Retards in the Government 235

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

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/26/21/cebu-city-govt-worker-arrested-for-alleged-extortion

The National Bureau of Investigation-Region 7 (NBI-7) has arrested a female city government worker accused of extorting money from market vendors in Cebu City. 

Kara Marie Bargamento, officer-in-charge of the city market operation division, was nabbed in an entrapment operation at the Freedom Park Market, Carbon on Thursday, the NBI said. 

Market vendors accused Bargamento of asking for at least P100,000 from them so their stalls would not be affected by the planned modernization of the market that has been deemed historical. 

“The payment will secure them a space in the soon to be opened interim market and promised to be in a prime location,” the NBI statement read.

An official in charge of the city market has been charged with extortion for asking P100,000 from vendors to secure a spot in the new market.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1520640/pampanga-town-council-candidate-driver-killed-in-ambush

A candidate for councilor in San Simon town in Pampanga and his driver were killed Saturday morning in an ambush staged by unknown gunmen, Vice Mayor Leonora Wong confirmed in a phone interview.

Wong, who is now acting mayor in place of suspended Mayor Abundio Punsalan Jr., identified the victim as Rogelio “Jonjon” Salvador, 42, who is running under the Kambilan provincial party.

Pampanga police chief Colonel Robin Sarmiento confirmed that Rogelio’s nephew Joel Salvador also died in the attack that happened at 7:30 a.m. Joel was Roegelio’s driver, said police.

Arnel Caparas who was also in the car was hurt in the attack. He is now in critical condition in a hospital.

Wong said the gun attack happened as the victims’ car approached the San Miguel bridge toward Barangay Concepcion where Salvador served as a former village chief.

A candidate for the town council who was once a barangay captain and his nephew were assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1161226

The Court of Appeals (CA) has denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Ilocos Sur Governor Ryan Luis Singson, who questioned the Civil Service Commission (CSC) for disapproving the appointment of his choice for provincial administrator.

The CSC Regional Office No. 1 ruled that Daquep did not have the experience and eligibility requirements to be provincial administrator, a post that requires at least a five-year experience in management and administrative work as well as first-grade eligibility.

Singson and Daquep asked for a reconsideration and reiterated that highly confidential and coterminous positions, such as provincial administrator, are exempted from the qualification standards.

Daquep’s combined work in government is more than 10 years, surpassing the minimum experience requirement, the petitioners argued.

Turned down by the CSC, the suit was elevated before the CA.

While the case was pending, petitioners informed the court that Daquep was given a temporary appointment as provincial government department head in the population office, first on Sept. 1, 2015, and in the next two years.

As such, the petitioners said she should be considered as having complied with the requirements.

The court, however, said that “aside from their bare allegations, there is no solid proof” that Daquep had met the five-year experience in management and administrative work, and the first-grade civil service eligibility or its equivalent.

The Governor of Ilocos Sur appointed someone to bebe provincial administrator knowing she was unqualified for the position. He even claimed she was expert from the requirements.

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/414823/anti-graft-court-convicts-ace-other-dot-officials-over-wall-calendar-project-durano-unfazed

Former Tourism Secretary and Cebu gubernatorial candidate Joseph Felix ‘Ace’ Durano has been convicted for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act over a wall-calendar project. 

The 7th Division of the Sandiganbayan found Durano, along with several Tourism officials, guilty for violating Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019). 

Also named as respondents were Oscar Policarpio Palabyab, Grace Reyes Yoro, Eduardo Alvarez Jarque Jr., Evelyn Respicio Cajigal, and Adriana Mesa Flor, all of whom were officials of the Department of Tourism (DOT).  

Based on the ruling of the Sandiganbayan, the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Durano and then members of the DOT’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for allegedly skipping bidding processes for a wall-calendar project in 2008 that costs around P2.7 million.  

In particular, the state’s anti-graft court said they found the respondents guilty for giving ‘undue advantage to PDP Digital Inc.’ for the back-to-back wall-calendar, which is part of the department’s promotional campaign.  

Durano revealed that there were three cases lodged against him, all of which pertains to his tenure as chief of the country’s Tourism department from 2004 to 2010. 

Former DOT secretary and others have been convicted of graft and fraud over a wall calendar project bid which gave under advantage to one company.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1522523/pnp-monitors-six-private-armed-groups-that-pose-threat-to-2022-polls

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is carefully watching six private armed groups (PAGs) that may pose a threat to the May 2022 national and local elections.

PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos revealed this Wednesday, adding that they are also monitoring around 138 potential PAGs that can be activated to cause election-related violence.

“The PNP is currently doing profiling of the members of these groups to link their connections and identify their capabilities. The goal is to halt their ill-intentions in spreading fear and harassing the members of the community,” Carlos said in a statement.

The Philippines has a history of violent elections, especially in provinces where rivals and families can get tight and intense. Just this September, former PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar considered deploying members of the PNP’s Special Action Force to so-called election hotspots.

Some politicians have their own private armies and use them to violently attack their opponents in the elections.