It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
Trillanes is facing a case for libel before Judge Melinda Alconcel-Dayanghirang of Davao RTC Branch 150. The case was lodged by Presidential son Paolo Duterte.
The Duterte family is coming after Trillanes. Like father, like son.
How much blood will be spilt in the Visayas this coming election?
A report from the PACC said Bethshiba Bautista, an officer of the BIR Revenue District Office, and BIR examiner Rachel Villanueva were arrested in an entrapment operation in the agency’s office in Manila.
The suspects allegedly demanded P2 million from a certain company to settle its tax liabilities.
But only P500,000 will be given to the government while the remaining P1.5 million will be pocketed by the suspects, the PACC said.
If it's entrapment then how is it legal? Was it a real bribe or was it fake? That makes all the difference in the world.
A mayoral candidate in Marilao, Bulacan, Andre Santos, surrendered to a SWAT team on Friday, December 7, after a 20-hour standoff at his home in Barangay Poblacion 2.
Bulacan police director Senior Superintendent Chito Bersaluna said a team from the local police was set to serve a warrant of arrest against Santos for qualified theft on Thursday evening, but he locked himself up in a room at the second floor of his residence.
Initial reports said that Santos, a former vice mayor, was armed with a gun and a grenade, preventing prohibiting the team from conducting the arrest and prompting a request for additional police force.
Santos' friends from the local police, as well as Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado, tried but failed to convince him to surrender.
The suspect later tried to request for media and other personalities to negotiate his surrender. One of the names he requested was former Special Assistant to the President and senatorial candidate Bong Go.
A former vice mayor wanted for theft and armed with a grenade and a gun holds he cops at bay for 20 hours while hoping to get Bong Go to speak up on his behalf! Hilarious! Surely he will win the election.
The Silay City government has taken down the tarpaulin of senatorial candidate Bong Go at the plaza for failing to secure a permit.
It was instead reinstalled along the road going to the airport since doing so would not require any permit.
Golez said he informed the donor, Dindo Ilagan, about the ordinance before the billboard was removed by members of the Office of Building Official (OBO).
Ilagan was not aware of the existing ordinance.
“It was never the intention of the City Government to offend anyone, most especially, SAP Bong Go, but merely to apply the rule of law fairly and squarely to all,” said Golez.
Funny how the mayor was so apologetic to Bong Go for removing his banner that he even supervised its reinstallation elsewhere! Funny how the man who sponsored this banner didn't know about city ordinances or care to inquire about city ordinances before installing this eyesore in the city plaza!
The Abra provincial board has slapped Lagayan town mayor Jendricks Luna and his wife, Vice Mayor Joy Chrisma Luna, with a six-month suspension over an allegedly fraudulent road project worth P1.07 million.
A town where husband and wife rule the roost!
“There are signs that the election of President Duterte in the Philippines is scaring off foreign investors and the situation is unlikely to improve when he is gone. The country has a poor history when it comes to electing competent governments,” Capital Economics said in its Long-Term Global Economic Outlook report for 2019.
The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) data, meanwhile, showed actual FDI inflows jumped 31 percent to $7.4 billion as of August, such that economic managers were expecting this year’s haul to breach the record $10 billion posted last year.
But the Asean Investment Report 2018 report showed that actual FDI inflows to the Philippines in 2017 were dwarfed by Singapore’s $62 billion, Indonesia’s $23.1 billion, as well as Vietnam’s $14.1 billion.
Nothing new here. See this article from July:
International observers and domestic economists are making different pronouncements about the economy. Who is right? Who do you trust? Duterte's yes men or the men who observe the trends within the world's economies?
“It’s still the biggest strength of the Philippines, this alliance with the United States,” Lorenzana said, answering a question seeking his reaction to President Duterte’s statements that the Philippines could not go to war with China.
“In his frustration, I think he said that we can’t fight China but he knows we have some options here,” Lorenzana said, citing the Philippines’ regional and US alliance.
The defense chief also cited increased military cooperation with Australia and Japan.
Duterte wants to deepen Chinese foreign relations and especially economic investments in the Philippines but a the same time he is keeping the US and other allies at arms length just in case he needs them to give China a beat down? This is what happens when you have no single policy regarding China or the WPS. The Duterte doctrine is "whatever."
The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division on Friday arraigned Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno on 13 graft cases, even as it reset the start of pretrial on seven other graft charges.
The 20 graft cases involved transactions with private companies made by the Cagayan de Oro City government which were alleged to be grossly disadvantageous to the government and resulted in multimillion peso losses.
Complainants against Moreno alleged that the mayor bypassed the city council in allocating funds for the projects and kept the council in the dark.
Moreno faces a total of 79 graft cases, which are currently lodged at the Sandiganbayan, Court of Appeals, Supreme Court and the Office of the President.
Moreno said his detractors just wanted to disrupt his official functions as mayor by filing a barrage of cases against him.
“They want to make my life difficult, to taint my name,” he said.
This mayor faces 79 graft charges but apparently they are all fake and designed to taint his name. He is an innocent man. Hopefully he will file countersuits against his accusers once he is cleared of all guilt.
Former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte has bared a massive opposition network, including several yellow politikos, Catholic bishops and companies, allegedly seeking to oust President Duterte from office.
A copy of the list, titled “ANTI-ADMINISTRATION GROUP, OUST DUTERTE MOVEMENT,” was posted on Facebook by the President’s son who claimed he wanted to share it online.
Among those identified in the alleged oust Duterte plot are Vice President Leni Robredo, former Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, Senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, former Senator Francisco Tatad, and several former government officials allied with former President Aquino.
Also implicated in the list were seven Catholic prelates namely Bishop Broderick Pabilo, Bishop Leo Drona, Bishop Antonio Tobias, Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Bishop Julio Xavier Labayen, Bishop Pablo David and Bishop Arturo Santos.
The companies mentioned in the list are Jollibee Food Corp, Dole Philippines, PLDT, Philsaga Mining Corp., General Tuna Corp., and Sumi Philipines Wiring System.
“Millennial students studying at Jesuit-run schools” were also mentioned in the list.
Paolo Duterte has posted on his Facebook page a bizarre and now deleted series of photos of an Excel spreadsheet purportedly exposing a dangerous plot to oust Duterte which involves Jollibee, General Tuna, PLDT, and "Millenial students studying at Jesuit-run schools." It's fun to laugh at and would be a funny piece of satire if it weren't for the fact that people are stupid enough to believe this is true and in the Philippines people who end up on lists end up being assassinated. The list mentions Opus Dei and makes it appear as if it's one big Jesuit conspiracy. This is all the more ironic seeing as Paolo is a Freemason and every single revolution since the American Revolution has been Freemasonic in nature even the Philippine Revolution. The Freemasons have been linked to about as many conspiracies as the Jesuits and are just as nefarious an organisation.
“The first time I saw that posting: I said it’s fake news. I still maintain that is fake news,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the handover rites for the Balangiga Bells on Tuesday at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo defended Paolo’s decision to post the list, saying it was part of his “freedom of expression.”
The President's son published a list of alleged concurtors to oust his dad and everyone knows its fake and a lie even the DND Sec. But the Presidential Spokesman says its his freedom of expression showing that Panelo has no idea what freedom of expression entails. It does not mean you can slander or lie.
The political allies Khadafy Pendi, Amelia Abo and Hammy Manabilang were in a car en route to Cotabato City when gunmen opened fire while their driver was maneuvering through a busy stretch of a highway in Marhaban area in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao.
The incident prompted Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division to tighten security in areas where candidates are locked in deep-seated rivalries.
Election violence in the ARMM. Thank goodness for martial law, right?
Yeah and how many times has Duterte told the US to f-off? The Philippines is a fair-weather friend unlike the US though I do not think the return of these bells, rightfully taken during war, has anything to do with friendship.
“Many have tried but it is our President’s strong political will and unquestionable dedication in asserting the rights of our country and its people which significantly contributed to this event coming into fruition,” Panelo said in a statement.
Look at Duterte trying to take all the credit for this action by the US. The bells could not have been returned since a US law was passed which barred the removal of articles of war. This law only recently expired but no one spoke up and had it reinstated. This loss of a piece of American history and monument to the war dead is due to weak and/or ignorant politicians in DC and has nothing whatsoever to do with Duterte's political will.
“US should also issue an official and public apology for the atrocities they committed in Samar during the Philippine-American War and compensate the descendants of the victims,” Zarate said in a statement.
First blacks and now Filipinos want reparations from the US government. It's never enough for these type of people.
Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, police director for Region 12, said police backed up by soldiers arrested Robert F. Herbilla, municipal secretary and Amelito O. Daquipil, municipal administrative assistant at 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Local government officials involved with drugs.
After being “rushed” to pass the 2019 national budget, the House of Representatives (HOR) will now “take its time” to scrutinize amid allegations that billions of pesos of “pork” have been inserted in the budget, House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. said Wednesday.
Pork insertions in the budget. Corruption still rampant. No wonder the Senate won't be passing the budget anytime soon.
Mukaram said Andig, a tribal leader of Teduray community, was about to take his horse around 8 p.m. when an armed man approached and shot him four times.
As Andig fell to the ground, the gunman fled with the victim’s horse. Andig sustained four bullet injuries from an M-14 rifle.
While he is not an elected official he is still a leader. Perhaps this was just a horse thief? So much for that tightened security.
Senior Supt. Madzgani Mukaram, Maguindanao police director, said Samsudin Abdulkarim, 49, village council member of Barangay Satan, Shariff Aguak, was driving his dump truck when the gunmen on board a black sedan car blocked his path.
One of the suspects alighted and sprayed Abdulkarim’s dump truck with bullets, using an M-16 Armalite rifle, police said.
The tightened security is really working good. Not.
Supt. Joan Maganto, Midsayap town police chief, identified the victim as Ahmad Kumayog, 43, treasurer of Barangay Mudsing and an active peace advocate working for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
A peace worker violent gunned down while riding his motorbike home.
Among the principal respondents of the case were former senior superintendent Eduardo Paderon Acierto, former PDEA deputy director general for administration Ismael Gonzales Fajardo Jr., former Customs intelligence agent Jimmy Guban, Police Inspector Lito Pirote, and Joseph Dimayuga.
Where is ex-BOC Secretary Lapeña?
“We have not seen any evidence that will link former Commissioner Lapeña sa mga kaso and that is why he was not included in the filing of the case,” Aquino said.
The PDEA chief said his legal team reviewed all the evidence but could not find any that would link Lapeña.
As for possible administrative liability, Aquino said they would forward copies of their complaint to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) and the Ombudsman.
“I think they have more authority to file administrative cases if there is,” Aquino told reporters.
Yes this all happened right under his nose and he had no idea whatsoever. So he is incompetent. Why is he still a member of the cabinet then? Why did Duterte transfer this incompetent man to another position in the cabinet?
Every month, the state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA) committed around 200 mistakes during the past administration.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar disclosed this when confronted during plenary debates at the Senate Monday about the recent blunders of the PNA.
“According to Sec. Andanar, yes, the mistakes that you pointed out were honest mistakes and that they have already done some reforms and they had even disciplined and charged even some employees in the process,” said Sen. JV Ejercito, who was defending the PCOO’s budget on the floor.
“And likewise he said, during the past administration, there are about 200 mistakes every month committed by the PNA.”
In order to cover for and excuse the many mistakes made by the PCOO Andanar brings up the faults of the past administration which has zero bearing on what is happening during his tenure as PCOO Secretary. And Senator Ejercito bought it!
“If you want these killings stopped, if you want to live peacefully, if you are afraid of EJKs (extrajudicial killings)… just drop it (drugs) and it will end tomorrow. I assure you,” he added.
Woooooo!!! What a madman! What a beast! He will stop killing you if you just stop doing drugs.
The Philippines political scandal of the week is without doubt the unprecedented acquittal of Bong Revilla. Unprecedented? Maybe it's not unprecedented. The justice system is completely out of whack and just because Imelda was convicted (but not in prison) and the cops who killed Kian de los Santos were convicted does not mean the justice system is "working." Here are the headlines.
Revilla was accused of pocketing money from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he allocated around P224 million to non-existent non-government organizations owned by Janet Lim Napoles.
But the Sandiganbayan ruled the prosecution failed to prove that Revilla, an actor-turned-politician, was guilty of plunder beyond reasonable doubt.
One the other hand, the anti-graft court convicted his co-accused — Napoles and Revilla’s former staff Richard Cambe.
One case down 16 more to go. And he is still running for the Senate.
So, who owes the government P124.5 million — former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Janet Lim-Napoles, or Richard Cambe?
This question emerged as it remains unclear who among the three should return the amount to the National Treasury as the Sandiganbayan acquitted Revilla while it convicted Napoles and Cambe, a former staff Revilla.
Revilla, Napoles, and Cambe were all named accused in the P10-billion pork barrel scam.
In the dispositive portion of the decision penned by Associate Justice Geraldine Faith Econg, the Sandiganbayan Special First Division ordered:
“Moreover, in view of the discussion above, and pursuant to Article 100 of the Revised Penal Code, accused are held solidarily and jointly liable to return to the National Treasury the amount of PhP 124,500,000.00.”
The ruling noticeably did not categorically state who among the three accused should return the P124.5 million to the National Treasury or if the three should split the bill.
With Revilla acquitted and only Napoles and Cambe convicted (so far but do you really think Enrile and Estrada will be convicted?) who is liable to pay back the money? Where the heck is the money anyway?
Of course he does!
This man still has 16 graft charges against him! He should not be running for the Senate and anyone who votes for him is a fool.
Using ‘acquitted’ instead of ‘not guilty’ provides a huge difference in the appreciation of the case against Revilla.
A ‘not guilty’ verdict means that the accused is definitely innocent from the cases hurled against him or her , whereas an ‘acquittal’ merely says that there was a failure to prove an accused is guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
Acquitted but not guilt free? If they think he is guilty then why didn't they convict him? If they are ordering him to pay back the money then why didn't they go all the way and convict?
The Court added that the “prosecution left so many gaps in the data that it should have plugged in order for us to reach a certain degree of certainty that the monies deposited in the account did not come from any other source but from Napoles through Cambe, excluding all possibilities of the sources of deposits.”
Because the prosecution did not do a proper job in presenting a solid case. They did not rebut the evidence that the signatures of Revilla were forged nor did they prove that the money, millions of pesos, moving into his accounts came from the PDAF money. But the justices knew about the money. If the money did not come from PDAF where did it come from and how likely is it that Revilla's assistant, Cambe, was operating a huge scheme under his boss' nose using a fund to which only Revilla had access? Oh but that's just speculation and not hard facts!
De la Cruz said Revilla did not give an explanation as to how he and his family managed to make deposits worth P87.6 million in only 30 days.
“The Court cannot engage in guesswork and conjecture that Revilla was monetarily capable to make such deposits and investments out of his income from being a senator, producer and actor. He did not present an iota of evidence of his financial capacity,” De la Cruz said.
“Revilla met the evidence against him with nothing more than either denial or silence,” he added.
Estoesta and De la Cruz said Revilla should have been convicted along with Cambe and Napoles because they conspired to divert funds from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-governmental organizations (NGOs).
De la Cruz said with the numerous communications between Revilla’s office, the Commission on Audit and the supposed NGOs, it would be improbable for Revilla not to know about it.
“Revilla is a seasoned senator. He is not naive to allow Napoles and Cambe to solely steer the course of a PDAF,” he said.
He added that PDAF was a fund allocated to Revilla by virtue of his office thus Napoles or Cambe cannot dip their hands into it by themselves.
“They needed Revilla,” De la Cruz said.
All this damning circumstantial evidence and they voted to acquit. Why? What more do they need? A video?
“For failure of the prosecution to establish beyond reasonable doubt that accused Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. received, directly or indirectly, the rebates, commission, and kickbacks from his PDAF, the Court cannot hold him liable for the crime of plunder. Accordingly, he is acquitted,” she said.
However, Econg stressed that it was the fault of the prosecution for not proving the allegations against Revilla.
“In other words, lack of direct evidence should not be an opportunity for one to fall for the convenient lure of suspicion in the determination of an accused’s liability for the crime charged,” the associate justice said in the decision.
“Moreover, the evidence of the other camp submitted by the prosecution did not exclude the possibilities that he did not commit the crime,” she added later, during the interview.
Lack of direct evidence? So where did the money come for that was in his bank account? And why does the court still rule that Revilla must repay the money if he is not guilty of stealing it?
“We are really victims of selective justice.”
Former Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Saturday said this when asked if he and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. could return in the Senate in 2019.
With this, Estrada hoped that the public could still vote for them in the 2019 elections, noting that they were victimized by the past administration.
“Sana, nasa taong bayan, kung tatangkilikin kami alam naman ng taong bayan nagpag kaisahan kami ng administrasyon,” Estrada told radio station, DWIZ.
Estrada also said he has yet to reunite with Revilla, noting that he wants to campaign with him for the 2019 elections.
In the Philippines the criminals are the real victims.
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