It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
Outgoing Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas on Thursday dropped his bid for governor, leaving Matthew Manotoc, a son of Gov. Imee Marcos, unopposed in the race and ensuring that the Marcos family will stay at the provincial capitol after the May 13 elections.
Fariñas, who is serving his last term as representative of Ilocos Norte’s first congressional district, went to the Commission on Elections provincial office here at 9:30 a.m. to withdraw his certificate of candidacy (COC).
He said he never intended to seek the post and was only “provoked” to run when former Ilocos Norte Gov. Michael Keon, a member of the Marcos clan, decided to challenge Chevylle Fariñas, his niece, for city mayor of Laoag, the provincial capital.
Fariñas, in a statement last year, had said he had been given assurance that no Marcos family member would run against any of his relatives in the 2019 polls.
“From Day 1 of the campaign until today, having covered 272 of my district’s 285 barangays, I’ve been announcing in my speeches that I was not running for governor,” he added.
The ego of Filipino politicians knows no bounds. He was running for governor out of revenge but on the campaign trail he announced he was not running for governor. That makes zero sense and it will be a good thing when he retires later this year since he obviously does not view himself as a public servant.
The former mayor of Bugasong, Antique, convicted for gun ban violation, can still run for re-election on May 13, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) here.
Antique Comelec acting provincial election supervisor Atty. Wil S. Arceño, in an interview Friday, said former mayor John Lloyd Pacete can still run because his conviction has no final decision yet.
Pacete was convicted by the Branch 64 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC), 6th Judicial Region here but it is currently on appeal before the Court of Appeals (CA).
He said that although Pacete’s conviction can still be appealed with the higher court, but then it has no probation.
“Pacete will really have to serve his conviction,” he said.
He said that should Pacete win in the May 13 election, the Comelec can proclaim him. But whether he could really sit or not as mayor of Bugasong is up to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to resolve.
“The decision whether Pacete would be installed as re-electionist mayor would be up to the DILG,” Arceño said.
The Comelec will allow him to run because he can still appeal his conviction which is a process that could take years. But why would anyone vote for him?
The Chevrolet showroom of Franklin Ong, president of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City, was peppered with bullets by unidentified persons around 1:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2019.
The showroom is located in Mandaue City.
Ong is allied with Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), the party led by Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Lots of political violence in Cebu that extends even to the friends of politicians.
Five kilos of rice for your vote? It’s not that cheap or uncomplicated, as a candidate in the May 13 elections in Isabela City, Basilan, may soon find out.
Not after village officials fought over the distribution of the rice packs to residents and ended up punching each other.
Gadayan said Barangay Riverside Councilor Nurmina Abduhalim Abbas, 43, complained to the city’s police station that one of her colleagues, Councilor Kadil Bapora, 53, punched her in the face while they were trying to get hold of the rice packs being distributed at the barangay hall.
“Abbas suffered facial injuries and her denture was broken,” Gadayan said.
He did not say what prompted Bapora to punch Abbas or whether Bapora also sustained injuries.
After the 2013 midterm polls, the Commission on Elections disqualified the Mayor of Roxas, Isabela province, for vote-buying.
The petition for the disqualification of Mayor Benedict Calderon accused him of distributing cash gifts, rice and pigs to voters.
Election observers in Isabela City said candidates in past elections in the city usually distributed rice packs to residents in hopes of securing their votes.
Vote buying using rice as a gift.
Mateo Ribagos Mondaga said Trinidad Mayor Judith Del Rosario-Cajes hit him four times as two men held his hands.
During the altercation, Mondaga said Cajes accused him of spreading lies to malign town councilor Joan Robie Cajes, her daughter.
Mondaga said he would file charges against the mayor so that justice would be served.
Five witnesses, in an interview, said they saw the mayor slap Mondaga.
Both Mondaga and Cajes have reported the incident to the police.
The mayor said Mondaga bumped her on her way to the barangay hall’s comfort room.
“After which he (Mondaga) threatened her (Cajes), saying ‘Mr. BB, you won’t reach the election,” the mayor alleged.
Stupid drama.
Police Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Luis Licup, director of Police Regional Office 9, identified the victims as Edgardo Podpod Viñas, 49, barangay chairman of Dapaon, Sindangan town, Zamboanga del Norte and Ibrahim Ungad, chairman of Barangay New Labangan in Labangan town, Zamboanga del Sur.
Licup said Viñas was gunned down just before noon on Saturday in the ABC Hall at Barangay La Roche, Sindangan town by an unidentified gunman. He said the victim had just adjourned a session at the ABC Hall when the killer emerged with a long firearm and shot him dead.
Police said the shooter escaped on a motorcycle.
Ungad, on the other hand, was gunned down by two unidentified shooters in front of his residence in Purok Caimito, Tuburan District in Pagadian City on Saturday evening.
Ungad was coming out of his house when he was shot with a 12-gauge shotgun. His killers fled on a motorcycle in the direction of Barangay Tiguma in Pagadian City.
Police aren't sure if this is election related violence because violence happens all the time in the Philippines. Could be drugs or a family feud or who knows what.
The Legazpi City Regional Trial Court Branch 10 has ordered the arrest of Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo for the murder of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police escort.
Finally arrested for a murder he was accused of being the mastermind of back in December. But he was already arrested on separate charges a few months ago.
Only a week before the May 13 midterm elections, incumbent Garchitorena town, Camarines Sur Mayor Nelson Bueza, his wife, his running mate, and a driver were attacked by still unidentified armed men before dawn Monday, police said, and survived.
The 57-year-old reelectionist and wife Yolly, 50; Garchitorena town councilor and vice mayoral candidate Marcelo Aragdon, 58; and driver Errol Arcilla, 30, were aboard an SUV and negotiating Fuentebella Highway in Barangay (village) Toytoy when gunmen attacked them around 1:25 a.m.
Police said aside from gunshots, an explosion was also heard during the ambush.
The four were unharmed, according to police, but the vehicle was damaged by a suspected improvised explosive device.
An IED used in a political assassination attempt is a new twist. Usually it's just guns.
In an advanced copy of the resolution read by Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez on Monday, the poll body cited the “intense political rivalry” in the municipality as the reason for placing it under Comelec control.
Surely the violence will stop now.
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña released a bombshell in his grand rally speech on Sunday, May 5, 2019: Cebu City’s police director is a protector of illegal gambling operations in Central Visayas.
Osmeña made this announcement on the same day that a photo of a group of men allegedly involved in an illegal gambling activity in Cebu City circulated online. One of the men in the photo is believed to be Osmeña.
Cebu's Mayor is accused of being involved in illegal gambling and the local police chief is accused of being involved in illegal gambling. Just accusations being thrown back and forth like mud.
Incumbent Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña told supporters to not vote for him if it means putting their lives on the line.
Osmeña made this statement a day after another strafing incident transpired at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, in Barangay Sudlon 1.
A group of unidentified men, armed with pistols, reportedly went to the house of Amor Cabiles, head of the Barangay Mayor’s Office.
About the same time, another group of unidentified men forcibly opened the wooden door of Dennifer Aguilar and slapped her several times on the face. The men reportedly fired shots on the air before the left.
Election time is very vibrant in the Philippines. You can get killed just for voting for the wrong guy!
Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead a village chairperson in Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat and his aide along a busy street here before noon Monday, police said.
Lt. Colonel Jeofil Siason, Tacurong City police director, said Abdul Daud, 44, chairperson of Barangay Lilit, Lambayong town, died while undergoing surgery at a private hospital following the 11 a.m. shooting.
Daud's unarmed escort, Tahir Tangkilisan, a member of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT), was killed on the spot, Siason said.
Another dead LGU official
. Election related? Sultan Kudarat is violent even without elections.
The Angeles City Regional Court has allowed the alleged mastermind in the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo to post bail.
The court granted the prayer of Police Lieutenant Colonel (formerly Superintendent)Rafael Dumlao to post bail for his temporary liberty.
Dumlao has been identified by witness Police Executive Master Sergeant (formerly SPO4) Roy Villegas as the “sir Dumlao” who talked on the phone with accused Police Chief Master Sergeant (formerly SPO3) Ricky Sta. Isabel before Jee was strangled to death.
Sta. Isabel, Jerry Omlang and Dumlao are charged with kidnapping for ransom and homicide, while Gerardo “Ding” Santiago, owner of the Gream Funeral Services in Caloocan City where the body of the South Korean businessman was brought, was charged as an accessory to the crime.
Why? WHY!?
A government ambulance carrying supporters of Mayor Lakambini Reluya of San Fernando town in Cebu province was fired at by an unidentified gunman in Naga City on Monday night, police said.
The ambulance driver, Arman Navarro, was wounded while his three passengers were unharmed.
Investigators were looking at political feud as a motive in the attack.
A shameful new low in Philippine politics.
The municipal administrator of San Isidro town in Leyte was killed after unidentified assailants strafed the house of Mayor Susan Ang in Barangay Capiñahan past 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8.
Levi Mabini, 44, a resident of Barangay Daja Diot in San Isidro, suffered gunshot wounds on his back and left foot.
Zendy Bonite, secretary of the mayor, said in an interview that the victim had just arrived at the mayor’s house when the assailants on board a gray Ford Ranger opened fire at the mayor’s home.
A village councilman was shot dead by an unidentified assailant in Barangay Poblacion Oquendo District, Calbayog City at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 8.
Lt. Col Joie Pacito Yape, chief of the Calbayog City police, identified the victim as Benjamine Mayran, 57, and a councilman of Barangay Cagbilwang, Calbayog City.
Investigation revealed that the victim was driving his motorcycle on his way to Calbayog when two men on board another motorcycle drove alongside him.
Two more LGU officials gunned down.
“The President has received intelligence information that has been validated and appears to show that there is deliberate attempt to discredit this administration, as well as to boost the candidacies of the opposition, senatorial candidates,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
“And it appears that there are certain groups who are working together to achieve this goal. This group appears to be the Liberal Party. Some personalities identified as advocates or very active in social media, dishing out anti-Duterte statements and sentiments and validated to be allied with the Liberal Party,” Panelo added.
”The other group by the way is Magdalo. It appears from this diagram that Liberal Party, the Magdalo and other groups indicated in the matrix are working hand in hand,” he said.
Duterte is actually calling the normal way of doing politics evidence of an ouster plot.
The Court said Lacaya is the 30th judge to be killed while serving in the judiciary since 1999.
Under the 2005 guidelines, a judge who receives a direct threat may apply for protection with the Philippine National Police or the Court's Security Committee, it said.
The Court added that judges "are granted permits to carry firearms even outside their stations" under a memorandum of agreement the tribunal signed with the Philippine National Police in 2005.
The judiciary is armed because they face threats like this.
“Yung election violence po ngayon ay worrisome. I am worried about it, because before this has never happened in Negros Occidental but it’s happening now,” Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said in her interview on GMA News’ Balitanghali.
Election violence might have never happened in Negros Occidental before but it happens in spades elsewhere. The shedding of blood is simply part of the political process in the Philippines.
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