It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
Police have filed sedition and other criminal complaints against Vice President Leni Robredo, several members of the Catholic clergy, all but one of the opposition senatorial candidates and other administration critics for their alleged role in making and spreading the six-part “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.
Aside from Robredo, also named in the complaint filed with the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday afternoon were Senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, and former senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV.
They were among the 35 respondents in the criminal complaint of sedition/inciting to sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa and harboring a criminal/obstruction of justice filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) represented by Lt. Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay.
In a statement, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would form a panel of state prosecutors to hear the complaint and conduct requisite preliminary investigation.
The last sentence is the most important. What is tell us is that the PNP has NOT conducted an investigation to find out wether or not the accusations against all these people are true. Instead they are taking the accusations at face value even though the one making them, the alleged Bikoy, has changed his story several times and is not a credible person. Just more drama which we will have to wait and see how it plays out.
Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael Banaag told a news conference that 14,724 police were investigated for their involvement in police drug operations that led to deaths from July 2016 until last April. She said 7,867 of them received administrative punishments for unspecified lapses.
A tally presented by Banaag showed that 2,367 police officers have been fired, 4,100 suspended while the rest were reprimanded, demoted, had their salaries forfeited or deprived of certain privileges.
Banaag, however, did not say how many officers have been criminally charged for serious lapses or outright crimes committed while enforcing the crackdown, which was launched by President Rodrigo Duterte as his centerpiece program when he took office in mid-2016.
The amount of cops criminally charged for actions during drug raids is probably to low to even mention. Right now all I can think of are the cops who were convicted of murdering Kian Delos Santos.
The House of Representatives elected Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano as its Speaker on Monday in a win for President Rodrigo Duterte who has tightened his grip on the chamber dominated by pro-administration congressmen.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s children will respect his decision on the House leadership, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte said Monday.
“To respect the decision of the President,” Paolo said when asked what his sister and Davao Mayor Sara Duterte told him.
Asked if there will be a coup against presumptive Speaker Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano in the coming days, Paolo did not answer directly and said: “Saan si congressman (Martin) Romualdez? Siya makasagot nyan.”
In a short speech during Cayetano’s breakfast, Paolo also said the “Davao Coalition” in the House would respect the President’s stand on the speakership.
“The Davao Coalition, we respect the decision of the President tutal magte-term sharing, ‘yun ‘yung napag-usapan nila. Pero sabi ko nga ‘yung term sharing nila is an agreement between them and the President,” he said.
Despite all this assertions to the contrary everyone knew the decision of House Speaker would be Duterte's. Now at least his children admit it if no one else will.
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has failed to collect some P251 million from the beneficiaries of its flagship Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (Setup), meant to empower micro, small and medium enterprises, the Commission on Audit (COA) revealed.
Under the program, qualified beneficiaries receive financial assistance, with the commitment to refund the money to the DOST once they start earning.
However, in its annual audit report, the COA said that due to premature termination of some contracts, the DOST failed to collect millions meant to be returned to them, the COA said.
But since the businesses of the beneficiaries were not very successful, this led to the DOST’s failure to collect, the COA said.
“Other receivable balances pertaining to Setup projects include P461.150 million past due accounts for over one to 10 years, of which P251.040 million reported with uncollected refunds due to the inadequate/ineffective monitoring and evaluation on the viability of projects,” the COA said.
“Termination of contract agreements by various beneficiaries was due to the following: weak market demand, health problems of the owners, internal conflicts with the organization, low sales and others which ultimately led to nonpayment of their obligation to the government,” the COA said.
The audit body also flagged the “lax enforcement” of the provisions of the memorandum of agreement between the DOST and the beneficiaries as another factor for the millions of pesos which remain uncollected.
Perhaps the government should not be in the business of financing small businesses. Funny how the government touts the strength of the economy and business climate but small business entrepreneurs aren't doing so well even with the assistance of the government.
The chairman of Barangay Mabato in Ayungon, Negros Oriental died Tuesday after allegedly drinking pesticide, days after he was invited for questioning over the murder of four police officers on July 18.
Col. Raul Tacaca, provincial director of Negros Oriental police, told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview that Sunny Calderon died at around 11 a.m. in a hospital in Dumaguete City.
Tacaca confirmed Calderon was being investigated on the murder of intelligence officers, reportedly perpetrated by the communist New People’s Army.
The police official, however, said investigators have yet to confirm Calderon’s motive for his alleged suicide or if he had any involvement in the ambush of four officers.
The four officers were believed to be ambushed, then dragged, beaten up, hogtied, and buttstroked by several armed men on their way to the house of a supposed contact to confirm reports of alleged presence of NPA fighters in the area.
His suicide basically an admission of guilt.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona), Duterte, as if posing a challenge to critics, said: “Extrajudicial killings? Report to the ICC (International Criminal Court)? Go ahead. As long as I have a comfortable cell.”
“It should be heated during wintertime, installed with air-conditioning during the hot weather,” he added.
Further, the President suggested, “And conjugal visits, unlimited. Para we can understand each other,” drawing chuckles from his Sona audience of lawmakers, Cabinet Secretaries, celebrities, and dignitaries at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday.
Nothing new here really. Making light of EJKs with a sexual joke and getting laughs from the audience composed of those who run the government.
Fresh from Malacañang's announcement of his signing the Bawal Bastos or Safe Spaces Act, President Rodrigo Duterte let forth sexist remarks in no less than his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA).
During his July 22 speech, Duterte made 3 remarks that objectified women, sexualized them, or stripped them of self-determination – definitions of sexist remarks.
Rappler wants us to know that Duterte has violated a law he recently signed into being. But the real problem here is that he makes these comments all the time. Perhaps he should get a speech writer especially for the SONA which is arguably the most important speech of the year which is to tell the nation what is going on. Who cares if he had a stinky girlfriend at one time?
It was a restoration and not demolition.
This was how former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña explained why he stripped his office bare before his term ended on June 30.
On June 30, Labella was surprised to find the mayor’s office stripped to its raw concrete floor.
The glass dividers were gone along with the ceiling and some ceramic tiles. The kitchen tiles were also gone.
All tiles in the washroom had also been removed.
Bimbo Fernandez, then Osmeña’s executive assistant, said the former mayor owned the fixtures and furniture after he spent for office renovation as the council denied his budget request of P2 million.
Now Osmeña is changing his story. Previously he only said he was taking back what was his. Now he is saying he was in the process of resorting the office but was stopped before it could be finished. But he never mention restoring the office before. The bolded last sentence is very important as it shows us the way his mind is working. The city council denied a budget request to renovate his office so he used his own money to do the renovations therefore all the renovations belong to him. It's ludicrous but that's his claim.
President Duterte’s renewed call on Congress to pass a measure restoring the death penalty in the country would help ensure the swift passage of death penalty measures in both houses of Congress, one of the authors of the bill said Monday.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said Congress will unlikely turn down the request made by President Duterte during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“It will hasten the deliberations of my proposal and may result to no objection,” he said in a text message.
President Duterte called on Congress anew to reimpose the death penalty for heinous illegal drugs-related crimes and plunder, citing that illegal drugs and corruption remain to be the country’s problems.
Barbers earlier filed House Bill 2026 seeking to reimpose the death penalty on certain heinous crimes.
“Crimes disturb the order of society. The alarming rise of heinous crime in our country calls for the re-imposition of capital punishment. The death penalty is said to be the strongest deterrent society has against such crimes. It aims to restore order and adequately punishes criminals. The death penalty also serves as retribution for victims and their families,” he said.
“Since the government has the highest interest in preventing heinous crime, it should use the strongest punishment available to deter unlawful acts—the death penalty. If criminals charged guilty of committing heinous crimes are sentenced to death and executed, potential criminals will think twice before committing crimes for fear of losing their own life,” Barbers pointed out.
With all his men in place Duterte can basically say what he wants and expect the proper legislation to follow. The problem with the death penal bill is it only allows death for drug related offences and not violent crimes qua violent crimes. Murder must be committed under the influence of drugs to qualify for the death penalty. At least that is how it was last time around when this was all debated. I cannot find HB 2026 on the Barbers' Congressional profile online.
UNIDENTIFIED gunmen chased and fired upon a vehicle loaded with a village chairwoman and members of her family, including children, in Jaro, Leyte on Sunday, July 21.
Initial police investigation revealed that the victims were onboard a brown Suzuki Ertega headed to Tunga, Leyte from Tacloban City when the gunmen chased their vehicle and shot them.
Police identified the victims as Leopoldo Po, 44, driver and businessman who sustained a gunshot wound in the head; Estrella Geraldo, 62, married, chairwoman of Barangay San Pedro, Tunga, who sustaindd a gunshot wound in the back portion of her body; Ailen Po, 40, married, a teacher, with gunshot wound in the head; and Rachel Cuña, 27, married, with gunshot wound in back portion of her body.
At least no one died but if the barangay chairwoman was the target then the assassins will likely try again.
But in a statement, Sotto said the Senate does not “practice motu propio ratification or repudiation on something not submitted to us.”
The President’s appointed Foreign Affairs Secretary, Teodoro Locsin Jr., had earlier said that the Duterte-Xi verbal fishing deal could not be enforced.
“The verbal agreement cannot be enforced because it’s verbal, exactly as (Senator) Frank(lin) Drilon said that you need a document to prove an agreement. It’s just the way it is,” Locsin said in an interview last July 3.
The foreign affairs chief also said that allowing China to fish in the country’s EEZ is “not policy.”
But the stance of the two Cabinet secretaries differ from that of Duterte’s chief legal counsel and spokesman.
For Secretary Salvador Panelo, the Duterte-Xi unwritten fishing pact was “legally binding.”
“It’s legally binding… Alam mo, there are as many opinions as there are lawyers. It’s a free country. They interpret it that way, eh ‘di hayaan mo. Basta ako, kung ano ‘yung sinabi ni Presidente ‘yun na ‘yon,” Panelo previously told reporters at Malacañang.
Sotto is being disingenuous here. Of course there is an agreement. Duterte as said as much. Panelo says it is legally binding. Contrary to Locsin the Palace says allowing China to fish in the EEZ is policy. What Sotto should be doing is finding a way to hold the President accountable for his actions rather than throw up his arms and say we cannot do anything.
A former police officer was nabbed recently for his alleged involvement in various illegal activities during a drug bust launched in Porac town recently.
The suspect was identified as Police Officer 1 Mark Anthony Gamit, who went on absence without official leave (Awol) from his service, and is included in the high-value targets’ list of the Porac Police Station.
Confiscated from the suspects’ possession are five sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu, a fake firearm and hand grenade, the marked money used in the operation, as well as a police uniform.
Further investigation revealed that Gamit was also involved in several other cases including robbery and extortion in the said municipality.
An AWOL cop involved in robbery, extortion, and drugs. A paragon of the PNP ethos.
Initially, Sen. Manny Pacquiao wanted the death penalty done by hanging, but now he would prefer capital punishment by firing squad or by lethal injection.
The senator said on Tuesday that he would want a public firing squad execution of those convicted of drug-related crimes, while plunderers would get the lethal injection.
“Kung sa droga siguro firing squad para makita ng tao na huwag tularan. Pag plunder, pwede na ring lethal injection,” Pacquiao told reporters in an interview.
[If it’s a drug case, maybe it should be done by firing squad so that people would not do other same. For plunder, maybe lethal injection would do.]
Manny may not realise that death is death. Countries where the death penalty is enforced do not have various types of deaths for various crimes. And as to the issue of lethal injection...
Death penalty through lethal injection is enough for drug-related and other heinous crimes, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Thursday.
Albayalde, however, explained that the means for enforcing capital punishment will “depend on what the law will say.”
“We are civilized people here so probably lethal injection would suffice,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
His preference differs from that of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, his predecessor as PNP chief, who wants death penalty through a firing squad to instill fear among criminals.
Albayalde stressed that enforcing capital punishment, aside from good law enforcement, will be a “good deterrent” against crimes.
The Philippines civilised? Sure, whatever. But aside from that the death penalty is not a deterrent, it is punitive and leah injection is not exactly humane. It is painful if not administered correctly and the cocktail of drugs needed for the procedure are not being manufactured anymore which is why the USA is having a hard time administering lethal injections.
Some P367 million worth of medicines and medical supplies being kept by the Department of Health (DOH) are set to expire or have already expired, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).
In its annual audit report, the COA said that as of January 2018, the DOH had stored in warehouses medicines and medical supplies valued at P294.767 million and with expiry dates set 12 months later or earlier.
Medicines worth P72.391 million had been distributed to regional offices and hospitals less than a year before the expiry dates.
In its recommendations, the COA ordered the DOH to revisit its policies on determining which medicines are needed.
Executives of the inventory committee and pharmacy division of the department were told to plan procurement based on “need, past consumption data, expiration, inventory balance and utilization of inventory items,” to prevent wastage of government funds.
It seems the DOH bought a lot of drugs they did not need and did not even distribute them properly. Now they are rotting away in storage. What a waste.
Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go filed a resolution congratulating and commending Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao for defeating reigning World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Welterweight Champion Keith Thurman jR. on Sunday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada to claim the said title.
“His victory is the victory of the whole nation,” Go said. “His life story, hard work and dedication to serve God and the people is an inspiration to all Filipinos.”
This happens after all of Pacquiao's victories but it's not any less stupid and pointless. Will any Senator ever file a resolution to investigate Marawi?
“Remember, the statements of Bikoy or Peter Joemel Advincula accordingly were substantially accurate because they are supported by other documentary evidence and other sources,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
“That is according to the investigation conducted by the CIDG,” he explained, adding that those accused “will have their time in court.”
But despite the filing of the cases, Albayalde said the PNP is not saying that it trusts Advincula and his claims. He said it is up to the court to decide on Advincula’s credibility.
“The filing [of cases] as I have said is already substantiated by evidence that necessitates [and] that would suffice for the conduct of preliminary investigation, and now the DOJ (Department of Justice) has the sole discretion on the case, not us to determine if the VP is involved,” Albayalde said.
“I think since the start we already said that Bikoy has to support his allegations with evidence. That’s precisely what he did. He came out with this CPU, this computer, his laptop, and all other sources according to investigators,” the PNP chief said.
Read these statements closely. Albayalde says Bikoy is telling the truth and that the VP and all the other caused are basically guilty BUT then he says they don't necessarily trust him despite just saying his allegations are supported with evidence!
A barangay captain and two employees of the Department of Education (DepEd) in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental were shot dead hours apart from each other early Thursday for still unknown motives.
A report from the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO) identified the victims as Romeo Arbole Alipan, 64, married, the barangay captain of Buenavista, Guihulngan and a resident of Larena, Barangay Poblacion of the same city, and Arthur Cordevilla Bayawa, 55, single, school principal of Guihulngan Science High School and his younger sister, Ardale Cordevilla Bayawa, 49, single, CID chief of DepEd Division of Guihulngan and both residents of Barangay Hibaiyo of that northern city.
Initial sketchy police reports said that at around 12:55 a.m., unidentified armed men forced their way inside the house of the Bayawa siblings by destroying the padlock of the main door and shot the two DepEd employees.
So just a few days ago a lawyer was assassinated in this same town and now a barangay captain and school principal and his sister have also been assassinated for unknown reasons by unknown people.
What does the passage of the death penalty matter anyway? After all Duterte never let let a little thing like a law get in the way of killing someone. But then again Duterte does not let the law get in his way on anything.
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