Insurgency: Eliminating IS-Linked Daulah Islamiyah By Year End

This week the AFP was ambushed by suspected members of the Dawlah Islamiya as they were distributing food for Ramadan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1220999

Four government soldiers were killed in an ambush perpetrated by suspected Dawlah Islamiya (DI) terrorists in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town, Maguindanao del Sur province on Sunday morning.

The soldiers were heading back to base at about 10 a.m. after doing marketing chores when waylaid in Barangay Tuayan.

Three belonged to the Army's 40th Infantry Battalion (IB), while the fourth was from the 3rd Army Cavalry, all under the 601st Infantry Brigade (Bde).

Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, Army 6th Infantry Division commander, strongly condemned the attack.

"The soldiers were doing community service when attacked," Rillera said.

Aside from office supplies, the four soldiers were also tasked to buy food for the "Iftar" of Muslim residents living near their camp.

"Iftar" is the breaking of the fast of Muslims after sunset during the holy month of Ramadan.

Rillera said the 40IB regularly provides free food for Iftar. This year, it started March 12.

Later on the BIFF would own up to being behind the ambush.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1920747/biff-owns-ambush-that-killed-4-soldiers

The Islamic State-linked terrorist group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) has claimed responsibility for the March 17 ambush in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town of Maguindanao del Sur province that killed four off-duty soldiers.

Abu Supyan, speaking for the BIFF Kagi Karialan faction, told the Inquirer on Tuesday that the ambush in broad daylight in Barangay Tuayan 1 was triggered by continuous military offensives against their positions.

“We have been silent but they (Army) have been carrying out raids [against us]. Even the elder brother of Commander Kagi Karialan, who is a civilian, was killed [in these raids],” Supyan said in Filipino. Kagi Karialan leads one of the three BIFF factions.

Supyan said that because of the series of military offensives targeting BIFF members in Maguindanao del Sur, they had to retaliate. “That’s why we launched the ambush against the four soldiers,” said Supyan, adding: “We have no regrets that we did it.”

The ambush has strengthened the AFP's resolve to hunt down the remaining members of DI by the end of the year.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1920762/afp-targets-eliminating-is-linked-daulah-islamiyah-by-year-end

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is aiming to eliminate the Islamic State-linked Daulah Islamiyah (DI) by the end of the year, its spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said on Tuesday.

“Our target, for the AFP, as stated during our command conference at the start of the year, was for us to end the insurgency problem once and for all by the end of this year,” Padilla said when asked about the timeline for the elimination of the jihadist group.

Padilla previously said it also targets to finish the Maoist insurgency by year end.

Could it be that the AFP will have a double whammy victory by years end with the end of both the Muslim and Communist insurgencies? Their track record says no but small victories are happening along the way. This week the AFP has announced that 2 more NPA units in the Eastern Visayas have been dismantled. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/18/troops-dismantle-2-more-npa-units-in-eastern-visayas

Authorities have dismantled two more New People’s Army (NPA) units in Eastern Visayas.

These were Platoon 2 of Island Committee 47 Levox operating in the provinces of Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte, and the Elcon Platoon of Sub-Regional Committee Browser operating in the provinces of Samar and Eastern Samar.

The Elcon Platoon of SRC Browser were remnants of the dismantled Central Front Samar 1 and Front Committee 3 of SRC Arctic while the P2 IC47 Levox was created in their attempt to re-establish a guerilla front in Leyte, Biliran, and Southern Leyte.

They also announced that 422 rebels have been neutralized between January 1st and March 14th. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221249

A total of 422 New People's Army (NPA) insurgents and their supporters were neutralized in various operations by military units nationwide from Jan. 1 to March 14, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in a media briefing Wednesday, said the figure consists of 374 surrendered, 15 arrested, and 33 killed.

Over the same period, 56 NPA lairs were seized and 221 assorted firearms and 71 anti-personnel mines were recovered and surrendered by the rebels to military units, according to the AFP.

In a related development, Padilla said the declaration of Surigao del Norte as an "insurgency-free province" on March 15 is a "testament to the effective implementation of our campaigns and brings us closer to our target of dismantling the remaining guerilla fronts and vertical units in the region."

It is also a significant development for the province in terms of peace and development, she added.

Interestingly enough they made this same kind of announcement last week.

Government troops have neutralized a total of 348 New People's Army (NPA) members and their allies in operations from Jan. 1 to March 7, the military announced Tuesday.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2024/03/insurgency-no-let-up-in-afp-operations.html

That means 74 NPA rebels and allies have been neutralized in just one week. At this rate and with less than 1,500 NPA fighters left the communist insurgency could be finished in 20 weeks or by the end of August. But let's not hold our breath. 

Last week amnesty applications were available to download. They government was expecting 80,000 applicants. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1918561/amnesty-form-for-ex-rebels-accessible-online-starting-this-week

Former rebels who wish to apply for government amnesty may download the form online beginning this week, National Amnesty Commission (NAC) official Jamar Kulayan said Thursday.

In a phone interview with INQUIREr.net, the NAC commissioner said they anticipate around 80,000 eligible ex-insurgents to apply for amnesty.

He added that even before the release of the Amnesty Program’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR), former members of the New People’s Army (NPA), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) may already avail of the government’s reprieve offer.

But, so far nobody has applied!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1921485/no-rebel-has-so-far-applied-for-govt-amnesty-says-nac-head

The  National Amnesty Commission (NAC) said it has yet to receive applications for amnesty even after Congress concurred with a presidential proclamation that would grant reprieve to rebels.

NAC Chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento said they had opened the submission of forms since March 13.

“We have yet to receive anything,” said Armamento during Thursday’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing, in reply to a query on how many insurgents have already applied for government amnesty.

Congress concurred with Presidential Proclamation No. 404, which seeks to grant reprieve to members of the New People’s Army (NPA), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Last week, NAC official Jamar Kulayan told INQUIRER.net in a phone interview that the issuance of the Amnesty Program’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) will happen soon following this action of Congress. He said the IRR may be out before the end of March, but submission of the application may already proceed even before it.

Kulayan likewise said that former rebels who wish to apply for government amnesty may download the form online beginning last week. He further disclosed that the NAC expects around 80,000 eligible ex-insurgents to apply.

“Before I assumed office, the MILF [already has] the list of the names, but during [that] time, the Office was not yet organized. It was only organized when I assumed Office last January 24, 2023,” she said, noting that the MILF has the most number of former rebels who have expressed interest in obtaining government reprieve.

Are these potential applicants even aware of the program and where to download the form? Do they have internet access? There are a lot of variables here which the government will surely work through if they are sincere in their amnesty offer. 

The Killing of Dog Killua is The Tip of An Animal Abuse Iceberg

The recent killing of a beloved golden retriever has sparked outrage across the nation. A neighbor was caught on CCTV chasing the dog before he killed it. The video spread virally on social media even reaching the eyeballs of the inutile politicians who govern the Philippines. Their solution? More laws!!

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/03/21/2342174/killing-dog-killua-slammed

Animal welfare education should be mandated for elementary and high school students after the killing of Golden Retriever “Killua,” according to Sen. Grace Poe.

On March 17, Camarines Sur resident Anthony Solares killed the dog, claiming that Killua was aggressive.

The act was caught in a closed-circuit television footage posted on social media by Killua’s owner Vina Rachelle Arazas. Solares was seen hitting the dog as it ran around trying to escape.

The dog’s remains were later found in a sack.

“I am heartbroken and enraged to hear of the mauling of Killua, a golden retriever. Mr. Anthony Solares admitted to slaughtering Killua, claiming that the dog chased his child. However, his actions, which were captured in a CCTV video, were fraught with excessive violence and showed that it was Killua who was being chased,” Poe said in her privilege speech on Tuesday.

In Senate Bill 2458 that Poe filed, the “Revised Animal Welfare Act” shall include mandatory animal welfare education in the curriculum for primary and secondary education students.

“We hope to pass this bill soon and put an end to despicable incidents such as what happened to Killua,” she added.

Members of the House of Representatives condemned the killing of Killua, with lawmakers calling for amendments to the Animal Welfare Act of 1998.

“I think it would be the best time for us to revisit this law. The maximum penalty of imprisonment for the violation, for instance, on the killing of an animal is six months to one year of imprisonment, with the penalty or a fine of not exceeding P100,000,” said Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Bongalon.

He also urged the Philippine Animal Welfare Society to raise awareness of laws against animal cruelty.

“What should be done? Perhaps we can empower our (local government units) in enforcing this law. It is because they are the ones at the grassroots level,” House Deputy Speaker David Suarez told legislative reporters at a briefing.

“I would understand maybe if he scared the dog. But to kill the animal already speaks of the motive, that there is really an intent to end the life of that animal. To me, it is tantamount to straight-up murder,” said Davao Oriental 2nd District Rep. Cheeno Almario.

It should not need to be said but, "Laws DO NOT prevent crime."

The fact is animal abuse happens all the time in the Philippines and no one cares. The only reason anyone care about Killua is because of the CCTV footage and the pictures of him celebrating his birthday in a tuxedo bib. For every Killua there are other unnamed animals who's death goes unchampioned.

Take for instance the abuse of a cats. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/901314/cat-found-shot-in-head-with-an-arrow-in-davao-city/story/

A cat was shot in the head with a bow and arrow in Davao City, according to the report of GMA News Regional TV One Mindanao on "State of the Nation" Thursday.

The cat was rescued and rushed to the veterinary clinic by a concerned citizen for an emergency operation.

The surgical procedure was complicated as the arrow hit the cat’s brain. The operation on the cat was eventually declared successful.

The person who shot the cat remains unidentified.

Meanwhile, a house cat was found allegedly bludgeoned to death at an alley in Naga City.

Based on statements from residents, there had already been multiple incidents of house cats being killed within the area.

Barangay officials are working on identifying the suspect behind the string of cases of animal cruelty.

In Davao someone shot an arrow into a cat's head. In Naga City a cat was found bludgeoned to death being one of a number of killed cats in the area.

In Cavite cats at the local pound had to resort to cannibalism.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/901107/cavite-pound-probed-over-cat-cannibalism/story/

A barangay-run animal pound in Dasmariñas, Cavite is under investigation for animal neglect after a video surfaced of cats eating the bodies of their fellow felines.

In a report by Darlene Cay in Unang Balita on Wednesday, a concerned resident made the grisly discovery after she went to the pound to help her friend find a pet cat.

(I became confused because it was the first time I saw something like that. I was very angry and upset. I ended up crying.)

Yvette suspected that the cats in the pound were not adequately fed, so they could do nothing but eat each other. Based on the video, some cats appeared weak, their water bowls were dirty and there was no food inside their cages either.

Yvette said they talked to the barangay chairman, who agreed to transfer the cats to a shelter, but he said she was shocked when the 20 cats were released the next day.

Still, the barangay captain maintains they did not abandon the cats and fed them twice daily.

(The truth is that I have two caretakers of the cats but we still can't watch them for 24 hours, so when they noticed the cats being fed they would end up fighting.)

The people at the cat pound suspected that three cats died because of fighting. They said the more aggressive ones ate the dead cats.

According to the veterinarian Dr. Ferds Recio, extreme hunger may be the reason for the cannibalistic behavior. He said that cats are natural hunters.

(It can be due to starvation since they don't have any food. It is also true that they will kill their fellow cats for them to eat. It doesn't mean that one hundred percent they have nothing to eat, so they will kill their partner. It is possible, but it is not one hundred percent sure.)

If it is proven that cats were neglected or abused, the barangay officials can be held responsible for violating the Animal Welfare Act.

There are also reports from time to time of tricycle drivers being apprehended for collecting dogs set to be slaughtered and eaten. The point here is that no law is going to stop animal abuse in the Philippines. Abuse happens because some people simply do not care about the well being of animals. 

This issue is not much different from the weekly slaughter of current and former political officials. Once in a while the violence is recognized at the national level and passionate speeches condemning the violence and calling for an investigation are made in Congress but for the most part it is an endemic problem about which no one cares. Stopping animal abuse in the Philippines will take a huge cultural shift and that is nowhere in the cards at this point. 

The God Culture: Does Timothy Jay Schwab Have a Worker's Visa?

Does Timothy Jay Schwab have a worker's visa which would allow him to sell his books online in the Philippines? Apparently he needs one to sell books via Shopee and through his website Ophir Institute. Take the case of vlogger Penelope Pop.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1391613/vlogger-penelope-pop-faces-deportation-over-immigration-rules-breach

Vlogger and social media influencer “Penelope Pop” is facing a deportation case for allegedly performing “gainful activity” without the necessary permit and visa.

In a charge sheet made public on Wednesday, Special Prosecutor Emmanuel Anthony Vera Jr. accused the internet celebrity of engaging in the online retail trade of lifestyle products such as notebooks, bags, and toiletries via www.theeveryday.ph without the required alien employment permit. Vera said Wang holds a special investor resident visa.

Penelope Pop is also known as Winnie Wong while her real name is Wang Yun-I/Yun-I Wang.

According to Vera, Wang’s involvement in the online retail business is a violation of the Commonwealth Act or the Philippine Immigration Act, which controls and regulates the immigration of foreign nationals in the country.

Bureau of Immigration (BI) Deputy Commissioner Tobias Javier has also ordered the inclusion of Wang in the immigration watchlist with remarks “Charged: engaging in gainful activity without a visa/permit.”

Foreigners cannot be involved in online retail without the necessary "alien employment permit." Does Tim have such a permit that would allow him to offer his books at a discount rate through his website Ophir Institute and Shopee?

This issue is actually a little complicated. First of all Tim is selling books he has written through his website Ophir Institute. Second of all we know that it is HIS website and business because he admits in his biography that he and his wife founded the Ophir Institute together. 

https://www.thegodculture.com/our-founder

Timothy Jay Schwab, with his Filipina wife Anna, is the author of the books The Search for King Solomon's Treasure: The Lost Isles of Gold and the Garden of Eden, Instruction Edition: The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, and Ophir Philippines Coffee Table Book, all supported by a 300-page SOURCEBOOK of very credible sources no one can disprove. They have founded the Ophir Institute in the Philippines to restore this knowledge. 

That information is not to be found on the Ophir Institute's "about" page. According to that page Tim and Anna are only partnering with the Ophir Institute.

Therefore, the Ophir Institute has proudly partnered with author, researcher, singer, former minister, and successful publisher Timothy Schwab and his wife, Anna Zamoranos-Schwab, a Filipina, who lead a team of researchers who tackled this topic. They published their findings on YouTube first with over 10 million views and now, even deeper research is available in book and eBook form. As of recent, this list of publishings includes, The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, INSTRUCTIONAL EDITION: The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, Ophir Philippines Coffee Table Book, and The Book of Jubilees: The Torah Calendar. 

Though we are a group, these authors' writings largely resemble the core of our mission to educate Filipinos about our lost history.

https://www.ophirinstitute.com/bio

Normally one would call this a lie. But in this instance it is actually a shrewd business move. Now Tim is only tangentially connected to the Ophir Institute as a partner. They are using his writings as their core mission and they are selling those same writings. He and his wife Anna are merely a disinterested third party. Of course one will have to ignore that little bit about he and his wife founding the Ophir Institute which is a part of the biography he has posted across several pages including Amazon.

Part of the shrewdness of this move is Anna using the surname Schwab in both of those biographies. At the bottom of each page we read the following:

© 2020 by Ophir Institute. DTI Registered as Ophir Publishing.

Searching for that registration we find this:

https://bnrs.dti.gov.ph/search?keyword=ophir+publishing&criteria=exact&sort_by=business_name&sort_order=asc

The Ophir Institute is registered as Ophir Publishing and is owned by one Anna Rose Gacayan Zamoranos. This person is not a Schwab. Officially there is no connection to Timothy Schwab or Anna Schwab in the registration. 

However it should be noted that Ophirinsititue.com is registered in Florida, USA.

https://ph.godaddy.com/whois/results.aspx?domain=ophirinstitute.com

It is also hosted on the same server as TheGodCulture.com which is most definitely registered to Timothy Schwab from Florida, USA

Name Server: NS10.WIXDNS.NET

Why is a website which is registered to Timothy Schwab in Florida, USA registered as a business in the Philippines to a woman apparently unrelated to him?

From this we can draw two conclusions.

1. Timothy Jay Schwab does not need a worker's visa because he is not involved in any gainful activity in the Philippines via the internet because he does not own the company selling his books, Ophir publishing. Someone else does. The owner is not a Schwab and appears to have no connections to Timothy though her name is suspiciously similar to the name of the divorcee he married. 

2. Because the owner of Ophir Publishing is not a Schwab it cannot be said with any certainty that Tim, as the brains behind both the God Culture and the Ophir Institute and the author of several books being sold by the Ophir Institute, is conspiring with his wife to circumvent Philippine law on a technicality so he can sell his books without having to procure the proper visa.

Of course if both of those conclusions are true then we must also conclude that Tim is not making any money from selling his books online in the Philippines. Is that a realistic conclusion? More importantly why is there all this chicanery as regards who owns what? We see have seen this same nonsense in his trademark registrations where ALL of his God Culture related materials are registered to an address in Florida.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-god-culture-past-and-future-projects.html

But Tim has not lived in Florida since at least 2019. So, why is he registering everything to Angie Myers in Boca Raton, Florida? Who is this lady? She is Tim's former employee. See the link under the picture for more information. 

I suppose it all makes sense though. Tim is dishonest in his books and videos telling flat out lies about Philippine history, ancient maps, the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bible Canon, and the divinity of the Holy Spirit among so many other things. It would only be consistent for Timothy Jay Schwab of The God Culture to not be above board in his business practices.  

Retards in the Government 357

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

 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/14/lanao-sur-town-councilor-nabbed-in-p6-8-m-quezon-city-drug-sting

Government anti-narcotics authorities arrested on Wednesday night, March 13 a Lanao Del Sur municipal councilor and another suspect during a buy-bust operation in Quezon City.

In an initial report, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that the operation resulted in the arrest of Maguing, Lanao del Sur councilor Norhan Haron Ampuan, 31, and Jalanie Haron Mama, 30, who are both included in the agency’s high-value target (HVT) list.

After the surveillance, the PDEA and local police operatives mapped out a plan that led to the arrest of the suspects at around 8:45 p.m. along  Doña A. Roces Avenue in Barangay Paligsahan.

Apart from the 1,000 grams of suspected shabu concealed in a transparent plastic sachet, authorities also seized three deposit slips, three identification cards, a black wallet containing eight of various cards, a genuine P1,000 bill placed on top of one of the 10 bundles of boodle money, a black Toyota Avanza and two cellular phones.

The confiscated illegal drugs have a street value of P6.8 million.

A city councilor who is also a high value target has been arrested for drugs. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/14/village-dad-shoots-tanod-dead-in-leyte

A barangay "tanod" or watchman was gunned down by a barangay councilor in an interior barangay here on Tuesday night, March 12.

Police identified the victim as Francis Berones of Barangay Bagacay East here.

Investigation said Berones figured in a heated altercation with the suspect, Julio Custudio, during the birth anniversary party of Custodio's daughter earlier that day.

Berones was driving his motorcycle on his way home when the suspect blocked his path. The suspect drew a firearm and shot Berones multiple times.

The victim was taken to a hospital in Burauen, Leyte where he was declared dead.

Custodio was arrested following the incident while he was drinking with friends. 

A barangay tanod has been assassinated by a barangay councilor. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/03/14/2340562/soldier-companion-hurt-maguindanao-del-sur-ambush

An off-duty motorist soldier was wounded in the neck in an ambush at a stretch of the Cotabato-Davao Highway in Pagalungan, Maguindanao del Sur that also left his civilian companion injured on Wednesday.

Col. Roel Sermese, director of the Maguindanao del Sur provincial police, told reporters on Thursday that the victims, Private 1st Class Roberto Dela Cruz Desierto Jr., and Eugenio Lamoste Gurang were riding a motorcycle headed somewhere when they were attacked by pistol-wielding men in Barangay Galakit, Pagalungan.

Desierto, who belonged to the Army’s 92nd Infantry Battalion, was assigned in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur.

Desierto’s motorcycle swerved toward the side of the highway and crashed after he was hit by a bullet in the neck, Sermese said, citing a report from the Pagalungan Municipal Police Station.

Gurang, who fell from the motorcycle as it flipped, rolled over and landed at one side of the concrete highway, sustained abrasions in his arms and legs.

Their attackers hurriedly escaped when they sensed that the gunshots that reverberated through the scene caused a commotion among villagers in houses nearby.

Sermese said responding policemen and emergency responders from the Pagalungan local government unit immediately brought the duo to the hospital for treatment.

A soldier has survived an attempted assassination. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/14/driver-hurt-as-gunmen-shoot-mayor-s-vehicle

A driver was injured and his companion was unharmed when gunmen fired at their vehicle owned by the mayor of San Isidro, Leyte in Barangay Dapdap, Alangalang, Leyte, on Thursday, March 14.

Police identified the wounded as driver Ranel Batiquin Reubal, 44, from Barangay Linao, San Isidro.

Investigation said gunmen onboard a gray pickup shot the vehicle on its way to Alangalang town proper.

Reubal was wounded in the back and his companion, Carlo Emman Pauligue, 44, a resident of Barangay Daja Dako, San Isidro, was unscathed.

The suspects' vehicle maneuvered to Santa Fe and Reubal proceeded to Alangalang proper.

However, the pickup truck’s tires burst in Barangay Santo Nino, which prompted them stop in front of Alangalang National High School. Reubal was taken to the hospital.

The driver of the mayor's vehicle was hurt in an attempted assassination on the mayor who was luckily not in the car at the time. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1918884/raps-filed-vs-ched-chief-over-rigged-bidding

Suspended Commissioner Aldrin Darilag of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) on Thursday said the criminal charges—including graft and grave abuse of authority—he filed against his superior, Chair Prospero de Vera, stemmed from concerns raised by some heads of state universities and colleges (SUCs).

In his five-page complaint affidavit filed on Tuesday, Darilag claimed that De Vera forced him to favor pharmaceutical company Aspen Philippines as a provider of medical supplies for various SUCs during a series of biddings last year.

Knowing that the firm was incompliant with procurement laws, Darilag said he ignored De Vera’s directive.

In a message to the Inquirer, Darilag said he decided to file charges of graft, grave abuse of authority, harassment, and oppression, after a number of SUC presidents, whom he refused to identify, brought to his attention the alleged rigged procurement process last year for medical supplies.

“There are SUCs who don’t receive funding if they don’t let Aspen win the bidding as a supplier,” Darilag said, quoting the affected SUC heads.

Darilag, who oversees teacher education, gender and development, and extension programs, was suspended in mid-January for 90 days for alleged grave misconduct, neglect in the performance of duty, and oppression.

De Vera earlier noted that the order came from Malacañang. It also directed the agency to conduct a fact-finding investigation “to determine the existence of a prima facie (self-evident) case” to serve as basis for the filing of formal charges against Darilag.

But the commissioner doubted that the ongoing probe against him would be fair because he was never furnished a copy of the complaint or the order, which he said was “a violation of his right to due process.”

“They conducted the investigation, but I didn’t receive even a single complaint. Also, the head of the investigation committee is known to be an ally of De Vera,” he told the Inquirer.

Darilag accused De Vera of being “hostile to me throughout my stint as commissioner.”

This, Darilag said, was evident in the sudden ban allegedly imposed on his staff to enter CHEd premises and perform their work.

“In fact, they were subjected to needless inspection of their clothes and belongings every time they came out of my office,” he said in his affidavit.

The reason behind “De Vera’s hostility is not difficult to discern,” Darilag said, adding that the opposed De Vera’s recommendation to disallow Biliran Province State University to open a maritime program.

He also surmised that De Vera may suspect that he revealed the chair’s “wrongdoings” in the budget hearings in the House of Representatives last year.

De Vera, for his part, denied Darilag’s allegations, clarifying that he was not part of the bids and awards committee in the CHEd or in any similar committees in any SUC.

“I am not in a position to manipulate procurement activities,” De Vera said in the statement to reporters.

Charges have been field against the CHED Commissioner for rigged bidding. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1919758/police-colonel-faces-criminal-raps-for-blackmail-using-sex-video

A police officer is facing a string of criminal complaints for recording his sexual encounters with a woman he had an illicit affair with and allegedly using the recordings to blackmail her for wanting to end their relationship and pay off his debt.

The police officer is facing a complaint before the Quezon City Prosecutors’ Office for violating Republic Act (RA) 9262, the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Law; RA 9995, the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act; RA 11313, the Safe Spaces Law; RA 10173, the Data Privacy Act; RA 10175, the Cybercrime Prevention Law.

He also faces complaints for grave coercion, intrigue against honor, and unjust vexation.

He was already relieved from his post.

In her complaint, the victim said she met the respondent when he sent her a friend request on Facebook in December 2020.

From there, she said they became friends as the police official provided her with emotional support because she was suffering from depression due to personal problems at the time.

She first met the respondent when she delivered the nameplate he ordered and talked about her money-lending business over lunch. She said this was also the first time the respondent kissed her without her consent.

On their second meeting, she said he invited her for a meal but took her to a hotel instead. She said this was where they first had sex. Then, he showed her the video “for fun.”

She said she tried to snatch the phone to delete the video, but the police officer refused, saying he would be the one deleting the video.

From then on, the victim stated that she felt unable to refuse the respondent’s request because he continually threatened her with the video.

In June 2023, she said she met the police colonel who started borrowing money from her. The total amount he borrowed was P245,000 with increments of P50,000, then P65,000 and P130,000.

In January 2024, she demanded payment and threatened to take the case to the barangay, to which the police officer said he would just tell the village chief that they had a relationship and show their sex video.

In the same month, a person who claims to be the policeman’s wife messaged her on Facebook, saying she had copies of their sex videos. The same social media account sent one of the videos to her daughter, who was then at school.

A day later, the video was also sent to her husband.

The case is currently undergoing preliminary investigation.

A PNP officer is facing charges of blackmail over a sex video.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221076

The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the dismissal from the service of former North Cotabato 2nd District congressman Gregorio Ipong in connection with irregularities in the use of pork barrel funds in 2007.

In a 13-page resolution released online last week, the SC Second Division affirmed the Court of Appeals (CA) which found Ipong administratively liable for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service in the transactions involving PHP4.9 million. 

The Court, however, ruled Ipong’s liability as grave misconduct only and deleted the finding of administrative liability.

“Here, since the acts complained of relates to Ipong’s official functions and duties as a member of the House of Representatives and that the same are tainted with the elements of corruption and/or flagrant disregard of an established rule, the Court finds him administratively liable for grave misconduct only,” the SC said. 

The SC said grave misconduct is a “grave offense” which is punishable with dismissal from the service, along with accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification from re-employment in the government service. 

“In the event that the penalty of dismissal can no longer be enforced due to petitioner’s separation from the service, the same shall be converted into a fine, equivalent to petitioner’s salary for one year, payable to the Office of the Ombudsman, and may be deductible from petitioner’s accrued leave credits or any receivables from their office,” the SC said.

The administrative case against Ipong was filed following his election as vice governor of North Cotabato in May 2016.

Ipong was forced to vacate his post following the ruling of the Ombudsman dismissing him from the service. 

The Department of Budget released Ipong’s Priority Development Assistance Fund to finance and implement his livelihood programs.

Ipong endorsed Aaron Foundation to the Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TLRC), the implementing agency of PDAF, as partner for his projects.

The amount was transferred to Aaron Foundation on the sole basis of Ipong’s endorsement without TLRC conducting a public bidding and despite the absence of an appropriation law or ordinance authorizing the foundation as the implementing agency. 

Aaron Foundation was a bogus non-government organization, the Ombudsman said.

Investigators also found that the municipalities of Kidapawan and Makilala in North Cotabato did not actually receive any funded livelihood programs.

In September 2022, the Sandiganbayan sentenced Gregorio Ipong and TLRC Chief Accountant Marivic Jover up to 27 years of imprisonment for graft and malversation.

The decision was upheld a month later.

The SC has upheld the dismissal of a former Solon over PDAF misuse.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1221117

Death threats in recent months culminated in a gun attack on the vehicle of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. at the Skyway in Quezon City on Tuesday morning.

The bulletproof pickup truck with plate no. WDQ 811 was on its way to pick up Deputy Director General for Administration Al Perreras.

Driver Cornelio Colalong and companion Leonardo Cabaniero, both Corrections Officers 1, were unharmed.

The BuCor report said unidentified suspects on board a gray sedan overtook the back-up car, carrying BuCor officers Edwin Berroya and Michael Magsanoc, and fired at the pickup.

The vehicle was hit at the rear windshield, which shattered the bullet proof glass without penetration.

The suspects' car fled toward the Nagtahan exit going to Manila.

“Catapang said that both he and Perreras have been receiving death threats since they implemented various reforms in the agency and this incident will not deter them from continuing what they started,” BuCor said in a statement.

The BuCor Chief has survived an attempted assassination. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/3/20/cop-nabbed-for-raping-14-year-old-daughter-in-cebu

A police officer was arrested for allegedly raping his 14-year-old daughter on multiple occasions in Cebu.

The suspect, who used to be a member of a special unit of the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), was arrested in a manhunt operation on Tuesday night, March 19, in Asturias town, western Cebu, by operatives of the Liloan Police Station.

Police Major Windel Abellana, information officer of the CPPO, said the victim was last raped at past 1 a.m. on Sunday, March 17.

The victim, accompanied by her mother, went to the police station to report the incident. The suspect fled after he learned that his wife and daughter reported the sexual abuse.

“According to the minor victim, her father abused her sexually on different occasions," said Abellana.

The Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO-7) assured that appropriate action will be taken against the suspect.

Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of PRO-7 chief Police Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, said there will be no whitewash in the investigation.

"We reiterate the instruction of our regional director that there will be no sacred cows. Everyone will be treated fairly. If someone commits a crime, even if he is a police officer, we will file the necessary charges, administrative, criminal and civil if the evidence warrants,” said Pelare.

Pelare said after a criminal charge is filed, the filing of an administrative complaint will follow.

A cop has been arrested for raping his daughter. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/metro/901175/mmda-traffic-aide-picked-out-of-line-up-tagged-in-alleged-extortion/story/

A traffic enforcer of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) suspended after he was seen on a viral video allegedly extorting money from a motorist on Commonwealth Avenue.

According to Raffy Tima’s report on “Saksi”, the MMDA asked the victim to identify the suspect from line-up of made up of traffic enforcers deployed in the area. 

(You were identified with or without a mask. This is not the first time it happened. It's the second.)

(We will give you the chance to answer the accusations against you. Until such time, you will report at the headquarters.)

The victim said the incident happened on Friday after he took a U-turn at the Technohub area, going to to Tandang Sora Avenue. The enforcer allegedly flagged him down for using his mobile phone while driving and for not using his seatbelt. 

When he denied the accusations, the traffic enforcer accused him of having an expired vehicle registration. The suspect asked him to pay P15,000 worth of fine but decreased it to P5,000. After saying he had no cash, the MMDA personnel allegedly told him to transfer the money via e-wallet. 

The victim caught the incident on a video and posted it on social media. 

(I checked the tickets while he was pretending to write. I logged in on my e-wallet, transferred the money, sent it to my sibling, and then left P2,500.)

If proven guilty, the MMDA said the suspect will be relieved from his post and may be charged criminally.

An MMDA traffic enforcer has been accused of extortion.