It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1713478/navy-man-nabbed-after-allegedly-shooting-tricycle-driver-in-cavite |
Police arrested a Philippine Navy officer after he reportedly shot a tricycle driver over an argument on transportation fare in Trece Martires City, Cavite province, on Thursday, Jan. 5.
In a report Friday, the Cavite police said authorities collared Mark Kevin Francisco, a resident of Paragon Village in Barangay Cabuco, after he allegedly shot Ravi Tizon around 8:30 p.m.
According to the report, Francisco and Tizon had a heated argument over the tricycle fare, which provoked the former to shoot the latter once with his caliber.9mm pistol.
Responding policemen immediately arrested Francisco, who did not resist arrest and seized the firearm.
The victim was brought to the De La Salle University Medical Center in Dasmariñas City for treatment and is now in stable condition.
Police said the suspect was detained at the local police jail and is facing criminal charges.
A naval officer has been arrested for shooting a tricycle driver.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/856550/sandiganbayan-upholds-conviction-of-ex-navy-officer-over-undelivered-medical-dental-supplies/story/ |
For lack of merit, the Sandiganbayan has junked the appeal of retired Navy Captain Gilmer Batestil in connection with his conviction on multiple counts of malversation of public funds and graft charges over the anomalous procurement of medicines and other medical and dental supplies in 1990-1991.
In a 10-page decision dated January 4, the anti-graft court junked Batestil’s motion for reconsideration where he argued that the prosecution did not present an incontrovertible proof that would warrant his conviction for malversation of public funds through falsification of documents because he would not have signed the subject purchase orders (POs) and disbursement vouchers (DVs) with ‘snopake’ entries or entries with erasures done using paper correction fluid.
Batestil also reasoned out that he is not in authority to disapprove or approve POs that makes the documents he signed doubtful, but the Sandiganbayan was not convinced.
“Accused Batestil's argument that the entries with ‘snopake’ necessarily discredit the prosecution's evidence deserves scant consideration. It must be pointed out that accused Batestil confirmed that he signed the subject documents and affirmed that it was his signature appearing on the subject DVs,” the Sandiganbayan said.
“He testified that when he signed the said DVs, the 'snopake' entries were not there. While there were 'snopake' entries in the same DVs, this will not change the fact that he signed those documents which were made as bases in paying the alleged suppliers but the items were never delivered,” the Sandiganbayan added.
In addition, the anti-graft court said that Batestil did not categorically deny the signatures appearing on the subject POs and DVs as his and merely testified that when he signed the subject documents, the ‘snopake’ entries were not yet there.
“More importantly, the documents with ‘snopake’ entries, as testified to by accused Batestil, did not refer to all of the documents subject of the cases for malversation of public funds. Only nine out of 20 DVs and POs in the malversation of public funds cases have the ‘snopake’ entries. The other documents accompanying the aforesaid documents like the Requisition and Issue Vouchers, Sales Invoice, TIRCAS and Certificates of Acceptance have no ‘snopake’ entries,” the Sandiganbayan said.
“Accused Batestil likewise admitted that the subject documents were all prepared during his incumbency and he signed the subject DVs and POs. Accused Batestil's active participation in the signing of the important documents, like the DVs and POs, made possible for his co-accused [Edna] Gianan to take huge amount from the coffers of the government without any valid basis,” it added.
Gianan is the owner and operator of the firm that was supposed to supply the above mentioned supplies to the Navy.
“We need not belabor on the elements of malversation of public funds in these cases as the same were exhaustively passed upon by the Court in its assailed Decision. To repeat, the prosecution was able to prove accused Batestil's guilt beyond reasonable for malversation of public funds,” the Sandiganbayan said.
“In sum, the testimonial and documentary evidence of the prosecution clearly proved that the accused-movant is guilty of the crimes. Thus, there is no tenable ground to warrant a reconsideration of the subject Decision,” the anti-graft court added.
Batestil has been sentenced to 12 to 18 years of jail time for the malversation and six to 10 years imprisonment for graft involving at least P24 million of public funds.
The conviction of an ex-naval officer for graft has been upheld.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/09/23/sandiganbayan-convicts-2-ex-officials-for-pdaf-misuse |
The Sandiganbayan First Division on Monday convicted two former public officials over graft and malversation charges.
Former Leyte 3rd District Rep. Eduardo Veloso and defunct Technology and Resource Center (TRC) legislative liaison officer Rosalinda Lacsamana were found guilty by the Sandiganbayan 1st Division on Monday for 2 counts of graft and 2 counts of malversation.
Veloso and Lacsamana were sentenced to be imprisoned for 6 to 10 years for each of the graft cases, with another jail sentence of 12 to 18 years for each of the malversation cases.
The raps stemmed from the misuse of Veloso’s P24.2 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2007.
In a 2017 indictment of the Ombudsman, Veloso specifically requested the TRC as the implementing agency with Aaron Foundation as a partner non-government organization for programs which turned out to be ghost projects.
The Ombudsman noted that Aaron Foundation, according to a Commission on Audit observation, had no financial capability to undertake the projects with a capital stock contribution of only P68,000.
Aside from imprisonment, the court also ordered Veloso and Lacsamana to return to the government, jointly or separately, the total amount of the misused PDAF worth P24.2 million.
Two former public officials have been convicted for misusing PDAF funds.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1192289 |
The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) has endorsed the filing of criminal and administrative charges before the Ombudsman against South Cotabato officials who appointed an IP representative to the local legislature.
NCIP chair Allen Capuyan endorsed the complaint against Tampakan Mayor Leonard Escobillo, Vice Mayor Anadel Magbanua and other local officials who removed IP representatives in the municipal council and approved the appointment of a replacement, Jimmy Malayon, without undergoing the legal process.
The complaint was filed on Jan. 6 by Tampakan IPs, led by IP Mandatory Representative Domingo Collado Jr. and Municipal Indigenous Peoples Structure convenor Bae Dalena Samling.
They claimed Escobillo and the other officials violated the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Indigenous Peoples Rights Act in disregarding the authority of their community leaders.
Under the law, particularly the IP Rights Act, indigenous cultural communities (ICC) and IPs are entitled to representation before local legislative bodies.
There are local processes and guidelines in selecting the representatives, guided and validated by the NCIP, the lead government agency tasked to protect and uphold the rights and welfare of IPs.
The law prohibits non-members of the IP community, including public officials, to meddle in the affairs of ICC and IP communities.
A South Cotabato Mayor is being sued for illegally appointing an IP representative.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1714737/retired-police-major-slain-in-south-cotabato-gun-attack |
Another retired police officer and member of a civil security unit of Polomolok, South Cotabato, was killed Monday by still unidentified gunmen.
Lieutenant Colonel Marvin Duadua, acting chief of the Polomolok police station, condemned the murder of retired Major Donald Cabigas, the intelligence head of the town’s civil security unit (CSU).
He was the third member of the Polomolok CSU killed since Friday.
“We deeply sympathize with the bereaved family and assure them that a deeper investigation will be conducted,” Duadua said in a statement.
He also asked the community to give the police information that could lead to the culprits’ identities.
Cabigas, 56, was inside his liquefied petroleum gas distribution firm at the Tuazon Subdivision when attacked Monday by a pistol-wielding gunman. The retired policeman, a resident of Agan Subdivision, Barangay Poblacion, Polomolok, suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot.
Police found 17 empty shells for a .45 pistol and a 9-mm pistol at the crime scene.
Cabigas’ death came barely three days after his two CSU colleagues–retired police Sergeant Bonifacio Cabisada, 58, and Jessie Arciete, 56–were also killed by unidentified gunmen on the night of Friday, Jan. 6.
The two CSU officers were on separate motorbikes when ambushed in Barangay Bentung Sulit of the same town, according to the police.
Brigadier General Jimili Macaraeg, Soccsksargen regional police director, has ordered the Polomolok police to hunt down the attackers.
A third retired police officer in South Cotabato has been assassinated.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/11/ex-member-of-camarines-nortessanggunian-convicted-by-sandigan/ |
After almost 16 years since his failure to render accounts, a former member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Camarines Norte has been convicted and was sentenced to return to the government P25,571 on top of P1,000 fine.
Convicted by the Sandiganbayan for violation of Section 89 of Presidential Decree No. 1445 in 2007 was Angelo Timoteo P. Molina.
He pleaded guilty to the charge and convicted in the decision written by Second Division Chairperson Oscar C. Herrera Jr. with the concurrence of Associate Justices Arturo O. Malabaguio and Zaldy V. Trespeses.
On the return of the unaccounted public funds, the Sandiganbayan said: “The court also finds accused Molina civilly liable and is hereby ordered to pay the Provincial Government of Camarines Norte the amount of PhP25,571.00.”
A former member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Camarines Norte has been convicted for failure to render his accounts.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/857142/court-convicts-cops-in-murder-of-ex-sariaya-mayor-s-son-companion/story/ |
The Lucena City Regional Trial Court on Thursday convicted three former police officers for the March 2019 killing of a mayor's son and his companion.
The three — former Tayabas City Police Station chief Police Colonel Mark Joseph Laygo, Police Corporal Lonald Sumalpong, and Patrolman Roberto Legaspi — were convicted for double murder and sentenced to double life imprisonment, a lawyer of the victim's family said.
The three were charged for the killing of Christian Gayeta, son of then-Sariaya, Quezon mayor Marcelo Gayeta, and his companion Christopher Manalo.
The decision was issued by Judge Dennis Orendain of the Lucena RTC Branch 53.
(The decision was for two cases, one was for the killing of Christian Gayeta and the other case for the killing of Christopher Manalo.)
(Each of the three is sentenced to life imprisonment. They are also sentenced to life imprisonment for the other case. So they received two sentences of life imprisonment.)
The case stemmed from the killing of Christian, then 21 years old, and Manalo in an alleged shootout with police officers who responded to reports of indiscriminate firing at a gasoline station in Barangay Baguio, Tayabas on March 14, 2019.
A probe conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), meanwhile, showed that the two were already in police custody when killed.
Former mayor Gayeta welcomed the decision, saying they waited a long time for it.
(We waited for a long time for this… my children counted each day. We are happy.)
Three cops have been convicted of murdering a mayor's son and his friend.
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