It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://globalnation.inquirer.net/194295/labor-attache-rapped-over-ofw-beating |
The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) is investigating an allegation against a veteran labor attaché that his wife beat up an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) she suspected of having an affair with the diplomat.
The Dole sought an explanation from labor attaché Jainal Rasul Jr., who is currently posted in Jordan, after a video by OFW Honey Lyn Baquiran was shared on Facebook over the weekend.
In the video, Baquiran tearfully recounted Rasul’s wife beating her up then forcing her to sign a document she did not fully understand after accusing her of having an affair with Rasul.
The OFW claimed the attaché’s wife threatened to kill her and her family.
Baquiran’s sister, Honey May, shared the video on Facebook and tagged President Duterte and his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
An OFW was beaten by the wife of a labor attaché and accused of having an affair with her husband. Now he will have to answer for her actions.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133369 |
Following the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA)’s surprise inspection at the Land Transportation Office (LTO)-Taguig last month, the branch placed its District Office chief under disciplinary suspension and terminated the service of one of its security guards.
The ARTA conducted a surprise inspection on Feb. 19 after receiving a report from an applicant who had not been accommodated in the branch after being told by the security guard that it had reached its quota for the day.
In a letter dated March 1, the LTO National Capital Region (NCR) East Regional Director Benjamin Santiago III informed ARTA about the decision to place the LTO Taguig District Office chief under disciplinary suspension and terminated the services of the guard involved in the incident.
The LTO-NCR said it is already strengthening the District Offices’ services particularly the Malasakit Help Desk, Customer Service Representative, and Public Assistance Complaints Desk by deploying knowledgeable LTO personnel.
It also directed its security guards to refer customers to the help desks and “not to act as a customer service representative.”
In the past few months, ARTA has been constantly reminding all government agencies and offices that implementing quota and cut-off systems and not adhering to the no-noon-break policy constitute violation under Republic Act No. 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery law.
Man goes to the LTO but is turned away because they reached their quota. He files a complaint and now the security guard who told him that is fired and the branch's Chief has been suspended. Government offices do not have a quota system.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/367368/carmens-top-intelligence-officer-nabbed-for-robbery-extortion |
The chief intelligence officer of Carmen town in northern Cebu was arrested this afternoon, March 12, in an entrapment operation for alleged robbery extortion.
Police Executive Master Sergeant Julius Obañana was arrested by agents from the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group Central Visayas.
Police Major Alejandro Batobalonos, chief of Carmen police station, said that Obañana was in service for around 24 years now. He added that this is not the first robbery extortion complaint faced by the suspect. Batabalonos said similar complaints were lodged against the suspect even before when he was still assigned at the Tuburan Police Station.
Batobalonos added that last February, Obañana arrested a man in a buy-bust operation. However, he allegedly did not include the man’s motorcycle as part of the evidence.
Batobalonos revealed that the parents of the drug suspect went to Obañana to claim the motorcycle. But Obañana allegedly told them to pay him P3,000 first before he will turn over the motorcycle.
The parents then asked assistance from a friend who is working in the municipal hall and later sought help from the Carmen Police Station. The responding officers then conducted an entrapment operation and arrested Obañana.
Batobalonos also said that Obañana’s failure to include the motorcycle as evidence is already a violation. Hence, he will also be facing an administrative case.
A 24 year veteran of the PNP has been arrested on charges of robbery extortion when he demanded payment to release a seized motorcycle. This is also not his first robbery extortion complaint. It likely means he has been up to no good for years but has been protected.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133432 |
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court has sentenced a former mayor of Pantar, Lanao del Norte up to 10 years in prison for graft in connection with irregular disbursements worth PHP11.8 million in 2008.
In a 32-page decision dated March 12, the graft court through Associate Justice Amparo M.Cabotaje-Tang, found Norlaine Limbona and former municipal accountant Paganaibae Macaumbos guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
A third accused, former municipal treasurer Orac Racmat, remained at-large.
Limbona was found to have approved fund disbursements worth P11.8 million from January 2008 to January 2009 even if previous cash advances have not been liquidated yet, in violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and Section 89 of the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines (Presidential Decree No. 1445).
Limbona, Macaumbos, and Racmat approved the multimillion-peso fund disbursements without proof that previous cash advances have been accounted for.
The mayor was found guilty of disbursing cash to government employees without accounting for previous cash advances.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1406504/cop-sacked-for-asking-calbayog-court-for-list-of-lawyers-in-communist-cases |
The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Saturday relieved a policeman who allegedly requested the Calbayog City Regional Trial Court (RTC) for a list of lawyers representing alleged members of communist groups.
In a statement, PNP officer in charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said based on the initial result of its investigation, PLt. Fernando Calabria, Jr. was tasked to come up with a comprehensive report on the activities of communist groups in Calbayog City.
“The pressure of crafting a detailed report apparently took a toll on him and eventually prompted him to commit a serious breach of policy,” Eleazar said.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate later slammed the request, saying that it is a “clear and present danger to the legal profession.”
Eleazar, meanwhile, later apologized to the members of the legal profession for “this reckless behavior.”
“Our apology comes with an assurance to the judiciary and the members of the legal community that it is not and will never be the policy of the Philippine National Police to run after or even inflict harm on lawyers and members of the judiciary while performing their sworn duty,” he said.
Blaming the officer's actions on stress is a weird excuse especially in light of the fact that the PNP is regularly engaged in red-tagging.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133552 |
The Philippine National Police (PNP) ordered the relief of Calbayog City police chief Lt. Col. Neil Montaño effective Sunday in connection with the March 8 “shootout” that killed Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and five others.PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said in a statement that the sacking was a result of intelligence chief Lt. Fernando Calabria Jr. seeking from the court a list of lawyers defending alleged communists.Calabria was previously relieved of his duties, too."The relief order is in connection with the incident in March 8 incident in Calbayog City which resulted in the death of Mayor Ronaldo Aquino and five other people, including three PNP personnel and at the same time, the irresponsible conduct of his intelligence officer in relation to the letter request to the local court," Eleazar’s statement read.
Calbayog City PNP Chief Monaño has been relived of his post due to the shoot out that killed the mayor and an intel officer making requests for a list of lawyers defending communists.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/16/21/hontiveros-some-immigration-officers-involved-in-trafficking-ofws-to-syria-as-slaves |
A senator on Tuesday bared a scheme where immigration officers allegedly take bribes from illegal recruiters to traffic Filipina domestic workers as slaves to Syria.
In one case, an Immigration official allegedly met with an illegal recruiter at the Luneta Park in Manila to collect some P50,000 for every trafficked Filipina, Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in an online press conference.
Hontiveros presented a recorded message from a certain "Alice," one of 3 Filipinas in Syria who sought help from her office after experiencing abuse from their employers.
(I experienced physical abuse because I told them I wanted to go home. They were angered by that so they laid their hands on me.)
(They kick me, slap me, and they also pull my hair. I also experienced being hit with wood.)
Alice said she has been receiving only half of the promised $400 (P20,000) monthly salary since she started working in Damascus in 2018.
Based on initial information, an Immigration official meets with trafficked persons at the entrance of airports and usher them towards Immigration "counter number 1," said Hontiveros, whose Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality has been investigating bribery scandals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Another Immigration staff assists them until they board the plane, the senator said.
Alice and her 2 other colleagues were told that they would board a flight to Malaysia before taking another flight to Dubai, Hontiveros said.
(They stayed in Malaysia for 2 weeks where Alice learned that they were bound for Damascus, Syria and not Dubai.)
Alice said they later found out that they were sold for $1,000 (P50,000) each to their Syrian employers.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133709 |
Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director General Jeremiah Belgica warned government officials not to put their names and faces on public documents as election season draws near.
"Refrain from putting your names and faces on government documents,” Belgica said in a news release on Monday.
Belgica said he has received numerous complaints that some public servants have their names or faces imprinted on public documents like permits and licenses.
He said politicians have long since taken advantage of this system wherein the head of agency or local government unit usually places the politicians’ name and picture as indirect advertising or a way to make it appear that the people owe a favor to them.
"These pictures of politicians on permits and licenses affect the cost of printing that the applicants are shouldering,” he said.
Belgica said putting names and faces of politicians on government documents is already being prohibited by the Anti-Epal provision or General Provision No. 82 of the adopted 2021 National Budget.
Under the Anti-Epal provision, government officials, whether elected or appointed, are banned from self-promotion through placement of names, pictures, or otherwise on programs, projects, and any other initiatives that are funded by the government through the General Appropriations Act.
“With the election season nearing, mahigpit po nating pinaaalahanan ang ating kapwa kawani ng gobyerno, na tigilan na ang paglalagay ng mukha at pangalan nila sa mga government-funded projects including documents and issuances. Tayo po ay pinapasweldo ng taumbayan, hindi po nila utang na loob sa atin ang de kalidad na serbisyo publiko (We strictly remind our fellow government employees to stop imprinting their faces and names on the government-funded projects, including documents and issuances. We receive salaries through taxpayers’ money, we need to give them good quality services). Don’t self-promote,” Belgica said.
I have never seen a business permit without the mayor's face and name on it.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133913 |
Two police officers are facing dismissal after testing positive for illegal drugs during a random test.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Debold Sinas, who is currently under quarantine after contracting coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), said Wednesday he has ordered the pre-charge investigation and summary dismissal proceedings against Cpl. Christian Cerado, assigned at Parañaque City Police Station and Staff Sgt. Ildefonso dela Cruz Jr., assigned at Iloilo Police Provincial Office.
Sinas said urine specimen of Cerado and dela Cruz contained traces of methamphetamine during random drug tests administered on personnel of the Parañaque City Police Station last February 24 and on operatives of the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) and Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office last February 18.
Both police officers have been disarmed and placed under restrictive custody.
Two more cops busted for drugs.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133993 |
Bohol Governor Arthur Yap and his provincial administrator are now facing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly entering into anomalous transactions that wasted public funds amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) crisis.
Yap and Provincial Administrator Kathyrin Fe Pioquinto were charged on March 17 before the anti-graft body in Quezon City with violation of Section 3 of Republic Act 3019 or Anti-Graft and Corrupt Act, for serious dishonesty and grave misconduct.
The complaint stemmed from the overpriced and questionable purchases from supplies with dubious financial, legal, or technical credentials and track record.
The complainant, Dan Neri Lim, a lawyer and former mayor of Tagbilaran City, sought the Ombudsman’s office to investigate Yap, Pioquinto, and other officials of the province for the alleged irregularities.
Lim said the provincial government entered into a service contract for the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2020, a virtual conference to promote tourism.
He alleged that the provincial government contracted PTM Disco Record Center for the rental of light and sound system for the PHITEX 2020 event held in Panglao, a resort island town in Bohol.
The event’s closing ceremony was held on Sept. 25, 2020, but the notice of award for the procurement was issued only on Dec. 18, 2020, which was three months after the said event had ended.
Lim added that Yap issued a notice of award to Dextel Trading for the purchase of mobile X-ray machines for a total of PHP22,788,000 or PHP3,798,000 per unit.
“However, upon checking with various suppliers, the cost of the unit of the same specification is only P950,000. In this case, there is overpricing of each unit in the amount of P2,848,000 or a total amount of P17,000,000,” the complaint read.
Lim’s complaint also alleged that on March 18, 2020, the provincial government of Bohol purchased “by way of negotiated sale” eight motorcycles from TWIS Trading in the amount of PHP718,000.
“It would appear that the purchase price of the motorcycle costs about PHP89,750. Upon verification, a Honda XRM 125 only costs about PHP55,000 for a brand new and PHP18,000 for second hand (units),” Lim’s complaint-affidavit read.
Lim noted an overprice of PHP34,750 per unit or a total of PHP278,000 for the entire transaction.
Bohol governor charged with graft for anomalous purchases and procurements. These include overpriced x-ray machines and motorcycles.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1133426 |
The CA’s Twelfth Division, in a decision dated March 9, 2021 by Associate Justice Danteon Q. Bueser, denied the appeal of Junia Pugong, an assistant professor of the Ifugao State University and chairperson of its Timoc campus.
In June 2016, student officers, applicant teachers, drivers and job order instructors filed a complaint against Pugong for grave misconduct for reducing the allotted transportation fare for students and employees during the 2014 Foundation Day celebrations.
The complainants also accused her of dishonesty by assigning another to do her teaching load.
The CSC in July 2017 found her guilty.
In its decision, the appellate court said “to warrant dismissal from the service, she must have committed a specific act or misconduct which must be grave, serious, important, weighty, momentous and not trifling. The misconduct must imply wrongful intention and not a mere error of judgment.”
The Court of Appeals has upheld the dismissal of a state university professor for grave misconduct and dishonesty.
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