It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/10/4-soldiers-caught-in-pampanga-for-violating-gun-ban |
Four soldiers were arrested in San Simon, Pampanga on Wednesday, April 9, for allegedly violating the election gun ban.
Police Regional Office-3 Director Police Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the suspects were apprehended by the San Simon Municipal Police Station following a report from a concerned citizen that a silver Toyota Innova had been following his vehicle between San Simon and Valenzuela City in the past five days. The vehicle was also sighted near Global Aseana Business Park 1 in Barangay San Isidro, San Simon.
Responding police officers located the vehicle in a gasoline station. As they approached and introduced themselves as lawmen, one of the suspects drew a firearm and attempted to flee.
Police fired at their vehicle’s tire but the suspects managed to escape. They were apprehended on Quezon Road in Barangay San Isidro during a chase. One of the suspects sustained a bullet wound during a gunfight and taken to a hospital.
Guns, bullets, magazines, the car, two-way radios, a video camera, and personal items were recovered from the suspects.
Fajardo lauded the swift and decisive action of the San Simon police. The suspects face appropriate criminal charges and are uhder investigation to uncover the scope of their actions and links to criminal activities.
Four soldiers were arrested in San Simon, Pampanga on Wednesday, April 9, for allegedly violating the election gun ban.
A barangay chairman and candidate for municipal board and two supporters were wounded in a gun attack in Pitogo, Zamboanga del Sur on Tuesday.Police Major Shellamie Chang, Police Regional Office-9 information officer, identified the victims as Falconeri Buton, chairman of Barangay Panikian, and supporters Janice Bayawa, 50, and Jerry Veraño, 30.Two other supporters were unharmed – Joe Cabante and Rey Cañete.Investigation said the victims were on their way home when they were shot by unidentified gunmen in Barangay Upper Panikian.The victims were taken to a local health facility and transferred to the provincial hospital.Police are pursuing the gunmen and determining if the incident is election-related.Buton is a candidate under the political party of Zamboanga del Sur Governor Victor Yu.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/942267/pnp-akg-chief-ragay-relieved-from-post-after-anson-que-s-death/story |
Police Brigadier General Elmer Ragay has been relieved as the chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) following the abduction and death of businessman Anson Que, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Thursday.
“We would like to confirm na-relieved po as Director AKG si General Elmer Ragay,” PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Jean Fajardo told reporters in an interview.
According to Fajardo, PNP chief Police General Rommel Marbil expressed dissatisfaction over Ragay’s performance as AKG chief.
“Ito lang po ang pinapasabi ni Chief (This is his [Marbil's] message): He is not satisfied with the performance. That is why he (Ragay) was relieved and replaced,” she said.
Ragay is replaced by Police Colonel David Poklay, who served as the deputy director for operations of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Businessman Anson Que and his driver were found dead on a roadside in Rodriguez, Rizal on Wednesday.
Police Regional Office 4A (PRO 4A) said the bodies were discovered by a concerned citizen in Sitio Udiongan, Barangay Macabud around 6 a.m.
“The two bodies were placed in a nylon bag, tied with nylon rope, and their faces were wrapped with duct tape,” PRO 4A public information office chief Police Lieutenant Colonel Chitadel Gaoiran said.
The victims were only wearing underwear and their heads were covered in blood.
In February, Ragay was also relieved administratively from his post amid issues surrounding the operation to rescue a kidnapped Chinese victim who was a minor.
However, Ragay was reinstated after his administrative relief was nullified due to an election period regulation.
Police Brigadier General Elmer Ragay has been relieved as the chief of the Anti-Kidnapping Group following the abduction and death of businessman Anson Que, the Philippine National Police said Thursday.
State prosecutors found probable cause to charge eight members of the Eastern Police District (EPD) who allegedly stole PHP85 million from a Chinese trader in an unauthorized police operation in Las Piñas City.
In a statement on Friday, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Director, Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said the Office of the City Prosecutor filed before the court on Thursday a complaint of kidnapping and two counts of robbery against the eight suspects, who are members of the EPD's District Special Operations Unit (DSOU).
These cases stemmed from an operation where the eight officers served a bogus arrest warrant against the victim on April 2.
The victim and the relatives claimed that the cops shut down their closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, forcibly opened their vaults, and took away the money in pesos, US dollars, and Malaysian ringgit; jewelry; gadgets, and other personal belongings worth PHP85 million.
“Let me be clear – the NCRPO does not shield any wrongdoing. I will not condone any misdeed perpetrated by any member of NCRPO and I will ensure the filing of airtight cases against police scalawags,” Aberin said.
“We will closely monitor the progress of these criminal cases and we shall ensure that the administrative investigation will result in their dismissal from the service, based on evidence and due process of law."
Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo earlier said the sacked DSOU commander, Maj. Emerson Coballes, was tagged as AWOL (absent without official leave) after he did not comply with a return to work order from the NCRPO.
Coballes did not report for duty after the NCRPO found out that the raid on the house of the Chinese businessman was intended to rob him, as the foreigner did not fit the description of the man in the arrest warrant.
Aberin said the complaint against Coballes is set for preliminary investigation on April 22 and 29.
The eight police officers are now detained at the Las Piñas City custodial facility, facing separate administrative charges that could lead to their dismissal from the police service if found guilty.
The PNP Internal Affairs Service said it is expanding its probe to other police personnel involved in the incident.
State prosecutors found probable cause to charge eight members of the Eastern Police District who allegedly stole PHP85 million from a Chinese trader in an unauthorized police operation in Las Piñas City.
The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion filed by former Quezon City mayor Herbert “Bistek” Constantine M. Bautista to reconsider his graft conviction that sentenced him to six to 10 years in jail with perpetual disqualification to hold public office.
In a resolution issued last April 8, the anti-graft court said: "Accused Bautista's Omnibus Motion (A) for reconsideration; in the alternative (B) to refer the instant motion to a Special Division of five members dated Feb. 3, 2025 supplemented by his supplemental motion for reconsideration is denied."
Also denied was the motion for reconsideration filed by Bautista's co-accused, former City administrator Aldrin C. Cuña. The court said: "Accused Cuña's Motion for Reconsideration (To the Decision Dated Jan. 20, 2025) dated Feb. 4, 2025 is denied."
In the same resolution, the Sandiganbayan admitted "in the interest of justice" the supplemental motion for reconsideration filed by Bautista as it denied the pleading of the prosecution to expunge the supplemental motion.
Bautista and Cuña were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act in a decision promulgated on Jan. 20, 2025
Their conviction was due to findings that the Occupational Permitting Tracking System (OOPTS) was not accessible online by the end of June 2019.
The court has faulted Bautista and Cuña for approving and facilitating the release of P32,107,912 to the supplier, Geodata Solutions Inc., despite the inaccessibility of the OOPTS. It was only after the OOPTS was overhauled to function as designed, two years later, that the OOPTS was finally made available to the public, it said.
The 31-page resolution was written by Special Seventh Division Chairperson Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta with the concurrence of Associate Justices Zaldy V. Trespeses and Georgina D. Hidalgo.
The Sandiganbayan has denied the motion filed by former Quezon City mayor Herbert “Bistek” Constantine M. Bautista to reconsider his graft conviction that sentenced him to six to 10 years in jail with perpetual disqualification to hold public office.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has affirmed its notice of disallowance (ND) on the P4 million paid by the province of Iloilo for "excessive" electricity consumption from December 2009 to April 2010.
However, the COA granted the petitions of two provincial officials to exdlude them from liability in the ND.
Excluded from liability were Lyd P. Tupas, provincial accountant, and Sandra C. Bionat, assistant provincial accountant.
In its ruling, the COA affirmed the P4,007,111.91 ND "with modification that Ms. Bionat and Mr. Tupas are excluded from among the persons liable for the transactions." The other persons named in the ND "shall remain liable," it said.
The ND was issued on Jan. 11, 2011 on the payment to Green Core Geothermal, Inc. (GCGI) for the supply of electricity to the Iloilo provincial government from Dec. 26, 2009 to April 25, 2010 in the amount of P4,007,111.91.
The disallowance stemmed from the construction of a multi-purpose convention center in 2007. In anticipation of the spike of electricity use due to the proposed construction, the province entered into a contract with the National Power Corporation (NPC) on Sept. 26, 2007.
However, the proposed construction was shelved on Dec. 13, 2007 as the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Iloilo withdrew the authority of then governor Neil D. Tupas, Sr. to obtain a loan for the multi-purpose convention center.
When state auditors checked the electricity consumption of the province covering Dec. 26, 2009 to April 25, 2010, they saw that payments totalling P5,888,448.44 were made. They disallowed P4,007,111.91 because there is no showing that Tupas was authorized by the SP to enter into the 2007 contract with GCGI.
The COA found the payment excessive as it ruled that the excess payment could have been avoided had the province made representation with GCGI to reduce the contracted energy consumption immediately after December 2007.
In her plea for exclusion from liability in the ND, Bionat told the COA that her responsibility on the payment of electricity consumption was already beyond the authority or power attached to her office or position as assistant provincial accountant.
Tupas, on the other hand, said that he merely certified the completeness of the supporting documents, and it was no longer his responsibility as provincial accountant to evaluate the validity of the contract.
Agreeing with the two officials, the COA said that Bionat and Tupas cannot be made personally liable for tasks that are outside the scope of their jobs. However, it said it cannot look the other way with regards to the excessive electrical consumption.
"Nevertheless, this Commission cannot entirely lift the ND as the payment for the electricity was clearly excessive," the COA said.
"The excessive amount paid could have been avoided had the province, through its officials, made representation with GCGI to reduce contracted energy consumption, knowing that the project for the convention did not push through," it also said.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has affirmed its notice of disallowance (ND) on the P4 million paid by the province of Iloilo for "excessive" electricity consumption from December 2009 to April 2010.
Police in Maguindanao del Sur are searching for four suspects who ambushed and injured a local political candidate and his driver Sunday afternoon in Datu Anggal Midtimbang town.
Col. Ryan Bobby Paloma, Maguindanao del Sur provincial police director, said police and the Army’s 6th Infantry Division are conducting a manhunt after Muhammad Utti Omar, a candidate for provincial board member, and his driver, Abel Bunsalagat Buisan, 31, were attacked around 3 p.m. in Barangay Brar.
Paloma said police led by Maj. Zulkarnain Kunakon, Datu Anggal Midtimbang police chief, responded quickly, preventing further harm to Omar, also known as "Datu Baba," 49. A brief exchange of gunfire occurred before the attackers fled, Paloma said.
Omar, a former vice mayor of South Upi town running under Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu’s ticket for a seat representing the first district, sustained bruises. Buisan, of Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur, suffered serious injuries.
"Three men armed with M16 rifles alighted and opened fire at his Toyota Innova, hitting his driver, who decided to continue driving until they reached a police checkpoint," Omar said, adding that four other companions in the vehicle were unharmed. He was traveling to South Upi after attending a campaign rally in Datu Piang.
Despite the attack, Omar said he will continue his candidacy.
Paloma said the motive and identities of the attackers remain under investigation.
A provincial board candidate who was once vice mayor has been assassinated.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/15/bulacan-cops-arrest-two-escapees-jail-guard-nabbed-for-aiding-them |
The Bulacan District Office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested two Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) who escaped from the Bulacan Provincial Jail (BPJ) during a manhunt operation in Barangay Dakila, Malolos City, on Sunday, April 13.
The CIDG identified the escapees as Abdua Arajalon, a native of Patikul, Jolo, Sulu, and Mario San Jose, a resident of San Miguel, Hagonoy, Bulacan.
Arajalon, who is facing a murder charge, held the position of “Mayor” inside the BPJ and was a known member of the Sputnik Gang. San Jose, who was charged with homicide, is affiliated with the same gang and reportedly served as “Chairman of Barangay 11” within the facility.
Authorities also arrested Tee-Jay Jimenez, a job order prison guard at the BPJ, and Sarah Wahid, Arajalon’s second wife under Muslim rites, for allegedly aiding them in their escape.
Jimenez was apprehended for illegally escorting detainees out of the jail without proper court authorization, while Wahid was arrested for allegedly conspiring in her husband’s escape.
Recovered from the suspects were a caliber .45 pistol with six live rounds, a 9mm Glock pistol with nine live rounds, a magazine assembly for each firearm, a Glock holster, and a red pickup truck.
Provincial Civil Security and Jail Management Office (PCSJMO) head (Ret.) Col. Rizalino Andaya has launched a thorough investigation into the incident.The arrested individuals are now detained at the CIDG detention facility. Multiple charges are being prepared against them.
A jail guard has been arrested for helping two inmates escape.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2025/4/15/7-cops-tagged-by-kerwin-in-slay-try-charged |
Charges for violating Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Omnibus Election Code were filed against the seven Ormoc City policemen tagged by Albuera, Leyte mayoral bet Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa in a slay try last week.
The complaint was lodged by the Leyte Police Provincial Office before the Leyte Provincial Prosecutor’s Office at the Bulwagan ng Katarungan here on Monday.
Charged were former Ormoc City police chief Police Col. Reydante Ariza, Lt. Col. Leonides Sydiongco, Sgt. Alrose Astilla, Corporal Arvin Jose Baronda, Corporal Jeffrey Dagoy, Corporal Alexander Reponte, and Patrolman Maricor Espinosa.
They were initially brought to LPPO and placed under administrative restrictive custody at the Police Regional Office-8 headquarters in Palo, Leyte.
Espinosa was shot and wounded while attending a campaign rally in Barangay Tinag-an on Thursday.
He said the police officers were found in a compound where the alleged gunshot came and the supposed getaway vehicles with his tarpaulins placed on them.
Leyte Police Provincial Office chief Police Col. Dionisio Apas Jr. said that the Ormoc and Albuera police stations did not coordinate with each other prior to the alleged service of warrants against still undisclosed individuals.
Lawmen discovered several firearms and ammunition in the vehicles. Apas confirmed that one of them was a caliber 5.56mm Armalite rifle that can shoot as far as 500 meters.
Espinosa said that a Bushmaster caliber 5.56 Armalite rifle was used to shoot him.
Apas said the firearms were submitted for ballistics examination and firearms verification as proof that there is no whitewash of the incident.
A paraffin test was conducted on the seven policemen to determine if one of them shot Espinosa.
Espinosa questioned why they were brought to the PRO-8 when the alleged crime occurred in Albuera.
He claimed that his vehicles were not allowed to enter the border checkpoint in Ormoc City after he was brought to the hospital.
Apas said the seven lawmen were brought to LPPO for security reasons.
Charges for violating Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and the Omnibus Election Code were filed against the seven Ormoc City policemen tagged by Albuera, Leyte mayoral bet Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa in a slay try last week.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1248266 |
The National Bureau of Investigation has filed inciting to sedition charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and vlogger Claire Contreras, known as Maharlika.
In a transmittal letter addressed to Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon dated April 14, NBI Director Jaime Santiago said the NBI-Cybercrime Division initiated a case against the two following the online circulation of a video suggesting that a man resembling President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was snorting a white powdery substance.
“This video coincided with the President's 2024 State of the Nation Address (SONA), raising suspicions of malicious timing and intent,” Santiago said.
Besides the sedition charges, Contreras was also charged with one count of Unlawful Use of Means of Publication and Unlawful Utterances under Article 154 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Section 6 of R.A. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012); one count of Cyber Libel under Section 4(c)(4) of R.A. 10175, in relation to Articles 353 and 355 of the Revised Penal Code; and one count of Computer-Related Forgery under Section 4(b)(1) of R.A. 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012).
The video was first posted on Facebook and later recirculated by a page managed by Contreras which gained significant attention.
“Through open-source digital investigation, supported by video forensics and authenticated evidence, the NBI traced its propagation, linked its content to inciting language during rallies and livestreams, and assessed public admissions of ownership and intent by the involved parties,” Santiago said.
On July 21, 2024, the video was shown during a rally in Vancouver, Canada that was livestreamed by the Facebook page Pilipinas Nating Mahal.
During the rally, Roque urged the audience to prepare for the “world premiere” of the video from Boldyakera (Maharlika), which he said would be taken down by platforms like Facebook and YouTube. He incited them to share and disseminate it across platforms such as TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and Rumble.
A second livestream by Channel 167 in Los Angeles on July 22, 2024 featured both Maharlika and Roque. During the event, Roque declared that “tonight, the rumors will end” and called on the audience to be ready to judge and act if the President was shown to be “bangag” (high).
“The video’s timing -- coinciding with the President’s SONA suggests premeditated coordination. Its content and propagation through major social media platforms demonstrate intent to discredit the President, incite public outrage, and undermine the credibility and stability of the administration,” the NBI said.
The NBI also cited several instances wherein Roque and Contreras made repeated calls for public resistance and direct action against the administration.
“Maharlika published tampered and misleading videos falsely accusing the President and other high-ranking officials of serious crimes. Similarly, Atty. Roque made public statements in livestreams broadcast from abroad, encouraging Filipinos to spread videos that allegedly expose illegal acts by the President and hinting at mobilization against the government,” Santiago said.
The National Bureau of Investigation has filed inciting to sedition charges before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and vlogger Claire Contreras, known as Maharlika.
