It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/22/coa-flags-mapun-town-in-tawi-tawi-over-p8-8-m-outright-expenses-in-2023 |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the municipality of Mapun in Tawi-Tawi over its P8.82 million outright expenses in 2023 without first setting up an inventory account.
The lapse cast doubt on the propriety of the transactions, the COA said in its 2023 audit report on the municipality.
It said Mapun town spent a total of P3,165,789.63 on office supplies; P2,311,792.41 on fuel, oil and lubricants; P700,381.85 on agriculture and marine supplies; and P2,643,021.90 on other supplies and materials or a total of P8,820,985.79.
"The treatment of these procurements as outright expense resulted in the misstatement of assets and expenses accounts equivalent to the value of the remaining stocks at year-end which were not treated as assets," the COA said.
It said its audit team stressed the importance of maintaining an inventory account, which will enable it to reflect in its books the monthly balance of supplies and materials; and will also guide officials concerned to determine the quantity of the products to be procured in the succeeding month or quarter.
"For failure to adhere to the prescribed accounting rules and regulations on the inventory accounts, the asset account was not recognized while the related expense account was overstated," the COA said in its report.
"In addition, the practice of allowing the immediate distribution of inventory items in bulk to the end-users exposes it to risk of misuse, theft, and wasteful utilization," it said.
Thus, the COA urged officials of Mapun to adapt and maintain the asset method of recording the inventory items and require the coordination between the Municipal Accounting Office (MAO) and General Services Office (GSO) towards the proper implementation of the perpetual inventory method of recording all inventory items.
In doing so, the COA said the municipality would ensure proper accounting and promote better control in the receipt and issuance of supplies and materials.
The Commission on Audit has flagged the municipality of Mapun in Tawi-Tawi over its P8.82 million outright expenses in 2023 without first setting up an inventory account.
The Regional Trial Court (RTC) in National Capital Region (NCR) has ordered the arrest of Daraga town Mayor Carlwyn Go Baldo over 2018 killing of former Ako Bicol Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police aide, Master Sergeant Orlando Diaz.
The warrant of arrest, signed by Acerey Pacheco, acting presiding judge of Branch 3 RTC, dated Wednesday, Aug. 21, was for Baldo’s alleged involvement in the murder of the Batocabe and Diaz in December 2018 during a Christmas event in Daraga, Albay.
No bail has been recommended for the charge of two counts of murder.
However, Police Brigadier General Andre Dizon, Bicol police chief, told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Thursday, Aug. 22, that Baldo was not found by the arresting team in his residence in Barangay (village) Tagas, Daraga.
“The serving of the arrest warrant turned out negative because the mayor was not around,” Dizon said.
He added that it is best for Baldo to “surrender so he can defend himself” against the charges filed against him.
“It’s difficult for him to remain in hiding, as the warrant of arrest has no expiry date,” he said.
The Mayor of Albay has been ordered arrested for 2 counts of murder.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/08/23/2379953/palace-suspends-abra-vice-governor-unjust-hospital-lockdown |
Malacañang has suspended Abra Vice Gov. Ma. Jocelyn Valera-Bernos for 18 months after unjustly locking down the Dr. Petronillo Seares Sr. Memorial Hospital in Bangued, Abra during the pandemic.
A copy of the decision from the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs (DESLA) of the Office of the President said Bernos was ordered to vacate her post after finding her guilty of oppression and abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of a public official and disobedience to national government policies.
The 18-month suspension stemmed from a complaint against Bernos, then the province’s governor, in December 2020 by Dr. Voltaire L. Seares, medical director of the hospital, after she imposed a lockdown on the hospital.
According to the complaint, the provincial government of Abra immediately imposed a lockdown, installed barricades around the hospital and placed the barangay where the hospital is located under extreme enhanced community quarantine (EECQ) when one of their nurses was stricken with COVID-19 in June 2020.
People inside the hospital were barred from leaving the premises, the complaint added.
The lockdown order was said to have been posted on social media by Bernos.
Seares complained that Bernos ordered the lockdown of the hospital without sufficient basis and in violation of the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease.
He stressed that the lockdown was made prematurely and without the concurrence of the Cordillera Administrative Region-Regional Inter-Agency Task Force.
“The freedom of movement and right to travel of various persons trapped inside the hospital were violated, resulting in undue injury and prejudice. The hospital owner’s property rights as well as its doctors and other medical practitioners’ right to exercise a lawful profession were curtailed,” Seares said in the complaint.
“Most of all, the people of Abra were deprived of their access to health care,” the complaint added.
The DESLA on February 2021 transmitted the records of the case to the Department of the Interior and Local Government for investigation, which submitted its report in June 2022. Bernos was also asked to answer Seares’ complaint against her.
Weighing the reports, issues and arguments of the camps involved, the DESLA found that Bernos committed the misdemeanor as claimed by Seares, regardless of her intentions for the interest of the public.
Malacañang has suspended Abra Vice Gov. Ma. Jocelyn Valera-Bernos for 18 months after unjustly locking down the Dr. Petronillo Seares Sr. Memorial Hospital in Bangued, Abra during the pandemic.
A barangay councilor was wounded after he was shot Thursday night after an argument in Tanza town in Cavite province.
“Emilio,” 53, was seated in front of the village hall in Barangay Amaya 3 at around 11 p.m. when the suspect, identified as “Andy ” appeared with a handgun and shot him in the head.
Investigators said the gunman fled after the shooting.
Villagers brought the victim to Tanza Doctor Hospital, where he was confined for treatment.
Police found that before the shooting incident, the suspect, a nephew of the victim residing in the same village, had a heated argument.
The suspect returned with a gun and shot the victim.
Police launched a manhunt to arrest the suspect.
A barangay councilor was wounded after he was shot after an argument in Tanza town in Cavite province.
A 43-year-old barangay tanod was allegedly shot dead by a 58-year-old tricycle driver in Barangay Camilo Osias, Balaoan, La Union on Saturday night, August 24.
Police identified the victim as Eduardo R. San Jose.
Investigation said San Jose and the suspect, William Subang, were attending a wake when a heated altercation erupted.
Subang dew a gun and shot the victim once in the body.
San Jose ran away but was pursued by the suspect. The victim slumped on the road and the suspect shot him once again.
Subang fled and San Jose was taken to a hospital where he was declared dead.
Police nabbed the suspect and recovered the firearm in a pursuit operation.
A barnagay tanod has been assassinated.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/26/ex-village-dad-shot-dead-in-batangas |
A 46-year-old former kagawad (councilor) of Barangay Bulsa here was shot dead by three constituents on Sunday night, August 25.
Police identified the victim as Rodel Lopez Luistro.
Investigation said the suspects Jayson, Mariel, and an unidentified companion arrived and suddenly shot the victim at around 7 p.m.
The victim was taken to San Juan District Hospital where he was declared dead from multiple bullet wounds.
The suspects, who fled and being tracked by the police, face murder charges.
A former village councilor has been assassinated.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has required the City of Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte to return to the national treasury the P20.7 million balance out of the P55 million the city received from Local Government Support Fund for Covid-19 Financial Assistance (LGSF).
In its 2023 audit report, the COA flagged Cabadbaran City for still spending P12.4 million out of the P55 million fund beyond the fund's validity period.
The COA said the city's unobligated balance of P20,734,933.70 in the LGSF was still not reverted to the national treasury, therefore affecting the propriety and validity of the pertinent disbursements charged against the said fund beyond the fund's validity period.
It said that the city received its LGSF-Covid-19 Financial Assistance of P55 million on June 30, 2021 for the implementation of priority projects of the city. The budget was divided into five projects -- procurement of medical equipment, supplies, vitamins, and personal protective equipment (P30 million), procurement of relief goods (P10 million), procurement of response/transport vehicles (P10 million), establishment of temporary shelter (P4 million), and capacity development for health workers and frontliners (P1 million).
From that time the fund was received, the COA said the city disbursed a total of P2,801,445, which equated to a 5.09 utilization rate. It said state auditors discussed this low utilization rate with city officials through Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) No. 2022-022 dated Feb. 18, 2022.
The audit team found that the city commenced 18 sub-programs and projects in 2021 with a contract cost of P21,828,455.50. The team recommended that the city make a representation with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for an extension to utilize the unobligated amount, the COA said.
For its part, the Cabadbaran City reasoned that it mistook the fund validity period, considering that all other fund transfers from the national government do not have an expiry period. City officials added that they already sent out a letter-request to the DBM last July 18, 2022 but have not received a response.
The COA issued another AOM and made the same recommendation for the city to request for an extension to utilize the unobligated amount otherwisde the amount should be returned to the national treasury. The city government made a follow-up letter with the DBM on March 23, 2023.
But the COA said the letter request "did not clearly specify the conditions on the timelines from which the fund was received and its validity period, which was basically six-month period of implementation, thereby affecting the full utilization of the fund."
On May 5, 2023, the DBM denied Cabadbaran City's request as it ordered that the remaining funds be reverted to the national treasury.
"From the foregoing, a total of P21,828,455.50 were obligated and/or disbursed as of Dec. 31, 2021 based on the payments made and results of review of the start date of the procurement process, while a total of P12,436,610.80 were still obligated and disbursed by the City despite lapse of the fund validity and adequate notices to them through audit observation memoranda," the COA said.
"It was also noted that the unutilized and unobligated funds amounting to P20,734,933.70 remained not reverted to the National Treasury as at year-end, as required," it added.
With the city using P12.436 million and charging it against the LGSF-Covid-19 Financial Assistance despite its expiry, the COA said that the deficiencies affected the propriety and validity of the disbursements.
The COA directed the directed the City Accountant and City Treasurer to return the remaining unobligated funds to the national treasury.
The Commission on Audit has required the City of Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte to return to the national treasury the P20.7 million balance out of the P55 million the city received from Local Government Support Fund for Covid-19 Financial Assistance.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1976834/maguindanao-pol-implicated-in-killing-of-cop-surrenders |
Former Maguindanao board member Asnawi “Jojo” Limbona, who is facing a case for murder in the killing of a police officer, surrendered to authorities in Sultan Mastura town, Maguindanao del Norte on Monday morning.
Colonel Sultan Salman Sapal, Maguindanao del Norte police director, said Limbona, 56, of Datu Odin Sinsuat, was accompanied by his legal counsel, Asgar Mandal, to Capt. Elmar Elarcosa, Sultan Mastura municipal police chief.
Limbona has a standing warrant of arrest issued by Acting Presiding Judge Annabele Piang of Regional Trial Court Branch 13 in Cotabato City, dated May 6, 2024.
He was linked to the killing of Police Staff Sgt. Zahraman Mustapha Diocolano during a shootout on January 2 along Rosales Street, Barangay Rosary Heights 6, Cotabato City.
The shooting occurred while Datu Odin Sinsuat Mayor Lester Sinsuat was inside the house of his uncle, former Rep. Roonie Sinsuat, for a peace dialogue.
Sapal said since the warrant of arrest was issued by a local court, police have been searching for Limbona.
After his surrender, the Maguindanao del Norte Provincial Intelligence Unit, headed by Lt. Colonel Michael Tinio, and Capt. Sammy Paning of the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company, presented Limbona his warrant of arrest at the Sultan Mastura police station.
Former Maguindanao board member Asnawi “Jojo” Limbona, who is facing a case for murder in the killing of a police officer, surrendered to authorities in Sultan Mastura town, Maguindanao del Norte.
A police officer is facing criminal charges for allegedly assaulting members of a contingent that participated in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival last Sunday, August 26, at the Cebu City Sports Center.
The suspect with the rank of police corporal was detained at the Guadalupe Police Station because of the incident on Saturday night, August 24.
Investigation showed that the suspect was among the police officers assigned to secure a contingent from Compostela town, Cebu billeted at the Guadalupe Elementary School.
Prior to the incident, members of the group were called to attend an orientation for some final instructions.
Police said some members arrived late and least nine of them were allegedly slapped by the policeman.
Major Miles Damoslog, chief of the Guadalupe Police Station, said that the policeman was asked by the organizers to help gather the dancers. Police described the dancers as hard-headed, said Damoslog.
“Supposedly, it was not his job as a policeman as he was assigned there to secure the contingent. He just gave in to the request to help gather the members and it was there that he struck the students. Accordingly, the dancers refused to obey the order, that's why he hit them,” said Damoslog.
Police Lt. Col. Janette Rafter, deputy city director for administration of the Cebu City Police Office, said the CCPO is ready to file charges against the policeman.
Rafter said they are still awaiting the complainants to complete their affidavits.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of Police Regional Office-Central Visayas chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said the PRO-7 will conduct its own administrative investigation against the policeman.
“The PRO-7 will not condone any violation of law committed especially by our police officers but of course we will also give him a chance to defend himself. We will hear his side of the story,” Pelare said.
A police officer is facing criminal charges for allegedly assaulting members of a contingent that participated in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/8/27/coa-issues-p73-2-m-notice-of-disallowance-on-vp-sara-s-p125-m-confi-intel-funds-for-2022 |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has issued a notice of disallowance (ND) over P73.2 million out of the P125 million confidential and intelligence funds for 2022 of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The COA directed Duterte and Special Disbursing Officer Gina F. Acosta and Chief Accountant Julieta L. Villadelrey of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) “to settle immediately the said disallowance.”
It reminded that “audit disallowances not appealed within six months shall become final and executory.”
ND No. 2024-002-100 dated Aug. 8, 2024 was signed by Nilda B. Plaras, assistant commissioner and officer-in-charge of COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds.
From the amount of P73.2 million, P69.7 million was disallowed due to “non-submission of documents evidencing the success of information gathering and/or surveillance activities to support the Acknowledgment Receipts for payments of rewards in cash, various goods, and medicines,” the COA said.
It noted that P10 million was used as reward payment, P34.8 million for payment for various goods, and P24.9 million for medicines.
“The submitted list of 105 activities attended by the Vice President and those conducted by all the offices during the period Dec. 13 to 31, 2022 did not indicate the particular accomplishments for the successful information gathering and/or surveillance activities that are directly related to the specific confidential activities undertaken by the agency and which warrant the payments of rewards,” the COA said in its ND.
Also, it said, that P3.5 million was used as payment for tables, chairs, desktop computers, and printers without any specification that they would be intended for confidential activities undertaken by the OVP.
At the same time, the COA said “rewards” should have been recorded as “supplies” in the acknowledgment receipt, considering that the OVP submitted acknowledgment receipts reflecting payments for purchased supplies.
“In addition, there are no documents to further support their arguments that the expenses are not rewards,” it also said.
There was also non-submission of the Revised Accomplishment Report to the Office of the President, Senate President, and Speaker of the House, which is a requirement of Joint Circular No. 2015-01, it added.
It held Duterte liable for approving the transaction including the utilization of the cash advance, Acosta for acting as the payee and disbursing the cash advance, and Villadelrey for certifying that the supporting documents were complete and proper.
The Commission on Audit has issued a notice of disallowance over P73.2 million out of the P125 million confidential and intelligence funds for 2022 of Vice President Sara Duterte.
An official of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), who was in-charge of the Davao Penal and Prison Farm when three jailed Chinese nationals were killed in August 2016, was cited for contempt for lying and not answering about details of the incident.
During the hearing of the House of Representatives quad-committee on Wednesday, BuCor Supt. Gerardo Padilla insisted that he is not involved in the killing of Chu Kin Tung, Jackson Lee, and Peter Wang — three individuals jailed in the Davao Penal Farm for drug-related charges, whose death was allegedly ordered by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Padilla said that he also did not receive a call from Duterte supposedly congratulating him for the hit — contrary to the claims made by self-confessed hitman Leopoldo Tan.
But what earned the ire of lawmakers was Padilla’s insistence that he was not aware of the order to transfer the Chinese nationals to the same solitary confinement cell where Tan and fellow hitman Fernando Magdadaro was placed — adding that the final order did not come from him.
When Padilla failed to directly answer Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez’ questions about who ordered the transfer of the Chinese inmates, Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano raised his voice and demanded that Padilla name the one behind the directive.
Eventually, Paduano moved that Padilla be cited for contempt.
An official of the Bureau of Corrections who was in-charge of the Davao Penal and Prison Farm when three jailed Chinese nationals were killed in August 2016, was cited for contempt for lying and not answering about details of the incident.
A barangay captain in the City of Naga, southern Cebu was arrested for allegedly using a fake certificate authorizing registration (CAR), a document issued by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to transfer a property.Edden Gera Nocon of Barangay Tinaan was arrested in a hot pursuit operation conducted on August 22 by the National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7).
The operation stemmed from an entrapment operation that the NBI-7 conducted inside the office of the Provincial Registry of Deeds in Barangay Guadalupe here.
The NBI-7 said Nocon, through a representative, presented falsified eCAR and deed of absolute sale.
These fake documents were presented to the Office of the Registry of Deeds to transfer an original certificate of land title of a property in Moalboal, Cebu with a total area of 28,626-square meters.
The alleged vendee of the property turned out to be the deceased mother of Nocon, the NBI-7 said.
After the recovery of the fake documents, the NBI-7 conducted an operation that led to Nocon’s arrest.
The NBI-7 discovered that the QR code attached to the fake documents is originally attached to another eCAR involving the sale of a property with an area of 8,626-square meters.
The operation stemmed from the request of Atty. Fidel Calvan who requested the NBI-7 to conduct a thorough investigation on the alleged forgery of a CAR purporting to be issued by BIR’s regional district office in Talisay City.
The NBI-7 also discovered that Nocon is also facing a separate case for falsification of a motor vehicle certificate of registration.
“The impact of this investigation and operation is very crucial because it involves the integrity of our Torrens System and the government revenue collection effort. Thus, the Department of Justice and the Department of Finance will go after those who will engage in this criminal activity to the fullest extent of the law,” the NBI-7 said.
Charges for two counts of violation of the National Internal Revenue Code and falsification of publication documents were filed against the suspect.
As a barangay captain, the suspect is also facing separate complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman for violating Republic Act 6713, an Act establishing a code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees.
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