It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/25/marikina-city-rep-teodoro-charged-with-sexual-assault-by-2-policewomen-doj |
Marikina City 1st District Rep. Marcelino “Marcy” R. Teodoro has been charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegedly sexually assaulting two policewomen who were then his close-in security personnel.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Sept. 25, the DOJ said that Teodoro will be afforded full due process. It said the identities of the complainants were withheld to safeguard their privacy and security.
Congressman Teodoro could not be contacted for comment. The Manila Bulletin will publish his comment or his counter-affidavit once it is submitted to the DOJ.
The charges will be acted on impartially and will be resolved only on the bases of evidence submitted and the applicable laws, the DOJ said.
Under Department Circular No. 20, the DOJ said “the complaints will undergo case build-up and legal evaluation to determine sufficiency of evidence before any preliminary investigation.”
The preliminary investigation of a criminal charge will determine if a case will be filed in court.
The DOJ said one of the complainants alleged that Teodoro committed acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
The other complainant, it also said, served as security detail for Marikina Mayor Maan Teodoro who is the congressman’s wife.
It added that the complainant alleged that when she was later assigned to Congressman Teodoro, the legislator allegedly committed rape by sexual assault under Article 266-A(2) of the RPC as well as acts of lasciviousness.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/25/cop-pal-arrested-for-gunrunning |
A policeman and his companion were arrested for alleged involvement in gun-running activities in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, Sept. 24.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Negros Island Region (NIR) arrested the 31-year-old patrolman assigned to the Cebu City Mobile Force Company, and a resident of Barangay Robles, La Castellana, and a 31-year-old man, also a resident of Barangay Robles.
Seized from the suspects were the boodle money, guns, magazines, bullets, holster, and a car.The CIDG-NIR said the operation is part of their “Oplan: Paglalasag Omega” against loose firearms.
No other details have been released and police are preparing appropriate charges against the suspects.
A policeman and his companion were arrested for alleged involvement in gun-running activities.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/09/26/2475461/manila-ex-barangay-chief-gets-16-years-graft |
A former barangay chairman in Manila was sentenced to up to 16 years in prison over the encashment of checks amounting to P223,800 drawn from the barangay’s budget without supporting documents.
In a 30-page decision promulgated yesterday, the Sandiganbayan First Division upheld the ruling of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 40, finding Felix Mones, former chairman of Barangay 410 in the city’s first district, guilty of two counts of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The anti-graft court, however, modified Mones’ sentence to up to eight years in prison for each count of the offense, for a total of 16 years.
In the original decision of the RTC, Mones was sentenced to up to six years in prison for each count of the offense.
The Sandiganbayan upheld Mones’ perpetual disqualification from holding public office. He was also ordered to reimburse the barangay P223,800, equivalent to the amount he unlawfully encashed.
The case stemmed from Mones’ encashment of checks worth P89,200 and P134,600 at the Philippine National Bank branch along Recto Avenue in Manila on Nov. 12 and Nov. 17, 2010, respectively. The amounts were drawn from Barangay 410’s bank account.
Ombudsman prosecutors said Mones named himself as the payee of both checks, without any corresponding disbursement vouchers.
In upholding his conviction, the First Division said the prosecution established Mones’ “bad faith” when he failed to account for the proceeds of the two checks.
The anti-graft court found no merit in Mones’ claim that his signature on both checks was forged.
A former barangay chairman in Manila was sentenced to up to 16 years in prison over the encashment of checks amounting to P223,800 drawn from the barangay’s budget without supporting documents.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2115684/lto-sacks-68-enforcers-over-reported-involvement-in-corruption |
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has dismissed 68 enforcers assigned to its central office in Quezon City over alleged involvement in corruption.
In a statement on Friday, LTO chief Vigor Mendoza said the termination of contract of the 68 enforcers came after the agency conducted a performance evaluation following the consolidated reports of motorists, netizens and mystery agents he deployed about their personnel’s wrongdoings, especially in connection to bribery and extortion.
“This is part of our efforts to weed out corruption and to professionalize LTO’s enforcement team,” Mendoza noted in the statement.
“Enough is enough. I will not allow any abuses and wrongdoings to compromise our positive gains from the hard work and sacrifices of our LTO family,” he added.
According to Mendoza, he will personally take part in the hiring process of the LTO Law Enforcement Service’s new personnel “to ensure that only the qualified and those who value integrity and hard work will be given the opportunity to work in the agency.”
“Only those who would successfully pass the interview and are found suitable and qualified shall be considered,” Mendoza emphasized.
“This is part of our continuing effort to gain the trust and confidence of the people we serve. We are on the right path, and I will make sure, with the help of the men and women of the LTO family, that we shall prevail,” he added.
The Land Transportation Office has dismissed 68 enforcers assigned to its central office in Quezon City over alleged involvement in corruption.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1259624 |
Law enforcers here arrested on Thursday night a barangay chairperson who is also allegedly a “high-value target” among suspected drug personalities in Negros Oriental.
The suspect was arrested during a buy-bust operation at Purok Salampati in Barangay Pulangtubig following weeks of surveillance, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Friday.
“We closely monitored this person for weeks to ascertain the reports we received regarding his alleged illegal drug activities,” PDEA-Negros Oriental provincial chief Elmer Ebona said.
Aside from surveillance, the 49-year-old suspect was also the subject of previous "test buys," Ebona said.
Confiscated from the suspect were 18 plastic sachets of suspected shabu with an estimated weight of five grams.
Charges for illegal possession and sale of prohibited drugs under Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act will be filed against the suspect within the day.
Ebona said they are now establishing the barangay official’s supply source as the suspect is not cooperating with authorities.
A barangay chairperson has been busted for drugs.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2116099/dpwh-exec-in-western-visayas-sued-over-demolition-of-historic-bridge |
A heritage advocate has filed a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas against a former regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Western Visayas for the alleged illegal demolition of a historic bridge in Negros Occidental.
The complaint was filed by heritage advocate Andoni Llantada Valencia against Nerie Bueno for grave abuse of discretion and betrayal of public trust over the unauthorized demolition of the Talave Bridge, which connected Calatrava town to San Carlos City.
The Talave Bridge, built in 1933, was a 100-meter steel structure that served as a vital link between the two localities, said Valencia, also the chairperson of the Juan Calatrava Movement, a local group dedicated to preserving the cultural and historical landmarks of northern Negros.
Bueno, now DPWH Assistant Secretary for Regional Operations in Visayas and Mindanao, has yet to issue a statement on the complaint.
As a structure over 50 years old, it was presumed to be an Important Cultural Property (ICP) under Republic Act No. 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009, which prohibits the alteration or demolition of heritage structures without prior clearance from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), he added.
Despite this legal protection, demolition of the bridge began in 2023 without a clearance from the NHCP, Valencia claimed.
In July 2024, the NHCP issued a cease and desist order addressed to both Bueno and San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo but the demolition continued, culminating in the bridge’s complete destruction by mid-2024, he said.“This is a clear violation of the law. The NHCP’s authority was ignored, and a piece of our national heritage was destroyed without due process. This is not just negligence—it is a betrayal of public trust,” Valencia said.
He noted the bridge was not only a functional structure but also a symbol of the region’s prewar engineering and economic history.
Originally constructed by the United States Steel Products Company, the bridge played a key role in the logistics of the sugar industry during the American colonial period, he added.
A heritage advocate has filed a complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas against a former regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Western Visayas for the alleged illegal demolition of a historic bridge in Negros Occidental.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/09/30/cop-rapes-14-year-old-girl-in-cebu |
A police officer allegedly raped a 14-year-old girl in Ginatilan town, Cebu province.
Reports reaching the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CCPO) said the alleged abuse happened past midnight on Sunday, Sept. 28.
The incident was formally reported to the Ginatilan Police Station past 10 p.m. on the same day.
Police said the suspect with a rank of lieutenant could no longer be located when the alleged abuse was reported.
The complainant is a Grade 9 student.
Police said the victim was allegedly brought to a barangay in Ginatilan where she was abused.Police Col. Abubakar Mangelen Jr., CPPO chief, said a manhunt to locate the suspect has been launched.
Police Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, Police Regional Office-Central Visayas chief, ordered the relief of the police officer.
Maranan ordered the CPPO Women and Children’s Protection Desk to assist the complainant.Mangelen added a lookout bulletin has been issued to all seaports and airports in Cebu to ensure the arrest of the suspect.
The CPPO has coordinated with the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) for the filing of criminal and administrative charges against the suspect.
“The Cebu Police Provincial Office remains committed to upholding justice, accountability, and integrity. We assure the public that justice will be served,” said Mangelen.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday said two supposed employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) were arrested over an alleged scheme to solicit a kickback from a corporation.
According to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, the two BIR employees tried to solicit a kickback from the taxes they claimed the corporation owed the government.
Santiago said the two first presented a letter of authority to assess the corporation they supposedly determined owed the bureau P36 million in taxes.
“They lowered it to P6 million and later on it suddenly became P800,000,” said Santiago in Filipino during a press conference.
“But the agreement was that the government would only receive P200,000, while the remaining P600,000 would go to them,” he added.
Asked if the BIR has confirmed that the two individuals were really its employees, the NBI agent in charge of the case only said both suspects did not deny that they were officers of the agency.
“As a matter of fact, the entrapment occurred at the BIR office,” the agent said, speaking in Filipino.
The National Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday said two supposed employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue were arrested over an alleged scheme to solicit a kickback from a corporation.
The Commission on Audit has filed fraud audit reports covering more than P360 million worth of flood control projects in Bulacan, citing mismatched sites and missing records under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.
COA said on Friday, September that the four reports it transmitted to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) detailed how district engineers and contractors allegedly altered project sites without justification, counted pre-existing structures as new work, and failed to submit critical documents despite repeated demands.
In all four projects, COA auditors said DPWH representatives led them to sites that did not match the locations approved in the contracts.
In several cases, auditors found that slope protection and riverbank structures were already in place before the contracts took effect, which raises the possibility of double-counting accomplishments.
For instance, at a P92.8-million flood control project along Angat River in Pulilan handled by SYMS Construction Trading, COA discovered that a slope-protection structure already existed at the approved location prior to the contract's Feb. 25, 2025 effectivity date.
"This modus raises the possibility of double-counted accomplishments," COA stated in its report.
Similarly, at a P98.9-million slope protection project in Bocaue implemented by a joint venture between Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc. and Beam Team Developer Specialist Inc., satellite imagery showed flood control structures were already present at the approved site as early as Feb. 29, 2024 — months before the joint venture received its notice to proceed on April 23, 2024.
"This information confirmed what was seen on the ground by COA, the accomplishments being attributed to the JV belong to a different project.," COA said.
Beyond the location mismatches, COA found that structures built at the unauthorized sites failed to meet project specifications outlined in the contracts.
DPWH officials consistently failed to provide supporting documents or justifications for relocating the projects, violating COA Circular No. 2009-001 dated Feb. 12, 2009.
For the P69.5-million Plaridel project (a "Riverbank Protection Structure" at Barangay Bulihan), COA had already issued a notice of disallowance to DPWH-Bulacan 1st district engineering office as early as August 2025 for the agency's failure to submit disbursement vouchers and supporting documents in a timely manner.
This particular project was implemented by Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.
A disallowance is defined as the disapproval in audit of a transaction, particularly a disbursement, either in whole or in part, due to non-compliance with regulations or guidelines.
The fraud reports name District Engineer Henry C. Alcantara and Assistant District Engineer Brice Ericson D. Hernandez as liable parties in all four projects, alongside Planning and Design Section Chief Ernesto Galang.
Also named are various project engineers, namely John Michael E. Ramos, Lemuel Ephraim SD. Roque, Jolo Mari V. Tayao, John Carlo C. Rivera, John Michael E. Marcos, Claudine Magdalene S. Magsakay, Ericka Justine P. Chico, Emelita V. Morales, and Isiah Lor V. Galang.
The contractors and their representatives facing liability include Sally N. Santos of SYMS Construction Trading; Eumir S. Villanueva of Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.; Allan Kevin Payawal of the Topnotch-Beam Team joint venture; and Gian Carlo Galang of the Topnotch-One Frame Construction joint venture, along with their respective corporate officers and board members.
Those implicated may face charges of graft and corruption under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation and falsification under the Revised Penal Code, and procurement violations, COA warned.
"The Commission stressed that the initial list of liable persons is not final and may expand as the audit progresses, or new information becomes available," the commission said in its release.
State auditors were directed by COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba in August to immediately audit all DPWH flood control projects in Bulacan from July 1, 2022 to May 30, 2025, following complaints lodged on the "Sumbong sa Pangulo" platform.
The audit reports will feed into the ICI's ongoing probe into irregularities in public works projects, COA said.
The Commission on Audit has filed fraud audit reports covering more than P360 million worth of flood control projects in Bulacan, citing mismatched sites and missing records under the Department of Public Works and Highways Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office.
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