Retards in the Government 312

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

 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1202203

Around 430 barangay officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs are now under monitoring by the Philippine National Police (PNP), its chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda said on Thursday.

Acorda said some of these barangay officials are included in the PNP’s list of high-value individuals and street-level Individuals in the war against drugs.

“They are subject to intelligence operations. We are hoping that this will be reduced in the coming days. Hopefully, those involved would eventually stop. If not, they will be subject to police operations,” Acorda told reporters on the sidelines of the launch of the Buhay ay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan in private sector workplaces in Quezon City.

Acorda said these barangay officials have varying involvement in illegal drugs where some are pushers, some are protectors and others are financiers.

“But based on our update, there are more or less 430 barangay officials (involved in the illegal drug trade), many of them are in Region VI (Western Visayas),” he added.

Acorda urged the public not to vote for candidates who are involved in illegal drugs.

“I want to take this opportunity to appeal to voters not to consider candidates, who have involvement in illegal drugs, to become our next set of barangay officials,” the country’s top cop stressed.

For his part, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. urged all candidates for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections to undergo a drug test amid police intelligence reports that there are around 430 barangay officials involved in the illegal drugs activities.

Abalos said illegal drugs remain one of the biggest problems in the country and barangay officials should take the lead not only in fighting them but also in leading by example by proving that they are clean.

“To all those who would run for the barangay elections, we are fighting a war that is a global problem. If you want to run and serve, then undergo a drug test and show to us that you are ready to serve. I am calling out to all candidates,” said Abalos.

430 barangay officials are known to be involved in drugs and are being monitored by the PNP.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/27/coa-flags-sorsogon-city-on-hiring-of-job-order-personnel-in-2022

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged Sorsogon City's hiring of 2,704 job order (JO) personnel who were paid P163.5 million in salaries in 2022 due to deficiencies in the hiring process.

In its annual audit report, COA said the most of the hired JO personnel were for the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) as street sweepers and garbage collectors.

It said the hired JO personnel also worked with the city’s Public Safety Office (PSO) as traffic enforcers and in the City Health Office (CHO) as midwives, nurses, and contact tracers.

At the same time, COA said that the city councilors each hired more than 10 JO personnel despite the existence of a permanent private secretary and a number of casual employees already assigned to them.

"Most of these JO personnel were assigned as barangay coordinators, data encoders, and public relations officers which were not related to the primary functions of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) as provided in Section 458 of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code) and despite the presence of the BAPAS (Barangay Affairs and Public Assistance Division)," the audit report said.

"Several drivers were also hired even though only five vehicles were issued to three of the SP Members," it said.

While the City Human Resources Management Office (CHRMO) limited the hiring of JO personnel for councilors to just 15 each, the COA said its audit found that these were "not really necessary and could be dispensed with without loss or damage" to the city government.

The COA also noted instances where the same position title had different rates and job descriptions.

It blamed the city government’s missteps to the absence of a Human Resource Plan (HRP). While the CHRMO was able to craft one for permanent employees, the same cannot be said for JO personnel, it said. Even in prior years' audit observations, the COA had already recommended that the CHRMO formulate a plan.

"We reiterated our prior years’ recommendation and management agreed to require immediately the CHRMO to formulate a HRP and issue a uniform policy guideline on the hiring of JO personnel to determine properly the necessity of hiring JOs and to strengthen internal controls pertaining thereto," it added.

Sorsogon City has descrepanices in its job order program. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1202325

Police arrested a 41-year-old fire volunteer after he yielded suspected shabu with an estimated street value of PHP23.4 million during a drug sting in Parañaque City at dawn Saturday.

Suspect Jonnie Romo was arrested during a buy-bust operation along Balimbing Street, Phase 3, Olivarez Compound, Barangay San Isidro, at 2:50 a.m., Southern Police District (SPD) Director, Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft, said.

Romo yielded eight plastic sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu, two medium-sized plastic tea bags sealed with the label "Guar Yun Wang," one medium-sized transparent plastic sachet, a genuine PHP1,000 bill on top of 139 pieces of buy-bust money, blue-green eco bag, a brown envelope, and a weighing scale.

The seized illegal drugs have an estimated combined weight of 3,450 grams, with the standard drug price amounting to PHP23,460,000.

The confiscated illegal drug items have been turned over to the SPD Forensic Unit for quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Kraft said drug charges would be filed against the suspect who is currently detained at the Parañaque City Police Station.

A volunteer fireman has been busted for drugs. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1202375

The Philippine National Police-Firearms Explosive Office (PNP FEO) has revoked all gun licenses and permits of a former mayor of Langiden town in Abra for misdeclaration and having different signatures affixed to all documents concerning his firearms.

The official was identified as Artemio Cirillo Donato Jr., a resident of Barangay Baac in Langiden, Abra.

Aside from his license to own and possess firearms (LTOPF) and firearms registration (FR), the FEO also revoked Donato's permit to carry firearms outside residence (PTCFOR).

In a statement Monday, the FEO said the move is a result of the continuous evaluation and audit of uploaded documents for the application of LTOPF and FR where it appeared that Donato "misdeclared the true and correct qualifications, the type of license and other license/s he possesses."

"Likewise, Mr. Donato bears different signatures on his other documents such as the Firearm Registration Form for the transfer of firearm, Firearm Registration Form for a newly purchased firearm, and the Deed of Sale of Firearm uploaded. This only showed that the application forms and Deed of Sale are void, and there are misrepresentations, misdeclarations/falsity committed, thus he has not completed the standards and requisites for issuance and obtaining an LTOPF to allow him to acquire firearms and ammunition," the order read.

FEO records also showed that Donato has 15 assorted firearms registered in his name.

The FEO also directed the former mayor to surrender all registered firearms under his name to the Regional Security Unit Cordillera (RSCU COR).

"In this regard, you are directed to coordinate with RSCU COR or the nearest police station in your address to process the turnover and documentation of 15 firearms in your possession within 48 hours upon receipt of this notice," the PNP FEO said.

It added failure to comply would prompt the police force to take the "next necessary step for confiscation" of the firearms in Donato's possession.

The gun permit of a town mayor has been revoked because he falsified the documents. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/30/sandigan-convicts-ex-chairperson-of-oroquieta-city-water-district-of-malversation-charges

The Sandiganbayan has convicted Evelyn Catharine O. Silagon, chairperson of the board of directors (BOD) of the Oroquieta City Water District (OCWD), for converting to her personal use and benefit some P2.9 million of funds of the water firm.

Silagon was convicted of 34 counts of violation of Article 217 paragraph 1 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) or malversation of public funds. For each count, she was sentenced to four months to three years imprisonment.

Silagon was also convicted of 24 counts of violation of Article 217 paragraph 2 of RPC and sentenced to two to eight years imprisonment for each count.

"In the service of her sentence, accused Silagon shall be entitled to the benefit of the three-fold rule as provided in Article 70 of the RPC, as amended," the anti-graft court said.

The three-fold rule states that the maximum duration of the sentence should not be more than three times the length of time corresponding the most severe of the penalties imposed upon an accused but in no case should exceed 40 years.

Silagon was also imposed perpetual disqualification from holding public office and was ordered to pay a fine P2,924,769.42, the amount of the funds malversed.

"She shall further pay the OCWD the same amount plus interest of six percent per annum, to be reckoned from the date of finality of this decision until full payment, by way of her civil liability," the court added.

The Sandiganbayan has convicted Evelyn Catharine O. Silagon, chairperson of the board of directors of the Oroquieta City Water District, for converting to her personal use and benefit some P2.9 million of funds of the water firm.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1776539/village-councilor-trying-to-pacify-quarelling-couple-shot-dead

A village councilor in this city who was trying to pacify a quarreling couple ended up dead after the husband, who was drunk, shot him with a pistol on Sunday night.

Lt. Col. Hamlet Lerios, Digos City police chief, identified the slain councilor as 47-year-old Rey Emecino Colita of Purok-6, Barangay San Roque, and the suspect as 35-year-old Jayradee Busadre Frande, a carpenter and resident of Relocation, Barangay Igpit.

Colita was in a disco celebrating the founding anniversary of the barangay when he was informed about the commotion involving a couple just a few meters away.

Colita, together with another village councilor, Ronelo Awe, went to the place where they tried to pacify the couple.

However, the drunken carpenter fired a pistol, hitting Colita in the back, causing his instantaneous death.

The heated argument stemmed from the refusal of Frande’s wife to go home with him as he was already reeking of alcohol.

Forensics personnel from the Davao del Sur Police Provincial Office found a spent shell from a .45-caliber pistol.

Digos police have launched a pursuit operation to arrest Frande who fled after shooting the village councilor.

A village councilor was shot dead while trying to pacify a couple arguing. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/31/3-ex-cainta-rizal-officials-convicted-of-graft-violation-of-local-government-code

Three former officials of Cainta town in Rizal have been convicted of violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Local Government Code in the irregular purchases of scanner and miscellaneous supplies in 2000.

Former municipal budget officer Privada B. Gonzales and officer-in-charge of the general services office Marciano A. Doroteo were found guilty of two counts of graft each and one count each of violation of Section 89 (a) of Republic Act No. 7160, the Local Government Code on prohibited business and pecuniary interest.

Also, former budget officer III Glady G. Formales was convicted of one count of graft and one count of violation of RA 7160.

On their conviction for graft, they were sentenced to a prison term ranging from six to 10 years for each count, and six months to six years for violation of RA 7160.

They were also ordered to pay a fine of P5,000 each for their violation of RA 7160.

For their graft conviction, Gonzales and Doroteo were held ordered to jointly pay the government P502,700.

Three former government officials have been convicted of graft. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/05/31/2270391/2-pnp-officials-tagged-p67-billion-shabu-cover-up

Two lieutenant colonels have “a lot of explaining to do” after they were tagged by relieved Philippine National Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) chief Brig. Gen. Narciso Domingo as among the main players in the alleged cover-up surrounding the seizure of 990 kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

Domingo identified Lt. Cols. Glenn Gonzales of the Quezon City Police District and Arnulfo Ibañez, then officer-in-charge of the PDEG Special Operations Unit-National Capital Region, in the attempted cover-up to exonerate former police officer Rodolfo Mayo over the raid on Mayo’s lending firm in Manila last year that resulted in the discovery of shabu valued at P6.7 billion.

“If you want to know who is behind the drug syndicate at the (PNP), you should look at the boss of Gonzales and Ibañez,” Domingo told former PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa during the latter’s committee hearing yesterday on the drug pilferage.

He admitted lapses in the police operation against Mayo and his accomplice Ney Saligumba Atadero, notably the absence of a drug inventory upon their arrest due to a plan to use Mayo in a follow-up operation to find his source of drugs.

“I admit there are lapses in our entire operation, but such judgment calls and procedural lapses were done by me in good faith based on the reports of my men,” Domingo said.

He pointed to Ibañez as Mayo’s superior and the one who signed a spot report that included Mayo as an arresting officer in a separate drug bust so that the latter could lead operatives to another alleged drug warehouse.

But former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin later canceled the plan to use Mayo in the follow-up operation and ordered the filing of charges against him instead, Domingo said.

Azurin had Mayo secured instead “supposedly because Ibañez might clean up his mess and kill Mayo.”

As for Gonzales, he intervened in the operation despite being assigned to the Quezon City police and arrived at the crime scene supposedly to get a “reward” for his informant, who allegedly tipped off police, according to Domingo.

“Ibañez and Gonzales have a lot of explaining to do,” Dela Rosa later said of the two in a press briefing after the hearing. “Questions surrounding this shabu haul revolve around the two, aside from Mayo.”

Two Lieutenant Colonels have been implicated in the cover up of a large shabu haul. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/1/councilor-in-laguna-accused-of-rape-yields

A municipal councilor of Santa Cruz, Laguna accused of rape surrendered to the police here on Wednesday, May 31.

Police identified the suspect as Mark Anthony Joven, 41.

Joven was accompanied by his lawyer after an alleged warrant of arrest was issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 27 in Santa Cruz, Laguna on May 10.

After verification with the e-warrant system, it was found out that the accused has two unserved warrants of arrest for the crime of rape with criminal case number SC-30954 dated May 10 and three counts of rape through sexual assault with criminal case numbers SC-30955, 30956, and 30957 dated May 10 issued by Judge Mary Grace S. Bonsol-Cabal, acting presiding judge of RTC Branch 27.

He was later taken into custody.

The court did not recommend bail in the first rape case. But in the second case, the court recommended a bail of P120,000 for each count.

Joven is detained at the custodial facility of the Pila Municipal Police Station.

A town councilor has been charged with rape.