Retards in the Government 326

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

 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1971708/zamboanga/local-news/cop-nabbed-in-gun-slay-of-village-chief-in-zamboanga-city

OPERATIVES of the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) have arrested a policeman tagged as one of the two suspects in the killing of a village chief and a former village official in Zamboanga City.

Police Colonel Alexander Lorenzo, ZCPO director, identified the arrested cop as Police Staff Sergeant Bazir Hamid, 37.

Hamid was arrested in a follow-up operation around 1 a.m. Monday, September 4, 2023, on Comet Street in Tumaga village.

The other suspect, who was not identified, remained at large and is subject of the police manhunt.

Lorenzo said Hamid has been tagged as one of the two gunmen who shot and killed Jul-Asmad Anjawang, 56, and his younger brother, Jamar, 50, around 8:12 p.m. Sunday, September 3, along Labuan Road, in San Jose Gusu village, Zamboanga City.

Jul-Asmad was the incumbent village chief of Pamansaan, Mabuhay, Zamboanga Sibugay, while Jamar was former councilor in the same village.

Lorenzo said that Hamid was recognized by Jul-Asmad's son, Abdurajak, 21, as one of the two suspects involved in the incident.

Two others, Habir Nasta, 46, a candidate for village councilor in Pamansaan, and his younger brother, Ibrahim, 38, were wounded in the incident.

Lorenzo said that investigation showed Jul-Asmad was shot by one of the two suspects as he alighted from a vehicle in front of a business establishment in San Jose Gusu village.

The other suspect went to the driver side of the vehicle and opened fire, hitting Jamar and the Nasta brothers.

Jul-Asmad expired while under medical treatment, while his brother, Jamar, was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

The two suspects boarded a car that sped off toward the city proper after the incident.

The ZCPO said the arrested policeman turned out to be a cousin of the slain village chief.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Paul Andrew Cortes, ZCPO spokesman, said they have yet to ascertain the motive in the incident.

There were 13 people, including the victims, who were aboard the victims' vehicle, a pick-up truck, at the time of the incident.

The other passengers were unscathed.

A cop has been arrested and charged with the killing of a village chairman and his bother. He also happens to be the village chief's cousin. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209106

Pasay City Police personnel rescued a Chinese woman allegedly kidnapped by two siblings, one of whom is a police officer, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Monday.

In a report, NCRPO director Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said Zhou Yunqiing, 26, was abducted by Staff Sgt. Lordgin Antonino, 34; and his brother Nelson, 20, at around 10:48 p.m. Sunday.

Nartatez said the police received information on the incident around 1 a.m. on Monday from the victim’s friend, Malaysian Law Yi Wei, 34, who is living at a condominium complex in Pasay City.

Wei appeared before the Pasay police substation 3 in Libertad to seek assistance regarding his friend who was taken by the suspects who posed as operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) for an alleged case of human trafficking.

Wei also said the victim was detained inside a room at Qing Qing Hotel in Pasay City.

He also showed a photo of the victim who was then handcuffed and a photo of a police ID bearing the name "PMSG John Reggie Reyes" as well as the text message from the suspects who asked for PHP500,000 in exchange for the woman's release.

Authorities launched an operation at the hotel and saw Lordgin, who matched the description on the police ID shown by Wei, sitting at the lobby of the establishment.

When the police approached the suspect, he identified himself as a police officer assigned at the CIDG Pasay and claimed that he was involved in an operation at the hotel.

However, police arrested Lordgin after verifying with the District Special Operations Unit (DSOU) of SPD that the unit was not conducting any operation at the establishment at that time.

Police officers proceeded to a room at the hotel where they rescued the victim and arrested the police officer’s brother.

The police officer yielded a 9mm Taurus with serial number TBW77621 classified as a property of the Philippine National Police, a police ID, wallet, 14 PHP1,000 bills; five assorted identification cards and a mobile phone. 

A cop has been arrested for kidnapping. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1825900/raps-filed-vs-3-qc-traffic-investigators-for-failure-to-protect-cyclist-in-road-rage-case

Complaints have been filed against three traffic investigators of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) traffic sector for allegedly failing to protect the cyclist in a road rage case.

The Quezon City Public Affairs and Information Services Department (PAISD) said lawyer Raymond Fortun filed complaints of oppression, irregularities in the performance of duties, and incompetence against Staff Sergeant Darwin Peralta, Staff Sergeant Joel Aviso, and Executive Master Sergeant Armando Carr – all of the QCPD Traffic Sector 4 in Kamuning, Quezon City.

According to PAISD, Fortun filed the complaints before the Quezon City People’s Law Enforcement Board (PLEB) pursuant to Rule 21 of the National Police Commission Memorandum Circular 2016-002.

PAISD said that based on the results of the ongoing investigation, authorities first brought dismissed policeman Wilfredo Gonzales and the cyclist to QCPD Kamuning Police Station 11. However, PAISD noted that no complaints seemed to have been filed against Gonzales at the police station and that the case was later referred to the QCPD Galas Police Station.

“Despite the clear and imbalanced status of the parties, the same police officers failed to protect the cyclist’s rights when they failed to provide a legal counsel for him so that the latter would be duly appraised of his rights,” Fortun said in a statement released by PAISD on Sunday.

“Further, they failed to secure the CCTV footage in the area in order to ferret out the real facts in the conflicting statements made by the parties. Finally, and for reasons known only to them, and despite there being sufficient basis to do so, the same police officers failed to file the appropriate charges,” he added.

Fortun’s action received support from Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, who underscored the importance of PLEB – the check and balance mechanism that can “summarily dismiss, demote, suspend and reprimand abusive policemen.”

“This incident also highlights the need to institutionalize the presence of PLEB in other cities and municipalities to hear and decide the complaints filed against erring policemen. I am confident that the case filed in the PLEB will be handled without fear or favor,” Belmonte said.

Charges have been filed against 3 QCPD cops for failing to protect a cyclist rights after he got in to an altercation with a former cop. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/09/03/2293478/deped-flagged-over-p10-billion-unliquidated-cash-advances

The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Department of Education (DepEd) over the accumulation of unliquidated cash advances (CAs) by its central office (CO) and several regional offices (ROs), which stood at P10.183 billion as of the end of 2022.

“The existence of substantial accumulated unliquidated cash advances is attributable to the lapses in the controls placed by management in the granting, liquidation and monitoring of CAs in disregard of the existing rules and regulations and pertinent DepEd guidelines relative thereto,” the COA said in its 2022 annual audit report on the DepEd.

The COA’s record showed that as of Dec. 31 last year, the DepEd’s CO and 16 ROs have yet to liquidate their CAs past the prescribed period.

The audit breakdown showed that P4.74 billion of unliquidated CAs was for payroll, P2.084 billion was for operating expenses, P1.144 billion was granted to special disbursing officers for various purposes, P166.815 million was granted to officers and employees also for various purposes, while P2.05 billion of the advances was “without specific account details.”

Having the biggest amount of unliquidated CAs was RO 8 with P1.169 billion, followed by RO 4-A with P1.133 billion, RO 6 with P980.527 million, RO 7 with P962.655 million and RO 12 with P913.297 million.

Also listed as having significant amounts of unliquidated CAs were RO 9 with P833.772 million, RO 5 with P790.103 million, RO 3 with 731.27 million, NCR with P696.267 million, RO 2 with P548.851 million and RO 13 with P483.94 million.

Likewise mentioned in the COA report were ROs 1, 11, 4-B, CO and 10 for unliquidated CAs amounting P377.712 million, P219.684 million, P155.583 million, P54.753 million and P503,295, respectively.

The COA said that among the lapses or deficiencies observed by the audit team were the grant of additional CAs despite non-liquidation of previous ones, grant of CAs to accountable officer (AO) and special disbursing officer without proper bond or authority, grant of CAs despite incomplete documentary requirements and liquidation, transfer of CAs by the AO to another personnel and grant of CAs to the AOs in the amounts exceeding the allowed maximum cash accountability.

The state auditor added that the audit team also noted dormant or long-outstanding CAs and that some of the outstanding liquidation accountabilities were due from “retired/ resigned/ deceased/AWOL (absence without official leave)” employees.

Several AOs also failed to refund excess or unused CAs granted to them, according to the COA

Nonetheless, the agency said the DepEd had already agreed to the audit recommendation to “exhaust all possible means to locate the whereabouts of retired/transferred officials and employees with outstanding advances and demand immediate liquidation/refund of their unliquidated cash advances.”

The COA said the DepEd also agreed to “send final demand letters to erring AOs still in active service to settle or liquidate their past due accounts.”

It added that otherwise, the DepEd agreed to impose the appropriate penalties or remedies as provided in the Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 23, series of 2019.

The DepEd has 10 billion in unliquidated cash advances. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209217

Motorcycle-riding gunmen shot dead an employee of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) North Cotabato 1st Engineering District along the national highway here Tuesday morning.

Lt. Col. John Miredel Calinga, municipal police chief, identified the victim as Jerry Largo Jr., an employee of DPWH-Midsayap and resident of Barangay Cabayuran, Libungan, North Cotabato.

Largo was driving a motorbike heading for work at the DPWH district office when tailed and fired upon by two men riding on motorbikes around 7:15 a.m. along the highway in Barangay Villarica.

He died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds on the chest and abdomen.

A police pursuit operation has been launched following the incident.

A DPWH employee has been assassinated. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1826863/village-captain-seeking-re-election-in-upcoming-polls-shot-dead-in-batangas

A motorcycle-riding gunman shot and killed on Tuesday morning, Sept. 5, in Taal town in Batangas province an incumbent village chief, who was seeking another term in the upcoming local elections in October.

Major Fernando Fernando, Taal police chief, in his report, identified the victim as Erasmo Hernandez, 59, the chief of Barangay Poblacion Zone 10.

The police said Hernandez was standing in front of the barangay office when two unidentified armed men arrived aboard a motorcycle and repeatedly shot him around 7:20 a.m.

The assailants sped off after the shooting.

Hernandez was taken to the Lemery Doctors Hospital in neighboring Lemery town, but died while undergoing treatment.

“We’re still conducting thorough investigation to determine if the killing was election-related,” Fernando said in a phone interview.

An investigation is ongoing to establish the motive behind the incident, he added.

Police launched a manhunt operation to arrest the assailants.

A village chief seeking relection has been assassinated. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209211

A court worker who went AWOL (absent without official leave) since August 2018 after he was administratively charged has been dropped from the rolls.

In a resolution published online Sept. 4, the Supreme Court’s (SC) Third Division ordered the dropping from the rolls of Dumaguete City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 32 legal researcher, Jaime Jasmin, who had wanted to return to work after going AWOL for five years.

Jasmin had initially wanted to go on sick leave in July 2018 but was disallowed by Judge Roderick A. Maxino.

Jasmin proceeded to go on leave after the SC’s Medical Service allowed a medical leave for July 2018. He, however, did not return to work after a month.

Maxino then filed an administrative complaint against Jasmin for alleged usurpation of authority but the charge was dismissed for lack of merit by the SC in February 2020.

“Respondent (Jasmin) during the pendency of the administrative complaint against him, was neither prevented nor disallowed from reporting to work. By going on AWOL for a long period of time, respondent not only failed to adhere to the high standards of public accountability imposed on all those in government service but also caused disruption to the functions and the operations of his office,” the court said.

The tribunal, however, explained “the dropping from the rolls is not disciplinary in nature and that this mode of separation shall not result on the disqualification from reemployment in the government, or in the forfeiture of benefits that the concerned employee may be entitled to.”

A court worker who has not showed up to work for five years has finally been dropped from the rolls. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1828084/aspirant-for-village-council-seat-in-cotabato-province-slain-in-gun-attack

Another aspirant in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this October was killed Wednesday by two men riding tandem on a motorbike in this town.

Rhoyden Matt Clarence Flores, 36, was buying vegetables at a roadside store in Barangay Takepan, when one of two men shot him from behind at past 4 p.m., according to Major Arvin John Cambang, Pikit municipal police chief.

Flores is seeking a seat in the barangay council of Takepan, where he is a resident and a registered voter.

He died on the spot from bullet wounds in the head and body. Responding police found empty shells for a caliber .45 pistol at the crime scene.

Police probers are uncertain if the killing was related to the coming polls or his active involvement in village peacekeeping duties.

Flores is the second aspirant for a village seat slain in a gun attack in Cotabato in the past seven days.

Another candidate has been assassinated in Cotabato. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/9/7/candidate-for-village-chair-in-leyte-wounded-in-shooting

A barangay councilor running for barangay chairman in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections next month was shot and wounded in Sitio Naga, Barangay Consuegra, Leyte, Leyte on Thursday, September 7.

Police Capt. Rush Alvarado, Leyte, Leyte municipal police station chief, identified the victim as Junie dela Peña, 51, a resident of Barangay Tag-abaca, Leyte, Leyte.

Initial investigation disclosed that the victim, a candidate for chairman of Barangay Tag-abaca, was driving a center cab towards Barangay Tag-abaca with a passenger, Rosalia Gondong, on board.

The suspects suddenly appeared upon reaching Sitio Naga on board a truck from behind the center cab.

The truck overtook the center cab and two passengers clad in black jackets occupying the passenger seats fired and hit the victim in different parts of the body.

The victim was taken to a hospital in Ormoc City and fighting for his life as of posting time.

A barangay councilor running for barangay chairman has been wounded in an assassination attempt.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1209398

Anti-narcotics operatives arrested a former police officer and seized some  PHP7.4 million worth of shabu following a buy-bust in this city on Wednesday night.

Jocelyn Mary, speaking for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM), said Nelson Sali, 50, a former police officer, was arrested during the 8 p.m. operation in Barangay Bagua Mother.

Mary said the Sali earlier agreed to meet and sell several sachets of shabu. He was immediately nabbed after handing over the illegal stuff to an undercover agent.

“He did not resist arrest,” Mary said, noting that the information provided by local officials and citizens led to the success of the operation.

A follow-up operation and search led to the recovery of more shabu items from the suspect. 

The suspect’s companion managed to escape during the sting operation. 

Authorities seized from Sali 1,100 grams of shabu worth PHP7,480,000; a .45-caliber pistol, and a .38-caliber revolver.

Mary said Sali has been trafficking illegal drugs in Cotabato City and parts of Maguindanao del Norte.

An ex-cop has been busted for selling drugs. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1826967/govt-paying-p26-7-billion-yearly-for-pnps-66203-excess-positions-dbm-documents

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has been spending P26.7 billion yearly on over 66,203 excess positions, a document from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) revealed.

Based on a letter dated Oct. 12, 2022, which was addressed to Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., Mary Anne Dela Vega, director of the DBM’s Budget and Management Bureau, said the rank distribution of the PNP, as approved by the DBM, covers only 226,410 personnel.

However, the PNP’s actual strength and rank distribution, as implemented by its leadership, indicated that there are excess positions, contradicting the number set by the DBM.

As stated by Dela Vega, “any changes in the PNP organizational structure should be supported by a study and recommendation of Napolcom(National Police Commission), to include its impact on the hierarchy and leadership structure of the organization, and subsequently, the same shall be subject to the President’s approval.”

This, as the DBM only approved three positions for the rank of lieutenant generals but there are currently eight officials having the rank in PNP. Likewise, there should only be 11 major generals but there are 17. There are 110 brigadier generals, too, way higher than the DBM-approved 86.

The excess, which already reached 66,203 as of June 30, translates to a yearly base pay of P26.7 billion.

The PNP has an excess of positions and as a result is spending more money than it should be.