Hi, My Name is...37

Let's meet some husbands and wives. Sometimes marriage is not all it's cut out to be. And sometimes it is!

Hi, my name is Francisco Macaraig. Because I was intensely jealous of my wife I stabbed her reapteadly while she was in the kitchen. Then I ran away. Later when I was sure the coast was clear I returned to my house and hung myself. My wife survived though. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1749133/man-stabs-wife-then-hangs-himself-in-quezon-province

A man stabbed his wife, a 58-year-old teacher, then killed himself on Monday, March 27, in San Francisco town in Quezon province.

The Quezon police said in a report Tuesday, March 28, that at around noon., Francisco Macaraig, 61, stabbed his wife Melanie repeatedly using a knife while she was in the kitchen inside their house in Barangay Poblacion.

The victim survived despite her wounds, but the suspect fled after the incident.

Later, the police found him dead inside the house after he returned home to hang himself.

The police are conducting further investigation eyeing “intense jealousy” as the possible motive behind the stabbing.

The victim was transferred to a hospital in this city for further treatment.

Hi, my name is Lindio Ejercito. My wife Analita and I got into a heated argument because se said she was planning to leave me. Naturally I picked up a knife and stabbed her repeatedly until she died. She left me but not the way she intended. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1603425/man-faces-parricide-raps-for-killing-wife-in-negros-oriental

A 40-year-old man faces parricide charges after being arrested Thursday for allegedly killing his wife in Barangay Sacsac, Manjuyod town, Negros Oriental.

Lindio Ejercito, 40, stabbed his wife Analita multiple times while arguing with each other over the latter’s plan to leave the suspect, said Staff Sergeant Elixir Badoy of the Manjuyod police.

“After receiving a report, we immediately responded to the crime scene and were able to arrest the suspect,” Badoy said.

Authorities were still waiting for the post-mortem examination results of the wife’s body, to be used to file the charges against Ejercito.

Hi, my name is Aries Coquilla. While distraught and in a state of emotional distress I was brandishing a bolo. My wife and an old man tried to stop me but I ended up stabbing them both as well as my daughter. My wife survived but the old man died. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1636153/man-kills-old-woman-wounds-wife-3-year-old-kid-in-manila

A construction worker has been arrested for killing a senior citizen and stabbing his wife and their three-year-old daughter in Tondo, Manila, according to a report issued on Wednesday by the Manila Police District (MPD).

The MPD said the suspect — identified as Aries Coquilla, 36 — was “apparently under emotional distress” when he caused a public scandal while holding a bolo on Dagupan Extension in Barangay 163, Zone 14, on Tuesday afternoon.

When the victims tried to pacify him, the suspect stabbed them.

Responding police officers eventually subdued Coquilla and seized his bolo, which was approximately 34 inches long, according to the report.

The suspect’s wife and daughter, who were not named in the MPD report, and Emedina Nabua, 69, were rushed to the Jose Reyes Medical Center, where Nabua was later declared dead.

The suspect is facing two counts of frustrated parricide and alarm and scandal.

Hi, my name is Niña Dugoc. During a heated argument with my common-law husband I pulled out a pistol and shot him dead. Then I ran off into the night. But he was no good anyway. A drug user, a thief, and even a killer. To hear his sister tell it he murdered his own father!

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/477317/man-shot-dead-after-argument-with-common-law-wife

A heated argument between live-in-partners resulted to the death of a 41-year-old man in Sitio Balhaan, Barangay Madridejos in Alegria, Cebu, past 5 p.m. on Sunday, November 27, 2022. 

Police Lieutenant Alexius Tangub, chief of Alegria Police Station, identified the victim as Neil Leproso, 41, a resident of Sitio Balhaan. 

Leproso was allegedly shot dead by his common-law-wife, Niña Dugoc, using a .45 caliber pistol. 

Dugoc remains at large as she fled after the shooting. 

Initial investigation of the police showed that the two were engaged in a heated argument before the shooting happened. 

Neighbors then heard three gun shots before noticing the suspect leaving the area. They later found Leproso lying on the floor. 

Witnesses said they saw Dugoc board a motorcycle that drove towards Badian town, which is north of Alegria. 

Tangub said that they are still investigating if the motorcycle driver was her accomplice.

Police investigation showed that the victim was previously arrested for the illegal possession of firearms and was released from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) in Barangay Kalunasan in Cebu City last May 24, 2022. 

Tangub said the victim rarely went outside his house.

“Dili sila the usual nga pagka live-in nga magkauban og puyo. Talagsa rapod ni mag adtuan ang suspect sa ilang balay sa Alegria,” Tangub said

Tangub also said that the victim’s sister told them that Leproso allegedly killed his own father. But when police checked their records, this said crime was not reported nor filed in their station. 

The victim is also tagged in theft and frustrated murder offenses.  However, they have yet to know if the victim was involved in illegal drug activities. But police said the victim’s sister alleged that Leproso was a drug user. 

Hi, my name is .Joan Fajardo Moises. Due to economic troubles I was forced to move to Manila and drive a cap in order to support my family. She stayed behind in Canalon City and then moved to Cebu to find work. Eventually she met a guy on Facebook and abandoned our four children. She lived with him for a month before I was able to catch them with the help of the police. Now they will both be facing adultery cases.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1948182/cebu/local-news/wife-leaves-husband-children-for-man-she-met-on-facebook

A 32-YEAR-OLD woman and her lover whom she met via social networking site Facebook were arrested after they were caught sleeping together by the former’s husband in Barangay Jampang, Argao, Cebu.

Arrested were Darlyn Tejero Moises, 32, a native of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental; and Joshua Campaner Camahalan, 21, a resident of Upper Candabong, Sitio Jampang in Argao, around 11 p.m. Wednesday, December 7, 2022.

The complainant was identified as Joan Fajardo Moises, 39, driver and resident of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.

Police Staff Sergeant John Mark Canonigo of Argao Police Station told SunStar Superbalita Cebu that Joan asked for the police’s help after finding out that the woman abandoned her four children aged 12, 9, 5 and 2.

Joan said he found out that his wife cohabited with her lover, whom she met through Facebook.

Canonigo said Darlyn and Joshua were living together in Upper Candabong, Sitio Jampang in Argao for a month already.

"Kana sa FB, diha sila nagka-ilhanay. Na in love, gibiyaan sa babaye ang pamilya," said Canonigo.

(They met through Facebook. She fell in love, then abandoned her family.)

Police said Joan had been working as a driver in Manila.

Darlyn reportedly told police that her husband had not been sending her money to support their children, prompting her to move to Cebu to find work.

She then met Joshua on Facebook and fell in love with him.

Canonigo said Joan is bent on filing an adultery case against his wife and her lover.

Hi, my name is Ronalyn Pasana. My husband Kerwin, who was a PNP officer, and I got into a fight at about 2 a.m. It got real heated. In my anger I picked up a kitchen knife and stabbed him. He was rushed to the hospital but declared dead on arrival. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/480724/cop-dies-after-being-stabbed-by-wife-in-leyte

A police officer died after being stabbed by his wife during an argument in Barangay (village) Pawing, Palo town in Leyte at around 2 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Police Staff Sergeant Kerwin Pasana, 47, was rushed to the hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.

His wife, Ronalyn, 33, was detained at the Palo Municipal Police Station pending the filing of charges against her before the prosecutor’s office next week.

Based on police investigation, the couple had an argument at about 2 a.m. on Saturday.

At the height of the argument, Ronalyn stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife.

The kitchen knife used in the fatal stabbing was recovered by responding barangay tanods (watchmen) who then turned it over to the police.

Hi, my name is Ronald St. Jean and I am a Canadian. I got into a heated argument with my wife. It was so hot that the neighbors called the police. When they arrived I pepper sprayed them and ran into my bedroom where I slit my wrist and stabbed myself in the chest. My wife died from a knife wound to the chest. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/12/canadian-kills-self-after-stabbing-wife-to-death-in-bacolod-1

A heated argument on finances triggered a Canadian national to stab his wife to death before killing himself inside their apartment in Barangay Singcang-Airport here on Friday, May 12.

Police withheld the name of the 50-year-old victim, who was a call center agent, upon the request of her family.

Her husband was identified by police as Ronald St. Jean, 55.

Police Capt. Glenn Montaño, head of Police Station 8, said the couple was heard by their neighbors arguing, prompting them to call for police assistance.

When the policemen responded, the suspect allegedly sprayed pepper spray on one of them, and went to a bedroom.

Montaño said the suspect then stabbed himself in the chest and slashed his wrist. The wife suffered a lone stab wound in the chest.

He said they negotiated with the suspect to surrender, but he refused. He was neutralized after about 40 minutes when he asked for water and slipped on the floor.

The couple was taken to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital (CLMMRH) here. The victim was declared dead on arrival while the suspect passed away later, Montaño said.

Montaño said the couple was renting the apartment. They had two male children aged 7 and 11, who were brought by their helper to the victim’s relative nearby before the incident happened.

Hi, my name is Jemar Segapo. On Mother's Day I got into a heated argument with my wife Yonilyn. It got so heated I lost my temper and shot her dead. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/5/16/man-slays-wife-on-mother-s-day-during-confrontation-on-illicit-affair

A 29-year-old man gunned down his wife after she confronted him over his alleged affair with another woman in Barangay Kaltuad, Glan, Sarangani on Mother’s Day.

Police said the suspect, Jemar Segapo, lost his temper and shot the victim, Yonilyn, with a .45 caliber pistol in the head.

Responding police officers arrested the suspect and recovered the murder weapon.

Police Lt. Col. Giovanni Ladeo, Glan police chief, said Jemar faces parricide and illegal possession of firearm charges.

Hi, my name is Homer Olivo. I confronted my wife because I suspected her of having an affair. Greatly inflamed with jealously I pulled out my bolo and hacked her to death. The cops caught me but while in custody I climbed up through the restroom ceiling and onto the wall outside.  Then I jumped down and smashed my head. I died hours later. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/507595/husband-dies-hours-after-hacking-wife-to-death-in-tabuelan-cebuhusband-dies-hours-after-hacking-wife-to-death-in-tabuelan-cebuhusband-dies-hours-after-hacking-wife-to-death-in-tabuelan

The 48-year-old man accused of hacking to death his wife in Tabuelan town, Cebu last May 30, 2023 has died.

Police in Tabuelan confirmed that Homer Olivo died around 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, barely a day after they arrested him for hacking his wife, Janice Olivo, to death.

Police Captain Gerald Casalme, chief of Tabuelan Police Station, said their findings showed that Homer may have taken his own life while in detention.

The suspect reportedly climbed up on the restroom ceiling in the detention cell and then jumped off from the wall, said Casalme.

Other detainees alerted police officers on duty about what happened.

Police rushed Homer to a hospital but physicians declared him dead on arrival due to the injuries he sustained on his head. Apparently, Homer dove headfirst after climbing from the restroom’s ceiling.

Homer was arrested past 10 p.m. on May 30 when he stabbed and hacked Janice multiple times in their house in Sitio Ibabao, Brgy. Poblacion in Tabuelan.

Based on investigation, the husband admitted to committing the heinous crime, which transpired past 9 p.m. He told police that he hacked his wife out of jealousy.

The couple apparently got into a heated altercation prior to the incident. Homer reportedly suspected Janice was having an affair.

The suspect went out after the verbal fight but just after a few minutes, he fetched his bolo and then proceeded to their bedroom to stab Janice in her back multiple times.

He left his wife bathed in her blood but police managed to arrest him with the help of a concerned citizen.

Casalme said jealousy may have been Homer’s motive in hacking his wife to death. His father, Gregorio Olivo, also said his son had been using illegal drugs, which may have influenced his recent behavior.

In the meantime, investigation continues to verify reports on Homer’s alleged substance abuse.

“According to his relatives, as well as the victim’s family, he wasn’t violent, until recently,” Casalme said.

Tabuelan is a fourth-class municipality located approximately 103 kilometers northwest of Cebu City.

Hi, my name is being withheld. I am a South Korean national. In South Korea I murdered my Filipina wife and disposed of her body at a reservoir. Then I ran away to the Philippines. The PNP caught me at my condo in Manila but I was able to escape the detention facility at NAIA. But they nabbed me again and now I once more await being deported. 

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/215434/south-korean-man-nabbed-after-escaping-police-amid-suspicion-of-killing-filipina-wife

A murder suspect fleeing from South Korean and Philippines’ authorities has been apprehended in Manila, South Korean police said Tuesday.

According to the South Korean police agency, the suspect was spotted at a condo in Manila on Monday. The suspect is a South Korean male in his 30s who fled to the Philippines after allegedly murdering his wife, a national of the Philippines, earlier this year.

Police believe the suspect murdered his wife and disposed of the body at a reservoir in Gonam-myeon, South Chungcheong Province.

The suspect had initially been apprehended in the Philippines in February, but he escaped from the detention center at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila while waiting for the Philippine government’s decision on his deportation to South Korea.

“We will investigate the case in depth as soon as the suspect is brought back to South Korea,” police here said.

Hi, my name is Jerry Sabando. I wanted to spend Father's Day with my son so I went to my ex-girlfriend's house to pick him up. But I was drunk and my son did not not want to come with me. His mother also did not want him to go with me. So, I pulled out a knife to stab her. That was when her boyfriend pulled out a gun a shot me in the face, killing me. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790057/man-who-wants-to-be-with-son-on-fathers-day-shot-dead-in-quezon-province

A 38-year-old man, who wanted to be with his son on Father’s Day, was killed on Sunday, June 18, in the island town of Burdeos in Quezon province.

The Quezon police reported that Jerry Sabando went, around 4 p.m., to the house of his former-live-in partner in Barangay Aluyon “to kiss and get his son.”

But Sabando’s ex-girlfriend, the mother of his son refused, which prompted him to pull out a knife to stab her.

But the woman’s current live-in-partner, Kevin Aguila, 31, intervened and shot Sabando in his face using a caliber .38 revolver, investigators said. Sadando died while being taken to the hospital.

Aguila was arrested in a follow-up operation.

Captain Benito Nevera, Burdeos police chief, described the incident as “tragic.”

“The victim just wanted to be with his son on Father’s Day,” he said in a phone interview Monday morning.

Nevera said Sabando, who was drunk, was possibly further infuriated because his 8-year-old son refused to go with him.

Sabando also challenged the suspect, which prompted the latter to shoot him, Nevera said. 

Hi, my name is Mr. Parila. I am unemployed because I take care of one of my children who is autistic.  My wife is a teacher, or she was a teacher. Many times I confronted her about being unfaithul. Finally I couldn't take it anymore so I hacked her head off. But I didn't hit hard enough so she was only cut. However the cut was deep enough to bleed out, killing her. Now I am on the run and my two children are without parents. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/06/26/2276690/man-kills-wife-zamboanga-del-sur-during-jealous-rage-police

A man killed his wife, who worked as a teacher, in Dumalinao, Zamboanga del Sur on Sunday during a jealous rage, the police said.

In separate reports Monday, the Dumalinao Municipal Police Station and the Zamboanga del Sur Provincial Police Office identified the victim as Cirila Solis Parila, 48, a teacher in the Rebokon Agricultural and Vocational School in Dumalinao.

Parila died from a hack wound in the neck, according to police reports.

Neighbors told authorities they saw the victim’s husband, Allan, 50, leave their house in haste at past 8:00 a.m. Sunday, after their loud altercation.

Relatives of Parila have confirmed that the suspect had confronted her many times over suspicions that she’s having an affair with another man.

Neighbors also reportedly overheard Allan threatening to kill his wife before Sunday’s incident.

The couple’s daughter, Azel Jean, said his father, now at large, is unemployed for personally taking care of her autistic sibling, now being watched over by their close relatives.

The police and local officials in Dumalinao are searching for the suspect.

Insurgency: Maute-Linked Terrorists Regrouping?

The AFP has been insistent that, much like the NPA, the Muslim insurgency is weakening and has become irrelevant. They have joyfully lauded the defeat of the Maute Group after the Battle of Marawi and especially with the death of a top leader last week. However it seems they are regrouping. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/06/19/2274892/maute-linked-terrorists-regrouping-probe-sought

Sen. Ronald dela Rosa vowed to look into reports that the Maute group – behind the five-month siege of Marawi City in 2017 – was getting back together.

Dela Rosa said that according to National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) chief of staff Manggay Guro Jr., it is not farfetched that the so-called Maute sympathizers are “regrouping and growing in number.”

“That can happen. They are extremists, they would just lay low (and attack again),” Dela Rosa told The STAR in a phone interview over the weekend.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) should take proactive measures to preempt and thwart any possible resurgence of attacks in, which was devastated amid fighting between the Maute group and government forces from May to October 2017.

The siege displaced thousands of residents, whose homes were totally destroyed.

“The AFP and the PNP should be proactive,” said Dela Rosa, who served as PNP chief from July 2016 to April 2018, and was at the helm of the PNP when the siege took place.

During Friday’s public hearing of the Senate committee on foreign affairs on the proposed temporary housing in the Philippines of special immigrant visa applicants from Afghanistan, chaired and presided over by Sen. Imee Marcos, Guro said there was an incident again in Marawi City last week.

“Just recently this Wednesday an incident happened in Marawi, again, concerning the same group who caused the Marawi siege,” Guro said, but did not elaborate.

“So, apparently, they are regrouping and they’re growing in numbers because of the continuous problems in Marawi that, up until now, most of those affected by the Marawi siege have not returned to their homeland or to their homes,” he added.

Dela Rosa explained that extremism and terrorism are universal and not isolated in the Philippines. “

The senator noted that there should be a whole of government approach to preempting a repeat of the devastating siege in Marawi City.

Right now this is rumor and speculation. Guro cannot even elaborate on his assertions. But Bato's statement "that there should be a whole of government approach to preempting a repeat of the devastating siege in Marawi City" is incredibly stupid. 

If you recall, the AFP and PNP, headed by Bato at the time, knew there as an impending attack and did nothing to stop it. They knew ISIS had been in the Philippines since 2014 and ignored the threat and lied about it to the public. To this day there has still been no investigation into the Marawi siege to determine its causes, the failures of the AFP and PNP as regards intelligence, and on how to prevent it form happening again. Will there be another Marawi siege? Only time can tell but with the bungling of the AFP and PNP it is not farfetched. 

The BIFF, who fought alongside the Maute Group in Marawi, also remains active in Mindanao. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/19/biff-leader-6-followers-killed-in-maguindanao-clash

A leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and six followers were killed in a gun fight with security forces  in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao del Sur on Sunday, June 18.

Police Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said the police and military were implementing a search warrant on the lair of BIFF leader Norjahid Husain in Barangay Demawato when the gunbattle occurred.

He said Husain and his armed followers shot it out with the operating team which resulted into death of seven members, including Husain.

One policeman was wounded in the encounter.

Authorities tagged Husain as a key leader of the local BIFF  which was responsible for the attack on the Datu Paglas public market on May 8, 2021 and the bombing of the  transmission tower of the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines in Carmen, Cotabato in September 2016.

Husain was trained on bomb-making by  Basit Usman, the late leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, and was also linked to Pentagon kidnap-for ransom group led by Tahir Alonto.

Security forces recovered one M-16 rifle and three .45 caliber pistols from the slain BIFF men.

The PNP blames a recent ambush on the BIFF.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/21/23/pnp-biff-nasa-likod-ng-ambush-sa-maguindanao-del-sur

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has identified the group behind the ambush in Barangay Poblacion in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur that killed two policemen and injured four others, on June 14.

According to PNP spokesperson P/Col, the authorities are preparing the relevant document to file a complaint against the persons of interest they first identified. Jean Fajardo.

"Based on our relationship with the regional director of the [Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region], there are witnesses who have been able to identify and provide information as to the identity of these possible suspects behind the ambush... I understand, member. they are from the [Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters]," said Fajardo.

Maybe if the goverment built some roads the BIFF would relent? That is allegedly the case with the NPA in northern Samar. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203953

Officials have expressed confidence that the completion of the new road in Northern Samar after five years of construction would help end insurgency in Silvino Lubos, one of the poorest towns in the country.

The inauguration of the Suba Bridge within the new road that connects the town to a highway in Mondragon town signals the full completion of the PHP238.31 million project.

“This road will connect people and businesses which was hardly possible in the past. This will undoubtedly open up opportunities for everyone. Economic development is vital to the growth and prosperity of Northern Samar,” said Charlito Carlobos, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) Northern Samar 2nd engineering district office in a statement shared by the Philippine Army to reporters on Wednesday.

The 3.25-kilometer road and bridge network has reduced the usual 12-hour boat ride to the town to just one hour and 30 minutes by land.

For Silvino Lubos Mayor Leo Jarito, the project is key to ending insurgency in their town and nearby areas. They have been waiting for this project for five decades.

“This is the most awaited moment for the town to finally get connected to the capital and other municipalities in Northern Samar. It has already been five decades since the people of Silvino Lubos had waited for such progress,” Jarito said.

“If there is infrastructure, the New People’s Army becomes irrelevant since the basic needs of people are being addressed. In the case of our town, it will be easier for our people to transport our products to the market,” the mayor added.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said the project will boost their campaign to wipe out the NPA in Northern Samar.

“I am optimistic that the three brigades with nine battalions deployed here in Samar Island, we can eradicate the communist terrorist group and will soon welcome socio-economic development most especially in the areas which were once exploited by the terrorists,” Ligayo said.

If infrastructure can make the NPA irrelevant then why hasn't the government been busy building infrastructure for he past five decades!? Surely they could have been able to secure a few construction sites in the name of ending the insurgency, right? 

The insurgency continues to rage on in the Visayas. VISCOM says they are open to localized peace talks. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203926

The Visayas Command (Viscom) on Tuesday vowed to support localized peace initiatives to generate trust from the remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) and persuade them to go back to the fold of the law.

Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, Viscom commander, said engaging in localized talks on peace and development would entice more members of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, NPA, to surrender.

“This incessant peace initiative hurts the terrorist group as much as our focused military operations, as it further demoralized their ranks and significantly contribute to degrading their manpower and armed capability,” Arevalo said in a statement.

He said that engaging directly in the grassroots level in providing development support programs along with the local and national government agencies, non-government organizations, and various stakeholders would build confidence from the remnants of the left-leaning organizations.

Arevalo reiterated his call to the remaining NPA fighters, especially those who are left without leaders, to lay down their arms and abandon their armed struggle, assuring them of the government support and assistance so that they can live a peaceful and progressive life with their family.

"Demoralized thier ranks?"  They are still fighting! Their manpower and armed capability may have been degraded but they continue to fight which means they are not demoralized.

Negros Occidental, which is part of the Visayas, has renewed its commitment to end the insurgency.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1204167

The Negros Occidental provincial government renewed its commitment to end the decades-long communist insurgency during the two-day transformation program planning workshop for local peace stakeholders with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) in Talisay City.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, chairperson of the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), said the workshop is “an important step in developing a thorough and successful plan that will serve as the roadmap for our efforts in the next months and years.”

“Foremost, we want to put an end to local communist armed conflict, which has caused distress and instability in our communities. This challenge necessitates multi-faceted approach that includes law enforcement, socio-economic development, and community empowerment,” Lacson said in his message at the close of the workshop on Friday at Nature’s Village Resort.

The activity was also attended by Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., executive director of the National TF-ELCAC, and gathered members of the regional and provincial TF-ELCAC, representatives of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army and civil society organizations, and former rebels (FRs).

The OPAPRU has identified Negros Occidental as the pilot area for the implementation of the transformation program in Western Visayas.

“As the pilot province for the transformation program implementation, Negros Occidental will be crucial in demonstrating the program’s success. The efforts of the provincial government in the pursuit of peace and inclusive progress are evident in our programs, services and policies, and we will zealously continue to do such measures until such time our collective goals for progress and peace are achieved,” Lacson said.

In recent months, armed encounters between government troops and fighters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Negros Occidental have claimed the lives of rebels, injured soldiers, and displaced thousands of residents in affected areas, especially in Himamaylan City and Moises Padilla town.

Lacson himself has led the call for those still in the armed struggle to return to the fold of the law like many of their former comrades, who have already chosen the path of peace and availed of government programs.

According to the OPAPRU, the transformation program seeks to address the needs of FRs, their families, and communities to aid them in their transformation, as well as strengthen their resiliency against the recovery efforts of the CPP-NPA.

The transformation program is designed to complement the local peace engagement (LPE), which is among the 12 lines of effort under the NTF-ELCAC and is considered one of the most effective ways of dealing with the communist groups.

The war is on against the NPA on every front.  Even the DepEd is fighting hard against the NPA! Well, the ACT.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/06/23/2276032/deped-begins-identifying-teachers-part-act

The Department of Education has issued an internal memorandum directing all regional and division offices to name all public school teachers part of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers — a teachers group that has complained to an international body about being red-tagged by the education secretary.

According to a memorandum issued by Undersecretary for Operation Revsee Escobedo on June 14, all regional directors and school division superintendents were required to submit a list of ACT-affiliated teachers that are part of the department's Automatic Payroll Deduction System.

DepEd set a deadline of June 21 for all submissions. 

"All submissions must be consolidated at the regional level, verified and signed by the Regional Director," the memorandum stated.

A copy of the submission template obtained by Philstar.com shows that the DepEd offices are required to provide the division, school, name and position of the teachers deemed to be "ACT Union-affiliated.”

ACT is the country’s largest organization for teachers and serves as the sole negotiating union for several public school teachers in Metro Manila and other regions. It also regularly conducts surveys among teachers to gather feedback and build consensus on pressing education issues, the most recent being a survey on the stifling heat felt inside classrooms during the dry season.

DepEd under former Secretary Leonor Briones moved to protect teachers from a similar profiling act conducted by the Philippine National Police in 2019. It asked one of its division offices to recall a letter directing the inventory of ACT-affiliated teachers, with former DepEd chief Leonor Briones citing DepEd’s compliance with the Data Privacy Act.

This is Sara's way of "fighting the NPA" and no doubt she will be cheered by some but really how does this move fight the insurgency?  It doesn't but it looks good on Twitter!

Another province has been declared insurgency free.

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/06/23/2276065/military-says-tarlac-province-now-insurgency-free

Tarlac province is now “free” from the presence of the communist underground movement, according to the military.

The Provincial Peace and Order Council Resolution No. 02 series of 2023 categorized the province as "cleared and unaffected" by the communist insurgency and is relatively peaceful, the Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines declared Friday.

Nolcom spokesman Major Al Anthony Pueblas said Tarlac was once a hotbed of insurgency for being the birthplace of the New People's Army (NPA) in 1969.

Pueblas added that the latest declaration makes Tarlac the first province in Region 3 to achieve a state of “stable internal peace and security”.

He explained that the PPOC resolution indicated that the presence of Leftist fighters operating in Tarlac province, particularly the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-Tarlac-Zambales (TARZAM) that was officially declared weakened in 2022, have been significantly reduced.

Of course Tarlac is not actually insurgency free. The insurgents have been "significantly reduced." That is par for the course for the AFP!

Nursing Shortage? Hire Nursing Graduates Who Failed the Board Exam!

New DOH Secretary Teddy Herbosa has sounded the alarm over the mass exodus of Philippine nurses abroad for better pay and working conditions. He says that if this issue is not addressed the number of nurses will be depleted within 3 - 5 years.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/873429/herbosa-sees-ph-nurses-depleted-in-3-5-years-if-exodus-not-addressed/story/

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa said on Tuesday that the number of nurses working in the Philippines may be exhausted in a few years if the problem of them opting for better-paying jobs abroad is not addressed.

This is why, Herbosa said, he is pushing to grant temporary licenses to board-eligible nursing graduates and have them work as nurses in government hospitals.

He reiterated that 4,500 plantilla items for nurses are currently vacant in over 70 hospitals of the Department of Health (DOH) nationwide.

(That's why I'm focusing on it right now because if we don't do anything now, I can see that in a few more years, maybe three or five years, our nurses will run out. So I have to find a way to increase our nurses again.)

His immediate solution is certainly outside of the box, allow nursing grads who failed the board exams to be given temporary licenses. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/06/20/2275114/government-hospitals-employ-nursing-grads-who-failed-board-exams

Nursing graduates who failed their board exam with scores between 70-74 percent will be employed in government hospitals, according to the Department of Health (DOH).  

“I will tap them, around 50 percent of those who took the board exam but did not pass – specifically those who achieved a 70-74 percent rating,” Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in an interview at the DOH central office yesterday. 

The measure, supported by Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, will allow non-board passers to work in state hospitals under supervision and with temporary licenses. 

Non-board passers will be given four years to pass the Philippine Nurse Licensure Examination. 

After passing the board exam, they have to sign a four-year return service agreement and work in government hospitals before they are allowed to work abroad.

“The plan to hire unlicensed nursing graduates is because under the Universal Health Care, the core of any health system are nurses, that is why they are being pirated by other countries... They have the capability to build more hospitals so they would then be needing the services of more nurses,” he said. 

The private sector offered scholarships for the board review classes of unlicensed nursing graduates, Herbosa said. 

Rather than put a stop to foreign nations "pirating" Philippine nurses Herbosa thinks staffing government hospitals with failures will solve the problem. Several nursing groups are opposed to this idea for various reasons. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/873486/nurses-groups-oppose-plan-to-grant-temporary-licenses/story/

Several nurses organizations on Tuesday expressed disapproval on the proposal to issue temporary licenses to unlicensed nursing graduates to allow them to work in government hospitals.

Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) president Melvin Miranda said that Health Secretary Ted Herbosa should reconsider his plan to hire nursing graduates who scored 70-74% in the board exam even though they flunked, given that they retake and pass the board exam after a certain period of time.

(One of our doubts here is that it seems like those who scored 70-74% in the board exam who will be given a temporary license have a scope of practice that is not yet considered. Since they are not considered by our law to hold professional practice, the burden will fall on our registered nurses who have the accountability.)

Miranda stressed that their priority as nurses is the safety of their patients, thus the Department of Health (DOH) should give the plantilla positions to the professional nurses instead.

(If a nurse is recognized as licensed, his/her level of confidence and his/her competence will be compared to a professional. When we give temporary licenses, there is no definite study to prove that unlicensed nursing graduates have achieved a high level of confidence in performing their tasks.)

(I think this kind of situation is quite risky and should be given more thorough study.)

This was echoed by Filipino Nurses United (FNU) secretary general Jocelyn Andamo, saying that the DOH should focus on hiring registered nurses instead as there are around 120,000 of them who are not currently working in the field of nursing.

“FNU's stand is DOH should prioritize employing registered unemployed nurses or those working in non-nursing jobs. There are around 120,000 nurses categorized by DOH who are working in unspecified field of practice.These may be those unemployed and or those in non nursing jobs,” Andamo said in a message to GMA News Online.

She stressed that issues of nurses, particularly on salary and benefits, should be addressed by the government in order to keep them working in the Philippines.

“The wages should be increased to P50,000 entry salary, give them regular, permanent positions and provide adequate benefits,” she appealed.

So, there are around 120,000 unemployed nurses in the country? Why is that? Have they elected not to work due to the low pay and horrible wiring conditions or have they been unable to find someone willing to hire them? Why wouldn't Teddy tap this prime and ready workforce?

Several Senators have also turned thier thumbs down to this proposal. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1790966/senators-reject-doh-chiefs-plan-to-hire-nursing-board-flunkers

Several senators on Tuesday rejected Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa’s plan to temporarily hire nursing board flunkers to address the dwindling number of nurses in government hospitals in the country.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it would be better for the Department of Health (DOH) to institutionalize improvements in the salaries and benefits of state health workers instead of pursuing “Band-Aid solutions.”

“The proposal to allow non-board passers to practice nursing and grant them temporary licenses is a short-term solution,” Pimentel told reporters.

“The root causes of the shortage lie in the significant number of nurses leaving the country to seek higher-paying jobs abroad,” he noted.

It also expressed concern that such a move might compromise the quality of care provided to patients.

Pimentel said the proposal might also impact on the quality of the country’s nursing board exams.

“We have to protect the integrity of our testing system,” he said. “If they passed, that means they are ready (to become nurses). If they failed, then they are not yet ready… (The passing grade of) 75 means 75, not 74.5.”

Senators Nancy Binay and JV Ejercito shared Pimentel’s observations, with the latter pointing out that encouraging Filipino health professionals to stay in the country was one of the goals of the Universal Health Care Act.

“We cannot offer a genuine health care if there’s a shortage in healthcare workers,” Ejercito said. “If we can only give a (salary) raise that would be decent enough to sustain their family, (Filipino health workers) would choose to stay here.”

“The most practical thing to do is to prioritize the hiring of unemployed nurses,” Binay said.

It will compromise the quality of care and does not address the issue of nurses leaving the country. But when has the Senate ever addressed the OFW brain drain? 

One Solon appears to have found a working solution to this mess. A solution that makes Herbosa's plan conform to existing law. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1204115

A House leader on Thursday proposed amending the Philippine Nursing Act (Republic Act 9173) with the creation of categories for nurse practitioners and nursing assistants who can lighten the workloads of registered nurses in medical facilities.

House Committee on Civil Service and Professional Regulation chairperson Alexie Tutor said the amendatory bill can be certified as urgent if the Department of Health (DOH) and Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) deem the nursing personnel shortage to be in "urgent crisis mode."

Tutor said DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa's plan to provide temporary licenses to nursing graduates who failed the mandatory board exam, but nearly passed with ratings of 70 percent to 74 percent has no basis in either the Philippine Nursing Act or the PRC Modernization Act (Republic Act 8981).

"Republic Act 9173 and RA 8981 do not provide for any circumstance or situation wherein either the Nursing Board or the PRC is authorized or empowered to issue any temporary license to practice the nursing profession. We are aware of no precedents for the issuance of temporary professional practice licenses," she said.

Tutor, however, pointed out that RA 9173 has a provision under Section 15 allowing those examinees to retake the exam for those subjects where they got ratings lower than 60 percent.

"Special examinations can be scheduled for those. This is one way for the DOH and PRC to achieve what they would like to happen: have more passers of the nursing boards," she said.

She also proposed that instead of hiring "near passers", the DOH should hire several unemployed passers of the nursing boards through filling up the vacancies for nurses of the DOH hospitals' plantilla items.

According to this Solon Teddy's plan is illegal as it is but he could adjust it to make it conform to the law. For his part the DOH Secretary says he would shelve his plan if it was found to be illegal. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1792631/doh-may-shelve-plan-to-hire-unlicensed-nurses

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa on Friday said he would consider shelving his plan of allowing unlicensed nursing graduates to work in public hospitals should it fail to hurdle the “legal roadblocks.”

At a press briefing, Herbosa pointed out that he would welcome other possible solutions to the understaffing of nurses in public hospitals, among them hiring board-eligible graduates as “nursing trainees” who would be put in a “training program.”

“I don’t want to do anything illegal … If an agency tells me it’s illegal, then it’s illegal… I can’t force the issue. But they (other agencies) are with me to find solutions,” he told reporters.

Section 21 of the Philippine Nursing Act allows the grant of a special or temporary permit for a limited period only to foreign nurses invited to the country for a program or medical mission.

This has been raised by the Philippine Board of Nursing, said Herbosa, and so he has proposed to some lawmakers that the law be amended to make the issuance of licenses to board flunkers possible.

“They told me, amendment is easy… but they said that the president has to make it urgent,” Herbosa said of his conversation with the Professional Regulation Commission. “That’s the legal side of the problem… I’ll leave it to the lawyers and legislators to help solve the problem,” he added.

Another option is the hiring of nursing assistants under the DOH’s human resources for health program. Under this position, Herbosa noted, unlicensed nursing graduates would be hired under Salary Grade9, equivalent to around P21,000.“It’s being offered as a solution, and that’s going to go forward. It will be open to graduates of college but [are] awaiting to pass exams,” he said. 

The big takeaway here is that DOH Secretary Teddy Herbosa has started a conversation. He has said the quiet part out loud, that the Philippines is bleeding nurses due to the OFW program, and he has offered a solution. It may not be a good or even legal solution but that can always be remedied and adjusted. When will the government stop lauding OFWs and recognize that they represent a massive brain drain which is detrimental to the nation?!

Retards in the Government 315

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

 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/17/bulacan-village-chief-peppered-with-bullets-to-death

A village chief was shot to death by unidentified armed men Friday night on Eden Ville Road in Barangay Partida, Norzagaray, Bulacan

Police identified the victim as Marcelino Correa Punzal, 63, village chief of Barangay Bangkal, Norzagaray.

In the initial report he sent to Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Jose S. Hidalgo Jr., Norzagaray acting police chief Lt. Col. Lynelle F. Solomon  said they were informed by a concerned citizen about the shooting incident.

Norzagay police immediately proceeded to the crime scene where they saw the victim already dead inside a Mitsubishi Estrada with plate number XJV-160.

The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the head and body.

Personnel from the Bulacan Police Provincial Forensic Unit recovered from the scene several pieces of fired cartridges and a slug from a .45-caliber gun.

Another barangay captain has been assassinated. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/17/batangas-town-mayor-brothers-yield-guns-in-cidg-ncr-raid

The mayor of this town and his two siblings were arrested after unlicensed firearms were seized from them during a raid by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region in their houses here on Saturday, June 17.

The raids against Mayor Nilo Villanueva and brothers Bayani, a barangay chairman and president of the Association of Barangay Chairman (ABC), and Oliver Villanueva, 46, a former police officer, were carried out through search warrants issued by Antipolo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 Executive Judge Mary Josephine Lazaro.

The CIDG-NCR and Special Action Force (SAF) first raided the house of Oliver in Sitio Pook, Barangay Pulong Niogan at 4:20 a.m.

Found in the house were a caliber .22 pistol, caliber .45 pistol, two magazines for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, three magazines for a caliber .45 pistol, a hand grenade, 16 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and 55 rounds of ammunition for a caliber .45 pistol.

Oliver is facing charges for violating Republic Act (RA) 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulations Act, and RA 9516, law on explosives.

Mayor Villanueva's house at Villanueva Compound, Sitio Silangan, Barangay Santo Tomas, was raided 10 minutes later at 4:30 a.m. Seized from the house was a pouch containing a suspected explosive device but no firearms were found. The local chief executive is facing charges for violating RA 9516.

Bayani’s house was last to be raided at 5:25 a.m. in Sitio Silangan, Barangay Santo Tomas. Found were a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a magazine for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, 10 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and a MK2 hand fragmentation grenade.

He is facing charges for violating RA 10591 and 9516.

Lawmen also raided the house of another sibling, Ariel, at around 5:30 a.m. in Sitio Kanluran, Barangay Sampaguita, but he was not present but they recovered a Bushmaster caliber 5.56mm rifle, a magazine for a caliber 5.56mm rifle, and 10 rounds of ammunition for a caliber 5.56mm rifle.

The operation is part of “Oplan Paglalansag Omega,” a flagship project of the CIDG.

Mayor Villanueva and his siblings have been taken to CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

A mayor and three of his brothers, one who is a former cop and one who is a barangay chairman, have been busted on weapons charges. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/19/dismissed-cop-nabbed-for-unlicensed-guns-in-laguna

A dismissed police officer was arrested for unlicensed firearms in Calamba City, Laguna on Sunday, June 18.

Police Col. Randy Glenn Silvio, Laguna police director, identified the suspect as “Arnold” of Tondo, Manila.

Police Lt. Col. Milany Martirez, Calamba police chief, said the suspect yielded firearms in a checkpoint and introduced himself as a police officer.

The suspect presented documents for his firearms which later turned out to be spurious and he was also found out to be a police officer dismissed from the service in 2018.

He was arrested and a preventive search discovered a Taurus caliber .45, a Norinco caliber .45, magazines, ammunition, two cellphones, a flashlight, a green bag, a black holster, seven Philippine National Police identification cards, a driver’s license, a national ID, a Police Security Protection Group ID, an Imex ID, a Social Security System ID, two vaccination cards, assorted keys, and P5,840.

Suspect is in the custody of the Calamba police station and faces charges for usurpation of authority and violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Confiscated guns were submitted to the Crime Laboratory for ballistic examination.

A dismissed cop has been arrested for weapons violations. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203876

Some 8,313 firearms with expired licenses belong to elected officials, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters in Camp Crame, PNP Civil Security Group (CSG) director Brig. Gen. Benjamin Silo Jr. said the figure comprises 27 percent of 30,068 firearms registered to elected officials.

"What we did in CSG is we provide extra special effort to encourage these people, elected officials to renew their expired licenses. Our safe estimate is 50 percent of these expired firearms are from barangay officials. Aside from our internal efforts to encourage them to renew their firearms, we will be coordinating with barangay affairs of DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) for them to help us encourage barangay officials so that they can renew their licenses especially that the BSKE (Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections) is approaching," Silo said.

He added that they will also furnish the Commission on Elections (Comelec) with a list of barangay officials owning firearms with expired licenses.

Silo said elected officials should set a good example to civilians in terms of firearms ownership through the regular renewal of their gun licenses

“It’s more on encouraging them to comply with the provision of RA (Republic Act) 10591. It's more on encouraging them to comply with the provision of RA 10591. The first ones who must follow the rules and provisions of the law are government officials and elected officials. I hope we can be a model so that we can make sure that the coming BSKE will be peaceful, quiet and orderly,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, a total of 19,000 out of a total of 539,000 firearms with expired licenses belong to police and military personnel.

He said they already conveyed this matter to the offices of the concerned personnel.

Silo said that those PNP personnel will face administrative cases once they violate any provision of penal laws to require their members to comply with the requirements of the law.

Thousands of elected officials and police and military personnel have expired firearms licenses. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1964599/cebu/local-news/4-mandaue-traffic-personnel-axed-for-misconduct

AT LEAST four personnel of the Traffic Enforcement Agency of Mandaue (Team) were dismissed from service last month due to "misconduct."

Edwin Jumao-as, head of Team, said on Tuesday, June 20, 2023, that the dismissed employees have already been replaced.

Jumao-as said the personnel were recommended for termination following an investigation on complaints made by several motorists.

The Team head, however, declined to identify the erring personnel and the nature of their offenses.

(There are complaints at the office, and these are being looked upon. Some of them had previously committed offenses that were repeated, leading to suspensions on both occasions and a final suspension that led to termination.)

Jumao-as said they do not tolerate erring personnel and encouraged all motorists or drivers that have complaints against his men to feel free to go to their office.

Jumao-as said the employees admitted their mistakes, while others chose to retire.

Data shared by Team revealed that there are already 13 Team personnel who have been dismissed from service since 2021.

Four traffic enforcement agents from Mandaue have been dismissed for misconduct. 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/21/23/3-zamboanga-cops-sacked-after-waiter-dies-in-custody

Three officers of the Zamboanga City police were relieved from their posts following the death of a waiter under their custody, its chief said Wednesday. 

The 3 police officers are being investigated by the Philippine National Police's Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), Zamboanga City police chief Col. Alexander Lorenzo told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo.

Lorenzo said RIAS has obtained a copy of the autopsy on the corpse of Reynaldo Paragas Jr., a waiter who died while being escorted by police following an altercation with a retired police major at the bar where he was working.

(The RIAS is now looking at the victim's bruises and injuries and basing their investigation on the autopsy results on his corpse. Up until then, the only available evidence was footage from a CCTV camera in the restaurant, which is in a remote barangay in Zamboanga City.)

The incident stemmed from a brawl between Paragas and a retired police major identified only as a certain "Cuartocruz."

Lorenzo said Cuartocruz, a stroke victim, was persistently asking Paragas to serve him beer, even if he was advised against doing so by his fellow retired officer and his son.

Paragas refused Cuartocruz's requests, resulting in a heated argument that later allegedly escalated into a fistfight.

Officers had told Paragas' kin that the victim had died after jumping out of a police car following the brawl.

But Paragas' relative "Cecilia," quoting a doctor, told ABS-CBN's TeleRadyo on Tuesday that the victim might have been hit by a "hard object" based on his head injuries.

"Cecilia" further alleged that when Cuartocruz learned Paragas was dead, he immediately went to where the waiter's remains were found and said "buti nga sa iyo" (serves you right).

(We don't know where to get justice.)

Lorenzo said that as of Wednesday, the 3 police officers were already under the PNP's administrative custody while the investigation on Paragas' death was ongoing.  

3 cops have been relieved after a waiter died in their custody.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1791555/nbi-sacks-security-management-chief-for-letting-detainee-go-out

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has relieved the chief of the Security Management Section after a high-profile detainee, Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera, was reportedly allowed to go out of the bureau’s detention facility on Tuesday evening.

“The NBI assures the public that our organization will not condone acts of betrayal of public trust. The Chief of the Security Management Section was already relieved from his post pending the investigation of the case,” the bureau said in a statement on Wednesday.

It added: “Rest assured that the tasked investigators will thoroughly look into the bottom of the incident, including the possible  involvement of other personalities, and will immediately file the appropriate criminal and administrative cases.”

The statement did not name the security management chief nor was the name indicated on the NBI website.

Dera was later caught as he was returning to the NBI compound in Manila.

In a TV5 interview, Dera’s lawyer, Raymund Palad, said his client was allowed to go out to get medical attention. Dera, he added,  left the detention center on a marked vehicle with six NBI security escorts.

Dera is also among the co-accused in the illegal drug trade case that former Sen. Leila de Lima is facing at Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.

Aside from this, Dera is also accused of acting as a bagman of Negros Oriental Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr., who is suspected of being the mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo.

The NBI's Security Chief has been let go for allowing a detainee to leave the NBI facility.