It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216829 |
Four police officers in Metro Manila have tested positive for illegal drugs in a series of drug tests after the holiday season, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Friday.
NCRPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Eunice Salas, in a message to the Philippine News Agency, said one out of 175 police officers from the NCRPO regional headquarters yielded a positive result during a random test on Jan. 4.
Meanwhile, three out of 405 personnel from the Eastern Police District (EPD) also tested positive after a random test on Jan. 2.
All four police officers yielded positive results in confirmatory tests.
Salas said the three EPD cops were reassigned to the District Administrative Holding and Accounting Section while the other police officer was reassigned to the NCRPO's Administrative and Resource Management Division - Personnel Holding and Accounting Section (PHAS) in NCRPO.
"(They have) 15 days to challenge it. Pa drug test ulit nila yung same specimen sa (Their same specimen can be tested at DOH Accredited Drug Testing Centers. Then they will be subjected to pre-charge investigation and the summary hearing proceedings penalty is dismissal from the police service,” Salas added.
Meanwhile, NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said random drug tests would continue as part of internal cleansing efforts of the police force.
Four Metro Manila cops have tested positive for drug use.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/01/13/2325525/ombudsman-suspends-northern-samar-town-mayor |
Mayor Jose Arturo Suan of Allen, Northern Samar has been suspended for six months in connection with a road project of the municipal government in a private property.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government served the suspension order yesterday.
Vice Mayor Christian Lao was named acting mayor while Sangguniang Bayan member Ronnel Cajandab will assume as vice mayor.
In a decision dated Aug. 30, 2023, but released only yesterday, the ombudsman said Suan was found guilty of grave abuse of authority and oppression.
The suspension order stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Maricon Ablig, whose private property was used for the road project.
The ombudsman said Suan abused his authority when he pushed through with the project without expropriation proceedings with Ablig. It said Suan also ordered the demolition of a concrete fence that Ablig built, without providing just compensation.
“His deliberate failure to investigate on the propriety of the road construction despite several expressions of disapproval by complainant... manifests bad faith on his part,” the decision signed by Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. read.
Suan’s office said the mayor filed a motion for reconsideration of the ombudsman’s ruling.
A mayor has been suspended after being found guilty of grave abuse of authority and oppression.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/13/cop-held-for-robbing-toledo-city-cooperative |
A policeman was arrested for allegedly robbing a multi-purpose cooperative in Toledo City, Cebu on Friday afternoon, January 13.
Police identified the suspect as Police Patrolman Jaymar Briones Exequiel, an operative of the Toledo City Police Station.
Exequiel tried to commit suicide inside the detention cell of the Toledo City Police Station after he was nabbed. He used a lace that he took from his short pants to try and kill himself.
The police station’s chief custodial and desk officers were able to foil the suicide attempt.
Police said on-duty police officers rushed inside the detention cell after seeing the suspect with a lace looped around his neck and the other end tied to a faucet.
They said a last will and testament was recovered in the boarding house of Exequiel.
Lawmen arrested Exequiel after he was identified as the person who robbed the Lamac Multipurpose Cooperative of P200,000.
Police were able to track down Exequiel through a closed-circuit television camera footage that captured the incident.
Police Chief Master Sgt. Dante Hilongos of the Toledo City Police Station Community Relations Office said they were surprised to learn that Exequiel was behind the robbery as he was a silent person.
Initial investigation said that Exequiel was hooked on online gambling.
Exequiel was deployed as a member of the augmentation force tasked to secure the Sinulog activities here.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said appropriate actions will be taken against Exequiel.
Pelare said the PRO-7 was saddened that one of its men was involved in the robbery.
The PRO-7 assured the public that Exequiel’s actions will not be tolerated.
“He will face the consequence of his action and this should serve as a warning to everyone that the PRO-7 will enforce the law especially that the erring individual is a member of the police force,” said Pelare.
The PRO-7 commended the Toledo City police for quickly solving the crime, Pelare said.
A cop has been arrested for robbery.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1888958/brgy-exec-found-dead-with-stab-wounds-inside-his-dental-clinic-in-calapan-2 |
A barangay councilor, who was also a local dentist, was found dead with multiple stab wounds in his body in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, on Sunday, according to police.
Police Captain Ann Michelle Selda, of the Oriental Mindoro Police Provincial Office, identified the 63-year-old victim as Dr. Augustine Bolor Jr., whose body was discovered by his sister Cristeta Magundayao around 8:30 a.m. inside his dental clinic in Barangay San Vicente Central, Calapan City.
(There is an indication of a commotion, which led investigators to investigate the suspect’s possible motive, which could be robbery.)
Police said they have yet to determine the number of stabs on Bolor’s body, adding that they are still investigating the case and the assailant’s motive.
Aside from serving as barangay councilor, previous reports also showed that Bolor tried to run in the 2010 elections but was later disqualified and was declared a “nuisance candidate” by the Commission on Elections.
A barangay councilor has been found stabbed to death.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/1/16/lgu-job-order-employee-shot-dead-in-buy-bust |
A job-order or contractual employee was killed in a buy-bust operation on Monday, January 15, in Barangay 3, Poblacion, Calbiga, Samar.
The suspect was identified as Jovito Hernandez Sr., alias “Oming,” a high-value target and a job-order employee of the municipal government of Calbiga.
The suspect sensed that he was transacting with a police officer and drew his firearm and fired at the operatives. Lawmen returned fire and hit the suspect, killing him on the spot.
Recovered from the suspect were seven big sachets of suspected shabu, P3,000 marked money, and a caliber .45 pistol with ammunition.
The operation was caught on surveillance footage. The suspect will undergo autopsy and paraffin test.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1216794 |
A total of 985 police officers have been dismissed from the service due to administrative cases since the start of the Marcos administration, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the number is out of a total of 3,932 erring police officers who were meted out disciplinary sanctions for administrative offenses and involvement in irregularities as a result of an intensified internal cleansing program from July 1, 2022 to Jan. 3 this year.
Of the 985 who were dismissed, 65 were positive for using illegal drugs while 43 were involved in illegal drugs.
“With regards to the percentage, it’s 0.25 percent of the overall police force. Cops dismissed from the service are not entitled to benefits,” Acorda added.
The penalties range from withholding of privileges to dismissal from the service.
The figure includes 230 who were demoted in rank (10 involved in illegal drugs); 1,701 suspended (60 involved in illegal drugs); 694 who were reprimanded (3 were involved in illegal drugs); 134 who were meted out salary forfeiture; 79 restricted to quarters; and 109 who were denied privileges.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1889292/fwd-pnp-on-dismissing-abong |
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has already dismissed from service Lt. Col. Mark Julio Abong — a police officer who was arrested for firing his gun outside a Quezon City bar in November last year.
PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Monday said he already signed Abong’s dismissal order last December 18 in relation to a hit-and-run case in August 2022 that killed tricycle driver Joel Larosa and injured a passenger.
(As of this date, we already served the dismissal order against Abong. I already signed the dismissal order.)
He added that Abong was found guilty of “grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer,” which led to the issuance and signing of his dismissal order.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/894532/cop-in-hot-water-after-pointing-gun-at-woman-in-tondo-dispute/story/ |
A woman in Manila is seeking help after a policeman allegedly pointed a gun at her last January 2, according to a 24 Oras report by Emil Sumangil on Wednesday.
CCTV footage of the incident in Perla Street, Tondo, Manila showed Police Corporal Mark Anthony Mel allegedly cocking a gun and pointing it at victim “Stella”.
(There were some people gambling at the corner of our place. The cop stopped there and told them to stop. He didn’t say he was police. My cousin and his friends asked if he was a policeman and asked him for ID. He refused to show identification.)(When he felt I was taking out my cellphone to take his video, he took out his gun and cocked it… he pointed the gun at me. I can’t sleep anymore, I have trouble eating because of what happened. He asked me if I wanted him to kill me.)
Accompanied by her mother, Stella filed a complaint with the Manila Police District, who coordinated with the Southern Police District where the said suspect was assigned.
(The policeman in question is facing a grave threat complaint. Aside from that he has an administrative case for grave misconduct. A cop does not just pull out his firearm and aim it at people if they see or sense any threat on his life.)
According to the SPD, the suspect’s issued service firearm has been confiscated while the case against him is ongoing.The suspect has since been reassigned to district headquarters while the investigation is being conducted on the incident.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1890245/doj-bi-gave-work-visas-to-aliens-in-500-fake-firms |
Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered an investigation into the Bureau of Immigration’s (BI) alleged issuance of thousands of prearranged employment visas, also known as 9G visas, to foreigners supposedly working for over 500 local companies that turned out to be fake.
“We found that many corporations petitioning for 9G visas are fake corporations, nonentities which the legal department of the BI allowed,” Remulla told reporters on Tuesday.
A 9G visa is issued by the immigration bureau to foreigners working for local companies that must be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
Remulla said that during a meeting with BI officials on Monday, he asked them “not to grant any more visas to sole proprietorships but only to corporations that have the stamp approval of the SEC.”
The fake corporations, according to the justice secretary, had claimed to be local companies applying for visas for foreign nationals who would supposedly be working for them in the Philippines.
Remulla, who described the latest immigration scam as an “affront to our sovereignty” said that the supposed companies’ applications for 9G visas were approved by the BI “hook, line and sinker” without any verification being made first with the SEC.
He added that more than 500 fake corporations could be involved, “many of these Pogo (Philippine offshore gaming operator) companies, along with “thousands and thousands of visas issued with the petition of these corporations.”
The visas were “presumed to have been validated by the [immigration bureau’s] legal department and visa issuing authority,” Remulla said, adding that the BI’s legal officers could end up being implicated in the investigation he had ordered to determine, among others, when the fraudulent practice started.
Asked about what would happen to the foreigners who were issued 9G visas through fake companies, Remulla replied: “Then [they] don’t have a reason to be in this country.”
He pointed out, however, that they still had to dig deeper “because it’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
“I will be asking for a fuller investigation and that’s what we discussed yesterday. I am challenging the immigration commissioner to [make] this matter as a priority so that we stop making [fools] of Filipinos,” Remulla said.
In particular, he called on the bureau to release all of its documents and to also relieve or change the personnel in its records section because “they could burn the files.”
Remulla said they were also reconsidering availing of a third-party validation system for the issuance of Philippine visas, citing how European countries were tapping a visa outsourcing and technology services specialist to manage the issuance of visas and passports to clients.
In October 2023, he disclosed that the DOJ was monitoring the possible resurgence of an “escort service” like the so-called “pastillas” bribery scheme through which immigration personnel were allegedly allowing the entry or exit of passengers with questionable documents.
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| https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/01/18/24/ombudsman-orders-dismissal-of-ched-commissioner-for-nepotism |
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Jo Mark Libre for nepotism and grave misconduct.
The dismissal stemmed from complaints of alleged recommendation of nepotic appointment of his relatives under his immediate supervision.
The Ombudsman meted out the penalty of dismissal from service which will carry with it cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits except for accrued leave credits, and perpetual disqualification for reemployment in government service.
Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte appointed Libre as CHED Commissioner on February 9, 2022.
Before his appointment as CHED Commissioner, Libre in 2019 was found by the Civil Service Commission Davao Region (CSC 11), guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, fabrication of official documents, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.
CSC said Libre has been subjected to penalties, which include dismissal from service, cancellation of eligibility, perpetual disqualification from holding public office, and prohibition from taking any Civil Service Examinations.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1890853/pnp-fires-cop-linked-to-beauty-queens-disappearance |
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has dismissed from service an officer linked to the disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon.
According to Police Regional Office 4A Director Brig Gen. Kenneth Lucas, the discharge of Maj. Allan De Castro from the police service took effect on January 16.
Authorities said de Castro is one of the suspects in the case of Camilon, who remains missing to this day.
“I would like to announce the dismissal of Police Major Allan Abeña De Castro effective January 16, 2024, signed by me, following an extensive investigation conducted by our Regional Internal Affairs Service 4A (RIAS4A),” Lucas said in a press conference.
“The case against Police Major De Castro stemmed from allegations of conduct unbecoming of a police officer after a series of thorough investigation by the RIAS4A uncovering evidence of an illicit and extramarital affair between the respondent and the missing Catherine Camilon,” he likewise explained.
On November 15, 2023, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat disclosed that de Castro admitted to having a relationship with Camilon.
But despite the officer’s revelation, Caramat said de Castro remained silent when it came to matters related to the beauty queen’s disappearance.
Region 4-A’s CIDG deputy Maj. Nilo Morallos revealed in the same forum on Thursday that Camilon may already be dead, citing accounts of witnesses.
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