Retards in the Government 238

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163175

Four Taguig City cops are under restrictive custody after their alleged participation in the robbery of a Japanese national and his Filipina partner in Pasig City on Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos on Sunday ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to hold under custody Staff Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Cpl. Merick Desoloc, Cpl. Christian Jerome Reyes, and Pat. Kirk Joshua Almojera.

The four, assigned at the Taguig City Police Station, were among eight suspects who allegedly staged a robbery in Barangay Kapitolyo at about 12:10 a.m.

They reportedly held at gunpoint domestic partners Joana Marie Flores Espiritu, 26, and Japanese Kani Toshiro, 42.

Carlos also instructed NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr. to place the commander of Taguig Sub-Station 1 on administrative relief to preclude any possibility of undue influence in the investigation.

NCRPO has stepped up pursuit operations against two other suspects, dismissed cop Ferdinand Fallari and a certain Ruwel Galang, who eluded arrest.

AJ Mary Agnas, 22, who allegedly works for the victims, was also arrested while a certain Jhon Carlo Atienza, 30, was found dead with a gunshot wound at the corner of Kalayaan Avenue and Tolentino Street in Barangay Pinagkaisahan, Makati City.

According to initial reports, the suspects forced Toshiro to open a vault and scooped out an estimated PHP30 million cash and an expensive mobile phone.

Eight people, including 4 cops and one dismissed cop, forced a Japanese man to open his fault so they could steal P30 million in cash. The Taguig Chief has been fired over this incident.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/12/20/2148978/taguig-police-station-chief-axed-over-p30-million-robbery

The commander of a police station in Taguig was relieved from his post yesterday after four of his subordinates allegedly robbed a Japanese man of at least P30 million in cash and gadgets in Pasig City on Saturday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos said he sacked Maj. Nimrod Balgemino Jr., commander of the Taguig police sub-station 1, to prevent “undue influence in the investigation.”

Carlos ordered the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) to probe S/Sgt. Jayson Bartolome, Pat. Kirk Joshua Almojera and Corporals Merick Desoloc and Christian Jerome Reyes.

“I want to get to the bottom of this incident and unmask all persons involved in the crime,” Carlos said.

It's only a preventative firing to make sure the investigation goes smoothly without any "undue influence."

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/21/2149198/coa-finds-deficiencies-ntf-elcac-projects

The Commission on Audit (COA) has found several “deficiencies” in the implementation of programs, projects and activities (PPAs) of the six member agencies of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in 2020.

In its consolidated “Annual Financial Report” for national government-agencies, the COA said “incomplete documentation, low fund utilization and unutilized funds, unauthorized fund transfers and lack of guidelines on the use of funds” were observed in the implementation of various PPAs of the task force’s member-agencies.

It said the adverse findings “cast doubt” on the efficient use of public funds by NTF-ELCAC agencies – the Departments of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The COA said the DSWD’s regional Field Office 13 (CARAGA) had disbursed P1.28 million under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program and P4.04 million under the Livelihood Settlement Grants or a total of P5.32 million for assistance to former rebels who surrendered to the government.

The payments were made despite inappropriate or lack of supporting documents, “thereby casting doubt on the propriety and validity of the transactions,” the COA said.

The COA says six government agencies have deficiencies in their use of NTF-ELCAC funds. This includes giving millions to former rebels without proper paperwork and supporting documents.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2021/12/22/2149359/33-cops-face-raps-over-pride-march-dispersal

At least 33 Manila police personnel were sued before the city prosecutor’s office on Monday for the violent dispersal of a Pride March in Mendiola last year.

Seventeen members of the so-called “Pride 20” filed a complaint against the lawmen for failing to observe maximum tolerance and violating their right to peaceful assembly, as well as unlawful arrest and slight physical injuries and maltreatment.

The police officers were also accused of stealing a van they used to drive the protesters to the Manila Police District headquarters.

The complainants also accused the lawmen of qualified gender-based street and public space sexual harassment under the Safe Spaces Act for berating them during the protest.

33 cops accused of violating the rights of homosexuals to peacefully assemble and have a parade. Also accusations of unlawful arrests and stealing a van.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/815650/mayor-congressional-bet-hurt-in-misamis-occidental-shooting/story/

Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental Mayor Michael Gutierrez and congressional aspirant Jason Almonte were wounded in a shooting incident that marred a Christmas party in Tangub City on Wednesday.

According to the Police Region Office 10 (PRO 10), PDP Laban and Asenso Ozamiz Local Party members were having a Christmas party when a "sniper fire" was heard at 8:45 p.m.

The bullet hit the frame of the glass door and a splinter hit the nape of Almonte, who is running as 1st district representative of Misamis Occidental, PRO 10 said in a report.

The slug hit the left temple and exited the nape of Michael Gutierrez, who is running for vice governor of the province.

Also present in the event was Misamis Occidental Representative Henry Oaminal.

Gutierrez and Almonte were rushed to Misamis University Medical Center where they received first aid before being transported to Mars General Hospital, Ozamis City for the operation.

Two politicians were wounded at a Christmas party. A third politician, a congressman, was present but was unharmed.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1163546

Criminal charges have been filed by the Pasay City Prosecutor's Office against Senator Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros for alleged violation of Republic Act 4200 or the Anti-Wire Tapping Act.

In an information dated December 1 by Senior Assistant City Prosecutor Serafin S. Salazar and approved by City Prosecutor Elmer L. Rillo, Hontiveros was charged in connection with a text message in 2017 between then Justice Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II and another person.

Hontiveros, the prosecutor said " willfully, unlawfully, knowingly and secretly intercept, record, possess a copy of such record, and show or communicate to other persons, the contents of the private communication" between Aguirre and another person "without the consent of all the parties thereto to their damage and prejudice".

The case was filed by Aguirre in 2017 when Hontiveros during a privilege speech in September of that year showed a photo of Aguirre while composing a text message on his phone.

The photo was shown to have Aguirre texting Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption member, lawyer Jacinto "Jing" Paras in connection with charges against the senator.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has been charged with wiretapping because she took a picture of DOJ Secretary Aquirre composing a text message and showed it to the Seante during a privilege speech. One wonders why this case is being filed now when it was original submitted in 2017.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/12/23/2149585/17-government-agencies-flagged-over-idle-projects

The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out 17 government agencies over delayed, abandoned and idle infrastructure projects amounting to P1.44 trillion, saying this may result in complete wastage of government funds.

In its consolidated annual financial report for national government agencies for 2020, the COA said various infrastructure projects implemented by the agencies “were either not executed in accordance with the plan, with noted deficiencies, not completed on time (or) not completed at all, which may result in waste of government funds or delayed enjoyment of project benefits.”

This was on top of uncompleted infrastructure projects amounting P1.1 billion implemented by various state universities and colleges, he said.

The audit body attributed the delays in the project completion to “abandonment by the contractor, inefficiency in monitoring of project implementation, poor planning and workmanship and lack of coordination with local government units and other agencies concerned.”

One of the agencies identified as responsible for the bulk of the delayed projects was the Department of Transportation-Office of the Secretary (DOTr–OSEC).

The COA says 17 government agencies have idle or delayed projects amounting to P1.44 trillion. the DOTr-OSEC is the office with the most delayed projects.