It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/841272/barangay-captain-shot-dead-by-motorcycle-riding-assassins-in-cagayan/story/ |
A barangay chairman was killed was killed after he was shot by two unidentified men on a motorcycle in Rizal, Cagayan.
The Cagayan Police Provincial Office identified the victim as Roberto de Ocampo, 50, of Anurturo.
Investigation showed that Ocampo and his wife were in their pickup truck traversing the provincial road in Barangay Gumarueng in Piat town on Wednesday when the suspects shots them.
The victim sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of his body and was immediately brought by responding police officers to the Tuao District Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
His wife survived the shooting incident.
The police said the suspects immediately fled the scene on a silver-grey Nmax motorcycle.
A barangay captain has been assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1645467/gunman-kills-local-govt-exec-in-batangas |
A local government official in Lobo town in Batangas province was shot and killed by a lone gunman on Thursday night.
The Batangas police reported Friday, August 12 that Romeo Sulit, 61, the municipal council secretary, was delivering a speech around 8 p.m. at a debut party in Barangay Tayuman, when an assailant approached him from behind and shot him.
The gunman wore a green jacket, black shorts, and a hat.
He fled on foot and left his target with a fatal bullet wound at the back of his head.
The police said Sulit, a former vice mayor of Lobo, was brought to Batangas Medical Center in Batangas City for treatment.
Captain Roy Cuevas, Lobo police chief, said Sulit died at 12:34 a.m.
A former vice mayor was assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/11/22/coa-flags-customs-for-allowing-importers-with-violations |
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has allowed 974 importers to continue transactions despite violating laws and rules, the Commission on Audit (COA) said in its report.
COA said the importers should have been suspended instead of being allowed to import 77,049 consumption entries with assessed duties and taxes amounting to P28.954 billion.
State auditors noted that 644 of the 974 importers have records of violations, seizure, abandonment and smuggling, while 330 were habitual violators of importation with generic description.
“When left uncorrected, this may cause the breakdown of risk controls, which will significantly affect the efficient implementation of accreditation and defeats the purpose of accreditation,” the audit team said.
The audit report also noted that the BOC management agreed to the recommendations of the audit team, including ensuring that the account management office is furnished with all the warrants of seizure and detention as well as abandonment cases.
The report further mentioned the importation of 553 regulated commodities costing P1.44 billion in duties and taxes which were processed and released despite lack of import permits and other documents.
Included in the P1.44 billion duties and taxes are P684.028 million from the importation of luxury vehicles which were assessed and released without necessary permits and other documents
The audit team also flagged the inconsistent and inappropriate tagging of the BOC within their system for a total of 100,944 consumption entries with assessed duties and taxes of P122.146 billion.
The BOC uses a color-coded system in its system using colors such as green to signify release without further inspection, red for x-ray scanning and physical examination, among others.
The audit team noted that 5,989 entires amounting to P1.733 billion which should have been tagged as red were released without conducting 100 percent physical inspection.
There was also an understatement of P105.108 million on duties and taxes for the importation of 765 commodities due to deficient computation of insurance.
“The non-compliance by the BOC with the prescribed computations could affect the collection of total duties and taxes accruing from the importations, thus, a possible loss of revenue,” the audit team said.
The COA has tagged the BOA over multiple violations of improper paperwork and documentation which resulted in a loss of revenue.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/12/sandiganbayan-affirms-graft-convictionof-ex-rep-pichay-as-then-lwua-head/ |
“Courts are not the forum to plead for sympathy. The duty of courts is to apply the law, disregarding their feeling of sympathy or pity for an accused.”
Thus declared the Sandiganbayan as it turned down the motion filed by former Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) Chief and ex-Rep. Prospero A. Pichay Jr. and Deputy Acting Administrator Wilfredo M. Feleo to reconsider the court’s decision that convicted them of three graft charges.
In his motion for reconsideration, Pichay highlighted the “disparity” between the offense charged emanating from bad business decision-making of a public official and entailing criminal liability.
“If every mistake, error, or oversight is met with criminal punishment, then qualified individuals would be hindered in serving the government,” Pichay said.
In a resolution issued last Aug. 10, the anti-graft court said: “After turning all stones, the Court finds no sufficient justification to warrant abandonment of our earlier ruling.”
Pichay and Feleo were sentenced to a prison term ranging from 18 to 30 years in the purchase of the Express Savings Bank, Inc. (ESBI) when they were top LWUA officials in 2009.
The criminal charges arose from LWUA’s purchase of ESBI, a local thrift bank based in Laguna through WELLEX Group Inc. (WGI) and Forum Pacific Inc. (FPI).
The anti-graft court said that as head of the LWUA board, Pichay approved the acquisition of ESBI even without securing the regulatory approvals from the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (MB-BSP), the Department of Finance (DOF), and the Office of the President.
“It cannot be denied that accused Pichay and Feleo knew of this requirement as they have been in consultation with the Office of the President, DOF, and BSP. They were specifically advised to secure prior approval of the Monetary Board. This advice was given before LWUA purchased the ESBI shares,” the court said.
The court said that Pichay and Feleo may not have been impelled by “patently fraudulent and dishonest purpose,” since they were merely carrying out a lawful mandate. However, the court pointed out that they carried out the task with “haphazardness and nonconforming ways.”
“Even assuming that accused did not act in bad faith or with manifest partiality, their negligence under the circumstances was not only gross but also inexcusable,” the court stressed.
A former Representatitve and then head of the LWUA has asked the Sandiganbayan to reconsider his graft conviction because he did not intend to commit a crime. The Sandiganbayan says no, the law must be applied without pity.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/13/cop-gunned-down-in-nueva-vizcaya/ |
A 43-year-old policeman was shot dead by gunmen onboard a motorcycle here Saturday, August 13.
Police Col. Ranser Evasco, Nueva Vizcaya police chief, identified the victim as Police Senior Master Sgt. Aldwin Aspacio James, a Baguio City resident.
Evasco, quoting field reports, said James, a field training officer of the local police, was gunned down on Manalansan St., Purok 3, Barangay Homestead.
Police here said the victim had just arrived at his boarding house when he was killed by the suspects riding a matte gray Yamaha NMAX motorcycle without license plates.
James sustained six bullet wounds and was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.
The gunmen fled towards the bypass road in this town.
A cop has been assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2022/08/14/casual-cadiz-city-government-employee-falls-in-buy-bust/ |
A casual employee of the city government of Cadiz in Negros Occidental was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Tinampa-an Saturday, August 13.
Police identified the suspect as Charlie Bacroya, 43, of Barangay Tinampa-an, who was assigned at the City Veterinary Office.
Police Lt. Col. Gil John Despi, Cadiz City police chief, said Bacroya is their Top 2 priority target at the police station.
Despi said that they have been monitoring the suspect for some time.
Police recovered from Bacroya 1.8 grams of suspected shabu worth P12,240 and the P500 marked money.
Bacroya is considered a high value individual, according to the police.
A casual government employee who was also a high value target has been arrested on drug charges.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1181329 |
A former Zamboanga del Sur town mayor escaped conviction for malversation of public funds but must pay a fine of PHP50,000 under a plea bargaining deal that saw him plead guilty to the lesser charge of failing to render accounts.
In its decision dated August 10, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division found Wilson Nandang, former mayor of Labangan, guilty of 10 counts of violating Section 218 (Failure of Accountable Officer to Render Accounts) of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and ordered him to pay a fine of PHP5,000 for each count.
The graft court also granted the prosecution’s motion for the dismissal of 10 counts of violation of Article 217 (Malversation of Public Funds) against Nandang.
A plea bargaining agreement was approved by the Ombudsman for the malversation charges to be dropped after the accused entered a plea of guilty to a lesser charge.
In 2018, the Ombudsman said Nandang received 10 cash advances for travel expenses from January to August 2011, totaling PHP1,250,000.
Despite demands from the Commission on Audit (COA), he failed to liquidate and account for the cash advances.
A former mayor has been funded for failing to renew his accounts properly.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/15/22/coa-p267-million-in-donations-including-vehicles-unrecorded-in-pnp-books |
Donations made to the Philippine National Police totaling P267.085 million remain unrecorded in its books of accounts, according to the latest audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA).
As of end of 2021, the donations received by the PNP remain unrecorded due to the non-submission of deeds of donation and other relevant documents by logistics officers to their respective accounting units.
Included in the list are 49 units of Hyundai Elantra and 81 Starex vans donated from 2017 to 2020 by the Republic of Korea to regional and provincial offices as well as offices in the PNP headquarters.
“Moreover, we gathered information from PNP’s annual reports and news articles and have noted that the following donations were not yet recorded in the books of accounts,” the state auditors said.
The list also included 22 units of Toyota Grandia donated by the Public Safety Savings and Loans Association, 4 units of Toyota Hilux from Servequest Properties Corporation, 2 units of Toyota Hilux from Rotary Club Makati Central, all donated in 2020.
P3.65 million worth of equipment such as scuba gear and other training equipment were donated by the United States government from 2020 to 2021, as quoted by the audit team from various news articles.
The audit team noted that the PNP management agreed to the recommendations, among others, to promptly submit copies of the deeds of donation and other documents for all unrecorded donated properties.
The COA says the PNP has not properly documented P267 million in donations.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/15/22/coa-flags-dswd-over-undistributed-donations-for-ulysses-victims |
Various donations made to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) intended for victims of Typhoon Ulysses in November 2020 remain undistributed at the end of 2021, state auditors said.The Commission on Audit (COA) in its latest report said that the DSWD office in Region 2 received a total of 126,172 in-kind donations during the last quarter of 2020 until 2021, but a total of 21,824 were still on hand.The report noted that the donations were given by various donors for the families affected by the massive flooding and huge destruction of property in the region.“However, to date, the above balance of in-kind donations remains undistributed which should have been made immediately especially those goods that are highly exposed to damage, rotting and expiration,” the audit team said.The report is a reiteration of last year’s findings in the 2020 audit report on the DSWD.It also mentioned the non-submission of reports of in-kind donations to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Office of Civil Defense.“Also, the transparency and accountability in the use of aid/donations was significantly affected especially that this has become an issue of considerable importance for donors and the public,” the audit team noted.
The COA says the DSWD has undistributed donations in thier coffers.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1181338 |
A police manhunt is underway against a group behind the ambush-slay of a former village chief and his worker in Barangay Kidama here on Sunday evening.Lt. Col Jingle Parallag, town police chief, identified Monday the victims as Felipe Sara Maluenda, 61, former chairperson of Barangay Kidama, and Joseph Mariano Flores, a laborer and resident of Alamada town, North Cotabato province.Parallag said Maluenda was driving his sedan together with Flores on their way to Barangay Kilada when gunmen positioned on both sides of the road at a local sugarcane plantation opened fire on them around 7:00 pm.Both victims were brought to separate hospitals here but were declared dead on arrival by the attending physicians.“The victims obtained fatal wounds in different parts of their body,” she said.Police recovered eight pieces of empty shells from an M16 rifle, another empty shell from a .45-caliber pistol, and other pieces of evidence.“The suspects swiftly ran into the sugarcane plantation after the incident”, Parallag said.“Our investigation is ongoing,” she said, declining to give more information so as not to jeopardize police operation.
A barangay captain has been assassinated by unknown men for unknown reasons.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/08/16/2202939/ex-nia-chiefs-sentence-over-dam-project-affirmed |
The Sandiganbayan has affirmed its earlier ruling convicting former National Irrigation Administration (NIA) chief Carlos Salazar in connection with a dam project initiated in 2009 without approval from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
In a resolution promulgated on Aug. 3, the anti-graft court said Salazar failed to raise in his appeal substantial or compelling matters that would warrant the reversal of the decision finding him guilty of violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The anti-graft court earlier sentenced Salazar to six to eight years in prison and perpetually disqualified him from holding public office.
The court ordered Salazar, who was NIA administrator during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to indemnify the agency P98.55 million or equivalent to the amount of NIA funds found to have been illegally disbursed.
Filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2018, the case stemmed from a P712.37-million contract that Salazar entered into with A.M. Oreta on May 8, 2009 for the construction of the Libmanan-Cabusao Diversion Dam in Camarines Sur.
The ombudsman said the contract was awarded to A.M. Oreta without prior approval from the NEDA-Investment Coordination Committee, which was required under Executive Order 230 or the reorganized NEDA charter.
The ombudsman said that two days after the signing of the contract, Salazar issued a notice to proceed with the project, allowing the firm to collect an advance payment of P98.5 million.
The project, which was supposed to be constructed in Sipocot River, was called off due to opposition from local communities and environmental groups.
The Sandiganbayan has upheld the graft conviction of former NIA Chief Carlos Salazar over an illegal advance payment he made to a construction company for a dam. The project was later called off.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1647299/qcpd-cop-tagged-in-hit-and-run-relieved-from-post |
The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) has relieved its officer, after it was identified that he is the registered owner of the vehicle that figured in a hit-and-run incident that killed a tricycle driver and injured a passenger.
In a statement on Tuesday, the QCPD said Lt. Col. Mark Julio Abong, chief of the QCPD Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, will be reassigned to the District Personnel Holding and Accounting Section while the investigation is ongoing.
It noted, however, that Abong had “denied responsibility [for] the incident and claimed that a certain Ronald Centino, who was responsible for the maintenance of the vehicle, drove the same without his consent when the accident happened.”
Abong and Centino are facing complaints for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, physical injury, and damage to property.
Two QCPD cops "are facing complaints for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, physical injury, and damage to property" after a hit-and-run incident.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1181425 |
Members of the anti-scalawag unit of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday arrested three Manila policemen who allegedly tried to extort PHP2,000 from a driver whose tricycle was earlier impounded by the group.
In a statement Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Warren De Leon, chief of the PNP-Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG), identified the suspects as Staff Sgt. Erwin Licuasen, 34; Cpl. Chimber Importa, 33; and Pat. Leopoldo Tuason, 39.
They were arrested at around 10:45 p.m. inside the Paco Police Community Precinct (PCP) located at the corner of Pedro Gil and Angel Linao Sts. in Paco, Manila.
De Leon said the operation stemmed from the complaint of tricycle operator Frederick Alba, 34, of Sampaloc, Manila who said the driver of his tricycle was apprehended for a traffic violation on Aug. 14.
He said the suspects demanded PHP2,000 in exchange for the release of the tricycle which was impounded.
The suspects were arrested after receiving the PHP2,000 marked money from the complainant during the entrapment.
Recovered from the suspects were the marked money, three mobile phones, a blotter book, six pieces of magazines with ammunition, and a motorcycle with an orange sidecar. Their service firearms were also confiscated.
The suspects are now under the custody of the IMEG headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City for proper documentation before inquest proceedings.
Three Manila cops have been arrested for extortion.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/08/18/2203453/pnp-92-extortion-cases-filed-vs-rogue-cops |
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has ordered police commanders to exercise disciplinary authority over their personnel.
Azurin issued the directive after records from the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) showed that 92 cases have been filed before the courts against policemen accused of robbery and extortion in July.
“If you are not going to do your job, then the entire police station or sub-station will be relieved and they will be replaced with more responsible and accountable PNP personnel,” Azurin said in a statement.
A policeman who is wanted for kidnapping with rape was apprehended in Taguig on Tuesday.
Azurin identified the suspect as Pat. Jerome Arroyo, who is assigned with the MPD.
Arroyo was nabbed based on a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Anne Beatrice Balmaceda of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 27.
Azurin reminded police officers that they could be held administratively liable based on the doctrine of command responsibility.
92 cops have been charged with extortion in July and one cop has been arrested for kidnapping.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/841852/coa-flags-doh-over-p185m-worth-of-covid-19-items-not-properly-distributed/story/ |
State auditors have flagged the Department of Health over the millions worth of COVID-19-related items that were not properly distributed to their intended recipients.
In a 2021 audit report released on August 15, the Commission on Audit (COA) said items amounting to at least P185,602,876 were either not received by the intended recipients, not received at all, or insufficient or excessive.
According to COA, P166.2 million worth of items were delivered to agencies other than the intended recipients, P18.5 million were not received by intended recipients, and P835,402 showed discrepancies between the quantities indicated and the actual quantities received.
The state auditors said this indicated “inefficiency in the distribution system of said government assets exposing them to risks of loss, misuse, or wastage.”
The items were purchased by the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) using the funds transferred by the DOH. The deliveries were made by the PS-DBM through third-party logistics.
COA said the items worth P166.2 million were supposed to be delivered to the Cagayan Valley Center for Health Development (CHD), the Southern Isabela Medical Center, and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium COVID site.
However, items totaling P54 million were received by the Office of the Civil Defense while P108.6 million were received by individuals whose offices or agencies could not be identified.
The agency also said that 150,000 masks amounting to P3.4 million were delivered to the Caraga CHD instead of the Northern Mindanao CHD.
Meanwhile, state auditors said six agencies indicated in the PTRs confirmed that they did not receive the COVID-19 items totaling P18.5 million.
These were the Northern Mindanao CHD, the Dr. Jose Rizal Memorial Hospital, Margosatubig Regional Hospital, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Education, and the Maria Lourdes Maternity Hospital.
The Metro Manila CHD and the Caraga CHD, meanwhile, disclosed discrepancies between the quantities indicated in the distribution list and the actual quantities delivered that were either less or more.
Millions of pesos worth of COVID-19 related equipment which were purchased by the DOH were not properly distributed.
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