It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/474909/argao-barangay-councilor-who-was-arrested-for-failure-to-submit-saln-posts-bail |
An incumbent barangay councilor of Argao town in southern Cebu who was arrested on Monday for failing to submit his 2021 Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) has posted bail.
Personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Cebu Province Field Unit (CIDG PFU) served the warrant for the arrest of Danilo Filomeno, 54, of Barangay Bogo.
Filomeno, however, was released from jail at 10:04 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, after he posted bail worth P30,000, said Police Corporal John Mark Canonigo of the Argao Police Station.
According to Police Major Nazarino Emia, chief of the CIDG PFU, the arrest of Filomeno happened after the barangay’s treasurer, Annade Davin, filed the complaint last June 2021.
Filomeno was accused of violation of Section 28 in relation to Section 11 of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
A barnagay councilor has been arrested for failing to file his SALN.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1693830/ombudsman-suspends-nia-chief-over-workers-gripes |
The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday ordered the suspension of National Irrigation Administration (NIA) acting chief Benny Antiporda for grave misconduct, among other charges, following a lengthy complaint filed by the agency’s employees.
Antiporda confirmed to the Inquirer that the suspension order had been served on him and that his office was padlocked.
He dismissed the allegations against him as “petty” and suggested that they were in retaliation for his anticorruption drive in the agency.
The six-page order signed on Tuesday by Ombudsman Samuel Martires stated that Antiporda’s six-month preventive suspension was without pay.
The complainants are officers and members of NIA Employees Association of the Philippines, the NIA Concerned Employees, and the agency’s lawyers.
The complaint alleged that Antiporda humiliated and berated NIA employees; prohibited managers of NIA’s central office from traveling, “which is counterproductive to their work”; and reassigned and transferred some personnel “without valid grounds.”
He was also accused of placing some employees on floating status; allegedly harassing NIA corporate board secretary Michelle Raymundo by placing a security guard and a closed-circuit television camera at the door of her office and locking her office then turning off electricity at 5 p.m.; and “falsely accusing” NIA legal services chief Lloyd Allain Cudal of corruption and asking Cudal and other legal services members to retire or resign, or face charges.
Antiporda was also alleged to have threatened employees with nonrenewal of their appointments “if they do not side with him or do not act in consonance with his policies.”
He allegedly made “bootlicking” as a basis for promotion, used flag ceremonies as an “avenue for his bullying and fake news” and maligned employees through the media.
“These acts of Respondent Antiporda, according to the complainants, allegedly created a chilling effect on NIA employees,” the Ombudsman said.
After “careful evaluation” of the complaint’s records, the Ombudsman said it found that his guilt was “strong” for committing grave misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service and oppression, exposing him to possible removal from office.”
The NIA Chief has been suspended over a litany of complaints from NIA employees. He claims these are malicious claims meant to humiliate the President.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1693864/violation-of-the-law-tesda-chief-grilled-over-excess-execs |
The law allows the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to have only two deputy director generals, but it has five.
Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva sounded the alarm on Tuesday on the excess deputy director generals appointed in the agency.
Under the Tesda Act of 1994, the president can only designate two on the recommendation of the Tesda board.
“We have four and just recently, we appointed another deputy director general. My question is, do we need additional deputy director generals?” Villanueva asked during the Senate plenary session on the proposed national budget for 2023.
The senator also noted that Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, who sits at the helm of the Tesda board, “was not consulted when the appointment came.”
Tesda chief Danilo Cruz affirmed that the law allows for the appointment of two deputy director generals.
“But during the last administration, this was increased to four deputy director generals so when we assumed the position a few months ago, we submitted the application for four deputy director generals,” he explained.
Cruz said he was likewise not consulted nor requested to endorse the latest appointee. But he said the four deputy director generals could already handle the existing tasks of Tesda.
“Having received the appointment of the fifth one, everybody can contribute to the job of Tesda, and right now, we’re just thinking of designating him as deputy director general for a special concern,” he noted.
But Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri further grilled the Tesda chief over the excessive appointment of deputy director generals.
“You came up with two new items without amending the law. Therefore, you are in violation of the law,” he said.
In defense, Cruz said: “This is happening to a lot of government institutions.”
“The reasoning that it is being done by others should not be the right and legal reason,” Zubiri said. “Just because it is being violated by other agencies, it should also be violated by Tesda. What we should do is clamp down on those other agencies as well.”
Not only is TESDA in violation of the law regarding how many deputy generals they have appointed but it seems so are many other government institutions.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/474970/indirect-contempt-case-filed-vs-paf-personnel-who-stopped-demolition-in-lot-937 |
A case of indirect contempt has been filed against some personnel of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), who interfered in the demolition of Lot 937.
The case was filed by Mazy’s Capital Inc., the claimant of Lot 937 in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas.
Mariano Godinez, who serves as the plaintiff, represented by the sheriff, filed a manifestation with a motion for a finding of indirect contempt against the PAF personnel involved.
Godinez was the former owner of the 4.6-hectare lot that was allegedly sold to Mazy’s Capital Inc. Godinez was already deceased.
On November 14, 2022, the 7th day of the demolition, special sheriff Edilberto Suarin and assistant sheriff Ernesto Joseph Baz III along with the demolition team and crew were prevented from entering the vicinity of the lot by a barricade manned by the members of the PAF.
“A Lt. Col. Efren Cudal, Legal Officer of 560 Air-Based Group of the Philippine Air Force claimed that the Philippine Air Force is the administrator of Lot 937 and that they are ordered to secure the area,” the manifestation reads.
Edgar Erice, the spokesperson of Mazy’s Capital Inc., said that the move of some members of PAF was clearly a violation of the court’s order.
“Unless there is a TRO or injunction from any courts, hindi pwedeng ihinto,” Erice said.
He added that although they claimed that they are the administrator of the lot, they have not shown any document to prove their claim.
Erice said that around 30 PAF personnel will be included in the case.
30 PAF personnel are being sued for preventing the demolition of a lot.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1694337/bantags-pool-project-in-bilibid-surprises-doj |
Officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said they were unaware of the excavation that was going on inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) reservation until it was exposed by the officer in charge (OIC) of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) last week.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra, who was justice secretary under the Duterte administration, said he also had “absolutely no knowledge about this alleged excavation.”
“The same being an operational matter, the BuCor probably did not find it necessary to inform, much less seek authorization from, the DOJ,” he added.
Bantag admitted to the same network a day after Catapang’s interview that he had directed the excavation six months earlier near the eastern part of his official residence inside the NBP reservation.
He said he had intended to build the “deepest swimming pool at least in Metro Manila” which he planned to be used by many BuCor personnel who were scuba diving enthusiasts like him.
Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, the department’s spokesperson, said they were not aware of the excavation prior to its discovery by Catapang.
“Not at all,” he told the Inquirer. “We were all surprised to see pictures and videos.”
Clavano said Catapang had been directed to investigate the excavation and submit a report.
According to Catapang, part of the excavation was an unfinished “tunnel,” which was around 170 centimeters high at the entrance. He said the tunnel could extend to Muntinlupa’s Poblacion River, and might be an escape route for inmates.
BuCor records show that the agency awarded a project worth P994,000 in July to a construction company based in Canaman, Camarines Sur, for the “renovation of directors quarters’ facilities.”
According to Catapang, they also found metal detectors at the excavation site, fueling speculations that officials of the previous prison administration were “treasure hunting.”
Venancio Tesoro, a former superintendent of NBP, said there was an “urban legend” that Japanese soldiers buried treasures, including gold, at the NBP reservation during World War II.
The former BuCor Chief was digging a pool and no one knew anything about it.
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