It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
A former policeman was caught in possession of illegal drugs and paraphernalia at past 3:00 p.m. today April 30, 2020 at the vicinity of a hotel in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City.
The suspect was identified as former PO1 Nick Arthur Rebecca, 34, a native of Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte but presently residing at Barangay Bali-Bali, Compostela town in northern Cebu.
The suspect was found out to be a dismissed Police Non- Commisioned Officer (PNCO), said Police Lieutenant Colonel Mark Gifter Sucalit, Chief of City Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.
Sucalit said that Rebecca was assigned at the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) when he went absent without official leave (AWOL) and was dismissed from service last year.
PNP Officer gone AWOL turns up later as being involved with drugs!
A woman was injured after a barangay captain hit her with a gun after her live-in partner confronted the official over the listing of beneficiaries of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) in Northern Samar.
The footage of the brawl between barangay captain Lito Orio and Michael Macallan was taken at Barangay Binay in Palapag, according to Ian Cruz's report on "24 Oras".
Their scuffle, which allegedly started over the list of beneficiaries of the social amelioration, was stopped by barangay residents.
However, their fight resumed when Orio went to Macallan's house carrying a gun, while the captain's companion brought an axe.
A barangay captain and a man fight over the SAP list and money. The fight is stopped and then the barangay captain and his pal storm over to the man's house brandishing a gun and an axe where the man's live-in-partner is hit in the mouth with the barangay captain's gun.
Meanwhile, a police officer has been relieved from his post for allegedly hitting a 13-year-old boy with a stick for violating quarantine rules in Quezon City.
Cpl. Albert Aquino of the police community precinct 1 was put on floating status at the Batasan police station.
Aquino was caught on video arguing with the boy’s mother while holding an arnis stick.
Seems pretty cut and dry. A cop hits a 13 year old boy with a stick and is relieved from his post. PNP says they are investigating.
Gunmen shot dead the son of the chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and wounded six others in a daring attack at Purok Tagumpay-Dos, Barangay Kilada in Matalam, North Cotabato , a police official said on Thursday.
Police Captain Junrel Amutan, chief of the Matalam municipal police station, identified the slain victim as Norodin Sulayman Ali Ambil, who was also a councilor of Barangay Kilada, Matalam.
Others wounded in the attack were identified as Romeo Datu Ali Ambil, 54, kagawad of Barangay Kilada; Robert Datu Ali Ambil, 25; Alipin Onotin Ambil, 25; Datu Mauro Ambil Matalam, 15; and Hamarodin Datu Ali Indao, 17, all residents of Barangay Kilada.
Reports from the police intelligence unit said Ambil was also the deputy chair of the MNLF Sebangan Kutawato State Revolutionary Committee (SKSRC). His father, Datu Dima Ambil, is chair of the MNLF-SKSRC based in Barangay Kilada, Matalam.
The chief of police said Ambil was driving his Isuzu D’Max pickup truck on their way to his village when the suspects, armed with high-powered guns, pumped bullets into his head. He died instantly. One of the bullets allegedly hit De Leon who was seated next to the kagawad.
Amutan said they have yet to find out if Ambil’s attack could be part of a ‘rido’ or clan war with another Moro family due to a long standing land feud.
A year ago, reports said the rido between the Ambil clan and another Moro family led by a certain Naig Naga and Michael Imbong — both members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), was already settled by leaders in the community.
The latest attack against the Ambil clan caused the displacement of at least 174 families from three puroks of Barangay Kilada.
Two MNLF men who happen to also work for the barangay as a councilor and kagawad were gunned down in what could be a rido or clan feud.
Some villagers here complained that they received half of their P5,500 allocations because barangay officials decided to divide the money so it could be shared with other residents who were not in DSWD’s list of beneficiaries.
“The omnibus guidelines are clear. The assistance should be for identified and qualified beneficiaries. The P5,500 should be given in full to the qualified beneficiary, not shared with others. If there is deviation [to the rules] like the money was given to unqualified beneficiaries, the local government may face criminal, civil, or administrative charges,” said Chester Trinidad, regional information officer of the DSWD Cagayan Valley office.
In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV, DILG Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Martin Diño said around 2,000 complaints were submitted to them.
Diño said he also received a complaint that some beneficiaries were allegedly charged P2,000 for processing fee for the cash aid. “Meron naman, processing fee, P2,000.”
Aside from this, some complaints were of residents who just recently moved residences and were not included in the list of beneficiaries, which was based on the census in 2015.
According to him, the department is already resolving these issues to ensure that qualified beneficiaries will receive the subsidy.
Police arrested a barangay (village) councilor in Hagonoy town for graft allegations after he has been reportedly collecting more than half of the P6,500 cash aid under the government’s special amelioration program (SAP).
Col. Roginald Francisco, Hagonoy police chief, said they arrested Danilo Flores, 66, of Barangay San Agustin on Saturday night on the order of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Flores was caught on video while telling SAP cash aid recipients that they would only get P3,000 of the cash aid and that the remaining P3,500 would be given to the town mayor for distribution to non-SAP beneficiaries.
Lots of trouble in doling out the SAP money. Some officials are even using it to enrich themselves it seems. Who didn't see that coming?
In a phone interview with INQUIRER.net, San Juan City Police chief Col. Jaime Santos said Estrada was invited to the police station to explain.
“(Former) senator Jinggoy Estrada was invited to our station and we let him explain the manner he distributed the bangus (milkfish) to the people in San Juan,” Santos said.
“We noticed the violations on social distancing and there is no necessary permit from the mayor. Wala siyang mayor’s permit to do it,” he added. (He did not have a mayor’s permit to do it).
Santos said Estrada was later let off with a warning and was told that if he wants to continue with his food distribution activities, he should first get a permit from the city government and ensure that social distancing measures are strictly observed.
Santos said the former senator was also “given this stern warning not to do it again because we will again be forced to effect his arrest.”
In a separate interview, San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said Estrada has been conducting unauthorized food distribution operations in different barangays of the city.
Distributing food without a permit from the mayor.
In a televised briefing on Friday, Tourism Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said short distance travels, especially with family members, may take place once the lockdown measures are lifted by the government.
"We believe that, for the rest of the year, what will really trigger the activities would be itong domestic tourism movement.”
The Philippines is so dependent on tourism. What is this "domestic tourism movement?" The lockdowns have left people unemployed with diminishing cash reserves. How is anyone going vacation? Not to mention these new GCQ measures will not be lifted anytime soon which will severely restrict movement of people and goods.
Several officials of Barangay Dulag here have been arrested after the police caught them in the middle of drinking liquor while inside the barangay hall amid the extended enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in the province.
A police report issued on Monday said the Lingayen policemen received a tip from a concerned citizen on Sunday about an alleged drinking session of the barangay chairperson and his officials as gunshots were heard in the area, prompting the authorities to respond.
Barangay Chair Benjie Mararac, and incumbent barangay councilors (kagawad) Jerwin Canilang, Arthur Rosario, and Edzel Mararac, along with barangay security enforcers Jaime Ferrer and Ruben Mangiralas, together with a private citizen Harold Calingasin, were caught in the act having a drinking session.
It was also found out that Mararac was responsible for the indiscriminate firing using a .40-caliber pistol he owns, the report added.
Despite the gun having a license and permit to carry, it was confiscated by the police together with the six bottles of gin; five of which were already empty.
A Barangay Chairman and his councilors were caught having a private drinking party inside the barangay hall. They emptied five bottles of gin and one of them fired of his .40-caliber pistol just for kicks.
“Lumobo nung distribution natin ng social amelioration program, ang dami ngayon (The number of complaints ballooned during the SAP cash assistance distribution),” he added.
(The problem with distribution is social distancing. Social distancing will repel COVID-19.)
“Sa mayors, may 5 mayors, tapos sa barangay captains umaabot na mga 100. Mostly, ay dito sa Metro Manila,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said in an interview on dzBB on Thursday when asked about updates on SCOs filed against local officials.
Looks like even LGU officials are having trouble keeping their distance. It's a new crime to clog the jails and courts.
The Manila City government said that it had received complaints that some barangay officials allegedly required residents to sign acknowledgment receipts for P1,000 cash aid under the Manila City Amelioration Crisis Assistance Fund but did not release any cash aid to the beneficiaries.
The government added that some senior citizens also complained that they did not also receive the milk food supplement assistance from the city government.
Some barangay officials were also accused of unfair distribution of relief goods, abuse in the issuance of quarantine passes, and pilferage of the contents of food packs.
Making people sign for money but then not giving it, not properly distributing food packs, and some cases stealing from them. All in a day's work for a Philippine LGU official.
Saying he had been humbled by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, President Duterte apologized to business tycoons – brothers Jaime and Fernando Zobel de Ayala and Manuel Pangilinan – for badmouthing them in public over what he called their onerous water business deals with the government.
The President aired his apology in a televised recorded address late Monday.
“The hurtful words to the Ayalas and to Pangilinan, I apologize for the hurting words. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me – because if you do not, then I will ask – if you do not want to forgive me, I will undercut you. I’ll go direct to God. ‘God, they do not want to forgive me.’ I will ramble again,” Duterte said.
“Naubos na ho iyong pagkasuplado ko kasi dahil sa (I ran out of grumpiness because of) COVID. The COVID humbled me. That with the kind of response that you gave, showed to the public, it’s a humbling experience also for me that, you know, you might need them one day. So maybe there will be a lot of legal issues, but we can talk... I am ready to talk and I’d be reasonable,” Duterte said.
He had claimed that the water deals were “onerous” because they barred the government from stopping water rate hikes and allowed concessionaires to collect damages for losses that stem from regulatory actions.
The President had also threatened to file economic sabotage, plunder and graft charges against the owners of water firms and to send them to jail.
“The big business. Let me tell you something. We had problems then, which was really part of governance and which I hope you would understand that it was really part of my sworn duty as... an employee of the government who heads the executive department. Words were, well, mainly mine,” the President said.
What kind of apology is this? Duterte asks for forgiveness but says if they don't give it to him he threatens that he will complain to God? That's not an apology. And what does this say about his past remarks? That they were all lies? That he was just being grumpy and the fault was really all on the government's side? He threatened these people with arrest and accused them of basically plundering the nation. That's not just being grumpy.
The Cabinet official cited low demand for products such as alcohol and cigarettes amid the quarantine measures being implemented to contain COVID-19 spread.
Revenue to be generated from additional excise taxes on alcohol, cigarettes as well as its electronic variety are meant to be used for the UHC program and Health Facilities Enhancement Program of the Department of Health.
Low demand!?? The demand is as high as ever. The problem is their is a liquor and tobacco ban and the DOF approves of it! The solution is to repeal this senseless ban.
Cayetano faced brickbats from his colleagues for his inaction that led to ABS-CBN’s shutdown. One of them, Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza, was forced to apologize publicly for the “failure of Congress to do its job.”
“This is our fault. This is the fault of Congress. More important, I’d like to say squarely — this is Speaker Cayetano’s fault,” he said in an interview aired on ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC), which continued to operate under a separate franchise.
The House legislative franchises committee chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez had sat on bills renewing ABS-CBN franchise since 2016, spanning the 17th and 18th Congresses. The bill was also sidelined during the later part of the Aquino administration.
Right now everyone is blaming everyone else for the shutdown of ABS-CBN but the real fault lies with Congress. A bill to renew the ABS-CBN franchise has been sitting idle since 2014. But Congress failed to act on it. When Duterte came to power he vowed to shut down ABS-CBN and veto any bill granting them a franchise. Understandably the Duterte friendly Congress failed to act on the bill. Now Duterte claims he is neutral and would not veto such a bill while PCCO spokesman Anadar is upset with the international media for blaming Duterte for the shutdown.
“We decry any claims and assertions associating [Duterte] with the National Telecommunications Commission’s independent and impartial decision to impose a cease and desist order against ABS-CBN Corporation,” Andanar said in a statement Thursday.
“Such claims are bereft of truth and just a rehash of an old malicious imputation to bedevil the President and his administration,” he added.
What a ridiculous twisting of the facts. It is a combination of Congress' laziness and Duterte's ire which has brought this situation about. With the coronavirus crisis it likely won't be anytime soon before ABS-CBN is broadcasting again.
“(The) 357, it was already submitted to the President. We are waiting for (response), (of course), the President is very busy right now,” Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa, told reporters in a press conference after the turnover ceremony of the We Heal As One Center in Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Why does the president have to deal with these cops? Can't the PNP decide what to do with them? "The President is very busy right now." That's an understatement! But wait, there's more narco cops!
The national adjudication board of the Philippine National Police (PNP) will begin its probe on the second batch of police officers allegedly involved in illegal drugs, a ranking official said Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, PNP deputy chief for administration and board chairperson, said the second batch consists of 352 cops, 83 of whom are under their National Watchlist on Illegal Drugs (NWID), while 269 are under their Counter Intel Watchlist (CIW).
He added that the probe results on the first batch, composed of 357 police officers accused of having links to the illegal drugs trade, have already been submitted to the office of PNP chief, Gen. Archie Gamboa.
That is 709 narco cops! Are there more? Of course there are.
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