Former senator Jinggoy Estrada has asked the Sandiganbayan to allow him to leave the country for eight days to accompany his mother to a medical checkup in Singapore.
In his motion filed before the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, Estrada prayed to be allowed to travel to Singapore from Oct. 1 to 8.
Estrada said his 87-year old mother Loi Ejercito-Estrada asked him to accompany her in a medical examination at the Singapore Brain-Spine Nerves Center at Mount Elizabeth Hospital for her “chronic lower back pain.”
Estrada said it was his mother's personal physician in the Philippines, Dr. Regina Bagsic, who recommended that she be examined by a neurosurgeon at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.
Estrada assured that as in his previous travels, “he will comply with all the conditions of the Court” should it grant his motion.
What the court should do is deny his request but they likely will not.
A still unidentified attacker shot Espina about 8 a.m. in Barangay Dolo in Bansalan. He was first rushed to the town’s Centeno Hospital, where doctors administered initial treatment and referred his case to another hospital in Digos City, about 17 kilometers away.
Police recovered the Black Honda XR150 motorcycle of Espina at the crime scene.
Another local political, ex-politican, slain by unidentified men.
Mayor Alexander Buquing of Sudipen town in La Union died after being shot on Monday while traveling in Bangar town with his wife, Vice Mayor Wendy Joy Buquing, who was wounded.
The Philippines is so messed up that it would not be out of the realm of possibility that his wife, the Vice Mayor, put a hit on him just so she could be mayor! Either way it's another dead mayor in the Philippines. How many more before the end of the year?
With 181 affirmative and five negative votes, the Lower House approved House Bill 8056 seeking to create the DDR that will be the primary government agency to be tasked in leading, organizing and managing the national effort to reduce disaster risk, and prepare for and respond to disasters, recover and rehabilitate.
If this agency comes into being it will be just another corrupt government agency with missing funds and anomalous transactions and which will be totally ineffective. If the government can't get its act together now in responding to natural disasters what makes them think this agency will do any better?
Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said on Tuesday, October 2, that hitting a 6.8% inflation rate "won't make a big difference" now.
In an ANC Headstart interview, Diokno said that economic managers estimate the increase of prices of goods to climb up to 6.7% in September.
The latest figure is set to be announced this Friday, October 5.
"The Department of Finance says 6.4%. BSP (Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas) says 6.7%. I say wait let's just wait this Friday. Our expection is that inflation will peak this September," Diokno said.
The budget chief also said that the government's gross domestic product (GDP) target of 7% to 8% this year will be missed. The GDP slowed downto 6% in the 2nd quarter of 2018.
"Had it not been for the high prices, we couldve grown 7% because it was already corrected for inflation. Realistically, that's maybe out of prints, even the lower bound, 7 percent. We're probably shooting for 6.7 or 6.9 percent but not 7 to 8 percent," Diokno said.
What he means is so high we are already screwed! Funny how he is holding off making a prediction for the September inflation rate but still forecasts an expectation that September will be the peak. Sad they did not meet their target goal for GDP. Maybe next year?
Presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Tuesday tried her luck for the over P800-million Lotto pot, and then mocked opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, whom she plans to “donate” P121 million “for legal fees” if she wins.
In an Instagram post, Ms. Duterte showed her lotto ticket and captioned her photo with a list of people she plans to bestow money if she wins the lottery.
At the bottom of the list was Trillanes. She said she would give him P121 million for his legal fees.
TWO weeks after calling Senator Antonio Trillanes IV "paranoid" for claiming that suspicious-looking men were casing his residence in Antipolo City, Malacañang on Tuesday, October 2, said there was nothing wrong with some military men conducting a stakeout near the lawmaker's house.
At a Senate finance committee's hearing, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Carlito Galvez Jr. admitted before Trillanes that he had ordered some military officers to tail the embattled senator to ensure his safety.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the AFP's move was "perfectly legal" as long as the privacy of Trillanes and his family was not compromised.
"'Yung casing the house (The casing of the house)? There's nothing wrong with that for as long as you do not violate the privacy of his house. Casing is perfectly legal," the Palace official said.
"It's only proper to case individuals who have been openly advocating the overthrow of a duly-elected, democratically-elected President," he added.
Trillanes first revealed on September 15 that his house was under surveillance. On September 18, Roque dismissed this as mere "paranoia."
Roque clarified that his "paranoia" remark was meant to disabuse Trillanes of the idea that the senator's life was at risk.
"He (Trillanes) felt that there was a threat to his life. We will not bother actually so that is why it's paranoia," he said.
First they call Trillanes paranoid and then they say it was all true but no big deal and he's still paranoid! Maybe I'll go for a drive or two or three or four at various hours past Roque's house.
Trillanes, however, is not covered by the PACC’s scope, according to Executive Order No. 43, series of 2017.
Section 5 of EO 43 states that the PACC covers “presidential appointees in the Executive Branch of government and any of its agencies or instrumentalities occupying the position of Assistant Regional Director or an equivalent rank and higher, otherwise classified as Salary Grade 26 and higher.”
Bringas, however, insisted that the PACC cannot be prevented from conducting an investigation and lifestyle checks against elected officials and lawmakers such as Trillanes.
“What I'm saying is that under EO 43, we are given authority to conduct lifestyle check and fact-finding on all government officials, not necessarily presidential appointees,” Bringas said.
He said they will forward the complaint against Trillanes before the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice as soon as they complete their case.
It doesn't matter if the PACC oversteps its mandate as long as its Triallnes on which they are stepping.
The P1.3-billion fund for the rehabilitation of Boracay has not been released more than five months after the island was shut down, officials said.
“We have not received a single centavo” from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. said at a public hearing of the House committee on natural resources held at Casa Pilar resort here.
“The agencies in charge with (sic) the rehabilitation of Boracay have current funds in their 2018 budget, which they can readily use,” said the DBM statement.
The funds were supposedly for various rehabilitation-related programs and projects, including the cleanup of Boracay waters, removal of illegal structures, infrastructure projects and financial and social support for residents.
Half of the funds (P660.4 million) was allotted for safety nets including livelihood and employment assistance.
With Boracay opening soon one wonders how they have been able to adequately pay for upgrades and rehabilitation. Why force them to use money not intended for these projects? Why allot the money and then not release it?
Without elaborating, Duterte said that he just gave left-leaning people a chance to serve the country during the early days of his term.
However, he said, they still want to establish their own government in the long run.
“Pinagbigyan ko sila noong bago ako kasi gusto ko ma… (I just gave them the chance when I was still new because I wanted to)… Duterte said, not finishing his statement.
“‘Yung mga ideology niyo. Pero in the long run, gusto nila pati sila magdala ng gobyerno (You have your ideology. But in the lng run, you still want to have your own government),” he added.
“Makipag-away ka sa akin, makipag-barilan ka tapos ngayon sabihin mo kasama tayo sa gobyerno, itong mga powers na ‘to. Kalokohan ‘yan (You fight me and then you tell me you’re with me in government. That’s nonsense),” he continued.
Duterte then said that he may order the arrest of left-leaning groups which “paralyze” the country’s economy.
“Iyong mga labor-labor, ‘yang kasama ninyo and sa white area, ‘yung agitation ng ano, ‘yan paghuhulihin ko talaga ‘yan (Those labor groups, I will really arrest them all),” he said.
“Kasi kung mag-strike sila nang mag-strike, sabihin mo sa kanila strike sila nang strike, they will paralyze the economy. ‘Pag wala ng pera ang mga trabahante tapos magkagulo, mapipilitan ako (Because they keep on doing strikes, tell them that they paralyze the economy. If workers are left with no money which will lead to disorder, I will be forced to arrest you),” he added.
If he arrests these labor leaders wouldn't that lead to more strikes and more economic paralysation?
President Duterte’s bloody campaign against drugs suffered one of its worst setbacks after a court dismissed drug and gun charges against a woman tagged as one of Mindanao’s biggest drug lords because of what the court said was planted evidence.
In his order, Acebido gave credence to testimony that agents of the regional PDEA office planted evidence against the suspects during a raid on the Macabuats’ residence in the village of Kauswagan here on July 23, 2016, just weeks after the bloody war on drugs was launched by Mr. Duterte.
Villanueva said it was “unfortunate” that Judge Acebido “swallowed the testimonies of the defense hook, line and sinker” and disregarded evidence presented by the prosecution.
In his 25-page decision, Acebido said the legality of the search made on the Macabuats’ residence “is not gauged by its yield but also by the manner in which it was conducted.”
“The prosecution likewise failed to prove possession of the accused of the items listed in the information in all these cases at the time of the arrest,” it read.
Also, the decision said, PDEA agents carried out the raid prior to the arrival of village officials and media representatives as required by protocol.
The PDEA is so corrupt they have to have village officials and the media present before they can conduct a raid!
Brigadier General Antonio Parlade Jr., the AFP deputy chief of staff for operations, said prosecutors had been conspiring with members of the New People's Army to cause the dismissal of criminal complaints against leftist rebels.
"They've done that long ago. In fact, they're fast in dismissing cases that we've filed even if give them lots of evidence," Parlade said.
Parlade mentioned a complaint against NPA rebeles who were arrested with a van full of explosives.
"It was dismissed after one week. We found out that the fiscal there and other of the court are conniving with them," Parlade said without going into the specifics.
"They have a deep-rooted intelligence and this is what we are doing now, expose it. We should be careful because its the country that will suffer," he said of the communist rebels.
If they have been doing this for a long time then what has been done about it? Why is still happening?
Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año will recommend the disqualification of more or less 600 local officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs and other corruption activities from the 2019 elections.
In an ambush interview on Wednesday, Año said the number includes almost 300 officials relieved or suspended due to alleged corrupt activities, more or less 200 officials being probed, and 93 others who are supposedly linked to illegal drugs.
A retired police officer and three other cohorts, who were tagged as members of the “Salisi Gang,” were arrested in a police operation shortly after victimizing a Chinese national in San Juan City on Thursday.
Reports from the Eastern Police District (EPD) identified the arrested suspects as retired SPO3 Nacasio Bautista, 57; Alma de Leon, 40; Arnold Aloja, 32; and Maricel Ocampo, 52.
Investigation revealed that at around 12:00 p.m., Aloja stole the bag of victim Connie Que, 43, while the latter was unloading goods from a van.
Police said the bag contained the victim’s wallet with P1,060, 36 pieces of Yuan currencies, a gold bracelet worth P5,000, cell phones, and identification cards
Police found out that Bautista was a retired police officer during interrogation at the San Juan City Police Station. He has been retired since 2013.
Retired for 6 years and now part of a bag snatching gang. Was he bored? Was his pension too low?
Two motorcycle-riding men attacked Ely Arciaga Ramos, 64, in front of his house in Barangay Poblacion East, according to police investigator SPO1 Jerwin Cabreros.
Ramos has expressed his intent to run for mayor in the 2019 midterm polls.
Another attempted hit on a would-be mayor. Maybe they will come off to finish the job.
A FORMER barangay councilor of Tulay, Minglanilla and considered as second of the town's high-value drug targets was arrested after he was caught selling and keeping illegal drugs inside his house earlier this morning, October 4.
When police arrested him, Melchor Secuya, 54, yielded one big pack and six small packs of suspected shabu.
Secuya's arrest was conducted after an initial drug bust at around 5 a.m. then through a legal search inside his house at 7 a.m.
But Secuya denied owning the drugs recovered by the police, claiming it was planted by operatives.
Chief Inspector Verniño Noserale, Minglanilla police chief, told SunStar Cebu that they initially conducted a sting operation on Secuya after receiving intelligence reports that he has been selling illegal drugs in the area.
"We received reports that he (Secuya) has been selling illegal drugs after he lost his bid to run for a higher village post last May," Noserale said.
Funny how this guy lost his election bid and in only 5 months became the second biggest drug dealer in town. How likely is that? He's like Tony Montana.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has started a “thorough investigation” of the new controversial video involving ACTS-OFW Representative John Bertiz.
In the CCTV video, Bertiz allegedly refused to remove his shoes as part of the security measures at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2.
He was also seen shoving his ID to the airport personnel and tried to get the ID of the latter.
Bertiz also recently drew flak after telling an audience in an oathtaking event that they would not be issued a professional license if they do not know Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go
Bertiz immediately issued an apology over his “inappropriate joke” during the ceremony.
“This is to sincerely apologize in what happened in the recent mass oathtaking ceremony of agricultural and biosystems engineers where the new 851 licensure examinees took their oath,” he said.
“I take the full responsibility of that joke. I apologize, I didn’t mean to anger, belittle or offend in any way. It was an inappropriate joke. I really feel sorry about it. Secretary Bong Go has nothing to do with the joke. Pasensya na po,” he added.
Funny this guy made a joke that angered people and instead of screaming about free speech like Duterte he apologised!
"If you can see from the CCTV I was speaking to Abdul in a nice way. I said 'I have a level 4 security ID, green color, I wasn't saying that he would ask them (Chinese looking persons) to remove their footwear but they should have asked those who went before me. How come I was asked multiple times to return?"
"What happened is I called out the NAIA security checker identified as Hamilton Abdul after he let slip several Chinese-looking nationals escorted by NAIA staff through security check."
However, Bertiz said the release of the footage poses a greater threat as it puts national security at stake since security videos can now be shared easily on social media.
"This really involves a very high security threat lalong lalo na sa ating mga paliparan[especially in our airports], especially kung halimbawa [for example] that video can be shared to anybody at a price," he said.
Government officials should learn from the example of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Monday, following the confrontation caught on video between an airport screener and a lawmaker who breached security protocols for refusing to remove his shoes.
“For me, let’s learn by way of example from what the President is doing. The President does not ask [for] special treatment,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
“The President complies with security checks of the airport. He goes through the X-ray machine, and he does not ask for any special treatment,” Roque added.
He said the President, even if he is in a presidential convoy, also follows traffic rules and regulation.
“So if the President is like this, all officials of the land should follow this example,” he said.
“There may be a possibility that we may have to take this up to the ethics committee,” said Minority Leader Rep. Danilo Suarez (Quezon 3rd District).
“We’re gathering all the narratives of the event, at the same time I have consulted the members of the minority,” Suarez told reporters, adding that their group might initiate a complaint by Wednesday if no one else would.
“I would like to express my sincerest and deepest apologies to the public, especially those who have seen the video,” the party-list congressman said at a press briefing.
“I am really sorry. I should not have acted that way. It’s very [inappropriate] for a public official to act that way,” he told reporters.
Pressed by reporters to explain his behavior, Bertiz said: “For the past three years that I have been a member of Congress, once a year, I have my ‘monthly period.’”
“I’m only human. I become sensitive and get hot-headed because of work-related stress,” Bertiz said.
“That was very stupid [of me]. To all the women, I’m again asking for your forgiveness,” Bertiz said. “That has been my dialogue with my wife whenever we have disagreements. [I would ask her], ‘Do you have your monthly period?’”
“The issue here is his arrogance. Women should not be stereotyped as arrogant and entitled during their menstrual period,” Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus said in a statement.
“If that’s his reason, I think his apology is not sincere because you cannot relate ‘monthly period’ with his behavior which, in the first place, was really uncalled for and disrespectful to women,” Villarin told the Inquirer.
“A woman’s menstrual period is a natural process and it’s demeaning to women when you compare your rude behavior to a monthly period,” he said. “While women may get angry when they have [their] menstruation, they do it in a dignified manner.”
Women who get angry when they menstruate do it in a dignified manner!
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