It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/12/06/2146089/basilan-mayor-killed-another-mayor-wounded-zamboanga-city-shooting |
Darusallam Lajid, mayor of Al-Barka in Basilan, was killed in a gun attack in Zamboanga City on Monday morning that also left Akbar Mayor Alih Sali injured.
Sali's driver Barad Nuruddin was also killed in the attack.
In an initial statement Monday, the Zamboanga City Police Office said the two mayors were attacked by four men on motorcycles in a seaside village in Barangay Baliwasan in Zamboanga City. The mayors had just arrived from Basilan on a small boat.
Police Maj. Chester Natividad, Police Station 11 commander, said the the victims were shot around 8:30 a.m. by one of the assailants who had been waiting in a narrow alley."The victims who came from Basilan aboard a speedboat clandestinely landed among the houses and while walking towards their vehicle they were shot by one of the suspects," Natividad said.The victims' relatives in Basilan are convinced the attack is related to local politics but could not say who the target of the shooting was.
It will be recalled Lajid forged a peace pact with Al-Barka Vice Mayor Mujib Jakilan last month. Their followers had engaged in a shootout in August that left two dead and three wounded.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1161914 |
A reelectionist councilor of Sarrat, Ilocos Norte was gunned down by unidentified gunmen on Monday morning.
Police investigators identified the victim as Apolonio Garcia Medrano, 69, of Barangay 1 San Joaquin in Sarrat.
Initial reports said Medrano was standing in front of his parked vehicle in front of the Sarrat municipal hall when he was shot by motorcycle-riding gunmen.
Citing witnesses, police said the assailants fled toward the eastern direction after the incident.
The victim was declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. A checkpoint operation was immediately launched to intercept the gunmen.
Medrano, a former police intelligence officer, was tagged in the killing of DZJC broadcaster Roger Mariano but the case against him was dismissed in 2010 due to lack of evidence.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1161895 |
The Sandiganbayan anti-graft court has ordered an official of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) to return transportation allowances as she was already issued a service vehicle.The anti-graft court’s Second Division found NIA department manager Virginia Atienza civilly liable and ordered her to return to the government the amount of PHP58,000 with interest.
The 20-page decision stated that even as the law excuses no one, the act “did not amount to a criminal because there is no sufficient evidence to show appellate acted with manifest partiality and evident bad faith”.
Atienza was charged in 2011 for claiming a monthly transportation allowance of PHP3,000 from April 2007 to October 2008 despite having been assigned a service vehicle.
Under the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual, no official who has been granted transportation allowance by any government office shall be allowed to use government motor transportation and if a government vehicle has been used, a proportionate amount shall be deducted from the transportation allowance of the official concerned.
Atienza said she received the sums in good faith as it had been the practice by her predecessor, adding that since she received the monthly transportation allowance, she no longer availed of the 15 liters of gasoline to which she was entitled.
She argued that she spent the transportation allowance for gasoline, repairs, and maintenance, adding that the costs were usually higher than the allowance she was questioned for.
With the 2022 elections drawing near, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday reminded politicians not to fall for con artists whose modus operandi is to entice them with promises of sure victory.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez warned politicians not to believe those who claim they can manipulate the election system for a fee.
“Over the weekend, we have gotten a lot of reports of people trying to run a con, telling politicians that if they pay, they can win. We would like to remind everyone, the politicians especially, not to be misled into believing this is possible. This is not possible,” he said.
The scammers reportedly often introduce themselves as either someone with ties with the Comelec or with the service provider.
The scammers would also often prey on candidates of single position races. “They would offer the same deal that whoever win, wins; whoever loses gets a refund. You would think that something (fiddling with the results) happened but nothing happened,” Jimenez noted.
“This is false. This is the same kind of scam that is run on unsuspecting politicians since 2010,” he added. Jimenez said that in the past, they have conducted sting operations against these scammers, in coordination with agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1162173 |
Members of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have arrested a police officer for alleged extortion in an entrapment operation in Pangasinan on Tuesday night.
In a statement Wednesday, Brig. Gen. Oliver Enmodias, chief of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), identified the suspect as Cpl. Danile Penuliar, who is assigned at the Bayambang Municipal Police Station (MPS).
Penuliar was arrested in an entrapment at Barangay Pantol in Bayambang at around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday after receiving marked money from a police operative who posed as motorist flagged down by the suspect while passing the axis road of the village.
The modus operandi of the suspect is to ask for a vaccination card from the motorists. He charges PHP500 from those who cannot present a vaccination card before they are allowed to pass.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/415867/talisay-police-admit-facing-a-blank-wall-in-shooting-to-death-of-barangay-tanod |
Talisay City police are not discounting the possibility that the 41-year-old barangay tanod who was was shot dead by a still unidentified suspect on Tuesday noon, was being monitored and tailed before the attack in barangay Maghaway, Talisay City.
Admitting that they are still facing a blank wall in the murder of Efren Bonghanoy, a resident of the barangay, Police Lieutenant Colonel Randy Caballes, chief of Talisay City Police Station, said that they are still gathering statements from witnesses.
They are also looking for CCTV footage near the crime scene to help them gather crucial leads.
Bonghanoy used to stay in a small hut where he was shot to pass by time.
Caballes further said that Bonghanoy has already been a barangay tanod for years. However, he could not disclose for how long.
Bonghanoy was shot dead past 12 noon on Tuesday, December 7, 2021, by a still unidentified individual who was on board a motorcycle.
Police said the suspect was wearing a black jacket and maong pants and a black helmet.
Caballes said that Bonghanoy was shot at his nape which caused his immediate death. Investigators failed to find a fired cartridge in the area of the attack.
Based on the initial outcome of the investigation, Caballes said that the duty investigator interviewed the barangay officials there and the wife of the victim but said that they too are clueless about the possible perpetrator and motive as the victim has no known enemy.
However, Caballes said they are verifying a reported property dispute that the suspect was allegedly involved in.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1162224 |
A 52-year-old local official was gunned down by motorcycle-riding suspects in Barangay Inspector here on Wednesday night.
A police report on Thursday identified the victim as Emiliano Muncal, chairperson of the said village.
Initial investigation showed Muncal was about to park his motorcycle in front of his house when his attackers shot him several times shot at around 7:19 p.m.
The victim came from the barangay hall, investigation also showed.
"After the incident, the suspects fled on board with their motorcycle heading towards east direction of the Sta. Rosa-Tarlac Road (Provincial Road)," the police report said.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2021/12/09/poe-chastises-mumbling-uncooperative-bir-men-in-senate-hearing/ |
Senator Grace Poe on Thursday, Dec. 9 chastised the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) during the hearing of the Senate committee on public services for not providing information on whether or not franchise applicants have been fulfilling their responsibility with the bureau, specifically if they have been diligently paying their taxes on time and in full.
Poe, chair of the Senate public services committee, warned that the BIR’s lack of preparation would delay the action on the franchise applications the committee is evaluating, specifically the 16 telco applications, the 12 broadcast franchise applications, and the franchise renewal of Air Philippines Corp.
“Before we give a franchise to a company, we have to make sure that they have no liabilities. E kung may utang sa inyo?” Poe asked the BIR.
“This is the best way you can collect from them because they are applying for a franchise,” the senator added.
“The Senate is about to go on a break next week. As much as possible, we would like to finish our committee reports and hopefully take them up on the floor next week,” Poe said.
The panel chair stressed that the invitations for the hearing were sent out three weeks ago and resource persons were provided a list of the information that the committee would need.
“I hope the BIR is taking our hearings seriously,” Poe said. “I expect more participation and respect from the BIR because this is an actual public hearing. They should be able to assist the legislative because this is one of their functions,” she added.
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