It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
A former official of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and his alleged cohort have been arrested for allegedly extorting money from firearms importers, authorities said Thursday.
The operation stemmed from a complaint filed by proprietors, who accused the two suspects of purportedly demanding half a million pesos for the supposed release of shipments consigned to a firearms company that was being held at the Ninoy Aquino International Aiport (Naia).
Business as usual at the BOC.
THE Sandiganbayan granted the application for probation of a former city mayor in the province who was convicted for the dismissal of local government employees in 1998.
“Upon perusal of the post-sentence investigation report, the court finds the recommendation for granting of the probation of Varela to be well-taken,” the Sandiganbayan in its decision, said.
Varela was also required to report to his probation and parole officer at least twice a month and is not allowed to change his address without prior approval from the officer or court.
He was directed to render community service and participate in tree-planting activities, secure employment, and refrain from associating with groups or persons with questionable character, among others.
Varela was convicted by the Sandiganbayan for violating Republic Act 6656, which protects the security of tenure of civil service personnel, after firing 166 employees in 1998 as part of the reorganization of the city government.
A case which was finally resolved 20 years later. That's how slow the Sandiganbayan is.
A crowd that included the vice president, the Defense secretary, top military officials and diplomats laughed as President Rodrigo Duterte pretended to read out offenses by Philippine Military Academy cadets, which, according to the joke, included rape and multiple rape.
The pardoning of offenses is a tradition at graduation rites of the PMA, but the rape jokes are a recent addition. The jokes have long stopped eliciting shock but, judging from the crowd's reaction, are still amusing.
"The Number One is for rape, putang ina. Ang Number Two is drugs with rape with robbery. Para sa Muntinlupa ito. Pangatlo, multiple rape of the women of Baguio. The beautiful ones. Sino 'yan?" Duterte said as he pretended to read a list of cadet's offenses.
Muntinlupa is where the New Bilibid Prisons are found.
The president said he would let the cadets off for now "because I need good and capable soldiers and I know that one or two is bound to happen, but I will forgive you."
How many rape jokes is that now?
The Commission on Audit (COA) found an unspent P49-million fund under the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), turned over by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) for livelihood and agricultural projects.
In its 2018 audit report released last May 23, state auditors found that the fund has remained idle since it was transferred to NAPC in April 2017.
Pagcor originally turned over P50 million, but only P969,479.50 was used.
The money, under an agreement signed between NAPC and Pagcor, was supposed to fund several programs and projects, including education in Mindanao, agricultural facilities in Luzon and Mindanao, and coconut enterprise programs in the Visayas.
These projects were supposed to be implemented throughout a two-year timetable that expired last April 4.
But NAPC issued a memorandum stopping the disbursement, following instructions from Pagcor in December 2017 that the state-run gaming agency would conduct an audit of the funds.
Sounds like a case of bureaucratic inefficiency.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is investigating an alleged money market scam after hundreds of police personnel lost their money to promises of big profits.
Regional police officials told reporters Sunday that four from their ranks — Cpl. Rhodora Bombita, Cpl. Daisy Javierto, Lt.Col. Henry Biñas and Col. Raul Supiter — will testify against the operators of the controversial PlanProMatrix, or PPM.
The four witnesses belong to the Police Regional Office-12 based in this city.
"Surely this case will serve as a lesson to those who easily gets fooled with `too good to be true' earnings from pyramid money market schemes," a senior police official involved in the investigation said on Sunday.
The PPM, which became known eventually as the Pulis Paluwagan Program after it hogged the news last month, has reportedly collected more than P500 million in investments from PRO-12 personnel.
P500 million! I doubt this will be a lesson to anyone to not get involved with pyramid scams. It's funny that PNP officers are so stupid to fall for them.
Graft charges have been filed against former Mayor Orville Fua of Lazi town, Siquijor province, six other officials and two private individuals for the alleged irregular purchase of fertilizers worth P4.9 million in 2004.
Aside from Fua, the Office of the Ombudsman also charged municipal accountant Ana Marie Leilani Monte; municipal treasurer/bids and awards committee (BAC) member Rose Marie Tomogsoc; BAC chair Ivan Marchan; former municipal engineer Natalio Jumawan Jr.; former private secretary Sue Agnes Castillon; and former municipal coordinator Teodoro Jumadla.
Not just the mayor but quit a few city employees. Irregular purchases of fertiliser is very common.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s possible presidential run in 2022 could be a reason why her endorsement matters in the search for the next House Speaker.
House minority leader Quezon 3rd District Rep. Danilo Suarez shared this belief when asked why he thought the endorsement of the presidential daughter mattered in the House speakership given that she was not even a member of Congress.
“They’re looking at her as a possible contender in 2022,” Suarez said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday.
Pretty funny that this lady is exerting power she should not be exerting in the House. Even funnier in light of the change in Speakers last year and her adamant denial that she had any influence to do such a thing and her Father's "joke" that indeed she does wield such influence.
A village chairman was killed while a public safety officer was injured in a shooting incident in Barangay Lallayug, Tuao West in Cagayan province, police said on Monday.
The Cagayan police identified the fatality as Orlino Gannaban, 52, chairman in the said municipality, while the injured victim was identified as Espidio Zingabo.
According to police, the victims were on board a motorcycle when a lone gunman suddenly appeared and opened fire at them on Sunday at around 3:30 p.m.
Motorcycle gunmen appearing out of nowhere and assassinating a small town politician. In the Philippines it's a tale as old as time.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out the Department of National Defense (DND) for not utilizing P2.140 million in funds intended for its personnel affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan) and the Bohol quake — both of which happened in 2013.
According to an audit report dated May 20, 2019, the unused funds account for 48.26 percent of the whole financial aid. The DND only used 51.74 percent or P2.295 million
These unused funds have not been returned to the Office of the President (OP).
“Funds intended for the victims of Typhoon Yolanda and the 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake were not fully utilized, only 51.74 percent or P2,295,000.00 were disbursed while the 48.26 percent or P2,140,000.00 remained unutilized and not returned to OP,” COA said.
“The balance of P2,140,000..00 remained in the account of the DND for three years,” COA added.
Even under Duterte these funds have not been used correctly or returned to the treasury.
Reelected Davao del Norte 1st District Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez claimed that two of his fellow contenders for the top post at the House of Representatives have supposedly thrown cash at lawmakers in a bid to secure votes.
“Sinabi sa akin ng mga kasamahan ko, mayroong nag-offer ng ₱500,000 per congressman and then sinagot naman tig-₱1 million per congressman," Alvarez told CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday.
[Translation: My colleagues told me that someone offered ₱500,000 per congressman, and then this was countered by another camp with ₱1 million per congressman.]
Alvarez said lawmakers who accept the offer would immediately sign a manifestation of support. He said he has seen the manifestation, which already has around 100 signatures.
"Nawawalan din ako ng gana dahil nga pagka ganyan, siyempre, obviously, mayroon talagang funder ‘yan, 'di ba dahil ang laking pera eh,” Alvarez said.
[Translation: I’m also losing my appetite if there are things like that, because obviously, they have funders as they have huge amounts of money.]
He refused to identify who the lawmakers offering cash were.
With all the vote buying that does actually happen during election time these accusations are not unbelievable. It's a shame he refuses to name anyone.
The Department of National Defense has disowned the matrix being peddled by the Palace as a list of people involved in an ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We did not have prior information about that. Hindi ko nga iyan nakita,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in an interview with GMA News Online's FYI segment with Richard Heydarian.
Lorenzana said that an ouster plot cannot proceed without the military getting a whiff of it.
“A destabilization plot needs recruitment of people from the military, police and local officials. Wala kaming nararamdamang ganito,” he said.
“As for the information from the Palace, maybe they have some information on small groups. But as to a destabilization plot? You would need the military support for such to be credible. As such, we do not see any plot to overthrow the President,” Lorenzana added.
Now the DND is contradicting Duterte and his ouster matrix. Only fools ever believed it was real in the first place.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo maintained that were plots to unseat the President, but these were not credible because they did not have the support of the military.
“Lorenzana said there is no credible plot because there is no support from the military and the police. So there is no inconsistency there,” he told reporters here.
[The President said there was a plot. He did not say that there was military or PNP support. In other words, on the part of the DND secretary, it will not be realized because for a plot to be credible it will need military and police support.]
[There’s no inconsistency. He didn’t there was no plot. What he said was it was not credible because it had no support. There’s no military and police support, but some people are planning. The President said there was a plot. So there’s no inconsistency.]
After maintaining that there was a credible ouster plot the Palace now reverses course! They simply cannot get their story straight and all of Panelo's wordplay only makes him look foolish. If there is no credible ouster plot then there is no plot and no reason to bare a list of names! Why did they not add this caveat about no PNP or AFP support last month? Why only now? Because the elections are over and it is time to let this story die a slow death and bury it.
President Rodrigo Duterte appointed three new deputy commissioners to the Bureau of Customs, including a former Manila International Container Port district collector who was dismissed following the reported smuggling of billions worth of shabu last year, documents released by Macañang showed.
Based on appointment papers dated March 6 but were only released by the Palace on Saturday, Duterte appointed Vener Sia Baquiran, Raniel Ty Ramiro and Donato Belmonte San Juan to the BoC.
To recall, former BOC chief Isidro Lapeña axed Baquiran in 2018 over two incidents of shabu smuggling that allegedly slipped past authorities last year.
Baquiran reportedly headed the port district when the magnetic lifters with traces of shabu arrived on June 28 and July 11.
In January, the National Bureau of Investigation filed criminal and administrative charges against Lapeña — whom Duterte has since reassigned to the Technical Education and Skills Development — and 50 others, including Baquiran, following the alleged drug shipment.
Whiff of corruption my butt!
President Rodrigo Duterte's trip here may be a "reward" for cabinet officials because he was elated by the results of this year's midterm elections, the Philippines' envoy to Japan said Tuesday.
Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V said the outcome of the polls, which saw eight of the 12 candidates endorsed by Duterte winning Senate seats, was an affirmation of the actions of his administration.
"Ito'y pabuya sa nakaraang eleksyon (It's a reward for the elections). Why do you bring 20 Cabinet members here and local government or land reform? There is no land reform here. It's finished," Laurel told reporters here.
"But I think the president is so elated with the results of the midterm elections, that this is an affirmation of what his administration does in the last three years. It's like a reward," he added.
Malacañang on Tuesday afternoon clarified that the trip is not a reward for the government officials.
It might be that this is just another trip except it is his third to Japan and this time 200 people are going.
A 200-member delegation, 16 of which are Cabinet members, would accompany President Rodrigo Duterte in his third trip to Japan.
Duterte would be attending Nikkei’s 25th International Conference on the Future of Asia here on May 30 to 31 and meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his four-day visit.
“I heard its 200,” Philippine Ambassador to Japan Jose Laurel V told reporters in a press briefing here Tuesday.
Laurel said Duterte’s trip here would be shouldered by Nikkei, the organization that invited the President.
It really does not matter if Nikkei is footing the bill. 200 people, 16 cabinet members, are most certainly not needed for this trip. Almost certainly a reward but then again when was this trip planned? Likely weeks ago which makes it just another junket.
A total of 146 kilos of “shabu” (crystal meth) worth around P1 billion were seized inside a warehouse in Malabon City on Wednesday, authorities said Friday.
Aquino said the PDEA, in coordination with the Bureau of Customs (BOC), found the abandoned shipment in March.
However, in hopes of finding and arresting the people behind the shipment, which are allegedly part of the Golden Triangle drug syndicate, the PDEA decided to auction off the “tapioca shipment.”
This is in the hopes that members of the drug syndicate would participate in the auction, Aquino said.
Coordinating with the BOC, the auction took place in April and a certain company called Goldwin Commercial Warehouse won the highest bid.
However, Aquino said that upon conducting a background check on the owners of the company, the PDEA found no link between the company and illegal drug trade.
The PDEA was not able to arrest any suspect behind the shipment of the illegal drugs. He said that whoever was behind the shipment could have opted not to join the bidding upon sensing it was a trap.
These people are totally idiots and dishonest about finding these drugs. Take it from former PNP Chief and now Senator Lacson.
Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday called out the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) for ‘dishonesty’ in one of its recent drug seizure operations.
He stressed that the shipment should not have auctioned the shipment. Instead, it should have been destroyed under the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act or Republic Act No. 10863.
“In this case, prohibited goods, including the shabu contained in 114 bags inside the aluminum pallets with tapioca starch, as provided in Section 1146 of this Act, should be destroyed, and therefore should not have been offered for sale in a public auction,” Lacson said in a privilege speech.
The senator also took issue with authorities’ line of reasoning that it falls under a strategy called “controlled delivery.” He pointed out that the operation went completely different from the nature of “controlled delivery.”
“Controlled delivery, my foot! What we know from experience and knowledge of the procedure in “controlled delivery” is that this investigative technique targets specific consignees under the supervision of authorized project officers basically for the purpose of gathering evidence against the person/s involved in smuggling-related offenses,” Lacson said.
“Did Customs and PDEA officials really expect the owners of this shipment to actually participate in the said public auction knowing fully well that forfeited and seized commodities undergo 100% physical examination prior to disposition?” he added.
Lacson also revealed that it was the winning bidder who reported that drugs were inside the shipment.
Quoting a report from PDEA, Lacson said the shipment “[does] not contain any dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals.”
It was auctioned because the content was said to be “perishable by nature,” he added. “It does not take much to figure out the holes in the plot that some not-so-smart characters in these agencies tried to fabricate but failed miserably.”
“Simply put, this is a case of dishonesty with the intention of misleading the public,” he added.
The PDEA and the BOC both fooled the public in a bid to cover up their incompetence. How will the Philippines ever hope to win he drug war with such idiots at the helm? Perhaps the war is not meant to be won.
Senators are banding together against plans by certain senators-elect to bump off the current chairs of key committees when the 18th Congress sits in July, a situation that Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Wednesday said was creating a “headache” in the chamber.
Sotto also said Senator-elect Imee Marcos, the outgoing Ilocos Norte governor and daughter of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, was likely to get the committees on ways and means and the local government, both headed by Sen. Sonny Angara.
“Why should I give it up? I have already put so much work into it,” Gordon told reporters. “There’s the equity of the incumbent rule, right? If you’re a newcomer in Senate, unless the [current chair] lets go of the committee, then you can’t have it. There’s seniority.”
Abandoning that rule in the 24-member chamber would only result in a “very unwieldy Senate,” the outspoken senator added.
Poe said neophyte senators should abide by the existing rules that upheld seniority and experience in handling key committees.
Poe hoped that the incoming senators would abide by the “equity of the incumbent” principle.
“If the Senate President would be able to explain it to them, I hope this can be resolved and they will accept it,” she said.
The newbie Senators (Go, Bato, Tolentino, and Marcos) were all elected through not abiding by any rules except survival of the fittest. They did everything it took to get elected and Poe should not be so naive that they will not do what it takes to latch on to power immediately. Sen Drilion has harsh words about that.
Drilon, a veteran lawmaker and currently the Senate minority leader, said “tradition and seniority” are always respected in the upper chamber of Congress
He said tradition dictates that the more senior lawmakers get to retain committee chairmanships.
“Of course, as I've said, it's up to the majority whether or not they follow this tradition,” Drilon told reporters.
“But the incoming senators, maybe they should, as we say, learn the ropes first of how lawmaking in the Senate runs.”
First time senators who were proclaimed in May include former national police chief Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, outgoing Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, former Presidential Political Adviser Francis Tolentino, and President Rodrigo Duterte's former aide Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go.
Dela Rosa wants to lead the public order and dangerous drugs committee chaired by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who readily obliged, said Sotto.
Marcos, on the other hand, is said to be eyeing the ways and means committee, currently chaired by reelected Sen. Sonny Angara.
Imee Marcos eyeing the Way and Means Committee is particularly troublesome.
The Senate ways and means committee is in charge of "all matters relating to revenue generally; taxes and fees; tariffs; loans and other sources and forms of revenue," according to law.
However, Marcos herself is facing graft charges after the House of Representatives recommended that she be held accountable for alleged misuse of her province's tobacco excise taxes in July 2018.
Marcos wants to be in charge of collecting and disposing the nation's revenue and yet she has been charge with graft for misusing taxes in her own province during her term as Governor. It's not ironic. It's not funny. It's a real threat to the nation. And if you are expecting her to come clean about her education think again.
For Senator-elect Imee Marcos, she has nothing to say sorry for supposedly making a mistake about her educational background.
“What am I apologizing for? I’m still getting alumni letters and I keep receiving all these invites,” Marcos said over ABS CBN News Channel on Thursday when asked if she would issue an apology to schools like the Princeton University.
“I’m confused what I’m supposed to apologize about,” she said, “We’re always supposed to apologize about martial law, about my father. I think it’s important that you give us a chance and finally, put aside all these issues…”
Marcos earlier claimed that she has a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of the Philippines (UP) but the two universities have denied it.
Everyone knows she has lied about receiving a degree from Princeton. She is right in that she has nothing to apologise for as she has been very consistent in her lies. It is the voters who should apologise.
The corrupt practices in the local government of San Juan City may have been covered up by the 50-year leadership of the Estradas, according to Mayor-elect Francis Zamora.
He bared that the two political families had been close allies since 1978 but a decision of the Estradas in 2015 caused the rift between them.
There is too much political intrigue between clans in this article. Read both of those sentences and then realise that Zamora will be just as corrupt as the Estradas! HAHAHA!!!
Banac said 21 cases have been solved while 22 others are still being probed by authorities.
Oh wow so at least half have been solved. That's good right?
In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Año said he had already sent a “stern warning” to previous election candidates, especially those who won, “to stop any sinister plans.”
“In the recent incidents following the election, politicians seemed to be connected [to] or [are] orchestrating these violent incidents in their areas because of political motives,” he said.
Año said he had already directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) to form special investigation task groups to solve the killings.
In an earlier interview, the Año said he would look intently into the incidents that happened even after the officials had already been proclaimed.
“I am calling on the elected officials: Be responsible. If you are behind those killings, we will go after you. Tapos na itong eleksyon. Eh bakit kailangan pa na may mga mamamatay?” said Año.
[The elections are over. Why do people have to die?]
He is basically admitting he knows who the killers are. Why are they still on the streets, still in office!?
Six years after Yolanda hit the Visayas, the Office of Civil Defense has yet to spend all of the P135.39 million it received from donors for the victims of the strongest typhoon in history.
The COA said P40.98 million remained out of the total donations but was expected to increase to P46.67 million due to gains on foreign exchange revaluation.
A total of P94.4 million, on the other hand, went to the victims' assistance.
"OCD did not receive any fund for the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda from [Department of Budget and Management] and other national government agencies but received donation s from both local and foreign sources," it said.
Three of those years has been under Duterte's watch. But Aquino will still be blamed.
President Rodrigo Duterte met here on Wednesday with three lawmakers seeking the House speakership.
The President met with Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco, incoming Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and incoming Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Photos shared by Senator-elect Christopher “Bong” Go showed the three smiling as they posed with the President.
Velasco has said that his advantage to his competitors for the House speakership race was him being a “loyal friend” of the President.
Three questions. One for each man:
1. Why are these people in Japan?
2. Are they part of the 200 member delegation or did they fly in at their own expense just to meet Duterte?
3. Doesn't seeking the favour of Duterte mean the House is now not an independent body!?
You know what? To hell with this government!
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