress.
Gatchalian said some 60 percent to 70 percent is actually used by government agencies under an obligation-based budget system.
The 40 percent to 30 percent not used for projects in a fiscal year is usually obligated for use in the next fiscal year.
Here's the solution to this problem: cut the budgets of all agencies relative to how much money they actually use.
This is right out of the accused Filipino politician playbook. When you are accused of graft claim innocence and insinuate that it is all a conspiracy against you.
Finance Undersecretary and Chief Economist Gil S. Beltran said that attaining at least the low-end of this year’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) target is still possible, citing the country had already expanded by at least 7.8 percent before.
But Beltran also acknowledged that the economic growth target this year of 7.0 percent to 8.0 percent is a “difficult” assumption, but added “there’s nothing easy in this world anyway.”
In the first semester, the country’s GDP increased by 6.3 percent, below the Duterte administration’s economic growth target.
Translation: We're screwed!
After signing the order, he told a military aide: “Send the guy to hell, that’s an order.”
15 million is nothing compared to the 60 million taken by the Tulfos.
In May, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio announced that the Tulfos have agreed to return the payment they received from the Department of Tourism.
During the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the controversial DOT advertisement deal, Teo clarified that Topacio's statement was only a suggestion.
"It was suggested by Atty. Topacio, he was my lawyer before, if they could return the money so at the time it was complicated already so I asked my brother if they could return the money," Teo told the Senate panel.
The former Tourism secretary admitted that she was also not in favor of Topacio's suggestion back then as it would be hard to return the money that his brother already spent.
"Actually, when Atty. Topacio told me, I said it's hard because they already spent the money, they already paid, they already delivered but he said, 'You have to do an ultimate sacrifice,'" Teo said.
She admitted that Tulfo was initially open to the idea of returning the money but later on changed his mind.
"The contract has been completed. The money has been spent. Where will they get the money to return?" she said.
Tulfo, meanwhile, insisted that he will not return the money as they have "faithfully delivered" the agreement with the government agency.
According to Tulfo, he was surpised that Topacio already announced that they would be returning the money when he told Teo's former counsel that he would consult his lawyer first.
"So now, returning the money is tantamount to saying that we did something illegal but during those time, I told Atty. Topacio we'll consult my lawyer 'cause I have a legal counsel," Tulfo told the Senate panel.
"And then after that he spoke to the media without an approval because he was not representing for me. He was representing Wanda (Tulfo-Teo) and that would be tantamount to what, conspiracy," he added.
What a circus.
In an order dated July 18, graft investigation and prosecution officer, Kristine Suzanne Fineza, found no sufficient basis to reverse the Ombudsman’s earlier ruling.
“The motion for reconsideration lacks merit,” said Fineza, whose findings were approved by then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who retired last month.
But Garcia, who represents the third congressional district of Cebu, said the decision was nothing but “political persecution.” She said she would contest the ruling in the Court of Appeals (CA).
“What do you expect from a retired Ombudsman who has done nothing else but to persecute us?” Garcia told reporters on Monday.
According to her, Morales is a friend of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., the father of her political opponent, Gov. Hilario Davide III.
“It’s very clear that she (Morales) is after me because I’ll be running against the incumbent governor, who is her friend…,” she said.
Guilty Filipino politicians all have a persecution complex.
There’s another dictator in the offing. President Rodrigo Duterte said she resides in Davao City.
“In Davao, there’s another dictator offing. Not me. She has a Duterte surname,” Duterte said during a speech before business leaders and government officials in Malacañang on Tuesday.
“If you go to Davao at 12 midnight, everything closes,” the President said. “Even if you’re drinking, the waiters will get it from your hand and say ‘It’s 12 o’clock and you have to go home.”
“She does not want it,” the President said. “You cannot smoke. You cannot drink beyond 12 o’clock [midnight]. If you stand there in the corner and just talk there, you’ll be asked by the police to continue your conversation in jail.”
Like Father, like daughter. I'm sure Sara is flattered.
Is he calling the PDEA liars? Their drug sniffing dog sat down which means he smelt drugs. Ergo there were drugs!
Rappler obtained a copy of the PDEA laboratory report, which said: “Qualitative examination conducted on the said swabbings from each of the magnetic lifters and aluminum foils revealed NEGATIVE results to the tests for the presence of dangerous drugs.”
Despite the clashing findings, the PDEA still stood by its conclusion that the lifters were packed with shabu. Its chief, Director General Aaron Aquino, even blamed supposedly corrupt customs personnel for the alleged smuggling.
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!
It's all for the best.
“I’ll tell you straight, the ASEAN countries, you try to befriend them and give aid and everything,” Duterte said.
“In the ASEAN countries, I’ll tell you all of them except a — nothing… You want to read their sentiments? You want to know? Oh I will do it for you. They are all pro-China because China does not really…They give,” he said.
Some of those countries would beg to differ.
Another PNP officer linked to the drug trade.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered officials of Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) to return to the government P664.36 million in salary increases and additional employee benefits granted from July 2009 to December 2012 without presidential approval.
How will they return this money which is surely long gone now.
Good.
If he does file charges and this case does go to court it will be years before any resolution.
Eleazar said Police Officer 1 Jeffrey Amador, 29, assigned at the Taguig City Police Station, was arrested in a drug bust conducted by the Southern Police District and National Bureau of Investigation in their rented apartment in Barangay Central Cignal, Taguig City.
The operation was conducted after Amador's wife, Michelle, 22, complained that her husband has been beating her for no apparent reason.
Michelle also revealed that when Amador entered the police service in December 2014, he was already hooked into drugs.
“But, she is hopeful that Amador will change for the better. However, this did not happen, instead he become her nightmare,” said Eleazar.
He said the police conducted surveillance on Amador even before his wife surfaced and confirmed his involvement in illegal drugs.
How did this man sneak through the ranks?
THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) vowed Wednesday, August 15, to look into the report that the city government of Manila has 27 non-existent villages that purportedly received P108 million in public funds.
How many officials will be implicated? How many officials will get away with it?
This measure is definitely aimed at Mocha Uson but she won't care. Why should she? She has 6 million Facebook followers. She will do as she pleases.
Speaking to Palace reporters, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said Duterte's remark about giving up the position was a mere "statement of exasperation."
"Well, what he (Duterte) actually said is a real statement of exasperation and a real genuine wish to step down if there's a better leader, or if there's a qualified leader to take over. And he has said that he thinks Senator Bongbong Marcos is one of the better qualified leader to succeed him," the Palace official said.
"If there [are] developments and he (Marcos) will win the protest and he becomes Vice President, yes, he will make true his word. If he wins, if he becomes vice president perhaps the President he will make true his word, na he will step down," he added.
Duterte is not a quitter. If Marcos suddenly become VP and Duterte resigned to make way for Marcos that would not be quitting but merely the outcome of a long planned strategy.
The DOF may never come right out and admit the the TRAIN law has contributed to inflation but at least we know these fools did not take the time to calculate all effects of this bill. They only looked at it from one point of view.
More corrupt officials let go.
A JBC member asked if she was bold enough to apply because she hails from Davao. Tehano-Ang merely said the President is fair in his decisions.
“Hindi porket taga Davao ka ikaw ang pipiliin niya (It doesn’t mean that he will chose you because you are from Davao),” she added.
Icing having to stand before this lady and be judged by her. Whoever asked if she applied because she is from Davao, which assumes that being from Davao would make one a shoe-in for the job since Duterte is from Davao, hit the nail on the head.
The COA further said CHED used only 44.55 percent, or P1.5 billion, of the K-12 transition program worth P3.4 billion. The fund also includes transferred funds for the financial assistance of faculty scholars.
More underspending which some say is a leading cause of corruption.
Regarding Duterte "stepping down". That will never happen as he loves the power. I suspect it's just a ploy to get his minions to beg him to stay saying the Filipino people need him and he is the only one that can do the job.
ReplyDeleteThe 6.8B shabu. Interesting that when it was found it was connected to Duterte's son and Duterte said "Prove it, where'e the evidence?" Something he never asked for the victims of his killing spree. There was no doubt there was shabu but not all of a sudden he says there never was shabu. Makes one wonder if there is evidence that linked Duterte's son to the smuggling and this is an attempt to hide everything. After all if 6.8B worth was shabu was never smuggled in then the claims against the son are instantly false.
Mike you are talking about a different 6.8 billion shabu shipment. There was one last year connected to Paolo Duterte. This shipment might not even exist. The PDEA dog said yes but their lab tests said no. Plus no coordination between PDEA and BOC. What a mess. And look at how often big shipments get caught coming in. How many others have slipped through the cracks? The drug war has definitely not stopped the importation of massive amounts of drugs.
DeleteDid not know there was 2 shipments. But here's what's telling if Duterte minions bothered to notice. Duterte is killing anyone suspected of being involved in drugs. Yet the vast majority of drugs are coming in from China yet Duterte says nothing about that. Makes one wonder if he is in on the smuggling.
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