It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/25/cop-faces-charges-for-assaulting-colleague-in-cebu-city |
A 29-year-old policeman is facing administrative and criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted his fellow police officer after a drinking session in Barangay Sambag 1 here on Wednesday night, April 24.
If proven guilty, Police Patrolman Louie Sequito, a native of Iloilo City, may be dismissed from service.
The complainant was identified as Police Patrolman Zusime Brix Canete Peñaflor, 25, a native of Bacolod City. The two were classmates during their police training.
According to Police Major Mark Don Alfred Leanza, chief of the Abellana Police Station, Peñaflor went out of his boarding house past 10 p.m. to withdraw money from an Automated Teller Machine.
Peñaflor saw Sequito and their two other friends drinking by the road. Peñaflor approached his friends and was invited to join in the drinking session.
Peñaflor had just taken two shots of beer when asked permission that would go ahead as he needed to withdraw cash.
As he was walking on a road, Peñaflor noticed that the suspect followed him and suddenly punched him in the head. Peñaflor also accused Sequito of pointing a gun at him.
Sequito alleged that the suspect threatened him by saying: “Papelan mo ko para malaman mo (File a case and will you find out).”
When the two policemen parted ways, Peñaflor reported the incident to the Abellana Police Station.
The Abellana Police Station, Special Weapons and Tactics team, and City Mobile Force Company responded to the alarm. Sequito was still drinking with his friends when he was arrested.
A 29-year-old policeman is facing administrative and criminal charges after he allegedly assaulted his fellow police officer after a drinking session in Barangay Sambag 1 here on Wednesday night, April 24.
A court sheriff has been dismissed from the service by the Supreme Court (SC) for asking money from parties and causing delays in implementing court orders.
In a ruling published on April 24, the high court dismissed Sheriff George Clemente Paniqui, Tarlac and fined him PHP215,000 for gross neglect of duty and gross misconduct.
The SC also forfeited Clemente’s retirement benefits.
He was named in a complaint filed by lawyer Sotero Rambayon, who represented the plaintiffs in a civil case related to the writs of execution.
In its ruling, the SC noted that Clemente “unduly delayed” the implementation of the writ of execution in the civil case and failed to submit the sheriff’s report on time; and also delayed the execution of a judgment in another civil case for one year and eight months.
“A sheriff’s long delay in the execution of the judgments and the failure to accomplish the required periodic reports demonstrate gross neglect and gross inefficiency in the performance of official duties,” the Court said.
The SC also held Clemente liable for asking for a “police escort fee” and “mobilization fee” from the parties in the case.
It noted that the court sheriff did not deny demanding the fees from the litigants without court approval.
“He is not cleared just because the litigants were willing to pay the amount, or because he eventually returned the money,” the SC said.
It stressed that sheriffs are not authorized to receive payments from a winning party, and any amount paid to execute the writ should be deposited with the Clerk of Court, who would be the one to release the amount to the sheriff.
The SC noted that Clemente was aleadt disciplined by the court for the third time in the recent case Sagun v. Clemente, where he was found guilty for gross neglect of duty for unjustified failure to implement a writ of execution and submit a report.
He was also suspended for one year and warned that he would face more severe penalties for repeating a similar offense.
“It is evident that he never learned from his previous infractions, and he deliberately ignored the stem warnings from the Court. Having tarnished the good image of the judiciary, he should not be allowed to stay a minute longer in the service,” the SC said.
A court sheriff has been dismissed from the service by the Supreme Court (SC) for asking money from parties and causing delays in implementing court orders.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/27/cop-wounded-after-wife-catches-him-having-sex-with-spouse-of-police-officer |
A 40-year-old police master sergeant was shot and wounded by his wife, who is also a police officer, after he was caught having sex with the spouse of a police major inside a car in a mall parking area in Barangay Canlubang here on Thursday morning, April 25.
The shooting incident was related to the complaints of a 39-year-old lady police master sergeant and 41-year-old police major against their respective spouses who are also members of the Philippine National Police.
Based on the police report, the wounded police officer is the husband of the lady police master sergeant assigned to the Police Regional Office 4-A.
The wounded cop’s alleged paramour, a policewoman (police executive master sergeant) assigned to the Calamba City Police Station, is the wife of the complaining police major.
Prior to the incident, the complainants received information that their spouses were having an illicit affair and were seen in the parking area of the mall. They proceeded to the area and caught them having sex inside a car.
A confrontation ensued and the lovers tried to run away.
The escaping policeman was shot by his wife in the leg and shoulder.
The police major, meanwhile, chased his cheating wife but she managed to escape towards the direction of Batangas.
The wounded lawman was taken by responding police to the hospital.
The police major’s wife is now the subject of a manhunt.
Police said the lovers face adultery and concubinage charges.
A 40-year-old police master sergeant was shot and wounded by his wife, who is also a police officer, after he was caught having sex with the spouse of a police major inside a car in a mall parking area.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/27/coa-questions-catanduanes-over-p41-2-m-undelivered-abaca-suckers |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has questioned the provincial government of Catanduanes over the P41.26 million paid for abaca suckers which were not delivered by the contracted supplier who simply gave cash to farmer-beneficiaries to source out the planting materials themselves.
In its 2023 annual audit report, COA said that Catanduanes paid P41.26 million to a supplier despite non-compliance with the original terms of the supply contract..
It said that in 2022, Catanduanes entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Agriculture (DA) for the revitalization of Typhoon-Damaged Abaca Farms in the province for P69.9 million. The project involved the procurement and distribution of abaca planting materials (suckers), digging bars, and backpack spray to qualified farmer-beneficiaries.
After two failed biddings, COA said that Catanduanes resorted to negotiated procurement on May 17, 2023 for the supply and delivery of abaca suckers. It was awarded to an unnamed supplier on May 23, 2023.
It said the supplier agreed to deliver 1,377,700 pieces of abaca suckers to Catanduanes for P41.26 million within 120 calendar days. There were two deliveries made on Sept. 4, 2023 and Oct. 5, 2023, and two payments amounting to P19,319,511.70 dated Sept. 14 and Oct. 23, 2023 were subsequently made to the supplier.
COA said its auditors discovered "inconsistencies" in the transaction.
"Audit of the transactions revealed that there was no actual delivery by the supplier of 1,377,700 pieces of abaca suckers to the Provincial General Services Office (PGSO), subsequently to the Provincial Agriculture Services Office (PASO), as opposed to the certification in the Inspection and Acceptance Report Nos. 09-715 and 10-947 signed by the inspectorate team and the head of the PGSO indicating complete delivery thereof," COA's report stated.
"The supplier did not actually perform the agreement stated in the contract for the supply and delivery of abaca suckers given that the abaca suckers were sourced from the abaca farmers/beneficiaries themselves, and not through the capacity of the supplier," it added.
It also said that state auditors questioned the Terms of Reference (TOR) entered into by the local chief executive (LCE) and the supplier since there was a clause that seemed to modify the original terms of the contract agreement.
"The TOR executed by the LCE could have impacted the fairness of the procurement process, particularly the clause requiring the winning supplier to source out the abaca suckers from beneficiaries and not through the individual capacity of the supplier, thus giving him undue favor," the report said.
"Had the TOR been disclosed and set forth to all potential suppliers throughout the bidding process, it could have altered the outcome of the procurement," it said
When the audit team questioned 2,234 farm beneficiaries and recipients to determine whether there was actual delivery made by the supplier, state auditors learned that all of them only received P1,700 cash payment for 100 pieces of abaca suckers to be planted in their respective farms. None of them received any actual delivery from the supplier, it said.
The COA said that P1,700 cash translated to P17 per abaca sucker. Had the province taken over the distribution of cash payment instead of relegating the task to a supplier, they could have saved P12.95 per piece or a total of P17,841,215, it pointed out.
"Granting that management's distribution of cash to buy the farmer-beneficiaries' planting materials in lieu of delivery and distribution of abaca suckers was made in good faith, there were no submitted documents to prove that the total number of 1,377,700 abaca suckers were actually and completely planted in the respective abaca farms of 13,777 recipients," COA pointed out.
COA reprimanded the provincial government for giving unwarranted benefits to the supplier and causing undue injury to the government due to the non-delivery of the abaca suckers resulting in the inability of the government to implement the project in accordance with the contract agreement.
On top of requiring the province of Catanduanes to justify the award of the contract, it sought an impartial investigation to determine liabillity of provincial officials and personnel responsible for the transaction.
"Consider blacklisting the supplier for violation of the contract" and "imposition of liquidated damages," COA stressed.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has questioned the provincial government of Catanduanes over the P41.26 million paid for abaca suckers which were not delivered by the contracted supplier who simply gave cash to farmer-beneficiaries to source out the planting materials themselves.
A police official was sacked from his post after a subordinate accused him of sexual harassment.
The official with the rank of lieutenant colonel was relieved from his post as a commander of a police unit in Quezon City on April 22 and was placed on floating status while an investigation is underway on the offenses he allegedly committed.
Sources said the victim is a patrolwoman who accused the official of sexual misconduct.
The victim has lodged a complaint before the Internal Affairs Service. Other details about the sexual harassment were unavailable as of Friday afternoon.
Sought for comment, Philippine National Police public information officer Col. Jean Fajardo confirmed on Friday the official was indeed relieved from his post.
Fajardo declined to disclose other details, citing the sensitive nature of the case and the victim’s request for privacy.
A police official was sacked from his post after a subordinate accused him of sexual harassment.
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| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2024/04/28/2351039/edsa-busway-violation-cop-ambulance-driver-fined |
A motorcycle-riding police officer and an ambulance driver were among the latest violators of a policy banning unauthorized vehicles from going through the EDSA bus lane.
On April 25, enforcers of the Department of Transportation’s Special Action and Intelligence Committee for Transportation (DOTr-SAICT) pulled over a motorcycle driven by an alleged member of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Forensic Group at the EDSA Bus Carousel’s Quezon Avenue station in Quezon City.
The police officer initially claimed that he had steered onto the wrong lane, but later invoked being a fellow law enforcer to avoid being penalized after he failed to present a driver’s license and his motorcycle’s official receipt and certificate of registration (OR/CR).
“Tropa tayo! Walang talo-talo (We are colleagues! We’re good),” he told the SAICT enforcer, who issued him a ticket for disregarding traffic signs, failure to carry an OR/CR and driving without a license.
A cop was caught driving in the EDSA lane without a license.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/27/truck-driver-shot-by-2-lgu-employees-in-quezon |
A 33-year-old truck driver was shot and wounded by two local government employees at dawn on Friday, April 26, in Barangay Poblacion here.
Police identified the victim as Michael, 33, a resident of Barangay 4, this town.
Investigation said the victim was driving a truck loaded with sand when the suspects, a member of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) and a security aide assigned to the Office of the Mayor here, blocked his path.
The victim alighted from his truck and approached the suspects to ask the reason why they blocked his path.
A suspect, Manolito, drew a gun and shot him, but Michael managed to run away.
The other suspect, who was also named Michael, grabbed the gun from Manolito, and shot and hit the victim in the body.
The victim sought assistance from his relatives who took him to a hospital in Lucena City, Quezon.
Police caught the suspects but refused to speak regarding the incident.
They are in the custodial facility of the Mulanay police station and face frustrated murder charges.
The suspects also allegedly mauled a media man during the 2022 elections.
Two LGU employees shot and wounded a truck driver and are facing frustrated murder charges.
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| https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1223730 |
A village councilor representing indigenous peoples has been assassinated.Police are now tracking down two gunmen on a motorcycle who ambushed and killed a village councilor representing the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) in Datu Hoffer town, Maguindanao del Sur, on Monday afternoon.
Lt. Albert Pansoy, town police chief, identified the victim as Timuay (IP senior ancestral leader) Juanito Promboy, 55, representing the IPs of Barangay Mother Tuayan.
“Promboy’s driver-companion, Ronald Angit of South Upi, Maguindanao del Sur, was injured in the 2 p.m. ambush that took place along a dirt road in Tuayan village,” Pansoy said in a report Tuesday.
Police officers rushed the two victims to the Maguindanao del Sur provincial hospital, but Promboy was pronounced dead on arrival.
Angit is still undergoing medical treatment, Pansoy said.
Meanwhile, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the provisional lawmaking body of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, has condemned Promboy’s killing.
“This attack on innocent tribal leaders and civilians from the Teduray tribe is a reprehensible act that must be strongly condemned,” said BTA parliament member Froilyn Mendoza, who represents the IPs in the regional parliament.
“We call on the authorities to swiftly investigate this cowardly attack and bring the perpetrators to justice,” she added.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/30/coa-flags-masbate-over-p131-m-unliquidated-cash-advances-by-officals-employees |
The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the province of Masbate over the P131 million "unliquidated cash advances" (CAs) granted to various officials and employees in 2023.
In its 2023 annual audit report (AAR), COA said the cash advances were composed of three categories -- advances for payroll (P420,804.50), advances to special disbursing officer (P80,484,445.21), and advances to officials and employees (P50,280,475.78).
It said the amount incurred in 2023 showed an increase of P52,433,170.58 million or 66.58 percent more compared to the 2022 balance of P78,752,554.91.
"This was attributed to the CAs for the various activities of the provincial government, such as Founding Anniversary, Rodeo Festival, Bagat-Dagat Festival, among others, which were not liquidated during the year," the audit report said.
It lamented that additional CAs were granted despite failure of the accountable officers to settle their previous outstanding CAs. Some CAs were even granted despite incomplete supporting documents, it pointed out.
As a result, the report stated that "expenses were not properly recognized on periods they were incurred resulting in the understatement of expense accounts and overstatement of the assets and equity accounts by the same amounts."
It noted that a lot of officials and employees are also no longer working for the province because they have retired, are deceased, or transferred to other agencies and this caused the CA balance to balloon towards the end of 2023.
The COA said it has warned the province of Masbate over the accumulation of CAs, and state auditors said that their previous observations have been disregarded.
It said that state auditors have issued demand letters to the concerned officials and employees of the province, and they warned that failure to render an account in full within the periods prescribed and after formal demand will constitute an administrative offense of Gross Neglect of Duty punishable by dismissal from the service for the first offense.
It also warned that full liquidation or payment of the CA outside the prescribed periods will constitute the offense of Simple Neglect of Duty punishable by suspension from the service for one month and one day to six months for the first offense, and dismissal from the service for the second offense.
The Commission on Audit has flagged the province of Masbate over the P131 million "unliquidated cash advances" granted to various officials and employees in 2023.
The mayor and vice mayor of Tobias Fornier in Antique were caught on video apparently fighting over a truck of food packs meant for residents affected by El Niño.
According to a "24 Oras" report by Adrian Prieto of GMA Regional TV One Western Visayas, videos showed Mayor Ernesto Tajanlangit III's quarrel with Vice Mayor Jose Maria Fornier.
The video showed the argument taking a few minutes with both officials trying to get a hold of the truck's key. They then moved to the back of the truck where the altercation continued.
The video caught the vice mayor trying to close the rear door of the truck and hitting the mayor with it. The mayor was then seen throwing a punch.
The cause of the fight was the truck's load of 800 family food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development to be distributed to those affected by El Niño.
According to the statement Fornier posted on his social media account, he requested the food packs to be distributed to residents who cannot receive aid.
When the truck returned from the town of San Jose, it was allegedly blocked by the Mayor's group in Barangay Balud in Tobias Fornier.
The news team tried to interview the Vice Mayor, but he has not respond.
Tajanlangit said the process for distributing food packs was not followed and thus the truck had to be stopped.
The mayor and vice mayor of Tobias Fornier in Antique were caught on video apparently fighting over a truck of food packs meant for residents affected by El Niño.
Former Quezon City councilor Dante M. De Guzman has been convicted by the Sandiganbayan of four counts of graft for his failure to distribute P7.98 million worth of relief goods to his constituents in 2008 and 2009.
De Guzman was sentenced to six to eight years imprisonment for each of the four graft cases and was ordered to return to the city government P6.41 million as civil liability.
However, the anti-graft court acquitted him of four cases of malversation of public funds and four cases of falsification charges for failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The charges arose from the irregular purchases of 141 custom-design tents worth P3,489,750, a total of 1,177 kiddie raincoats and 1,177 rain boots worth P994,565; food supplies worth P352,986.07; and sports supplies worth P2,791,260.40 2008 and 2009.
The prosecution said that while the purchased items were received for distribution to various barangays (villages) in Quezon City's District III, the goods did not reach the intended beneficiaries.
The Sandiganbayan found that De Guzman indeed received the procured items but failed to distribute these properly. "Here, the Distribution Lists for the subject items all indicate that the items were received by the listed area coordinators for the different barangays in District III, Quezon City. However, the evidence on record shows that no items were in fact received by the said area coordinators," the court said.
It pointed out that while De Guzman was not expected to personally distribute each of the purchased items to the intended beneficiaries, he was still duty-bound to ensure that these were delivered since he made the purchases for his constituents.
"Accused De Guzman's failure to cause the distribution of the subject items and seeming lack of concern about them shows his indifference to consequences as other persons may be affected," the court pointed out.
Former Quezon City councilor Dante M. De Guzman has been convicted by the Sandiganbayan of four counts of graft for his failure to distribute P7.98 million worth of relief goods to his constituents in 2008 and 2009.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/570781/cebu-city-mayor-rama-execs-to-face-complaints-filed-by-cpa |
The Cebu Port Authority, or CPA has stepped up its condemnation against Cebu City government officials for forcibly entered its premises last April 1.
This after the CPA filed administrative complaints against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama at the Office of the President, which was facilitated by the office of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7).
The charges include oppression, misconduct in office, gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and abuse of authority. These allegations arise from what the CPA describes as “impermissible encroachment” into its territory, “deliberate and flagrant disregard” of its authority, and “obstinate disobedience and resistance” to a preliminary injunction from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10.
The 34-page complaint was filed on April 29 by CPA Officials at the DILG 7 Regional Office in Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City.
“Mao ning among gipasaka sa Office of the President para dili na gyod mausab. Mao nay among dinaliang hangyo nga dili na samokon pag-usab ang atoang kagamhanan sa Cebu Port Authority,” Cebu Port Authority General Manager Francisco Comendador said.
(That is what we filed at the Office of the President so that they will not repeat it. That is why we are requesting the local government not to bother anymore Cebu Port Authority.)
Last April 1, City Mayor Michael Rama and personnel from the Office of the Building Official (OBO), Prevention Restoration Order Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE), and Cebu City Legal Office marched to the CPA compound.
Their mission was to check reports of construction work behind the National Museum, even though they had been told to stop.
On March 8, Rama ordered City Hall officials to stop the construction of a port at the back of the National Museum after the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) failed to secure a building permit.
The mayor even slammed the CPA for the lack of “decency” and “courtesy” due to its failure to update his office about its project situated within the city’s territorial waters.
However, despite the call of Rama to stop the construction, the CPA did not seem to heed his order and continued its project construction.
The Cebu City Mayor and several government officials are facing complaints of oppression, misconduct in office, gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and abuse of authority by the Cebu Ports Authority.
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| https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/1/ex-municipal-agriculturist-held-for-malversation-of-public-funds |
The former municipal agriculturist of Bangui, Ilocos Norte was arrested on Monday, April 29, for malversation of public funds.
The 52-year-old suspect, Ilocos Norte’s ninth most wanted person, was arrested for violating Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code.
The suspect was arrested in Bangui after police served her a warrant of arrest dated April 25, 2024 issued by Judge Charles Javier M. Calapini, Presiding Judge, Regional Trial Court, Branch 19, First Judicial Region.
Bail for the suspect was set at P200,000.
She was taken to the Bangui police station for documentation before turn over to the court.
The Philippine National Police-Enhanced E-Warrant and National Police Clearance System marked the suspect as apprehended.
Police Brig. Gen. Lou F. Evangelista, Police Regional Office 1 chief, commended the Bangui and Burgos Municipal Police Stations for arresting the suspect.
The former municipal agriculturist of Bangui, Ilocos Norte was arrested on Monday, April 29, for malversation of public funds.
