It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
The panel tackled House Bill 5699, authored by Pangasinan Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.
“We know for a fact that mayors have the authority to solemnize marriage, the incumbent members of the judiciary within their jurisdiction and any priest or rabbi are also authorized to solemnize marriage,” Primicias-Agabas said.
She noted those who are allowed to solemnize marriage are ship captain or airplane chief in certain instances, as well as military commanders in some instances, and the consul general or vice consul.
Primicias-Agabas noted the growing number of common law relationships or “live-ins” in the country.
“There are also a number of instances of common law relationships, even when the couple does not have any impediment to contract marriage,” she said.
Primicias-Agabas said among the reasons that make it difficult for the parties to contract marriage are financial challenges, monetary difficulty, remoteness of the place of the couple or the difference in the religious beliefs.
“The proposal to add House members and provincial governors to the list of persons authorized to solemnize marriage will give couples more options to choose their solemnizing officer and it is hoped to encourage couples to legalize their unions,” she said.
What is the point of this bill? If a couple is too poor or too far away from society to contact the authorities in order to contract marriage how in the heck would giving the power to solemnise marriages to members of the House enable them to contract marriage any easier? It would be easier to get a priest or judge to do it then it would be a member of the House.
Both Duterte and Panelo did not elaborate on Millar's supposed involvement in corruption.
Millar, who was sworn into office in September 2017, was the head of the Task Force Bangon Marawi Secretariat. The task force leads the rehabilitation effforts in war-torn Marawi.
Panelo assured the the public that the delivery of public services would not be disrupted, especially in rehabilitating Marawi City and other affected areas.
The Palace official added that the HUDDC official's termination of service merely proved that Duterte would not allow even just a "whiff of corruption" during his watch.
"There are no sacred cows in the administration, especially in its drive against corruption. As the President said, he will not tolerate even a whiff of corruption in the Executive Branch of Government," he said.
Shortly after the announcement, Millar said his termination from office was an "obvious demolition job."
"It is an obvious demolition job, in protecting the interest of the government, I have annoyed some personalities, I filed my resignation this morning," he said in a statement sent to Palace reporters.
Accusations of corruption but no concrete details. This man was heading the rehabilitation efforts in Marawi. He says he "annoyed some personalities" in attempting to protect the government's interests. Could it be that corruption is already happening in the Marawi rehabilitation program? Could it be that he voiced his unease with what he saw and Duterte was told and fired him based made up allegations? Panel is wrong about Duterte not tolerating a whiff of corruption since he still has Lapeña and Faeldon in his cabinet.
The chief of the Las Piñas City police was relieved from his post yesterday after some of his men were accused of extortion and kidnapping.
Aside from Senior Superintendent Marion Balonglong, 36 members of the station’s drug enforcement unit, including SDEU head Senior Inspector Edgardo Tigbao, were sacked by National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Guillermo Eleazar.
Authorities on Friday launched a manhunt for a policeman assigned in Caloocan City who reportedly killed a couple and their 10-year-old son at Barangay Bagong Pag-asa in Quezon City. Relatives of victims Romeo Ado, 54; Christine Ado, 50 and their son Romeo Ado, 10, accused the unidentified police officer of shooting the family at close range while they were sleeping inside their house at Madrigal St., Sitio San Roque shortly after midnight. They said the policeman had previously threatened the Ado family and pointed a gun at them after they filed a complaint against him for tagging them in illegal drug activities.
So many bad eggs? Or PNP business as usual?
Barangay chairman with unlicensed firearms arrested!
"When the arbitral ruling was about to be announced, we were all in Malacañang so when it came out, we had this meeting with the president... He said we should not be overly, what they call overly celebrating because we might offend China so that's what happened," Lorenzana said.
The defense chief added that he was planning to ask the Philippine Navy to send a small force to Scarborough Shoal prior to the ruling.
"Maybe we can drive away the Chinese there and maybe we can move forward to Scarborough Shoal," he added.
The defense chief further recalled that then US Defense Secretary Ash Carter called him a week before the arbitral ruling came out.
According to Lorenzana, the Pentagon chief advised him to "exercise restraint" ahead of the ruling, adding that Carter's call was "very significant" as he was already planning to send the navy over the traditional fishing ground among Chinese, Filipino and Vietnamese fishermen.
"What he (Carter) said was the ruling will come out soon and we think it is in your favor and he said please exercise restraint... Don't do anything in the South China Sea that will provoke some trouble there and I was thinking to myself, what does he mean by that?" Lorenzana said.
There never was any intention to enforce this ruling.
Local government officials behaving badly, involved with drugs.
Magalso is assigned at the 1st provincial mobile force company, Davao del Norte provincial police office.
Morales said Magalso was allegedly asking P270,000 for the sale of various components of explosives, including 15 sacks nitrate, 500 blasting caps, 1 box detonating cord and 96 meters additional detonating cord.
A PNP officer selling explosives in Davao. Now how in Davao would be the most likely to buy such an item? Another isolated incident of a bad egg making the PNP look bad.
Newly-installed Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director general Nicanor Faeldon on Monday vowed to curb illegal drug trade in the national penitentiary as well as address the issue on jail congestion.
The former Marine captain also served as chief of the Bureau of Customs (BOC). It was under his watch when billions of pesos worth of shabu were smuggled into the country.
The irony of this statement! It was during his tenure at the BOC that billions of pesos of drugs slipping to the country! If Bato didn't keep his promise to clean up Bilibid then it is doubtful Faeldon will do any better.
But the President did not name the bishop he was referring to, even as he renewed hitting the Catholic Church, accusing bishops of corruption and asking cars and other favors from the government.
“Bishop, kapag magpabili ka ng droga paputulan kita ng ulo,” the President said, without naming the bishop he was addressing.
[Bishop, if you are selling drugs, I’ll have your head cut off.]
Earlier, in his speech, however, he had lashed out at a certain “Bishop David,” for believing in an “archai” faith and engaging in the corrupt practice of asking cars or favors from the government, among others.
“The Catholic Church and Bishop David is clinging to a belief 3,000 years ago,” the President said. “How can people 3,000 years ago predict what is happening today?”
The President made these remarks in a speech he delivered said during the construction kick-off ceremony of a bulk water supply project in Barangay Gumalang, Baguio District here.
Nice. Off topic too. How did he even get on this topic in the first place?
The remark came when Locsin was asked, in an interview over ABS CBN News Channel, whether China would respect the United Nations’ (UN) Arbitral Tribunal’s decision in relation to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) for oil and gas development cooperation with the Philippines.
“No, [China] won’t respect it. They said we did not take part in that agreement and who am I — who are we — to impose that upon them? The point is it is now a part of international law,” Locsin said.
“The arbitral ruling is not so much against China, is not so much in favor of the Philippines, as it was in favor of international law. There was confusion in what are maritime features and they [UN] clarified it,” Locsin said.
“Perhaps, one day, China, too, has maritime features and they will use that. It’s not a question of one won the other laws, and that’s it. It’s now part of international law,” he added.
It sounds like what he is saying is that China does not recognise international law so there is no sense in bringing up the ruling. What Locsin means by the ruling was not in favour of the Philippines but in favour of international law doesn't make any sense since the Philippines and China are both parties to the UN. Bottom line is the Duterte administration is not going to enforce this ruling.
Investigators were still trying to determine the motive for the slay attempt on the former chair who was married to late Pasay City Supt. Oscar Catalan.
Gina Catalan is the fourth former or current village chair in Pasay City to be targeted since the start of the year.
The first three — Jovie Decena of Barangay 28, Abdul Munap Akok of Barangay 14, and Teresita Biscocho of Barangay 1 — all died after being shot by men on motorcycles.
Will they return to finish the job?
“Until the succeeding season of ‘Ang Probinsyano,’ we hope to put all the animosity and clashing opinions behind us, and introduce to our countrymen the true-to-life Filipino police officers imbued with the finest tradition of valor, service and sacrifice for God, country and people,” PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde told reporters in a briefing.
Define truthful. The PNP does not want a truthful portrayal, they want a whitewashed portrayal. That's the whole point of the show anyway. To make the PNP look good. Imagine if they really did show true PNP stories on this show.
"Well, in the United Nations, there were diplomatic protests filed by [former DFA secretary Alan Peter] Cayetano. There were seven I think... I have a different view. My view is that a diplomatic protest is like throwing paper against a brick wall," he said.
Locsin said filing a diplomatic protest would only give the impression to the international community that China is "immovable" and the Philippines is "weak."
"What does that prove? That proves that they possess... what is happening is every time you try it and there's no reaction, the impression is created in the world na immovable talaga ang China at ang Philippines weak talaga," he said.
Would filing a protest really prove that the Philippines is weak or that China is simply not one to play nice and within the rules? What's amazing here is that Teddy Boy says Cayetano only filed SEVEN diplomatic protests. SEVEN!!?? Remember when he said this:
"We have been filing a diplomatic protest. But the critics want us to announce it loudly and to confront China each and every time to the media. That is not conducive through the ongoing talks," he said.
"Several dozens [of it]. Maybe 50, 100. I have to count it over the past two years," he added.
Locsin just proved what everyone knew all along, Cayetano is a liar.
At a hearing of the Senate labor committee, Sen. Joel Villanueva expressed alarm and indignation after immigration and labor authorities admitted that more than 119,000 “tourists,” most of them from mainland China, were able to skirt labor regulations to gain temporary employment in the country.
These tourist visa holders technically remain tourists even during the three-to-six-month duration of their work assignment in the country.
Thus, their employers need not prove that the jobs cannot otherwise be performed by locals, which is the usual policy for alien workers.
Dole figures show that since 2015, close to 116,000 foreigners have been issued an alien employment permit (AEP), which allows them to work legally in the Philippines.
An AEP will be issued by Dole only if there is no Filipino willing or competent enough to do the job being offered to a foreigner.
The permit is one of the major requirements for the issuance of a work visa for aliens, but officials acknowledge that virtually all AEP holders have been able to get work visas. Chinese nationals account for the bulk of foreign workers holding AEPs, numbering almost 52,000, or about 45 percent of the total, mostly working in manufacturing, information and communications, and administrative and support services.
But Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad III told the Senate committee that there was another way the Chinese had been able to gain employment even without an AEP by obtaining special work permits from the Bureau of Immigration.
“This is beyond AEP … because it is intended for short-term assignments for six months … or three months extendible by another three months,” he said.
Lagunzad explained that the status of these permit holders remained tourists. “Is this covered by an AEP? The answer is no,” he said.
He said there were more than 119,000 of such permits issued by the immigration bureau from 2017 to 2018. But the actual number could be bigger, considering some 1.6 million tourist visas were issued to Chinese citizens in 2018 alone by the Department of Foreign Affairs, and only 18 preemployment visas.
Basically the Chinese have been posing as tourists and taking jobs that Filipinos could be doing and the DFA and the BOI have been complicit! Obviously something bigger here is at play. How deep does this scandal go? Does it go all the way to the President's office?
“They should be deported,” he told reporters in Bohol. “But in the same manner, you should be careful because when you point to the Chinese you also point to yourself, at us.”
“There’s so many thousands of Filipinos working there,” he added. “Remember: It’s not just exploiting the story about the Chinese here, we’re doing the same thing. In Malaysia, a lot of our women are there, in Indonesia, in China, in Korea.”
Duterte also cautioned of getting “rough” on the issue as there was a possibility that our OFWs might be put to peril.
“If you think that you’re at the disadvantage because there are so many Chinese nationals here, remember that we have the equal amount of Filipinos working in China,” he said.
It very well could. Why else would Duterte urge caution with this situation and compare illegal workers to legal OFWs? The man is a lawyer surely he knows the difference.
Mark Vincent Segay was arrested on Nov. 5 for an attempted rape that allegedly happened before he entered the academy, Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr., spokesperson of the Philippine National Police (PNP) told INQUIRER.net Tuesday.
Durana said the incident showed a weakness in the vetting process of future police officers by the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC), since it was not able to track the alleged crime before Segay was admitted to the academy.
Even though he was caught before he entered the academy how many low-lifes and criminals have been able to sneak in?
The father of Senior Inspector Manuel Tatayon Jr., who was slain in an operation last Sunday, asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership to investigate a possible foul play after autopsy reports found that the officer was shot in the back.
Manuel Tatayon Sr. said on Tuesday that his son, who was the chief of the Pasay Police Intelligence Department, relayed prior to his death qualms about an “old” officer who refused to join him in operations.
Ironically, the same officer was allegedly present on the fateful day the officer was killed. Earlier, PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Director Guillermo Eleazar visited the relatives of Sr. Insp. Tatayon.
Both explained to the family that according to PNP Crime Laboratory Office (CLO), the two fatal wounds at the back of the law enforcer was inflicted by the man who was the target of the operation.
An authority from the PNP Crime Laboratory noted that the slug found inside the slain officer’s body belonged to Delemios’ gun.
However. Tatayon still asked for substantial evidence, especially after it was revealed that there are still two bullets inside his son’s body, yet to be recovered because it would supposedly disfigure the body. The CLO official said that there is no point in retrieving the bullets because it did not lead to his death.
But if the family will ask for it, the PNP crime lab personnel will retrieve the remaining bullets.
Why would the PNP not do a through investigation which would include retrieving and testing every bullet in the man's body? Very suspicious. This man is right to not trust the PNP's conclusions.
Marcos earlier asked for a "leave of court" to allow her to pursue post-conviction remedies, including posting bail while she appeals the conviction.
She was granted temporary bail in the amount of P150,000 while the court decides on her motion for leave of court.
But it seems the 89-year-old Marcos can no longer wait for that decision.
"To date, Motion for Leave filed by the Accused has not yet been resolved. With due respect, the Accused submits that the decision convicting her is contrary to facts, law and jurisprudence," her latest motion reads.
The Fifth Division, however, said Marcos’ motion is premature. In a statement, the division said it cannot act on the said motion.
“The Notice of Appeal filed by Marcos is premature as the Court has not yet resolved her Motion for Leave to avail of post conviction remedies. Therefore the Court cannot take action on the same.”
Of course she wants to get this over with as soon as possible. She must be having sleepless nights.
In a resolution promulgated on Nov. 19, the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division found as “unmeritorious” the “urgent petition” of retired Sr. Supt. Salvador Duran Sr. that he be placed under house or hospital arrest and that his jail sentence be reduced from 10 years to just six months to six years, citing old age and deteriorating health condition.
“Significantly, there exists no law or rule which authorizes the service of sentence of imprisonment of a convict by final judgement by hospital/house confinement, more popularly referred to as ‘hospital arrest’ or ‘house arrest,’” the ruling penned by division chairman Associate Justice Rafael Lagos read.
An interesting case in many ways. First of all the timeline. Crime, graft, committed in 1992. Conviction 17 years later in 2009. An affirmation of the verdict by the SC in 2011 with the decision becoming "final and executory" in 2015. Duran arrested on October 15th, 2018. What a long road for justice to travel. Second of all is that this guy has been denied any chance to avoid prison based on humane considerations. Several officials accused of plunder are out on bail due to humane considerations. Why not this guy? Maybe he does not have enough clout or money. But he can still appeal to the SC. Imelda Marcos or her lawyer is surely watching this case.
The sacking of Undersecretary for support services Ronald Flores and Assistant Secretary Yeshter Donn Baccay, both of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, is believed to have prompted Jesus Dureza to resign as OPAPP head yesterday.
Flores is also the manager of the PAMANA or Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan development program, which is in charge of infrastructure and other projects that OPAPP implements in conflict-affected areas.
PAMANA is considered a complementary track to peace negotiations. The program is anchored on the Aquino administration’s strategy of forging strategic partnerships with national agencies in promoting the delivery of goods and services and addressing regional development challenges in conflict-affected and vulnerable areas.
Duterte described Flores and Baccat as “malikot (frisky)” as sources said the two were fired for reported corruption charges against them.
“Although the implementation of projects under the program is with the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) and other partner agencies, it is in the choice of the LGU (local government units) beneficiaries that the project officer may exercise his discretion,” Lacson said in a text message.
“This is where cuts or commissions were being required from the LGU beneficiaries as reported,” he added.
Lacson said some local officials might have also reported these alleged corruption to President Rodrigo Duterte which resulted in the dismissal of two officials from the OPAPP.
Two more officials fired for alleged corruption. What if, when someone was accused of being corrupt, evidence was gathered and then charges filed instead of shuffling men guilty of corruption off to the side? Firing people for alleged corruption is not going after corruption. Prosecuting and jailing them is.
The land purchase case stemmed from the complaint of city council legislative staff officer Bernard Jake Ramos who alleged that the respondents purchased agricultural land owned by Alvin Cesar Laohoo and Lorenzo Laohoo Jr. at an “exorbitant price” of P120.225 million when it only had a market value of P155,497.84 in 2016.
Also ordered suspended were Vice Mayor Sherwin Gabon, Councilors Coefredo Uy, Jeffry Uy, Maximo Pescos, Edward Uy, Christine Joy Escobar, Beethoven Bermejo, and Nanette Jasmin, City Assessor Romero Tuazon, Assistant City Assessor Arthur Macabare, and Office of the City Assessor employee Rizal Ignacio.
“The documents presented, which are indicative of strong evidence of guilt against respondents, at this stage, compel this office to grant the preventive suspension prayed for,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in the order.
In a separate order, Tan, Coefredo, Macabare, Aquino, Pescos, Bermejo, Uy and Jasmin were also preventively suspended for 6 months for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
Local officials involved in shady land deals. Nothing new here. Inflate the price and pocket the difference. It's the Filipino way.
On the Supreme Court, seniority is based on when magistrates took their seats, not on when they joined the judiciary.
President Rodrigo Duterte had said he would choose the most senior magistrate on the Supreme Court when he appointed a new Chief Justice to replace Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, who retired on Oct. 8.
But on Monday, he did not choose acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, who had been serving on the highest court since Oct. 26, 2001.
He appointed Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin as the country’s 25th Chief Justice.
Bersamin was appointed to the Supreme Court on April 3, 2009, by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
There are two ways to look at this. Bersamin has been in the judiciary longer than Carpio which gives him seniority in time but Carpio has been on the Supreme Court longer than Bersamin which would give him seniority on the court. When Duterte promised seniority would be a factor in his decision on who to appoint as CJ most people thought he meant seniority within the SC. That is the most common sense view. But he has played his hand using a technicality and now a judge after his own heart is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Duterte would also go on to say, "Si Carpio, ingon siya adto na dili siya mudawat [he said he would not accept], so [I chose the] next in rank," which is not true at all.
“We are befuddled that AEPs are being awarded to foreigners for construction work. Construction work is no doubt within the abilities of any Filipino,” Suarez, Quezon’s 3rd district representative, said during the Minority Bloc’s weekly press conference at the House of Representatives.
Is this guy serious? Is he not paying attention? Does he not read the news? From June 29, 2017:
“I don’t mind if we import labor just to finish the projects. We can even import labor from Pakistan, India. We have 75 major projects, there’s no way of stopping that. We won’t stop,” he said.
From April 30th, 2018:
“We need 3.9 skilled labor force which we cannot supply. The Philippines is considering of importing skilled labor force in China and Burma. We are facing labor constraints as the growing demand for laborers like welders, carpentry, masonry and related skilled work construction could not be provided due to lack of training,” the Albay lawmaker said.
Absolutely no one should be surprised there is an influx of Chinese workers both legal and illegal doing jobs of all kinds even construction. They have been telling us it is going to happen. And now Congress is surprised when they find out it has happened? What a joke!
The post showed Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Zubiri, Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Richard Gordon watching the game on TV.
"Senate suspends session as the leadership from the Senate President to the Minority and Majority floor leaders and several U.P. Senators watching the super exciting game!!" Zubiri said in his post.
The Philippine Senate hard at not working.
Kian, a Grade 11 student, was found dead lying in a fetal position with gunshots to his head after a so-called "one-time, big-time" anti-illegal drugs operation by the Caloocan City police on August 16, 2017 — while Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa was still the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
This must be the fastest resolution of a case in the history of the Philippines!
The Sandiganbayan has convicted former National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC) Commissioner Angelo Ang Palaña for soliciting a P100,000 loan from a lawyer in exchange for decisions in favor of the latter’s client.
The court’s Fifth Division found Palaña guilty of violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Section 7(d) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
It also ordered him to pay labor lawyer Rebene Carrera the P100,000 loan he received on Dec. 21, 2011, and had yet to pay back.
According to Carrera’s testimony, Palaña insinuated that the loan would be considered “goodwill money” for the favorable resolution of his client’s cases.
The court noted that this allegation was “corroborated” by the fact that several labor cases were decided in favor of the lawyer’s clients.
A bribe was paid to get favourable legal decisions. Will these decisions be revised and overturned? Not likely.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday threatened to "wipe out from the earth" the Parojinog family, a political clan in Ozamiz allegedly linked to illegal drugs trade.
Duterte warned mayors he would not hesitate to kill them if they are involved in illegal drugs. He then singled out the Parojinogs, whom he said had ordered the killing of police officers who had resisted their illegal activities.
"If you are an evil mayor or councilor and you think of disgusting things, or even ten times more disgusting than that, I can do it better 50 times than you can. Do not intimidate me. I will strangle you if I lose my patience, you son of a b****," the president said during the groundbreaking of an airport modernization project in Ozamiz.
"To the Parojinogs, I will wipe you from the face of the earth," he added.
The Ozamiz raid was plotted by Police Superintendent Jovie Espenido, who was also the police chief of Albuera, Letye when its mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was nabbed and subsequently killed inside his jail cell in November 2016.
Espenido was recently assigned to the Eastern Visayas but Duterte on Wednesday decided to send him back to Ozamiz City to obliterate the Parojinog clan.
Kill them Duterte. Kill them all.
