Coronavirus Lockdown: Ineligible Beneficiaries, Dispensation Ends, and More!

More news about how the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines is being handled by the public and the government.

Remember all the movies allocated to the indigent during the pandemic?  Some of the beneficiaries of that money were ineligible. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/871274/coa-p70m-in-covid-19-funds-went-to-ineligible-beneficiaries/story/

At least P70 million of the government’s COVID-19 response funds did not go to eligible beneficiaries, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

This is stated under COA’s Performance Audit Report on the COVID-19 Adjustment Measures Program (CAMP), a government program which provided financial support to affected workers during the pandemic.

State auditors said that the P70.26 million CAMP fund was given to 14,052 beneficiaries of which 6,214 were "ineligible" while the 7,838 were "probably ineligible beneficiaries" because they already received financial assistance from other financial support programs of the government such as the Small Business Wage Subsidy Program by Social Security System (SSS) and Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Social Amelioration Program and their monthly gross salary were above the P40,000 threshold.

“Based on the interview, DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) only relied on applicants’ self-declaration since there was no available and complete centralized database that would serve as a basis for determining whether an applicant already received financial assistance from other programs,” the COA said.

“In addition, only the DOLE, Department of Finance (DOF), and SSS were able to have a data sharing agreement on their beneficiaries,” the COA added.

State auditors cited that under the Implementing Guidelines of Bayanihan 2 Law, the subsidies or benefits received from existing financial assistance programs  will be taken into consideration in the computation of the subsidy or benefit to be received to prevent double dipping or unauthorized receipt of multiple subsidies.

In addition, the CAMP-Bayanihan 2 guidelines issued by the DOLE provided a list that enumerates the exclusions from qualifying for the program to prevent the distribution of financial assistance to ineligible beneficiaries described in the Bayanihan 2 law.

COA also noted that the comparison of CAMP-Bayanihan 2 (beneficiaries information including SAP self-declaration) and SBWS data revealed that  a total of 33 beneficiaries received financial assistance from three government programs, and that these 33 beneficiaries had received a total of P566,000 from CAMP-Bayanihan 2 and SBWS program.

COA also used the applicants’ self-declaration from CAMP-Bayanihan 2 data to identify whether the beneficiary received SAP.  COA, however, could not determine if these 33 also received SAP due to lack of documents.

In response to COA’s findings, the DOLE Regional Offices in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Region 5 explained that the identified differences were due to timing issue when the applications were processed wherein, the list of beneficiaries from other financial assistance programs were still not available.

DOLE offices in Regions 5 and 7, for their part, argued that in some cases, beneficiaries misinterpreted the options provided and mistakenly ticked the checked box.

DOLE Region 5 also said that upon validation of data, a Demand Letter will be issued for the return of the financial assistance.

COA also said that the comparison of CAMP Bayanihan 2 and SBWS data also showed that  6,181 received CAMP Bayanihan 2 financial assistance amounting to P104.61 million, and that 52 of the 6,181 beneficiaries received both CAMP-Bayanihan 2 and SBWS aid.

The 52 returned their subsidies/financial assistance to Social Security System ranging from P5,000-P17,117, totaling P472,153.

“In our analysis and the result of interview, we noted that approval of the ineligible beneficiaries (also recipients of SBWS Program) was due to : a) manual cross matching of FO evaluators on the list of SBWS beneficiaries; b) delayed provision of the list; c) lack of awareness of some DOLE regional and field office evaluators on the list of SBWS Program beneficiaries provided by SSS; and d) voluminous applications received and evaluated,” COA said.

In the same COA report, DOLE told state auditors that it will maximize efforts to generate a clean list of beneficiaries which have been cross-checked with recipients of other financial assistance programs to ensure the detection of multiple/duplicate applications before they will be processed for approval.

The DOLE says letters will be sent out demanding any ineligible payments returned. Surely they must know that money is all gone now? 

Daily COVID cases have once more breached the 2,000 threshold. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1775655/daily-covid-19-infections-back-to-2000-cases-anew

The COVID-19 caseload went back to the 2,000 level after five days, based on the COVID-19 Tracker of the Department of Health (DOH).

On Friday, the country logged 2,001 new infections, slightly up from the 1,854 cases recorded the previous day. Daily cases had hovered around the 1,000 level for five straight days since Sunday last week.

This pushed the active COVID-19 cases to 16,314 and the total case tally to 4,131,790.

No new deaths were reported last week. The country’s death toll has reached 66,466 since the pandemic began three years ago.

Seventeen more cases of Omicron XBB.1.16, the latest COVID-19 variant to enter the country, had been reported in the latest biosurveillance report for the period May 15 to May 19. This brought the total cases of the highly transmissible strain to 28.

The DOH reminded the public to continue to use layers of protection against COVID-19 based on one’s risk to the virus as it blamed increased mobility for the gradual rise in infections.

“It is also important to note that there are many factors that can be attributed to an increase in cases,” the DOH said in a statement.

“However, as we have lowered our restrictions, individuals are now more mobile to which we may attribute our case increase,” it added.

It's funny how the DOH continues to blame infections on "increased mobility." It's like they want the lockdowns back in place. This number sounds bad but taken as a whole infections are DOWN.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/29/doh-posts-11-667-new-covid-19-cases

The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday, May 29, said 11,667 new Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the past week.

In its bulletin issued Monday, DOH said the average number of new Covid-19 cases in the past week is 1,667 — a figure that is six percent lower compared to the tally recorded from May 15 until May 21.

Of the new cases, 105 are severe and critical. Meanwhile, no deaths were recorded from May 15 to 28.

“We are reminding everyone not to be complacent about the threat of Covid-19. Rather, we must continue to properly comply with minimum public health standards under Alert Level 1,” said DOH.

Even Metro Manila has seen a drop in cases. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1776716/covid-19-positivity-rate-drops-further-in-metro-manila

Metro Manila’s COVID-19 positivity rate decreased to 21 percent in the week ending May 28, 2023, down from 25 percent the previous week, Octa Research fellow Guido David said on Tuesday.

“The reproduction number decreased to 0.97 or less than 1 as of May 26,” he said on Twitter.

However, hospital occupancy went up slightly from 28 to 29 percent.

As infections decline in Metro Manila, spikes emerge in several Luzon provinces, with 10 out of 18 monitored areas continuing to surge, David said.

A significant increase occurred in Oriental Mindoro, where the positivity rate leaped from 33 percent to 55 percent between May 26 and May 27, 2023.

Major increases in percentages were observed in Bataan (21 to 38 percent), Tarlac (15 to 21 percent), and Cagayan (21 to 27 percent, while notable declines were seen in Isabela (67 to 46  percent), Laguna (35 to 29 percent), and Batangas (36 to 30 percent).

“Positivity rates decreased in Batangas, Bulacan, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Isabela, Laguna, Rizal and Zambales. Positivity rates remained high in most of Luzon,” David observed.

There are increases and decreases around the nation but overall the DOH says the trend has been downward.  

The Bishop of Bulacan has ended the dispensation allowing Catholics to stay home for Holy Mass. Now they must attend Church once more. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/30/bulacan-bishop-invites-catholic-members-to-attend-holy-mass

Bulacan Bishop Dennis Villarojo will end the dispensation given to the Catholic faithful from attending Sunday masses starting June 11, 2023, and urged them to physically attend to their Sunday obligation in churches and parishes.

Villarojo said the obligation of Catholics to attend Mass, which was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic, will be reinstated and will take effect on June 11, the Solemnity of the Corpus Christi.

“At the conclusion of the pandemic that compelled limited opportunities to worship in person… we are hereby lifting the dispensation given to the faithful from personally participating in the Mass due to civil restrictions imposed on account of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Villarojo stated.

Exceptions in the form of particular dispensations are given to those who are sick, have fragile health, or are susceptible to contracting illnesses.

“Except for those (who are) sick and have serious reasons, all Catholics are expected to perform their obligations to physically attend Masses in churches,” the bishop said.

Villarojo also encouraged the parishes, chaplaincies, and Catholic schools to “employ all effective means necessary to catechize the faithful… on the importance of the Sunday obligation.”

“Let us ardently encourage the faithful to encounter God through the Church in her communal celebration of the Sacred Mysteries,” Villarojo added.

The diocese early this year ordered the parishes to limit the live streaming of Masses on Sundays to at least two, preferably one in the morning and one in the evening.

How different things could have been had the Church resisted the unlawful power of the State to prevent them from worshipping. 

The God Culture: Man Can Live Sinlessly

It is truly astounding that anyone takes Timothy Jay Schwab of the The God Culture seriously as a teacher of the Bible. While he does teach from it he does not teach what it actually says. Here is another example. Tim teaches that Enoch and Elijah are living in the Garden of Eden underneath the floor of the Sulu Sea off the coast of the Philippines and have been residing there for thousands of years. For food they eat the fruit of the Tree of Life. This prompted the following exchange between Tim and a viewer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdEs1MWCiCo&lc=UgzQ9djSfLXZ7GaC6nF4AaABAg

Just a question...if Adam & Eve became infected with the knowledge of good and evil (κολον and πονηρον) and had to leave the garden… because…. God said... no man may live forever with this knowledge.... (My current understanding is that this infection is passing on to all offspring of Adam and Eve.) Adam & Eve were thus expelled from the garden to de-nigh them and any descendants the possibility of eating from the tree that would prolong their life… Why would Enoch and Elijah… being infected with the knowledge of the good and evil… be allowed back into the garden and have access to prolong their lives while they are infected with this knowledge… It would seem Adam and Eve who were most likely less tainted by the satan’s harassment of gods creation would be allowed back into the garden before any others who are infected… however no infected descendant can be allowed access to that tree…. Not saying that the historical docs are mistranslated…. This just creates more questions …now that this info has been brought to light… hummmm……

Not really. These were holy men who conquered such infection remaining righteous proving man can and it is a misnomer that man cannot. Yahusha's blood was required for salvation of all men indeed but there is no reason a man can not live completely righteous. We just don't. Enoch is even recorded as more righteous than Noah which is hard for one to achieve. Principally in all of mankind, you have these 2 so really not much to reconcile. It is a testament to how holy they were. Yahuah chose them. Understand that He chose Adam and Eve to reside in the Garden before as clearly He has a role for a human priest there as well just as the Temple and Tabernacle which are mirrors of His way in the Garden in His Holy of Holies. These men were perfect in their walks and clearly Yahuah knew they were worthy of such a position and if they weren't, they would die in their sin in His presence yet they have not. We see this on a very temporary basis with Moses who withstood the physical presence of Yahuah for 40 days essentially. The assumption one cannot be that holy is not supported by scripture. It's just fact that almost all men are not. Some would then bring up Rom. 3:23 all have sinned but Enoch was not righteous until after he had his son around 65 years of age so he did sin. However, he was righteous from there. Yah Bless.

The essence of the question is, "Why are Enoch and Elijah allowed to eat from the Tree of Life despite having the knowledge of good and evil when Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden to prevent them from eating the Tree of Life because they had the knowledge of good and evil."

Tim says this is not a problem because Enoch and Elijah are righteous. Not only righteous but actually sinless. That is the implication here where Tim says Enoch was righteous after the age 65 but was a sinner before then. He says the same thing about Adam in his book Rest: The Case for Sabbath.

Rest: The Case for Sabbath, pg. 79

“Many assume Adam was evil and there is no evidence he ever sinned after he was tricked in the Garden. 

However, Adam atoned and remained righteous after by all accounts. We now know Adam knew and practiced the Law.

There is no record of Adam defecating, urinating, spiting, or picking his nose so I guess those things never happened either, right? Do you see the interplay here between Adam being sinless, righteous, and keeping the law? It's because they all work together in Tim's salvation scheme.

Furthermore Tim says one can become righteous, i.e. sinless, without the blood of Christ. Of course Tim says we need the blood of Christ for salvation but salvation is righteousness and if we can be righteous on our own then we don't need the blood of Jesus Christ or any of his work on the cross. This is why the Bible teaches righteousness comes by faith.

Tim's entire soteriology rests on us keeping the law! Tim flip-flops on this issue but ultimately he teaches we must keep the law to be saved even though he denies it that is where his system leads. According to him salvation is not union with Christ or Christ in us but a relationship which consists of us keeping the law. For his system to make any sense the conclusion is necessarily "keeping the law saves us." 

This is a truly horrendous teaching that his audience has been ensnared with. Tim has taken Jesus Christ and replaced Him with the Mosaic Law. Timothy Jay Schwab has said before he is not a Christian because it is a negative term not used by the Apostles. The fact is Timothy Jay Schwab is not a Christian in any sense of the term. He is not a follower of Christ. He is not a member of the Church or the ecclesia. He is not a part of the Body of Christ. Christ is not in Tim. The lying spirit of the devil resides in the wicked soul of Timothy Jay Schwab. 

Insurgency: War vs NPA Ending

This week gives the nation a huge surprise as the City of Smiles, Bacolod, has been officially declared insurgency free. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1201995

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez welcomed on Monday the declaration of this city as “insurgency-free” during the recent Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (RJPSCC) meeting held at the Bacolod City Government Center.

“It is very important for our peace and order. If the threat from that sector is contained, then definitely we will have a peaceful and orderly city,” the mayor said in a press conference.

Benitez pointed out that economic development remains to be the best solution and tool to address insurgency.

“Once we provide livelihood and create economic development, eventually all of these (concerns) will disappear,” he added.

The resolution declaring Bacolod as “insurgency-free” came after a series of successful peace and order initiatives that helped improve the peace and security situation of the city, including the City Council’s declaration of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) as persona non-grata in 2019, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) said.

In the resolution, the RJPSCC underscored the need for continuous collaboration among the security forces and the community to prevent the resurgence of any communist terrorist group-affiliated sectoral groups and to deter terrorism and other organized crime activities in the city.

“This milestone can be attributed to the sincerity of the people to create an environment suitable for peace and development. Without the active participation of the people in the quest to have an insurgency-free community, this breakthrough would not be possible,” Edralin said.

In a statement, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of 3ID, urged all security agencies to remain on guard and to deny the CPP-NPA any chance to recover their lost ground.

“Our success shall be measured when the people we are serving grow and expand their skills, boosting productivity and economic progress under the bedrock of reliable regional security,” he added.

Now, this is really odd because in the six years I have been writing about the insurgency not once have I come across a terrorist attack or NPA encounter in Bacolod City. In fact Bacolod is going through a kind of economic resurgence at the moment. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1944233/bacolod/business/marcos-leads-inauguration-of-township-development-in-bacolod-city

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has formally inaugurated property giant Megaworld Corporation’s 34-hectare The Upper East by unveiling the township marker, together with Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Alliance Global Group Inc. (AGI) Chief Executive Officer Kevin Tan yesterday, October 23.

The township marker highlights the rise of The Upper East as Bacolod City’s first large-scale master planned community on what used to be the site of the historic Bacolod-Murcia Milling Company.

The formal inauguration of The Upper East marks a vibrant beginning for Megaworld in Bacolod City as the company commits to generate more than 500,000 direct and indirect jobs in the province.

The township also plays an instrumental role in helping boost tourism in Bacolod through the construction of hotels and other tourism destinations within the township, the first of which was McDonald’s The Upper East, now known as the “most beautiful McDonald’s store in the Philippines.”

Megaworld is also reinforcing its commitment to help Bacolod’s information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector grow by opening new Peza-accredited office towers that will provide employment to around 100,000 individuals in the next five to ten years.

“Throughout our 33 years as a company, Megaworld has been investing in next-generation cities and provinces in the country. With Bacolod’s modern central business district rising here in The Upper East, Megaworld aligns its efforts with the government’s objectives of generating employment, jumpstarting tourism, and bringing in high-quality investments to the country,” Tan, who also serves as the chief strategy officer for Megaworld, said.

There has not been any insurgency in Bacolod for quite a long time if there ever was. However, there is plenty of insurgency activity in the surrounding countryside and VISCOM says there will be no let up in their attempts to stop it. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1201956

The Visayas Command (Viscom) on Monday warned peace spoilers that their days of sowing fear and terror in Visayan communities are numbered as focused military operations will never stop until they surrender or get neutralized.

“This is never going to stop. We cannot allow these peace spoilers to further sow fear and terror, as our operations will continue without any letup. We will continue to push with our focused military operation and push harder until justice is served for the atrocities that the terrorist group has committed on our people,” Viscom chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, said in a statement.

Arevalo said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is determined to end local communist armed conflict in the Visayas soonest.

Arevalo’s statement came as 10 New People’s Army rebels were killed, one surrendered, and another one was arrested in Negros Island in just two days of operations.

On Sunday afternoon, a rebel was killed after an encounter with the members of the 15th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Caliling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental.

On Saturday also, five NPA rebels were killed in three clashes between the members of the 62nd Infantry Battalion and the weakened guerrilla front Central Negros 1 (CN1) of the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor (KR NCBS) at the different sitios in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental.

The encounters in Moises Padilla were followed by another clash in the early morning on Sunday where four NPA rebels were killed, one was apprehended and another surrendered in Sitio Cambawgon, Barangay Trinidad in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.

“Our call for peace continues. The door of opportunity for you to return to the folds of the law remains open as we don't want more lives to be wasted,” Arevalo said, as he urged remaining members of the weakened guerrilla fronts in the Visayas to give up and surrender.

As he commended the troops for their efforts in pursuing the peace spoilers, Arevalo said the AFP’s sustained focused military operations proved to be successful against the communist insurgency in the Visayas.

Meanwhile, Gandara town mayor Warren Aguilar in Samar province has called on the remaining fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender following a recent clash between government forces and rebels in their town.

In a statement Monday, Aguilar said the local government is ready to assist rebels who will surrender to authorities.

“Through our Local Social Integration Program and Enhanced Local Social Integration Program, we are ready to receive all rebels who will return to the folds of law,” he said.

The mayor issued the statement days after a clash between government troopers and 10 armed rebels in upland Mabuhay village in Gandara town on May 17 where a Bushmaster semi-automatic rifle, two M16 rifle magazines and a backpack with personal belongings were recovered.

All these clashes going on and the AFP says the NPA is irrelevant and ineffective these days. Seems the opposite is true. 

So, Sara Dutere is now co-Vice Chair of the NTF-ELCAC and she is also the DepEd Secretary. What a perfect way for her to combine the two functions. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/24/vp-duterte-bares-plans-for-a-national-peace-curriculum

Underscoring the need for Filipino youth to realize the value of peace and nation-building, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Wednesday, May 24, revealed plans to institutionalize a national peace curriculum under the Department of Education (DepEd).

The official delivered a speech for the first anniversary of insurgency-free Davao City at Rizal Park in Davao City.

She talked about how she sees education as a way to teach children the ways in which peace affects their lives and future, and the lessons that Davao province learned from freeing once insurgency-ridden Paquibato District from the New People’s Army (NPA) through the Peace 911 initiative.

“The Department of Education is working hard to institutionalize a national peace curriculum to teach our children the value of peace as they build their skills and learn more about conflict resolution and non-violence,” she said.

“Through the national peace curriculum, we strengthen our youth’s resilience, maturity, and sense of patriotism,” Duterte added.

Calling education the “greatest equalizer”, she stated how “opportunities” for graduates will always be the same regardless if they are rich or poor.

“Education, as we know, harbors power that could change the course of our lives and that of our fellowmen,” she said.

The Vice President described education as a “tool that can emancipate us from poverty or injustice.”

“It is also a powerful tool for peacebuilding and combating terrorism,” she added.

Overlooking the fact that some of the most notorious terrorists were well educated what exactly will this program be? Is the nation filled with non-patriotic children? This program is part of the supposition that children are being recruited by the NPA but in no story about this issue are we given detailed facts. Case in point the following:

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1202125

The Philippine Army gathered at least 90 youth leaders in a two-day summit in Catubig, Northern Samar, that aims to stop the recruitment of the New People’s Army (NPA) among young people in the province.

Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, commander of the Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion (20 IB), said in a phone interview Wednesday, the May 20 to 21 summit, seeks to empower and give the youth a voice in advocating peace and nation-building.

“I hope that after the summit, young people will join the good aspirations of the Philippine Army towards a prosperous and peaceful town of Catubig. (That they will realize) that they belong to the generation who wants to solve the problem through peaceful means, without violence,” Buban said.

He encouraged them to be part of the opportunity to finally end the local communist armed conflict and insurgency.

Speakers during the summit were from the Philippine Army, municipal social welfare and development office, rural health unit, municipal environment and natural resources office, local election office, municipal police station, local disaster risk reduction and management office and Bureau of Fire Protection.

There was also a spiritual session and reflection night, bonfire activity and fellowship night.

Rey Christian Sabado, a former NPA fighter who is now a soldier, gave testimony on the deceptive recruitment of rebels. He encouraged the youth to be vigilant and critical of the people and organizations they interact with to avoid deceptive tactics.

The summit also elected the officers of Youth for Peace Movement – Catubig Chapter.

Several upland communities in the province are considered the hotbed of the communist terrorist group due to thick forests and poor road networks.

There are still two active NPA guerrilla fronts in Northern Samar hiding in the upland villages of Catubig, Las Navas, Silvino Lobos, Palapag, Mapanas and Gamay towns in Northern Samar. 

It would be interesting to know what this "spiritual session" was all about. It is interesting to note that the AFP keeps saying there are only two active guerrilla fronts in Northern Samar yet they are supposedly doing a lot of recruiting? Why don't they ever provide any facts about recruitment? And if recruitment is happening then these fronts are not inutile as the AFP would have us believe. 

Like the AFP and every administration since the 1970's Sara Duterte says the NPA is coming to an end.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/05/25/2268874/war-vs-npa-ending-sara

Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday branded the decades-long communist insurgency in the country as a dying movement, saying it is only a matter of time before the war against the New People’s Army (NPA) is put to an end.

“The NPA’s so-called protracted war is ending,” Duterte said during the event commemorating the first anniversary of Davao City’s declaration as insurgency-free.

“The guerrilla warfare tactic is no longer working for them to be able to breathe life into a dying movement,” she said.

Describing the NPA as the “devil,” Duterte, who was recently appointed co-vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), recalled their efforts while she was Davao City mayor to remove the rebel group’s presence in the city’s Paquibato district.

If the NPA is a dying movement then why is she and the AFP concerned about recruitment? A dying movement would not be able to recruit.

Hi, My Name is...36

It's time to take a look at some new people. This time we shall read about the misadventures of foreigners in the Philippines where It's More Fun. Funnily enough most of these people are Nigerian.

Hi, my name is Christopher Chapel. I spent $22,000 for a cruise around the world. When we docked at Palawan I had a heat stroke and was taken to the hospital. But rather than wait for me the ship left me behind. The doctors also said I was too weak to fly to Manila so I had to take a 14 hour boat ride instead. Later I was able to catch a plane back to the UK.  Thankfully I had travel insurance so everything was covered. 

https://palawan-news.com/passenger-left-stranded-in-palawan-after-world-cruise-ship-departs-without-him/

A 72-year-old British man, Christopher Chapel, was left stranded in Palawan after a P&O Cruises ship departed without him.

Chapel spent $22,000 for a world trip, but his journey took an unexpected turn when he had signs of heat stroke while on board, according to cruiseradio.net in a report posted on April 25. During his medical examinations, he discovered that he had suffered a mild heat stroke. However, by then the ship had already departed.

Due to his condition, physicians declared him unfit to fly to Manila, so he was forced to travel by boat accompanied by medical personnel. After a 14-hour ship journey, they arrived in Manila, where they caught a flight back to the United Kingdom.

The report said it was “fortunate” that Chapel had travel insurance, which covered his medical expenses and travel arrangements. Although he missed the remainder of his world cruise, he was grateful for the assistance he received from the medical staff and the travel insurance company.

Hi, my name is being withheld. I am from Switzerland and I came to Palawan to visit for a few days. I have been there before. It is quite lovely. But when I arrived I found I had no money in my account! My pension was late. So I slept outside the ATM biding my time. Local resident helped me out by giving me cardboard to sleep on and food to eat. Local officials even bought my diabetes medicine after I ran out. Thankfully my money came on 5 days later on April 19th. 

https://palawan-news.com/swiss-national-rescued-by-city-tourism-after-sleeping-beside-atm-for-three-days/

A 70-year-old Swiss national who had been sleeping beside an ATM along Rizal Avenue for three days was rescued in Puerto Princesa City.

The predicament of the foreigner, whose name was not disclosed, was relayed to City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. last Sunday, April 16, by Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Jerry Alili, who was attending an event at the time at Filigans Hotel.

Alvior told Palawan News that he called the Tourist Police Unit (TPU) led by Capt. Rebecca Libarra, who responded promptly on the same day to rescue elderly traveler.

He was taken to the TPU office, where it was discovered that he had a problem with his pension that was meant to go into his account, which was why he was unable to withdraw from the ATM.

(He arrived in the Philippines on April 14, but upon arrival, he had no money. He was expecting money to go into his account, like his pension. The staff there insisted for him to sleep inside, but he felt embarrassed, so he just requested the staff of Filigans to secure his belongings.)

Alvior told Palawan News that the diabetic traveler was given food, drink, and cardboard to sleep on by tricycle drivers and other good Samaritans during his three-day stay by the ATM.

He would weep anytime someone offered to feed him, yet he would turn down the opportunity to sleep on a bed if it was presented to him because he wanted to wait for his money.

(He’s already quite old, and he’s diabetic. His feet were even swollen. That’s where I appreciate our tricycle drivers who gave him a cardboard to sleep on and gave him food. They said he cried heavily whenever he was given food.)

In addition to their office, Alvior said that the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) also provided him with food after his rescue by the tourist police, and the City Health Office (CHO) conducted a medical check-up and prescribed medication for his diabetes, taking care of his needs.

Alvior said, it was the CTD that purchased his diabetic medication since he had run out of supply.

He noted that the foreigner refused to leave, stating he still wants to see the city, Roxas town, Port Barton in San Vicente, and El Nido, even after they requested assistance from the Department of Tourism (DOT) in MIMAROPA to help in contacting the Swiss Embassy in the Philippines.

(He didn’t want to leave. He said he had been here before and found it beautiful and the people are nice. He mentioned that he still had many places to visit. Our staff assisted him and kept an eye on him, and his money arrived on April 19. The Department of Tourism MIMAROPA offered to pay for his accommodation while he didn’t have money, but he insisted on paying for it himself when he received his money.)

Hi, my name is being withheld. I am from Nigeria. Inside the lounge at a condominium I saw a nice beautiful girl doing her homework and I sat down next to her. I asked her about herself and showed her some sexy things on my phone. But she got nervous and ran off to tell her father about me. He called the police.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/23/22/nigerian-nabbed-for-alleged-sexual-harassment-of-17-year-old-girl

A 33-year-old Nigerian was apprehended by authorities for alleged sexual harassment of a 17-year-old girl in Quezon City on Saturday, police said.

The incident allegedly happened inside a lounge in a condominium in Barangay Bagbaga in Novaliches while the victim was doing her homework.

Police said that when the suspect arrived, he sat next to her and engaged her in a conversation.

He was allegedly relentless in asking for details that made the girl uncomfortable, and made some advances by showing sexual remarks or obscene messages he typed on his phone.

Nervous and frightened, the girl immediately ran home to tell her father what happened, prompting them to report the incident and seek police help. 

Hi, our names are  Augustine Onyekachi Nkowachi, Tosen Samuel Oguntoye, Chubuike Joseph Nwokoro, and Christopher Okeke. We were producing fake IDs. We only got found out because one of our girlfriends snitched on us. After being given fake IDs she was told to open up several bank accounts so we could move money related to an online scam we were involved in. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/447522/4-nigerians-nabbed-for-falsifying-govt-ids-others-docs

Four Nigerian nationals were arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation Cebu Division Office (NBI CEBDO) for allegedly falsifying government IDs and other documents to be used allegedly for online scams.

The NBI agents swooped down on a house in a subdivision in Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City at past 3 p.m. on Monday, June 13, 2022, and arrested the four suspects.

They are identified as Augustine Onyekachi Nkowachi, Tosen Samuel Oguntoye, Chubuike Joseph Nwokoro, and Christopher Okeke.

The four will be facing charges of multiple counts of falsification of documents.

The operation was conducted after the girlfriend of one of the suspects sought the office’s assistance because she was allegedly persuaded by the suspects to facilitate the production of fake identification under her name.

After obtaining fake IDs, she was compelled by the suspects to open several bank accounts that will be used as means to facilitate transactions relating to an online scam.

NBI-CEBDO said that the suspects started their operation in April 2022, though, they were not released ATM cards by the banks yet, said Agent Atty. Niño Rodriguez.

Hi, my name is being withheld but I was the accomplace of a Nigerian who masterminded a romance scam. I contacted a man on Facebook and told him my name was “Janifer Natalia,” a US Army member assigned in Yemen. He fell for it hook, line, and sinker and we were able to scam him out of P400,000! If we had only not gotten so greedy he might not have contacted the cops. But he did so and we were busted in an entrapment operation.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1659600/nigerian-accomplice-face-raps-for-p400000-romance-scam

A suspected accomplice of a Nigerian involved in a “romance scam” was arrested in Tarlac City on Monday, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Anti-Cybercrime Group (ACG) of the Philippine National Police.

The statement, based on a report sent to the PNP officer in charge, Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, did not identify the suspects nor the man who they allegedly swindled of P400,000.

“A romance scam,” the ACG statement said, “is a confidence trick involving feigned romantic intentions using goodwill to commit fraud.”

This scam, as reported by the complainant, developed for almost five months, according to Lt. Gen. Jose Chiquito Malayo, PNP deputy chief for administration.

According to the ACG suspect, the accomplice got in touch with the victim through Facebook Messenger, introducing herself as “Janifer Natalia,” a US Army member assigned in Yemen.

As their online friendship, starting all the way back to April 19, developed, Natalia messaged the victim that she was sending the victim a package containing $1.2 million.

Another person, using an unregistered number, began texting the victim on June 8. That person went by the name “Lucy Diaz,” supposedly an employee of the Bureau of Customs.

Lucy Diaz began sending the victim texts demanding payment for customs duties and surcharges for the release of the parcel.

“The victim believed that he was communicating with a real person. So he was convinced to send the money amounting to [P400,000 through] money wire transfer, e-wallet and bank transactions,” Malayo explained.

After paying the P400,000, Diaz still demanded more money, which finally pushed the victim to report the crime to ACG.

The accomplice was arrested in an entrapment operation in Tarlac City, right after the victim handed over the money.

The arrested suspect said it was the Nigerian who was posing as Janifer Natalia.

According to the PNP statement, they will be charged for using fictitious names and swinding/estafa under the Cybercrime Prevention Act.

Hi, my name is Mac-Davis Bede Chuka. I used to be a high value drug target but then I got caught by the PNP. They busted me with high-grade Kush, shabu, rolling papers, money, and a pistol. Now I'm just another busted drug dealer.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1185524

Anti-narcotics operatives of the Philippine National Police (PNP) seized close to PHP8.9 million worth of illegal drugs from eight drug suspects, including a Nigerian national, in separate buy-busts in the provinces of Cebu, Negros Occidental, and Metro Manila.

In a report, Southern Police District (SPD) director Col. Kirby John Kraft said Nigerian Mac-Davis Bede Chuka, 28, a.k.a Okoro, a high-value target, was arrested during a drug sting by the District Drug Enforcement Unit in Barangay Western Bicutan, Taguig City on Thursday.

Seized from the suspect were three plastic sachets containing around 13 grams of dried leaves with fruiting tops suspected to be high-grade marijuana/kush worth PHP18,200, two plastic sachets containing 10 grams of shabu weighing more or less 10 grams worth PHP 68,000 digital weighing scale, grinder, a small box of rolling paper, caliber .45 pistol, two .caliber 45 magazines loaded with seven live ammunition, belt bag, boodle money utilized as the buy-bust money.

Hi, our names are Ikenna Onouha and Jacel Ann Paderan. I met a nice Filipina online and introduced myself as a Turkish national named "Demir Balik". I made a lot of promsies that she gullibly believed. I even convicned her to send me over P2 million. But when I asked for more that was when she got suspicious and alerted the cops. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1187641

Police arrested a Nigerian national and his cohort who are involved in an internet love scam worth PHP2.2 million in Bacoor City, Cavite.

In a statement on Thursday, Lt. Michael Bernardo, team leader of Quezon City District Anti Cybercrime Team said Ikenna Onouha, 37, Nigerian national; Jacel Ann Paderan, 28, were arrested in an operation by QCDACT and the Quezon City District Special Operation Unit personnel in Molino, Bacoor City, Cavite on Nov. 1.

The suspects have pending arrest warrants for swindling/estafa issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 230.

The case stemmed from the complaint of Onuoha’s victim whom he met at a dating site.

The victim claimed that her relationship with the suspect started in April 2020. The suspect then introduced himself as a Turkish national named "Demir Balik".

In the course of their virtual relationship, the victim said the suspect made a lot of promises which she believed.

The suspect managed to convince the victim to send him money, totaling PHP2,282,000.

Police said the money was sent to the bank accounts of Paderan and a certain Cristine Mae Elizares.

The victim said Onuoha told her that he has a dormant account in a bank in the United Kingdom and that he needs money to settle it.

“When the suspect asked for more money from the victim, it was then that she realized that she was being conned and decided to report the incident to our office,” Bernardo said.

Hi, my name is Nnaemeka Nwoke, alias Eggy. I have links to the West African Drug Syndicate which operates all the way over here in the Phillippines. I got busted for trying to sell drugs to an undercover cop. They siezed all my ecstasy, shabu, and cocaine which was valued at more then P5 million. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1710758/nigerian-man-nabbed-for-over-p5m-assorted-drugs-in-las-pinas-city

A Nigerian man believed to be linked to the West African Drug Syndicate (WADS) was arrested in Las Piñas City, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Friday.

NCRPO Regional Director Maj. Gen. Jonnel Estomo said suspect Nnaemeka Nwoke, alias Eggy, 36, was arrested after he tried to sell illegal drugs to undercover police officers during a bust led by the Southern Police District (SPD) on Thursday inside a subdivision in Barangay (village) Talon 5.

Seized from Nwoke were suspected ecstasy tablets, shabu (crystal meth), and cocaine. The seized drugs, police said is valued at P5.423 million.

The NCRPO said Nwoke is now detained at the SPD headquarters pending the filing of complaints for violations of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.  The pieces of evidence meanwhile were turned over to SPD’s Crime Laboratory.

Hi, my name is Emmanuel Chinedu Ejike. I am another Nigerian who was also a high value drug target. But the cops caught me during a buy-bust operation. Now I'm just another black male in jail for selling drugs.  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1728032/nigerian-nabbed-over-p136000-shabu-in-angeles-city

Policemen arrested a Nigerian man who allegedly yielded some P136,000 worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) during an anti-illegal drug operation late Wednesday, Feb. 8, at Ninoy Aquino village in nearby Angeles City.

Angeles City police director Colonel Juritz Rara identified in a statement  the arrested suspect as Emmanuel Chinedu Ejike, 27, of Camachiles village in this city.

Rara said the Nigerian is a “high-value individual” on the police list of drug personalities.

At past 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Angeles City police, with operatives from the province and region, conducted the buy-bust operation against the suspect.

Lawmen allegedly confiscated from Ejike some 20 grams of suspected shabu and recovered the marked P1,000-bill placed atop the nine pieces of “boodle” (play) P1,000 bills.

Rara said Ejike faces charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Hi, my name is Felix Briggs. Unlike the other Nigerians mentioned above I was not busted for drugs or for a romance scam. Instead I was busted for overstaying my visa. I thought I was off the hook really. After all, it took 15 months for the BI to enforce their deportation order. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1198251

An overstaying Nigerian national who has been on the Bureau of Immigration's (BI) wanted list for more than a year was recently arrested in Pasig City.

Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Monday that 32-year-old Felix Briggs was apprehended inside a condominium by agents from the bureau’s intelligence division last March 13.

The foreigner was arrested 15 months after he was ordered deported by the BI board of commissioners for overstaying.

“We call on other foreigners who are wanted for deportation by our bureau. Stop hiding because the long arm of the law will catch you sooner or later,” the BI chief said in a statement.

The arresting agents were armed with a warrant of deportation that Tansingco issued pursuant to a summary deportation order the BI issued against Briggs on Dec. 21, 2021.

He added that Briggs will be included in the bureau’s blacklist of aliens, effectively banning him from reentering the country.

The foreign national will be deported as soon as the BI secures his travel document and the required clearances for his deportation from the National Bureau of Investigation.

Retards in the Government 311

 It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.

 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/05/19/2267507/doj-indicts-bantag-pressuring-guards-cover-shootout-penal-farm

Prosecutors will be filing a new case against suspended corrections chief Gerald Bantag, this time for allegedly pressuring and threatening prison officers to deny that a shootout took place inside Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan in 2020.

In a resolution dated May 11, the DOJ indicted Bantag and former Bureau of Corrections spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag after it found that they “unlawfully coerced,  through violence,  threats,  and intimidation” prison officials into signing a document denying a shooting incident took place on March 1, 2020.

The corrections officers who filed the complaint were Lazaro Rafols Jr., Jer Sahid Mojado, Eddie Jimenez, Richie Canja, Roy Gacasa, and Asher Labrador.

Prosecutors also found enough basis to charge Bantag and Chaclag for unlawfully forcing the officers to withdraw their criminal complaint against the prisons chief's men over the incident at Ihawig.

“Bantag and Chaclag, even if they were then the superior officers of complainants, had no authority or any right to prevent Canja from filing a criminal case against those involved,” the DOJ resolution read.

“As a result, Bantag and Chaclag should be held liable for the crime of grave coercion,” it noted.

Former BuCor Chief Bantag has been charged anew with covering up a shoot out at a penal farm. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/22/sandigan-convicts-napoles-four-others-in-p15-m-pdaf-cases

Businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles and four other persons have been convicted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and malversation of public funds in the misuse of the P15.36 million priority development assistance fund (PDAF) of the late Davao del Sur 1st District Rep. Douglas R. Cagas in 2007.

Napoles was sentenced to six to 10 years imprisonment for each count of graft and 12 to 17 years imprisonment for each count of malversation.

Former Technology Resource Center (TRC) legislative liaison officer Belina A. Concepcion, former TRC group manager Maria Rosalinda M. Lacsamana and private individuals Mylene T. Encarnacion and Evelyn D. de Leon  were convicted each of one graft charge and one malversation charge.

Together with Concepcion and Encarnacion, Napoles was ordered to indemnify the national treasury of P7,680,000, which represents the amount wrongfully and illegally disbursed, and another P7,680,000 for the amount malversed.

Also, together with Lacsamana and De Leon, Napoles was ordered to indemnify the government P7,680,000 for their graft conviction and another P7,680,000 for their malversation conviction.

All of them were barred perpetually from holding public office.

The accused were also sentenced to perpetual special disqualification from holding any public office.

Janet Napoles and several others have been convicted of malversation and graft regarding the PDAF of late Davao del Sur 1st District Rep. Douglas R. Cagas in 2007.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/23/coa-orders-defunct-manila-gas-corp-to-return-25-watches-unconscionably-bought-for-centennial-anniversary

Eleven years after it ceased operation in 2001 and even if it did not operate for 100 years, the defunct Manila Gas Corporation (MGC) still celebrated its “centennial” in 2012 and purchased 25 watches as tokens during the celebration.

During its “centennial” anniversary on Sept. 9, 2012, MGC purchased 25 Skagen Titanium Tin watches as tokens to select officers, staff, and shareholders.

In affirming the notice of disallowance on the use of P203,140 for the purchase of the watches, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the purchase was "unnecessary and unconscionable" given that MGC ceased operation in 2001.

"MGC did not reach 100 years when it ceased operations on Dec. 1, 2001. Hence, there was nothing to commemorate," the COA said.

It pointed out that it was "inappropriate" for MGC to celebrate an anniversary when it has already been inoperative for more than 10 years. As of April 2012, the MGC has been advised only to proceed with its dissolution, it said.

"Disbursement of funds for extravagance or indulgence, more so granted three days before an agency ceases to exist, is unwarranted. It is an unnecessary and irregular expenditure that should be disallowed," the COA stressed.

It affirmed the Notice of Disallowance (ND) No. MGC 2013-001 issued on Nov. 21, 2013 on the purchase of the wrist watches as centennial anniversary tokens and said that "the recipients shall be liable to refund to the extent of the equivalent value of the Skagen watches at the time of their purchase."

Since 12 of the 25 recipients of the watches were unidentified, COA directed its audit team leader and supervising auditor of MGC to determine liability.

The Manila Gas Corporation hasted out watches in celebration of its 100th anniversary despite being disbanded years prior.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1774145/5-cops-asset-tagged-in-kidnap-rape-of-cebu-teen

Five policemen and their informant or “asset” are facing charges over accusations that they sexually abused an 18-year-old woman whom they held for three days last year.

While only the informant, identified only as Luis, allegedly raped the complainant, the five policemen were impleaded in the case since they took part in bringing the woman, a drug suspect, to an apartment in this city.

The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas filed charges of kidnapping, serious illegal detention, rape, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service against the respondents in the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas on May 9. A copy of the complaint was released to reporters only on Wednesday.

Named respondents were Police Corporals Johnrober Rebusa, Jeffrey Alabata, and Keven Gilbuena; Staff Sergeants Donald Balansag and Joy Marie Alad-ad; and Luis, the police asset. The policemen, all assigned at Mambaling station here, had been relieved by the Central Visayas police on Wednesday.

According to the NBI, they learned from the respondents’ superiors and from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas that they were not notified of any anti-drug operation in the area where the complainant was arrested.

“The acts of the subjects in simultaneously raiding the house, the taking and detaining of the victim against her will from Sept. 19 to her release on Sept. 22, is indicative of a meeting of the minds toward a common criminal objective between the conspirators,” it said.

Five cops have been arrested for the kidnapping and rape of a teenager.