Retards in the Government 208

    It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

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A barangay councilor in Maco town, Davao de Oro died after he was shot by 7 armed men Thursday afternoon. 

The victim was identified as Oliver Bataluna Ripdos, 42, of Purok 1, Barangay Sangab of the said town. 

According to the victim's wife, they were on their way home to have lunch from their farm, when a man and other armed men suddenly shot the victim. 

The victim sustained four blows to the back of the body which resulted in his death. 

According to the police the perpetrators were members of the NPA and their motive remains unknown. But it's another LGU official shot dead.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1140960

The Supreme Court (SC) has warned a judge in Davao for texting parties in a pending case before his sala.

In a six-page resolution recently published online by the SC, the court's second division found Davao del Sur Regional Trial Court Branch 15 Judge Mario Duaves guilty of violating the New Code of Judicial Conduct.

Following the recommendation of the Office of Court Administrator (OCA), Duaves “is hereby reprimanded and sternly warned that a repetition of the same or similar act shall be dealt with more severely."

The judge admitted he exchanged text messages with the parties, who have pending property dispute cases.

The SC has time and again underscored the need to show not only the fact of propriety but the appearance of propriety itself.

“The standard of morality and decency required is exacting, so much so that a judge should avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety in all his activities," the tribunal said.

A judge has been texting parties involved in an estate dispute. He denies the accusation but surely the accuser has proof? The judgement of the Supreme Court about avoiding impropriety and the appearance of impropriety is a lesson every single member of the Philippine government should learn.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141045

A complaint has been filed against a party-list lawmaker who continues to cling onto his post as president of a local electric cooperative.

In a 15-page sworn complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (Nasecore), represented by its executive director, Rafael Acebedo, accused Rep. Presley de Jesus of the Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (Philreca) party-list, of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) for continuing to hold another office while already a member of Congress.

The complaint, filed on May 10, 2021, alleged that de Jesus has not relinquished his position as Isabela-I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Iselco-I) president of the Board of Directors.

The group is asking the Ombudsman to hold de Jesus criminally and administratively liable for “grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, grave abuse of authority, prejudicial to the best interest of public service” as well as seeking his preventive suspension while the proceedings are ongoing.

De Jesus won in the 2019 elections as Philreca’s first nominee and took his oath of office on May 23, 2019.

In Congress, he is the vice chair of the Committee on Energy and is a member of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Energy.

Under the Constitution, no senator or member of the House of Representatives may hold any other office or employment in the government, including government-owned and controlled corporations, without forfeiting his seat.

It seems this Congressman is holding on to a job that he should have relinquished in 2019 when he won his seat.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141280

A police officer was nabbed for extortion in Agusan del Norte on Monday.

In a report, Brig. Gen. Thomas Frias, chief of the Philippine National Police-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (PNP-IMEG), identified the suspect as Staff Sgt. Ronelo Tering-tering, who is assigned to the Provincial Highway Patrol Team (PHPT) in Cabadbaran City.

He was arrested during an entrapment operation by joint elements of PNP IMEG- Mindanao Field Unit (MFU), Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC), and the local police.

Frias said the suspect demanded PHP10,000 from a complainant in exchange for the release of a mini dump truck impounded at the PHPT office. 

Another PNP officer arrested for extortion. PNA later deleted this story and rewrote it entirely. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1435659/coa-flags-housing-agency-over-unused-funds

The Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) failed to utilize the P10.36 million it received from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 2016 for the shelter needs of families whose houses were damaged by Tropical Storm Sendong, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

The COA said the nonutilization of the fund resulted in the failure to address the immediate needs for decent housing of families affected by Sendong.

Under the memorandum of agreement between the DSWD and the SHFC on Oct. 5, 2015, P10.36 million would be given to the latter for the shelter assistance of 148 informal settler families displaced by Sendong in Cagayan de Oro City in 2011.

The SHFC told COA that only P7.7 million was used for the housing financial assistance to 110 families affected by Sendong. The remaining P2.6 million would be refunded to DSWD.

The SHFC failed to utilize all the fund allocated to provide housing for those affected by tropical storm Sending in 2016. This failed to address the needs of the people. Additionally it is only now at the proding of the COA that they will be sending a refund to the DSWD.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141342

Authorities arrested on Monday the task force quarry head of Tarlac City in an entrapment operation, three days after a private citizen reported his alleged extortion activities to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).

After receiving the complaint, ARTA together with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Tarlac and Tarlac City Police Station set up the joint entrapment operation that led to the arrest of Pedro Soliman II at the Tarlac City Hall at around 1 p.m.

Investigation showed that a private citizen sought help from ARTA on May 21.

Soliman asked the complainant to pay PHP240,000 in exchange for her quarry clearance.

The complainant asked if she can pay in three installments of PHP80,000 each. Soliman agreed and instructed her to make the initial payment on May 24.

After the victim handed the money, the suspect was immediately arrested by the combined elements of ARTA, CIDG-Tarlac and Tarlac CPS.

Another LGU official arrested for extortion. Money in exchange for a permit.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/788872/barangay-captain-shot-dead-in-davao-city/story/

A Davao City barangay captain was gunned down by a still unidentified assailant in his house on Tuesday evening. 

An initial report from the Davao Police identified the victim as Roderico Llubit, Barangay Captain of Barangay 9-A Davao City. 

Police said the victim was feeding his cat on the first floor of his house at Muslim Village in Barangay 9-A when the suspect entered the residence and shot Llubit twice in his face. 

The shooter fled in an unknown direction. 

"Motive of the incident is yet to be determined," read the police report, adding that investigation was ongoing. 

A barangay captain was killed in his home by an unknown assailant for an unknown reason as he was feeding his cat.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1141494

A former police officer who is wanted for a drug case was arrested in Malabon City, the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Wednesday.

Brig. Gen. Thomas Frias, chief of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), identified the suspect as Regie Alilano, who was arrested on McArthur Highway corner Potrero St. shortly before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Alilano, a former police corporal assigned at the Eastern Police District (EPD), has a standing warrant of arrest issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 67 for violation of Section 15, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

He was dismissed from the service after testing positive for illegal drugs during a random drug test administered to EPD personnel in January this year.

Former cop dismissed for drugs is now busted for drugs.