It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption and murder in Philippine politics.
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/714579/robredo-pushes-for-zero-killings-in-drug-war/story/ |
Vice President Leni Robredo will push for zero killings in the government’s drug war now that she has been named co-chair of the inter-agency against illegal drugs (ICAD) panel.
Robredo made the pitch a day before her scheduled briefing with her ICAD co-chair and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Director General Aaron Aquino.
“Wala sa plano natin ang pagpatay kasi wala iyon sa bounds ng rule of law. Iyon ‘yung ating directive,” Robredo said.
This is as stupid and impossible a goal as Duterte's promise to end crime and drugs in six months.
A team of five crack policemen has been dispatched to hunt down and arrest the policeman believed to be the gunman in the murder of radio commentator Dindo Generoso on November 7, 2019 in Barangay Piapi, Dumaguete City.
Entoma said that based on the CCTV footage, the alleged triggerman, Police Corporal Roger Rubio, was wearing a helmet of unique design.
The same helmet was recovered by the policemen inside his house in Barangay Banilad, Dumaguete City, Entoma revealed.
Rubio was tagged as the triggerman in the murder of Generoso together with his accomplice, retired policeman Glenn Corsame, the alleged driver of the motorcycle boarded by Generoso when he shoot the broadcaster; and Teddy Reyes Salaw, the driver of the pick up who acted as the spotter.
Two PNP officers, one retired, acting as assassins. But why? Who ordered them to kill the man? And why was he wanted dead? How many more of all the countless motorcycle assassins are current or former PNP officers?
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| https://www.rappler.com/nation/244406-masbate-village-chief-killed-military-encounter-communists |
A village chief was killed in a clash between communist insurgents and government troops in Milagros, Masbate, at 6 am Wednesday, November 6.
Major Ricky Aguilar, spokesperson of the Philippine Army's 9th Infantry Division, identified the village chief as Wolfert Dalanon alias Ompong.
Aguilar said joint elements of the 2nd Infantry Battalion and the 2nd Masbate Provincial Mobile Force Company were conducting combat operations following reports of presence of communist insurgents in Barangay San Antonio when they encountered an undetermined number of rebels, including Dalanon.
"It was learned that Dalanon, who is an active member of the communist terrorist group (CTG), had been supporting the terrorists' illegal activities and recruitment schemes," Aguilar said.
He added, "In fact, initial reports revealed that the terrorists were having their training in his barangay for several days now and today was supposed to be the graduation when the clash broke out."Turns out they graduated anyway. The ultimate graduation to the next life.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1188188/pdea-palace-dare-robredo-to-join-drug-raids |
“I gave her an invitation so she’ll know that what she’s saying that nobody should die in anti-illegal drug operations is impossible,” Aquino told the Inquirer in a phone interview.
“She (Robredo) does not understand what goes on in those (anti-illegal drug) operations,” he added.
“There will be casualties especially if the enemy (drug suspect) is armed and dangerous. The possibility of encounters is high,” Aquino pointed out further, as he cited the policemen and PDEA agents killed in such operations.
“People who enter target areas already have one foot in the grave. There will always be casualties if drug offenders have the intention to fight.”
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1188268/cayetano-hits-all-talk-robredo-in-first-days-as-drug-czar |
“I’ve been monitoring the last three days and parang from Oplan Tokhang, naging Operation All Talk,” Cayetano said in an interview over CNN Philippines.
“I guess it just so happen that the Vice President is a favorite of the media or she likes media exposure,” he added.
(She’s saying that she wants a briefing from all departments and agencies. There hasn’t been a briefing yet so why all these ideas and criticisms already?)
These people are really asking too much too soon from Robredo. So what if she is voicing ideas and criticisms. She only just started the job and is only talking about how she may go about it. Why would the PDEA Chief invite the VP to go on drug raids? What is the point of such an invitation? He said it: so she can see how dangerous the job is and the killing people is inevitable if they are armed. Does she really not know about the danger? Has Duterte ever been on a raid with the PDEA or PNP? The idea is ludicrous.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1187974/lacson-to-robredo-cut-drug-supply-watch-your-back |
Vice President Leni Robredo’s war on drugs will focus on reducing the supply of narcotics in the country, but as she embarks on this campaign, she should always watch her back, according to Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
Lacson told reporters on Saturday that he had met with Robredo and discussed what she could do in her new role, which President Rodrigo Duterte handed to her in a fit of pique after she criticized what she said were the “senseless killings” in his administration’s centerpiece program.
Lacson said he would help Robredo in her new role and talked with her on Friday before she held her first meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-illegal Drugs (Icad) where she was appointed cochair by the President.
According to Lacson, the Vice President has a good grasp of the illegal drugs situation and had read up on the issue extensively.
“We agreed… that it would be better if we would refocus, shift the strategy on fighting drugs to supply constriction,” he said.
The focus of the drug war has been on the demand side, which targets mostly drug users and street peddlers.
Focusing on supply means making the street value of drugs prohibitive and taking down big-time dealers, Lacson pointed out.
According to Lacson, it was important for the Vice President to have a group of people she could trust and who could be relied upon to tell her about policemen “who are straying from the proper path and committing wrongs.”
“There are a lot of characters in this world she entered,” he said. “She should really watch her back all the time.”
Lacson wasn’t supportive of a suggestion, which was made on Friday by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief Aaron Aquino on Friday, that Robredo join antidrug sweeps because this might compromise the operations.
Lacson's approach toward Robredo is certainly more honourable and helpful then just about everyone else. Focusing the drug war efforts on cutting the supply just might work toward winning the drug war but we will see.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1085576 |
The convoy of the town mayor of Masiu, Lanao del Sur was ambushed by still unidentified gunmen, around 10 a.m. Sunday in Barangay Gata, Buadipuso Buntong town.
Col. Madzgani Mukaram, chief of Provincial Police Office in Lanao del Sur, said Mayor Nasser Pangandaman Jr., was on the way to his office from Marawi City when gunmen armed with high-powered firearms waylaid his convoy.
Pangandaman and his escorts cheated death but his police escort, Staff Sgt. Jabbar Romato Pangandaman and other two civilian companions, Jamal Gabriel Pangandaman and Casanoding Mangandog onboard the other vehicle, were injured.
Mukaram said Sgt Pangandaman sustained a gunshot wound on his abdomen, Jamal on his right knee while Mangandog in his buttocks.
Attempted assassination of a small town mayor. He got away clean but his bodyguards were hit.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1188651/3-police-majors-in-hot-water-over-p334-m-body-cam-deal |
Three police majors face the axe for allegedly making P5 million out of a deal for the purchase of body cameras, which were, ironically, intended to ensure that cops go by the book in their operations.
Body camera purchases have for a year been on the Philippine National Police’s wish list to ensure transparency in its antinarcotics operations.
The PNP officer in charge, Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, announced on Monday that he has ordered the filing of criminal and administrative cases against Majors Emerson Sales, Rholly Caraggayan and Angel Beros.
He noted that only Beros is still in active service while Sales and Caraggayan have gone absent without leave.
He noted that he discovered early this year the P5-million extortion after the proponent, who was eventually disqualified from the bidding to supply the PNP with 3,000 body cameras, complained about the disqualification.
“There were even checks issued in their [police majors’] name. Imagine, I don’t know with these people. I haven’t really announced that because honestly it’s a setback on the BAC because I believed we were clean. But of course it’s a very isolated case,”
Gamboa said, “I told them, ‘We are trying to prove that government procurement can be clean and here are you putting a very bad example.’ And I promised to the members of the BAC that I will dismiss these three police majors and they are undergoing now administrative proceedings.”
He added that he expects the PNP Internal Affairs Service to decide on the police majors’ fate within the month. “I am sure that they will be dismissed because this is also part of our anticorruption campaign,” Gamboa said, adding, “Appropriate criminal cases will also be filed.”
The purchase of body cameras by the PNP was in response to public clamor in 2017 for police transparency specifically in anti-illegal drug operations.
The P334-million budget for the body cameras was released in 2018. Initial bidding for the body cameras failed since none of the bidders met the required technical specifications.
Not only did these 3 PNP Majors extra P5million from a would-be supplier of body cameras but none of those who made a bid for the contract were able to see the required technical specifications for the body cameras. Who did they have bid? Police around the world wear these cameras. Maybe invite an American company to bid on the contract. Oh and they say this is an isolated case. PNP officers committing extortion is an isolated offence!
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| https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/metro/715412/4-manila-cops-nabbed-for-alleged-extortion/story/ |
Four police officers from the Manila Police District were arrested for allegedly extorting money from an inmate's wife.
According to a police report, Police Corporals Nickson Mina, Juan Carlo Guzman, Francis Mikko Gagarin, and Patrolman Tom Hikilan had been subjected to an entrapment operation at Baseco Police Community Precinct Station 5 on Wednesday night.
The cops, all line beat patrollers, were nabbed after they received the marked money amounting to P200,000 from the complainant Alaysa Panansang.
According to the complainant, the police officers allegedly demanded P500,000 from her in exchange for the release of her husband who was arrested on Tuesday for supposed involvement in illegal drugs.
The price was later lowered to P200,000.
Oh look it's another isolated case of PNP officers extorting money.
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| https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2019/11/12/1968032/albayalde-had-control-ninja-cops-drug-sting |
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) yesterday said their former boss Oscar Albayalde had direct control and supervision over the multimillion-peso anti-illegal drug operation conducted in 2013 by the team of Maj. Rodney Baloyo IV, tagged as “ninja cops,” in Pampanga.
In their 15-page reply affidavit, the PNP-CIDG represented by police Lt. Julius Sagandoy rebutted the counter-affidavit filed by Albayalde, saying the former PNP chief used denial as his main defense.
“Albayalde was fully informed about every detail that was happening during the raid, including, but not limited to, the marked money, pre-arranged signal, suspects’ arrest and confiscation of suspected shabu placed in one open luggage and one medium-size box, the cash money amounting to P300,000 and the marked money amounting to P100,000,” the CIDG said.
It added, “Despite knowledge of the irregularities in the said operations, he remained mum and even applauded respondents Supt. Baloyo and his team for a job well done.”
The CIDG also pointed out that the dismissal of the criminal case against Chinese national Ding Wenkun and Roel Cabag strengthened the allegations allegedly committed by the respondents in the case.
If this is all true then hopefully the case can be quickly brought to trial and Albayalde face the appropriate punishment.
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| https://entertainment.inquirer.net/351414/bong-revillas-rumored-tv-comeback-draws-flak-from-celebs |
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.’s supposed return to television has earned the ire of his fellow celebrities, who are now questioning media giant GMA Network for being an “enabler” of a “plunderer.”
Apart from guesting in “The Gift”, Revilla’s comeback to TV will be in a still-untitled drama-fantasy anthology, a children’s show, as per Philippine Entertainment Portal on Nov. 4.
Severo stressed in another tweet that it does not matter whatever show the senator will be in, as Revilla should not be back on television at all.
The real reason Bong Revilla should not be returning to TV is not because he is a plunderer but because he is a Senator and should focus on that.“For a network to employ this man is for it to help his image-building, therefore help him acquire more political clout and eventually enable him to plunder some more,” he explained.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1189291/cabanatuan-judge-subpoenas-baguio-enforcers-who-took-his-license-plates |
A Cabanatuan City judge has subpoenaed traffic enforcers of Baguio City, who handed him a ticket for illegal parking during a visit there in October.
Bernard Batnag, a member of the city’s public order and safety division, and the traffic enforcement chief assigned to the Baguio City Public Market, were directed to appear at the sala of Municipal Court Judge Nelson V. Lago of Branch III on Nov. 29 to explain why they should not be cited for indirect contempt.
The Oct. 28 subpoena order says Batnag and traffic enforcers also removed the license plate of Lago’s vehicle, which was parked near a jeepney terminal along Kayang Street on Oct. 25. Removing his license plate was a violation of due process, the judge complained.
The subpoena says Lago attended a security seminar in Baguio and was headed back to Cabanatuan when he parked briefly at the market.
Settling the fine and recovering his license plates “evidently caused delay in the scheduled hearings” and “the administration of justice,” according to Lago’s order.
Why did traffic enforcers remove the licence plate? More importantly why is this judge blatantly abusing his authority with this obvious conflict of interest.
Government agencies are pressured to accommodate pet projects submitted by legislators even if these departments would not know how to implement them, according to Senator Panfilo Lacson.
Lacson disclosed this on Thursday amid ongoing deliberations on the proposed 2020 budget of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) where he called out appropriations for several “vague” projects.
(Come March or April, Malacañang would have a budget call and the agencies will defend their request for funding. Sometimes they would just accommodate the project even if they could not defend its budget, they can’t do anything about it since they were requests submitted by legislators).
“I’m not blaming at all DPWH because there are some submissions beyond their control. Even during the committee hearing, si Secretary (Mark) Villar was candid enough to admit ang iba riyan hindi namin alam kasi submitted ng congressmen (some of the projects we didn’t know about because they were submitted by congressmen),” Lacson went on.
Seems like what is happening is members of the House are submitting all kinds of projects to the DPWH just to put their names and faces on them. Why would the DPWH accommodate these projects if they do not know how to implement them and cannot defend the budget allocations? Sounds like more corruption.
A bill seeking to give President Rodrigo Duterte special powers to expedite the implementation of his administration’s “Build, Build, Build” (BBB) program has been filed in the House of Representatives.
Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda on Wednesday filed House Bill No. 5456, which seeks to give Duterte special powers to “utilize all necessary government resources, exercise police power, and employ executive actions and measures to ensure the effective implementation” of the 75 flagship projects under the Duterte’s administration’s ambitious infrastructure program.
Under Section 13 of the proposed measure, the special powers for Duterte will be “valid and effective for a period of three (3) years.”
House Speaker Cayetano has already said he will not bring this bill for debate because Duterte has rejected special powers of any kind. But why do legislators think the solution to these problems with infrastructure is to give the president special powers? If the projects cannot be built without them then there is a problem. Some of the problems include lack of skilled workers, lack of funds, and lack of materials. Special powers won't correct those issues.
Most of the illegal drugs shipped to the Philippines come from China, if not Chinese citizens, Vice President Leni Robredo, new co-chair of the government's anti-narcotics body, said Thursday.
Robredo made the comments after meeting with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police officials at her office in her capacity as co-chairperson of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD).
“I want to gather more data, but as you report to us today, most of the [illegal] drug supply here, comes from China. "Those who are late operating, too many Chinese nationals or Filipino Chinese," Robredo said.
“That is something that we should look into.”
She is not saying anything new. The PDEA reported the same thing last year. The only difference is that Robredo says she wants to look into this situation and talk with the Chinese government about it.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1086018 |
The city government has raised concern over the increasing cases of absenteeism and habitual tardiness among its employees.
Lawyer Doan Balboa, executive assistant of the City Mayor’s Office, said Thursday they uncovered the problem in the wake of an ongoing review of the daily time records (DTRs) of all city employees.
Balboa said they are currently identifying employees who have logged numerous unauthorized absences and tardiness.
“This is a major concern for us since it will eventually affect the delivery of services in our offices,” she said in an interview.An epidemic of employees showing up late or not at all. The last time I went to City Hall everyone was playing on their phones.
