Basketball, cable cars, more dismissals from Duterte, accusations of theft from one political official to another, conflicts of interest, it's just another week of Philippine politics.
Vicente Sotto III, who was elected Senate president earlier this week, defended anew his 2012 speech about the Reproductive Health Bill that was lifted from another speech without citing it. He insisted that he merely translated the original speech into Filipino, and this does not count as plagiarism.
Six years ago, Sotto already apologized to the Kennedy family for the gaffe, but recently he again denied that he lifted off portions from the 1966 Day of Affirmation speech of late American Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Ecce homo! Behold the man! This is the President of the Senate, an unrepentant plagiarist.
These are rampant killings that are done in full view of people, like riding in tandem, so it's done with impunity," she said.
"Ang pinakamatinding dahilan kundi ang rule of retribution. Kung lumabag ka sa batas at pumatay ka sa isang tao kailangan katumbas din ang parusa sa krimen na ginawa mo."
To strike fear in the hearts of criminals, VACC spokesperson Boy Evangelista said the execution should be "bloody."
"It should be bloody kasi ang point namin dito is to send a strong message through a manner na kakatakutan," he said. "Alam mo ang Pinoy, masunurin 'yan eh. Pag nakita nilang may implementation, may political implementation, may political will, tigil 'yan."
Duterte has been an ardent supporter of the death penalty. In his State of the Nation Address last year, he said, "It is really an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. You took a life, you must pay it with a life."
Currently, a bill seeking to bring back the death penalty has made it past the third and final reading at House of Representative. At the Senate, it has yet to be tackled at the committee level.
Sought for comment, newly-appointed Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the outlook for the proposed law would be better if it only sentenced individuals convicted of high-level drug crimes.
While not a government agency, the VACC wields a powerful influence within Philippine politics. They want bloody executions for killers but as Sotto says the death penalty bill which has passed in the House only sentence drug offenders to death. The reason being that the Congress can amend the bill later after it passes to include other offenders. This is definitely not how legislation works. You don't pass a weak bill into law so you can later amend it. What do these guys mean by "bloody" anyway? The guillotine?
Supt. Chitadel Gaoiran, regional police spokesperson, in a text message, said the dismissal order was already out for Tava, who served in the Philippine National Police for seven years until he went on AWOL in March last year.
Meanwhile, the PNP is processing the dismissal of Sionilo who went on AWOL in March 2017, after 11 years in the service.
One of these guys served 7 years and the other seven 11 years before he want AWOL. All that time wasted. No retirement package for them.
Two Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) employees face possible dismissal from service for alleged corruption, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Friday, May 29.
Amelita dela Cruz and Jean Gunda, both from LTFRB-National Capital Region (NCR), are facing complaints for allegedly extorting money in exchange for vehicle franchises.
Gunda allegedly asked P175,000 from a certain Rogelio Colita, a taxi driver, to grant him a franchise to operate in April 2016. After a year of follow-ups, no franchise was granted.
Meanwhile, Dela Cruz was involved in a video extorting P250,000 from an unnamed complainant in exchange for a UV Express franchise.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade urged the public to refrain from being involved in corrupt dealings as well, and to follow the right processes.
"'Wag niyo ilapit sa tukso ang mga empleyado kasi tayo po mismo ang naglalagay sa mga sarili natin sa alanganin. Gawin natin ang tama. Paalala lang sa lahat: kung ayaw ninyo kaming maging korap, 'wag niyo kaming korapin," said Tugade.
(Don't tempt employees because you will be putting yourselves in an awkward situation. Let's do what is right. Just a reminder to everyone: if you don't want us to be corrupt, don't corrupt us.)
The response from DOTr Sec. Tugade is out of this world! "If you don't want us to be corrupt, don't corrupt us." He is blaming the public for government corruption!
COA said that the DOJ maintained 3 bank accounts without authority. These are Land Bank accounts for the AMAN Futures Pyramid Scam trust Fund, Yolanda claims, victims compensation fund (VCF), and witness protection program (WPP) fund, among others.
“We recommended that Management transfer or deposit in full to the National Treasury (NT) the amount of P65,685,647.45 representing bank account balances not authorized to be deposited with authorized government depositary bank,” COA said.
COA noted that there has been partial compliance beginning 2015, or when Senator Leila de Lima was still head of the DOJ.
COA also flagged the DOJ’s “practice” of parking unspent money in one of its payroll accounts.
COA found an “undocumented transfer” of P621.6 million. In its exit conference with the DOJ, state auditors were informed that the fund transfers were for unspent balances of the allotments that the department received.
“The ATM account was used as a parking account for unused (Notice of Cash Allocation) to avoid lapsing,” COA said, in violaton of National Budget Circular (NBC) No. 567 dated January 3, 2017 issued by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and President Rodrigo Duterte’s veto message in 2017.
Partial compliance beginning in 2015? Then that means these financial irregularities have been occurring for years. And thank goodness because that also means former DOJ Secretary Aguirre is off the hook!
“I have no participation whatsoever in the transactions subject matter of the Annual Audit Report released by the Commission on Audit (COA),” Aguirre said in a statement on Saturday.
“These transactions involved operations between the Personnel Division and the Accounting Division. They are all below my level as Secretary of Justice,” he added.
COA said in its DOJ audit report, which is available on their website, that the transfer of P621 million worth of disbursed payroll funds was undocumented. For his part, Aguirre said that the financial transactions under COA’s report did not reach him, nor did he have prior knowledge of it.
“It is worth highlighting that the financial transactions in the Department of Justice are handled primarily by the Financial Service, from the Budget and Accounting Divisions and under their Director IV,” he said.
“In the delegation of functions, there is an Assistant Secretary and Undersecretary for Finance. Unless the law requires direct action of the Secretary of Justice, all financial transactions are taken care of by these officials,” he added.
I don't think Duterte is going to like this excuse.
True to cry commitment to proved genuine and meaningful change, I am placing Section 60, General Provisions, “Availability of Appropriations”, Volume I-B, pages 646-647 under conditional implementation and hereby direct all agency heads to ensure obligation of all programs, activities and projects funded under this Act not later than December 31, 2017. Failure to do so might have a devastating effect. This promotes not only good fiscal policy but more importantly, guarantees that public services are given to the people the soonest possible time.
https://www.dbm.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/GAA/GAA2017/VolumeI/VETO.pdf
All agency heads? That means Aguirre!
The security agency owned by the family of Solicitor General Jose Calida bagged almost P40 million worth of contracts with the National Parks Development Committee, documents obtained by GMA News Online showed.
Documents showed Calida's wife, Milagros, in her capacity as chairwoman and president of VISAI, signed a contract with the NPDC in June 2017 and another in January 2018 for security services for the Rizal Park and the Paco Park.
These deals cost P10.3 million and P29.2 million, respectively.
Calida's camp, however, said there was nothing irregular with the deals worth a total of P39.5 million because these underwent public bidding.
A fact sheet sent by Calida's office said there was also no conflict of interest as he had already resigned as president and chairman of VISAI on May 30, 2016, a month before he took his oath as the government's chief lawyer.
Nothing irregular? No conflict of interest? If it looks like corruption and smells like corruption then it is probably corruption. Has Duterte caught this whiff coming from Calida?
What is this?
"Oh it's just a charity basketball league comprised of government officials."
So the Philippine government officials have time to mess around and play in a charity basketball league? No wonder the country is in such disarray!
The DOTr is getting desperate and stupid. Clear the roads of all obstructions including tricycles, pedicabs, vendors, dogs, and people. Put enforcers on the roads and ENFORCE THE TRAFFIC LAWS. But asking the Philippine government to enforce its laws is like asking a dog not to lick its butt. Maybe the way to solve traffic in Manila is a network of canons which can shoot people across town like they do in the circus?
“You do not use it in a democratic country. Do not use first family, first family. There is no such thing as a first family. All Filipinos belong to the first family. And it is in utter bad taste to use it,” he stressed.
“You have never heard me say Malacañan Palace, especially ‘palace.’ I just say ‘my office.’ See me at my office. Go to my office,” he pointed out.
“And I do not use the word ‘official.’ If you have noticed I use ‘government worker.’ I always say ‘mga kasama ko sa gobyerno’ (my colleagues in government), government worker. It’s not that I am trying to be corny about it. But I think that at this time, this is a democracy. It’s a Republican form of government. Everybody is important here,” he added.
Duterte is so desperate to appear to be just a normal guy when in reality he is not. He is not jus like Juan Tamad in his shanty on the Pasig River.
A security escort of Mulanay, Quezon Mayor Joselito Ojeda was shot dead early Saturday in Mulanay.
According to Ojeda, he received information five days ago from one of his political leaders about some unidentified persons who were recruiting men supposedly for an assassination job.
“My men are the first targets,” Ojeda said in a phone interview.
Another mayor targeted for assassination.
“The President has said that. If anyone gets the natural resources in the West Philippine Sea, he will go to war,” Cayetano said in his speech, an official transcription of which was provided to reporters by the DFA’s Office of Public Diplomacy.
“He said, ‘Bahala na.’ [But] he will go to war,” Cayetano said.
“Bahala na” is an expression Filipinos use when they don’t know what happens next. The closest equivalent in English is “whatever will be, will be,” from Doris Day’s 1956 song “Que sera, sera.”
Cayetano’s remarks seemed to contradict the President’s recent pronouncements that he preferred to maintain friendship with China rather than engage the Asian giant in a war over the two countries’ territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
Cayetano said the administration’s decision to keep mum did not mean it was not doing anything to deal with China and to defend the country’s territory and sovereignty.
“Even the President himself told (Chinese) President Xi Jinping, ‘That is ours. The West Philippine Sea is ours. We want to start digging for oil and gas in the South China Sea.’ How much stronger a statement can that be?” he said.
“At the right time, we will prove you wrong because nothing is secret forever. Even the US, they declassify materials,” he said.
“When we declassify all of these, once we have achieved our purposes in the future, you will see that the DFA was not remiss in filing diplomatic action,” he added.
Forgive us if we don't believe a single word you are saying.
Labor Undersecretary Jacinto “Jing” Paras is accused by Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan) of attempting to steal his phone.
Villarin said that he does not know Paras but the latter went up to him and said, “Kayo pala ni Hontiveros ang magkasama.” Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Villarin are both with the Akbayan party-list.
Villarin continued that after he was distracted for a moment, he realized that his mobile phone went missing. According to the complaint, Paras engaged the Akbayan solon in small talk while Paras placed his cell phone on top of Villarin's, an iPhone X, which was then placed on top of a table.
"Afterwards, the Respondent (Paras) picked up both cellular phones from the table and left the De Venecia Hall. He then proceeded to Zulueta Hall on the second floor of the same building," part of the complaint reads.
The incident of Paras taking his phone and leaving it in another room were both recorded by the House's CCTV camera.
Sounds like he might have been trying to steal information for the phone and not just steal the phone. Maybe he had some device that could read the information on the phone? Let's see the CCTV footage!
Villarin later went on to give a speech persuading his colleagues to ban Paras from the House.
“He said he already filed a complaint for theft against me, so why does he not wait for me to receive a copy of his complaint and let me answer it,” he added.
The Labor official, who has admitted to taking Villarin’s cellphone by mistake, said he is entitled to due process of law.
He accused Villarin of using squid tactics because the latter’s complaint is very weak and has no leg to stand.
“That is why he is using the privilege speech as his political propaganda ahead of the dismissal of his complaint which has no basis in law. He cannot get the proper authority to rule in his favor because he is a big liar,” he added.
Squid tactics? At least he admitted he took the phone! This tit for tat is the essence of Philippine politics.
Duterte said Jurado was a “fool” for allowing the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone (APECO) to grant franchises to areas outside Aurora province.
“May I call the government corporate counsel. Are you (here)? If you are here, come out, you son of a b****. You are fired. I do not need you and maybe you don’t need me,” the President said during the ceremonial enactment of two laws in Malacañang.
“When you are granted a franchise to conduct gambling in a certain facility, it does not include farming out that franchise to other cities and provinces. If that’s the case, ramble on following your theory, you can ramble on to give permits beyond the shores of Luzon and you can do it in Siasi, Jolo,” he added.
Duterte said Jurado granted himself powers similar to gaming operator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).
Jurado previously denied the corruption allegations against him, claiming they were fabricated by subordinates who were affected by his reforms.
The dismissed government counsel had also responded to criticsms against his legal opinion allowing APECO to grant permits outside its controlled area.
According to him, APECO is allowed to operate outside the Aurora Economic Zone as long as it is within an area controlled by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).
Another Duterte appointee accused of corruption and overstepping his authority who will never get his day in court.
A NEWLY-ELECTED councilwoman was gunned down by inside her house in Barangay General Malvar in Pontevedra, Negros Occidental Saturday, May 26.
Salvacion Samson, 51, was having breakfast with her daughter around 9:01 a.m. when the gunman entered the house and approached her.
The gunman told the victim: ”may pinadala di sa imu (someone asked me to bring this to you).”
He then drew his firearm and shot Samson in the head and chest said Senior Inspector Ryan Salazar, Pontevedra police chief.
What a nice gift for winning the election.
The new building, which rises several storeys high, is an abstraction of the eight-rayed sun featured on the Philippine flag and has four pillars which represent justice, equality, freedom and representation.
This is what the new session hall would look like. Unlike the classroom-type session hall in the present Senate building in Pasay City, the new session hall would be a semicircle, similar to the designs of the US Senate and House on Capitol Hill and The Assemblee National in Paris.
Is any of this necessary? Is it necessary to build a costly and garish symbolic structure just for the Senate? Why not build ONE building where both the Senate and the House can meet? You know like the US Senate and House?
Gordon said the Philippine flag symbolizes the nation's struggle for independence and victory against foreign colonizers.
The three stars in the flag represent the three major geographical divisions of the country: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao; while the eight rays of the sun represent the eight provinces that revolted against the Spanish regime, namely: Batangas, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Manila, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Tarlac.
Gordon said that behind the stories of the most celebrated names of national heroes, who fought for our independence, lie the stories of our mostly-forgotten Muslim heroes, including Lapu-Lapu, Sultan Kudarat and Rajah Sulayman, who displayed courage, bravery and integrity.
The senator explained that it is for this reason that he proposed to add a ninth ray to the sun in the Philippine flag to acknowledge the courage, bravery and integrity of Muslim Filipinos who fought for the nation's independence.
"With their courage, bravery and integrity, our Muslim heroes left an imprint on national history that, at the very least, must be given due recognition in the most heraldic item of national importance--the Philippine flag," he said.
It's not that symbolic architecture or legislation is pointless or wrong per se. It's just that there is so much work to be done to build this country and these people are engaged in frivolities.
Speaking at a BOC event, Duterte announced that he has fired Noel Patrick Prudente, deputy commissioner for management information system and technology group, due to excessive travels.
The president said that the sacking of Prudente would cut short the agony of the House of Representatives, which is investigating him for corruption.
“I’ll make it easy for the Congress. I’m firing him effective today,” Duterte said.
Thats pretty cold to be fired infant of your colleagues. The bit about Prudente being investigated by the House for corruption is interesting. He is being looked at for the 105 containers of smuggled goods released a few months ago. So now this man won't be held accountable? Now the investigation is over? I doubt that. What's more is that Duterte thinks by firing Prudente he is now off the hook. What a revealing look into his mind that revelation is! He is literally acting like getting rid of the problem will make it go away. AS of yet there is no word on the contents of the 105 containers of smuggled goods.
The peace process is going smoothly. Newly elected Barney official Edgar Panisan is now resting in peace.
At a congressional briefing on the recent developments in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), ACT-Teachers Rep. France Castro asked Cayetano what advantages the country have against China.
Cayetano said: "Ma'am, I'm sorry to answer you in the language of basketball: 'heart.'"
He was apparently referring to the "heart" battle-cry of the country's national basketball team Gilas Pilipinas.
The Philippines has heart but China has missiles they can shoot right into that heart.
In an interview on Dobol B sa News TV on Friday, Cimatu said he is worried that more time may be needed as he was surprised that there were 43 illegal pipes unearthed on the island's beachfront, where tourists usually go for swimming.
The Cabinet official said establishments installed pipes on their own without obtaining the necessary permits. The unearthed pipes were also proof of violation of the 25 meters plus 5 meters no-build zone from the shoreline.
Criminal and administrative cases as well as fines amounting to P10,000 to P200,000 per day await those found responsible for the installation of illegal pipes, Cimatu said.
Does the Philippine government really think they can fix 30 years of environmental damage in six months?
At first Duterte was like:
“It won’t stop until the government runs out of corrupt personnel, even if it means firing everyone because that is the promise of the President,” Roque said.
“But he believes that while he is firing a lot of people because of corruption, many others want to serve the country,” Roque added.
Despite claims that there is double standard in Duterte’s crackdown on corruption, Roque gave the President’s effort a score of nine out of 10.
“The campaign against corruption is really effective,” the President’s spokesman said.
But then he was all:
“Calida, his security firm has been around for a long time. Why should I fire him? He is good, he is also from Davao but he is an Ilocano,” the President said yesterday in a mix of Filipino and English in remarks at the Bureau of Customs in Manila where he witnessed the destruction of smuggled luxury vehicles.
“Why? Don’t we have the right to own a business?” he added, referring to the Calida family’s Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc. (VISAI).
Duterte said it’s alright for officials to be owners of businesses with contracts with government “as long as you do not participate” directly. “The fact that you have divested, you have retired… So why do you have to impute or attribute malice there?”
Calida had earlier admitted he has yet not divested his 60 percent stake in the security agency.
Although virtually cleared by the President, Calida may have to face investigation by the Department of Justice.
At a hearing on his confirmation yesterday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra backtracked from an earlier statement and assured lawmakers he would “take a look” into the contract between the DOJ and the Calida family’s security agency.
Duterte will never get rid of corruption. Its in the DNA of Philippine politics.
