It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in the Philippine government.
President Rodrigo Duterte said in a speech that an alleged wealthy drug pusher has links with a Chinese official.
He named businessman, Michael Yang, has close ties with Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua in his speech before the Philippine Military Academy alumni in Malacañang.
"Ito daw si isang Michael Yang na drug addict daw, who is a... T*** i** drug Michael Yang, ang ambassador ng China diyan natutulog sa bahay niya," said Duterte, adding that Yang was part of the entourage of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
GMA News Online is getting a statement from the Chinese Embassy on the issue.
Duterte also said he met Yang during a command conference and offered to invite investors to the country.
"Sabi ko, “Oo.” Tapos dala-dala niya ‘yung dalawang bayong na cellphone para consignment lang. Talagang naghirap ‘yan," he added.
But Duterte said he warned Yang about illegal drugs.
Even if this is true why would he state it publicly? This is a major breach of detente and diplomacy. The Chinese won't like this one bit.
The Caloocan City College was identified by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as one of the schools where the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is allegedly recruiting students for the supposed Red October ouster plot.
However, no such school exists, based on the records of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also said it seems that the list of schools released by the AFP has not been thoroughly validated.
"It also appears that the information has not been thoroughly validated amidst reports that based on the records of the CHED one of the listed schools does not exist," CHR spokesperson Jacqueline de Guia said.
In Caloocan City, there is the University of Caloocan City.
Uh-oh!
During Friday’s hearing on the coup d’ etat case of Trillanes at the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148, witness Atty. Norman Daanoy, Chief Legal Affairs of the Department of National Defense (DND) admitted that there are no records of all deliberations on 277 amnesty applications and minutes of the proceedings regarding Proclamation 75.
“All records are missing?” Atty. Reynaldo Robles, counsel for Trillanes asked to which Daanoy said “yes.”
The DND Legal Affairs Office has submitted a letter dated Sept. 21, 2018 to the Department of Justice (DOJ) stating that based on records, there are no available documents, transcript of stenographic notes and minutes of deliberation related to the proclamation.
So where are they? Were the documents saved for a while and then trashed? Were they never saved? Why weren't they digitised and stored on a hard drive? What other documents are missing? Will all the men granted amnesty under Proclamation 75 now have their amnesties revoked?
Not much higher than August's 6.4 but still climbing.
Duterte said he did not know the state of his health, but would not seek treatment anymore if diagnosed by doctors with stage 3 cancer.
“I did not look after myself, I did not stop drinking [alcohol]. That is why, I am regretting it. It always comes late. So, it got worse, I do not know where I am now physically, but I have to wait,” the President said.
“But, I’ll tell you this. If it’s cancer, it’s cancer. It it’s third stage, no more treatment. I will no longer prolong my agony in the office,” he added.
Duterte said his hospital visit came three weeks after he underwent endoscopy and colonoscopy, procedures used to examine a person’s digestive tract and the large intestine and rectum, respectively.
Sounds serious but he's probably joking again. Who can tell with Duterte!?
PACC Chairman Dante Jimenez delivered the “Ulat sa Bayan” (Report to the Nation) marking the first year of the commission, and its accomplishments since it started receiving complaints in March.
From March to September 2018, the PACC received 411 complaints of alleged corruption in various departments and agencies of the government, of which 59 were “verifiable” complaints.
“Verifiable complaints are complaints supported by documents whose veracity can be readily checked. The Department of Public Works and Highways had the most number of verifiable complaints received, topping the list,” Jimenez said.
The PACC also claimed that the Priority Assistance Development Fund (PDAF), popularly known as “pork barrel,” continues to exist, along with the disbursement acceleration program (DAP) of the Aquino administration. PDAF and DAP were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Jimenez called the attention of the heads of the government departments and agencies, particularly those on the most corrupt list, to do their jobs and clean their turfs of corruption, even as he clarified that “when I call the attention of the ‘top four’ corrupt departments and agencies it does not mean that they are corrupt, but their agencies [are].”
PACC also noted that most of the anomalies, particularly in infrastructure projects, were committed during the Aquino administration.
Corruption existed under Aquino, Arroyo, Estrada, Ramos, Aquino, Marcos, Macapagal, and continues to exist under Duterte.
Between January to September 2018 the 8888 citizens’ complaint hotline managed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) received 168 complaints against local government units (LGUs) and government agencies in Western Visayas.
Most of the complaints (31) were directed against LGUs, according to CSC regional director Rodolfo Encajonado.
The rest of the complaints were against government agencies. The five with the most complaints were the following:
* Land Transportation Office – 25
* Bureau of Internal Revenue – 15
* Home Development Mutual Fund – 12
* Social Security System – 12
* Philippine Statistics Authority – 11
The other government agencies received less than 10 complaints, said Encajonado.
“Most of the complaints were about the delayed actions taken by the agencies. ‘Yung iba, disrespectful ang personnel,” he revealed.
It's good people are complaining. Could lead to change. Maybe.
At least four people from Negros Occidental, including two government officials, were accused of engaging in the illegal drug trade.
Four people filed complaint-affidavits before the central office of the National Bureau of Investigation seeking government action into what they claimed to be the proliferation of drugs in the province.
An “illegal drug cartel” has been operating in San Carlos City since 2007, the complainants claimed.
Panay News is withholding the names of locals tagged in the complaint-affidavits pending their comment. The paper was still trying to reach them as of this writing.
The complainants asked the government to “put in jail” the culprits in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Negros Occidental.
More alleged narco-politicians.
Her resignation does not spare former presidential communications assistant secretary Margaux “Mocha” Uson from being investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the controversial videos promoting federalism that were posted on her social media accounts.
In a text message to reporters yesterday, Ombudsman Samuel Martires confirmed that his office has directed Uson to file her comment on the criminal complaints recently filed against her by various groups.
Mocha was right. It's not over for her yet.
Jail Officer 3 Emmanuel Mataag, 42, who is assigned at the Baguio City Jail, struck his companion, Jonathan Santiago, 39, with a handgun as they headed for their parked car along Bokawkan Road, and proceeded to maul him.
Like an animal!!!
Lawyer Ramon Esguerra said Revilla can still run for office despite the looming decision of the Sandiganbayan on his case for alleged amassing of ill-gotten wealth worth P224.5 million by channeling his pork barrel funds to the fake foundations of alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles
This comes after the Lakas-Christian Muslims Democrats announced the candidacy of Revilla for the 2019 elections.
Even if the Sandiganbayan finds Revilla guilty, Esguerra said the former lawmaker can still continue his senatorial bid since the decision can still be appealed at the Supreme Court.
“He may still run because he can still appeal the decision before the Sandiganbayan or the Supreme Court. Unless the decision becomes final and executory, a conviction will not automatically disqualify him from running,” Esguerra said in a statement.
Well it should!!! This is crazy and is exactly why the Philippines is a failed state.
The slow judicial process in the Philippines is hampering efforts to recover millions of dollars of money stolen from the Bangladesh government and laundered to a Manila bank, in one of the biggest cyber bank heists in the world in 2016, Dhaka’s central bank chief legal counsel said.
Ajmalul Hossain, lead counsel for Bangladesh Bank, said the case may take at least three decades to be resolved due to several stages of legal process in the Philippines, noting that the protracted procedure further diminishes the chances of recovering the stolen money.
“It’s going to be a long journey to recover the money through the Filipino legal system and the chances are it won’t happen,” Hossain told Filipino journalists in an interview Thursday night.
Just think how long it will take for all the PDAF cases to be resolved! Justice rolls on like a mighty sloth in the Philippines.
“Presently, PACC is investigating and preparing a report against 50 to 80 officials allegedly involved in corruption,” said Christopher Go, President Duterte’s special assistant.
He added that his office is working with PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica to establish the Truth and Justice Coalition, a nationwide organization made up of representatives and volunteers from key sectors, to support the government’s fight against corruption.
“(We) have been working together in apprehending corrupt officials and in submitting to the President concrete evidence that have led to the resignation and filing of cases against low, medium and even high ranking officials,” Go said.
The coalition, he added, will help authorities in conducting “fact finding inquiries, lifestyle checks and other investigations as well as propose systemic change to policy reforms.”
Go said they would also work with the Department of Justice to provide “witness protection,” National Bureau of Investigation to conduct “reliable investigations” and Bureau of Internal Revenue “to ensure full compliance” with the law.
Only 50 to 80 officials?
At least P4.56 billion in “pork barrel” funds for infrastructure projects in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were inserted in the budgets for three other regions in Mindanao, according to a lawmaker.
Misappropriation funds from the "pork barrel"? That's not halal.
An official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) whose certification was used in issuing Proclamation No. 572 on Friday admitted that she has no personal knowledge if Senator Antonio Trillanes IV submitted an amnesty application or not.
“I did not certify that he [Trillanes] did not submit an application form. I have no personal knowledge,” Lt. Col. Thea Joan N. Andrade, Chief of the Discipline, Law and Order Division of the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (J1) said when she testified in court.
“It was not your intent to testify that he [Trillanes] did not apply for an amnesty,” Atty. Reynaldo Robles asked to which Andrade answered, “Yes.”
The revocation of Trillanes' amnesty was based on a lie? Looks like it.
Councilor Jesus “Boyet” Angeles died at 10:41 a.m. from eight stab wounds and two bullet wounds inflicted by bonnet-wearing men who assaulted the official while he was jogging at 6:30 a.m. along Dalan Babo road in Barangay Sta. Lucia, according to Senior Insp. Nicanor Zingalawa, the town’s police chief.
The chair of Poblacion village here was gunned down while he was lounging in the terrace of his house Friday night.
Julie Chua, who died as he was rushed to the San Francisco Doctors Hospital, was the second village chair slain by still unknown assassins in just one month.
Senior Inspector Gary Boniao, Rosario police chief, said Chua was relaxing on his ironwood sofa in the terrace when a lone gunman on a motorcycle, wearing a white baseball cap, shot him 10 times.
Two more dead local politicians.
NCRPO chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said a total of 24,726 have so far been arrested since the operations to enforce local ordinances were implemented on June 13 this year.
Aside from walking half-naked and smoking, other violations include drinking session along the streets and violation of curfew for minors.
They are doing God's work!
Two village watchmen with illegal firearms!? Sometimes it's necessary though. A lot of criminals out there.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Special Assistant to the President Bong Go once again issued contradicting statements regarding President Rodrigo Duterte’s whereabouts.
Duterte is now in Hong Kong with his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña and daughter Kitty to take a “rest” over the weekend.
From his we learn once again that Bong Go and Roque are not to be trusted. Roque anyway. Unless he is now out of the loop? Has Roque done something to offend Duterte? Is he on the way out?
The announcement came a few days after President Rodrigo Duterte said that he should quit his Senate ambition because “he would not win.” The President instead offered him a new job in Malacañang.
If Duterte offered him a new job then likely he is not out of the loop and Roque is doing what he can to protect Duterte by lying and saying he is in Davao. But what is he protecting Duterte from? Could it be that Duterte, after finding out he has colorectal cancer, made a last minute trip to Hong Kong to get a 2nd opinion?
Nothing in that article remotely suggests Duterte went on a medical trip except for the headline. This article from the SCMP outlines some of the "conspiracy theories" about Duterte's health and perhaps secret treatments he has been receiving. Did Duterte fly to Hong Kong for a second opinion? Is it really believable that he decided on a whim to visit Hong Kong for two days? Presidents don't simply go on an overseas shopping trip. Such a visit would entail bringing a lot of security and the Hong Kong government would have to be informed as well. That is a lot of hassle just for a shopping trip.
(Because if somebody like me is being smeared that way, what more those who doesn’t have a voice. That’s why ordinary Filipinos should have a voice.)
She said she would run in next year’s elections but could not say yet what position.
Asked if she would seek a Senate seat, Uson said: “Wala, hindi ko pa po alam e (No, I still don’t know know yet). Pero sure na po (But it’s sure already).”
She said however she has yet to consult Mr. Duterte on her plans.
“Hindi ko pa po talaga alam basta sure na tatakbo po tayo kasi nakakapikon na e. Kailangan kong ipaglaban ‘yung mga ang ordinaryong tao,” Uson added.
(I still don’t really know yet but we are sure that we are running because it’s exasperating already. I need to fight for ordinary people.)
Exciting to see how this will all turn out. Hopefully as a candidate she will not be the victim of an y election related violence.
A former town mayor, who was gearing for a political comeback in the 2019 elections was ambushed by four armed men early Monday morning in San Jose de Buan town, Samar.
The local police had yet to determine the motive but a source said that Rebato was planning to run for vice mayor of the 4th class town with only 4,730 voters in 2016 election. Rebato was mayor from 2007 to 2016.
More preemptive election violence!
The National Journalists of the Philippines slammed the Philippine National Police for visiting media outlets to reportedly ask for positive news coverage.
Last Wednesday, a team from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office visited the office of SunStar Bacolod to ask them to write about the cops’ good deeds. They reasoned that the news reports about the police have been negative.
Other news outlets in the city were also visited, according to NUJP.
A group of policemen was also reported to have visited the SunStar Cebu office and at least one radio station.
NUJP said the visiting cops took photos of the staff at the SunStar Bacolod office without asking for permission first and reportedly, also at the Cebu radio station.
In a statement, the NUJP Bacolod said the media should not be blamed for reporting critical stories as it is the duty of journalists to report the truth.
“We report the good, the bad and the ugly. Meaning, we don’t make up stories in favor of anybody and we don’t make anybody look good on paper, radio and television,” it said.
PNP chief Oscar Albayalde on Monday said the visits are for police coordination with news outlets, not for “favorable coverage.”
“We’re not asking for favors dito. We’re asking for close collaboration and coordination to infom the Filipino people kung ano talaga ang dapat malaman ng ating taumbayan,” he said in a press briefing.
Albayalde added that police visits to media companies “[have] been happening ever since.”
For the NUJP National Directorate, there is nothing wrong about the police wanting good press.
“However, it is one thing to cover the PNP’s accomplishments and the media have never been remiss about giving credit where it is due. It is a totally different matter, though, to seek to recruit the media in a campaign meant to spruce up the service’s image,” NUJP said.
If you read the article I wrote about PNP reform you will remember that the PNP does coordinate with the media for coverage that makes themselves look good. It would not be farfetched if they really did visit media outlets to ask for favourable coverage. However from reading the news everyday I see that there are many good stories about the PNP and especially Sunstar has excellent in depth local overage and does keep the people informed. Whatever the PNP is doing you can count on them being the same old organisation they have always been.
A dismissed police superintendent, who was implicated in the kidnapping and murder of a Chinese casino junket operator last year, was arrested on Saturday night only to escape on Sunday at Gonzaga town in Cagayan province.
Johnny Lapat Orme was arrested at 10:30 p.m. onboard a fishing boat in Barangay Callao.
At 11 a.’m., Orme asked the police officers to allow him to secure clothes from his home before they transport him to the Cagayan police office in Tuguegarao.
Orme allegedly escaped using the back door, according to Senior Supt. Warren Tolito, Cagayan provincial police director.
See? The same old inept, bungling organisation.
Another judge murdered by unidentified assailants.
Another PNP officer dealing drugs has his fate sealed.
Two more dead ex-village chiefs. Deja vu.
A coalition led by Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) commissioner Greco Belgica on Tuesday filed a complaint against House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya for allegedly failing to disclose several properties in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
The Truth and Justice Coalition charged Andaya for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, perjury, and falsification before the Office of the Ombudsman. His wife Marissa Lourdes is also named respondent.
Belgica said the lawmaker did not declare nine real properties, their business interests in Noy and Ning's Corporation, and his ownership of P4.96 million worth of firearms.
In a statement, Andaya called the complaint a form of political harassment after surveys showed he is ahead of his opponents for the 2019 midterm elections.
"It is an expensive demolition job being waged at all fronts, especially in social media, but with a common thread running through all of them: lies," Andaya said.
"In a bid to keep their stranglehold on the province, my enemies are resorting to tactics most foul, because the most recent surveys show that I will beat their candidate, despite the private and public resources at their disposal," he added.
The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission and the Truth and Justice Coalition have the kind of benign sounding names which hide the fact that these groups are really out to get political opponents. What standing do these groups really have to go after politicians? Whether it's the truth or a Hatchet job such power in the hands of groups like these is an affront to liberty.
Mocha knows the game. We all know the game. All potential candidates are targets. Motorcycle men could gun her down any day. She would do well to watch her back. However if the NPA really wanted to destabilise the government they should back her candidacy with all their might and ensure she is elected.
City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday called the teachers-members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT-Davao) here as terrorists and sympathizers of terrorist groups after she was apparently irked with the group’s claim that only Davao City did not give allowance to public school teachers.
“So, ACT Teachers Davao, hindi lang kayo terrorista at sympathizer ng mga terrorista, you are also LIARS,” Duterte-Carpio said in her Instagram post on Monday.
The local chief executive was reacting to a social media meme posted by a local radio network Radyo Ni Juan during the global observance of World Teacher’s Day last October 5.
The meme, created by ACT-Davao, showed the list of cities across the country and the amount of allowances given to public school teachers with Davao as the only city that has “ZERO” allowances for public school teachers.
Whatever the truth is calling people terrorists is very extreme especially when you live on an island FULL of real terrorists. Social media is also no place to hack out political controversies. If she had any sense Sara Duterte would be able to rise above this but instead she has sunk to a new low.
A barangay chairman was killed on Tuesday night while four others, including a senior citizen and a minor, were wounded in a shooting attack at a basketball court in upland Silang municipality, the Police Provincial Office (PPO) reported Wednesday, October 10.
The PNP says they are looking into the alleged drug links as a motive for the killing. Whatever the motive this is another brazen attack on an LGU at a public event.
PDEA director general Aaron Aquino, in an interview with “The Chiefs” on Cignal TV’s OneNews, said shabu prices are now at their lowest at P1,600 to P2,000 per gram in the National Capital Region.
Shabu prices in Metro Manila peaked at P6,800 per gram at the height of the government’s war against illegal drugs, but prices have gone down as the P6.8-shabu shipment that made its way to a warehouse in Cavite is now circulating on the streets.
“It just shows (that) there is too much supply. Prices have gone down since the discovery of the magnetic lifters. The shabu is now on the streets, being used,” Aquino said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Looks like the drug war is far from being won.
More about Michael Yang, a Chinese businessman whom Duterte has pegged as being a drug dealer.
Yang uses his presidential adviser title mostly for the benefit of Chinese nationals, said a source. This is why Yang's website, opeap.com, is mostly written in Chinese.
True enough, Yang rubs shoulders with top Chinese economic officials and executives of major China state-run companies. He’s also been present in meetings of Chinese businessmen with Duterte in Malacañang.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, October 9, denied appointing Chinese businessman Michael Yang as his presidential economic adviser.
"Cannot be, because he is a Chinese," said Duterte, when asked to confirm reports that Yang was a presidential economic adviser.
Despite Duterte's denial, Yang has an office that proclaims him as "Presidential Adviser for Economic Affairs," according to photos in www.opea.com.ph website. "OPEA" appears to stand for "Office of the Presidential Economic Adviser."
A source had also told Rappler that Yang hands out business cards with the Malacañang seal.
While Duterte denied formally appointing Yang, it's clear that the Chinese businessman enjoys enviable access to the Chief Executive.
Michael Yang really gets around. Seems he has high level contacts throughout the Duterte administration. If Duterte's accusations about him being a drug pusher are right what does that mean for Duterte and the men of his administration who continue to associate with him?
It was the first day of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) Thursday and political veterans, newbies and other wannabes — including the serious and seemingly not so serious — trooped to Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices.
Among them, a man, who claims to be a former boyfriend of Mocha Uson, wants to run for senator in the 2019 elections purportedly on the urging of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Angon Tuana, from San Juan City, was at the Commission on Elections headquarters in Intramuros, Manila, on Thursday morning. He said he would be filing his certificate of candidacy to run for the Senate.
He said his agenda included the lowering of diesel prices.
“Nananawagan ako sa Shell, sa Petron, sa Caltex, maski dalawang piso, tatlong piso, isang piso; alam kong piso-piso lang yan,” Tuana said in an interview outside the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Manila on Thursday.
“Yun ang order ni President Duterte sa’kin, yung commander in chief namin. At saka si Mocha na dati kong girlfriend,” he added.
(That’s the order of President Duterte, our commander in chief. I was also a boyfriend of Mocha.)
According to Tuana, he also acted as a security officer when Pope John Paul II visited the country during the time of President Fidel Ramos.
It's an undignified circus on day one!
President Rodrigo Duterte has released an intelligence report on law enforcement officials allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
They include dismissed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency deputy Director General Ismael Fajardo, dismissed superintendents Eduardo Acierto and Leonardo Suan, Superintendent Lorenzo Bacia, inspectors Lito Pirote and Conrado Caragdag and SPO4 Alejandro Gerardo Liwanag.
Duterte decided to make the document public at a press conference in which he was asked about Davao City-based businessman Michael Yang, whom he cleared of drug links last week.
"The narcotics industry has reached an unimaginable sphere of influence all over the country," the report said.
"Enormous networks of powerful people people and sophisticated modus are utilized to protect and continuously carry out unscrupulous activities under the guise of legitimate law enforcement operations," it added.
So the drug war hasn't solved anything. Will these men all be charged?
A double whammy! Change is coming!
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