It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1373252/bataan-town-hall-exec-gunned-down |
The head of the management information system (MIS) of the municipal government was gunned down in front of his house on Thursday night, police said.
The death of Jonathan de la Cruz, 35, was later announced by Mariveles Mayor Jocelyn Castaneda on her Facebook page.
She appealed to residents to help in seeking justice for Dela Cruz, whom she described as “one of the trusted department heads.”
Another LGU official assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125014 |
A village chairman in North Cotabato is in critical condition after unidentified gunmen shot him along a busy street in Midsayap town on Wednesday afternoon.Lt. Col. John Calinga, Midsayap town police chief, in his report to Col. Henry Villar, provincial police director, identified the victim as Norodin Manalasal, chairperson of Barangay Malingao.Manalasal was on board the village-detailed multi-cab vehicle traversing Quezon Boulevard in Barangay Poblacion 5 when one of two men riding tandem on a motorbike opened fire.The official sustained four gunshot wounds in different parts of his body and is now undergoing treatment at a private hospital.“We have yet to establish the identities of the attackers and the motive behind the attack,” Calinga said.
Another attempted assassination on an LGU official. Maybe they will try again?
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/768354/cops-gimmicks-bringing-anxiety-to-the-public-must-be-stopped-sinas/story/ |
Gimmicks of police officers which could cause anxiety to the general public must be stopped, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Debold Sinas said on Thursday.
In a television interview, Sinas was asked for his reaction about the prank supposedly made by the Cebu City Police where its men pretended to arrest civilians but in reality, will just give them Christmas gifts.
According to local reports, police would issue warrants of arrest to some civilians. Later on, they would be brought to the police vehicle only to find out that they will be given gifts. The said gimmick was dubbed as "arrestoguinaldo."
Sinas said the gimmick is not part of his directive to police officers.
"That is not in our regular directive. Maybe it is just an initiative of our lower units. I will look at what happened, maybe if it's good, then we could support it but if it already caused anxiety to the public and the countrymen "I will direct them to stop such practices," Sinas told CNN-Philippines.
PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana told GMA News Online that the prank was an imitation of what the local police see in foreign videos.
"The intention by a group of police officers is to make a 'target victim fall into their trap' and then make fun out of a post-staged act revelation," Usana said.
"To the person / s subject of that scenario, they may end up shocked or laughing as a result of such unexpected situation. We have seen this in some local reality programs naman po. Some have worked, some have not," he explained.
However, Usana admitted that in the ethical standards of the PNP, the gimmick is not good for the image of policemen.
"Our police must be good at dealing with the people ... It does not have to be mixed with any deception, whatever the motive," Usana said.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1373409/mayoral-row-in-ecija-town-escalates |
This town now has two mayors after former Mayor Antonio Prospero Esquivel was proclaimed winner in the 2019 mayoral race by a local court last week.
But Esquivel was forced to hold office on the ground floor of the municipal hall because incumbent Mayor Sylvia Austria continued to discharge her duties on the second floor.
Accompanied by a sheriff, Esquivel arrived at the town hall at 10 a.m. on Thursday to serve the court order issued on Dec. 7 by Judge Angelo Perez of Regional Trial Court Branch 87.
Perez also ordered Austria to vacate her post.
Austria is serving her second term as mayor after she was proclaimed winner by the Commission on Elections in the 2019 mayoral elections.
Esquivel protested the results.
Austria’s son, Councilor Sylvester Austria, said the family was surprised that a writ of execution dated Dec. 16 had been issued before the mayor officially received the court order.
In his order, Perez ruled that Austria’s proclamation as winner was null and void, after concluding that Esquivel garnered 18,737 votes to take the lead.
Austria’s total votes were not reflected in the order, a copy of which was posted on the hall’s bulletin board. But in her proclamation in May 2019, the municipal board of canvassers said Austria got 20,815 votes while Esquivel received 18,461 votes.
A losing candidate challenged the results of the 2019 mayoral race and it turns out he won. But the incumbent is refusing to move for now. It seems she has not received the proper notice.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/768425/amid-rfid-mess-trb-chair-tugade-says-he-s-not-informed-of-most-issues-at-agency/story/ |
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, the chairman of the Toll Regulatory Board, on Thursday admitted that there was a failure in the implementation of cashless transactions in the tollways in Luzon.
Tugade, the chairman of the TRB, indicated that he was particularly upset over RFID audit getting done only once in two years - something he said he discovered only recently.
"I saw it, it was just a straightforward conversation, I saw that there is a failure of implementation here in TRB so I said we need to address it," Tugade said during the Senate Committee on Public Services hearing.
"My head heats up there. Why is the RFID audit once every two years? Shouldn't that be expedited?" he added.
"If we address the problem after two years, the chicken will be ripe, the problem has not been solved yet," Tugade said.
After telling the committee of the TRB's failures amid the RFID, it was pointed out to Tugade that he was the chairman of its board.
Tugade said he had assigned an alternate to attend the board meetings.
"Is it true that what is happening on the board reaches us? Sometimes yes, most do not," Tugade said.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1374190/cop-shoots-to-death-a-mother-and-son-in-tarlac |
A police officer assigned at the Parañaque City shot dead his two neighbors, a mother and her son, in Paniqui, Tarlac.
The Tarlac police, in its report, identified the suspect as Police Senior Master Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, 46 years old and assigned at the Parañaque City Police Crime Laboratory, and presently residing at Barangay Cabayaoasan in Paniqui.
Initial investigation showed that the suspect arrived in the house of victims Sonya Gregorio, 52, and Frank Anthony Gregorio, 25, and after a brief confrontation, shot them point-blank using a 9 mm firearm at around 5:10 p.m. Sunday.
Police said the suspect fled the crime scene onboard a motorcycle after the incident. However, a CCTV video of the incident made the rounds of social media and has now become viral, showing the suspect’s face. Police immediately launched a hot pursuit operation to catch the fleeing suspect.
At around 6:19 p.m. on the same day, the chief of police of Rosales Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Pangasinan called the Paniqui Municipal Police Station informing that the suspect had surrendered at their station with his issued firearm that was used in the crime.
A cop uses his PNP issued firearm to kill his neighbors. PNP Chief says this is an isolated incident but this guy had other cases filed against him for homicide and grave misconduct.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/21/20/cop-behind-tarlac-double-murder-has-2-other-homicide-grave-misconduct-cases |
"A case of grave misconduct carries a punishment of dismissal," said Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) before he was elected to the Senate.
(His refusal to undergo drug test and leaving the premises without permission should have prodded the PNP or NAPOLCOM to watch or monitor his activities as he might be a drug user at least.)
Philippine National Police chief Gen. Debold Sinas earlier condemned the incident and called it an "isolated case."
"The PNP considers this as an isolated involvement of the person of PSSg (Nuezca). In no way will such incident affect the sworn duty of the 221,000 police personnel to serve and protect our people," he said in a statement.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/768865/46-cops-tested-positive-for-drugs-from-jan-1-to-dec-18-sinas-says/story/ |
A total of 46 policemen have tested positive for using illegal drugs this year, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Debold Sinas revealed on Monday.
Sinas said the period covering the drug tests conducted was from January 1 to December 18, 2020.
He said that the police officers' cases are still with the PNP's Internal Affairs Service.
"As to the status of the case, tinanong na po namin ang IAS on the case dito, kung ilan na po 'yung na-recommend for dismissal at ilan na po 'yung ongoing po out of the 46..." Sinas said.
Sinas said 20 of these 46 cops were with the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
Cops testing positive for drug use.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125443 |
A total of 16,839 police personnel have been penalized over administrative and criminal offenses from July 2016 to December 16, 2020, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Citing data from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said these cops have been involved in various illegal activities.
Of the total figure, he said 8,349 were meted suspensions, 4,784 were summarily dismissed from service, while 1,803 were reprimanded.
He also said 890 were demoted in rank, 658 experienced forfeiture of salary, 226 cops were withheld of their privileges, while 129 faced restrictions.
This information comes out after an off-duty cop murdered his neighbors and I suppose we are supposed to read those numbers and think, "Wow the PNP is doing what it can to cleanse their ranks of bad cops." But the reality is 16,839 cops have been penalized over administrative and CRIMINAL offenses in four years. How is that acceptable? And many more cops are just waiting to be found out!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1375538/84-erring-cops-dismissed-since-start-of-sinas-leadership-at-pnp |
A total of 84 police officers have so far been dismissed from service in just over a month of Gen. Debold Sinas’ leadership as chief of the 200,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP).
Sinas himself bared this number on Thursday, saying the PNP has been doing measures to improve the organization, in response to the dare of former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez for him to resign if he will not introduce reforms in the police force.
84 cops have been relived of duty in the last month alone! That is simply unacceptable. There should not be so many "erring" cops.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125438 |
A member of Pontevedra Municipal Police in Negros Occidental was shot dead by one of the two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle at the southern town’s reclamation area on Tuesday morning.
The victim was identified as Staff Sgt. Ildefonso Casugod, 37, the station’s intelligence officer.
Capt. Hancel Lumandaz, town police officer-in-charge, said Casugod was hit on the head and declared dead at Bago City Hospital after the incident around 6 a.m., which happened in the presence of Mayor Jose Maria Alonzo.
He said the initial investigation will focus on work-related angle since Casugod might have stepped on someone’s toes while conducting intelligence operations.
“When you are assigned in intelligence, you are working (to arrest) the drug lords, the drug dealers. He also arrests the most wanted, wanted persons, and those involved in illegal gambling, and implements search warrants,” Lumandaz said in a radio interview.
Cop shot by unknown motocycle assassins. Could be related to his work in conducting intel-ops.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/12/21/2065453/missing-ex-court-appeals-justice-found-dead-tarlac |
The National Bureau of Investigation on Monday confirmed that the body found in Capas, Tarlac more than a month ago, was those of missing Court of Appeals Justice Normandie Pizarro.
Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said this was based on DNA test results.
"He (Pizarro) was last seen at a casino in Clark last 23 October. His car, an early model Honda Accord, was later on discovered somewhere in San Simon, Pampanga," Sugay told reporters.
The retired justice last spoke to one of his sons on October 23 at around 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., according to Sugay.
Pizarro's remains were later on discovered in Capas on October 30.
NBI officer-in-charge Eric Distor noted that the body, which was found under a pile of leaves at a secluded quarry site in Barangay Lawy, Capas matched Pizarro's DNA by 99.99%.
According to the NBI, the Pizarro's right hand and left-hand fingers were cut off as if to remove the possibility of identifying him through fingerprints.
In April 2018, the Supreme Court fined Pizarro fined Pizzaro for P100,000 following an anonymous complaint that accused him of "being a gambling addict who would allegedly lose millions of pesos in the casinos daily."
Court of Appeals justice found murdered with his fingers cut off. Sounds like it could be gambling related.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/12/22/2065478/manila-police-commander-sacked |
Another police station commander in Manila was relieved from his post, Manila Police District (MPD) director Brig. Gen. Leo Francisco announced yesterday.
Francisco removed Lt. Col. Christopher Luyun as chief of the Sta. Ana police station for failure to supervise his personnel in reporting to work.
Luyun will be investigated for neglect of duty after he failed to explain why fewer police officers were on duty during an inspection yesterday, Francisco said.
“Our assessment is that he is not on top of the situation,” he said.
Luyun was the second police station commander sacked since Francisco took over as MPD chief on Dec. 1.
Last week, Malate police station commander Lt. Col. Robert Sales was relieved from his post for failure to deploy more personnel on beat patrol.
Within the space of two week two cops have been relieved of duty because their men were not showing up for duty.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1374865/cop-shot-dead-as-he-was-jogging-in-negros-occidental-town |
A policeman, who was jogging in a reclaimed lot in Pontevedra town, Negros Occidental, was gunned down by a still-unknown assailant in Barangay 1-Poblacion at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 22.
Police Staff Sergeant Ildefonso Rivera Casugod, 37, suffered a bullet wound in the head.
He was rushed to the Bago City District Hospital, but did not make it alive, said Capt. Hancel Lumandaz, Pontevedra police chief.
Based on the investigation, Casugod was jogging at a reclamation area with Pontevedra Mayor Jose Maria Alonso and two other companions when the gunman walked up to the victim from behind and shot him.
The assassin, who wore a face mask, hooded jacket, and black jogging pants, walked towards a waiting scooter and escaped.
The mayor said in an interview that he usually meets with fellow joggers at the reclamation area about four times a week and had just spoken to Casugod shortly before the incident happened.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson hoped the perpetrators would be arrested.
“Justice has to be given to the family of the slain policeman,” he said.
The assassination of Casugod came after S/Sgt. Bernie Sales, an intelligence officer of the Sagay City Police Station, was also shot dead in Cadiz City, on Nov. 26.
Cop assassinated while jogging by a man who simply walked up to him and shot!
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1375108/quezon-town-police-chief-relieved-over-alleged-social-gathering |
The chief of police in Dolores Municipal Police in Quezon was sacked after he allegedly violated Philippine National Police’s (PNP) directive to prohibit mass gatherings amid the coronavirus disease pandemic, Quezon Police Provincial Office (QPPO) said Wednesday.
In a report, QPPO said Police Captain Joseph Ian Java was administratively relieved from his post on Dec. 22, Tuesday for violation of PNP chief Police General Debold Sinas’ order on “prohibition of social gatherings, parties and other similar activities most particularly this Yuletide season and on IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] COVID-19 safety protocols.”
In a phone interview with INQUIRER.net, QPPO chief Police Colonel Audie Madrideo said they received a complaint regarding a “small fellowship” at the Dolores police station.
“Not exactly a Christmas party but a small fellowship. May nagreklamo kaya nagkaroon ng investigation kaya nirelieve muna namin,” said Madrideo.
Chief of place let go for holding an illegal gathering. Probably just transferred elsewhere rather then actually relieved.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1374840/5-iloilo-city-officials-pay-p500-fine-each-for-violating-physical-distancing-rule |
Four Iloilo City officials, including Iloilo Rep. Julienne Baronda, have each paid P500 in fines for violating a city ordinance mandating physical distancing, as part of COVID-19 health protocols in the city.
The officials asked that they be issued citation tickets after drawing flak for a series of gatherings last week at the Iloilo Freedom Grandstand.
They distributed financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the poor, which was channeled through the city social welfare and development office.
A photo of the officials standing alongside each other and posing for photographers drew criticism for violating physical distancing rules.
But no fines for Roque, Panelo, or Pacquiao who all publicly violated social distancing rules.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1125519 |
Mayor Sara Duterte has issued a stern warning against City Hall employees who violate the prohibition on holding Christmas parties and the liquor ban, which are part of the city's measures to stem the rising cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
“A stern warning and reminder to all offices not to conduct parties,” she said in a statement Tuesday evening after the apprehension of 14 employees of the Davao City Engineer’s Office who were caught drinking inside the Motor Pool compound in Barangay Maa that afternoon.
14 Davao City Hall employees caught having an illegal Christmas party.
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