It's your weekly compendium of foolishness and corruption in the Philippine government.
A barangay councilor was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Sitio Canurong, Barangay Puso, La Castellana, Negros Occidental on Wednesday night, May 1.
Police identified the victim as Reynaldo Jacolbe, 48, of Barangay Puso.
Police Major Sherwin Fernandez, La Castellana police chief, said the victim was driving a motorcycle on his way to his farm when he was shot by the suspects who waited for him in a sugarcane field beside the road.
The victim was wounded but managed to continue driving a few meters away from the suspects until he slumped to the ground and shot again.
Recovered from the crime scene were a fired cartridge case and slugs of 9mm and .45 caliber pistols.
Fernandez said they are exploring all possible angles, including love triangle, grudges, and land dispute.
Police are not discounting the possibility that the killing may be insurgency-related since the area is considered to be rebel-infested.
Police are looking into at least three suspects behind the gun attack.
A barnagay councilor has been assassinated.
Police arrested a retired fireman in a buy-bust operation in Crossing Dungon, Barangay Talaban, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, May 1.
Police Lt. Col. Anthony Grande, Himamaylan police chief, said the 63-year-old suspect is a resident of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.
He yielded P149,600 worth of suspected shabu and the P1,000 marked money.
Grande said the suspect was subjected to the operation after he was identified by arrested drug suspects as their source of shabu.
Drug charges have been filed against the suspect on Thursday, May 2.
A retired fireman has been busted fro drugs.
Six people, including a municipal councilor, were wounded in an ambush in Akbar town, Basilan province on Saturday, May 4.
Investigation showed that the victims were on their way to Sitio Lessem, Barangay Upper Bato-Bato, from Tuburan town, Basilan when they were fired at by armed suspects.
The victims returned fire and withdrew from the ambush site.
The victims were identified as Husin Latip Kalang, a municipal councilor of Tuburan; Ryan Seyong Latip, Abubakar Atih Latip, Jemar Kalang, Ajim Jamaluddin, and Algafar Naser, all residents of Tuburan.
They were initially taken to the Lamitan District Hospital in Basilan and some were later transported to Zamboanga City for treatment of bullet wounds.
Police are investigating rido or clan feud as a possible motive of the ambush.
A councilor was wounded in an ambush.
The provincial government of Albay has failed to properly turn over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) a P54 million building for use as temporary shelter to children in conflict with the law, the Commission on Audit (COA) said.
In its annual audit report, COA said that Albay has a usufructuary contract with the DSWD on the Regional Rehabilittion Center for Youth (RRCY building. Despite its completion, the building has not been turned over to the DSWD, it said.
Under Article 562 of the Civil Code, "usufruct gives a right to enjoy the property of another with the obligation of preserving its form and substance, unless the title constituting it or the law otherwise provides."
Based on its audit report, COA said that in September 2018, Albay and the DSWD entered into a usufructuary contract over the building for 25 years for use as RRCY.
The contract stipulated that once the building is done, it should be turned over to the DSWD. However, COA said that when its auditors checked, they discovered that the project was already completed based on the Statement of Work Accomplished dated Jan. 13, 2020.
An onsite inspection of the building on Aug. 15, 2023 showed that some of the floor tiles have already cracked, COA said. One of the doors in the second floor is broken, and the facility's elevator was incompletely installed, it said.
At the same time, the building is operating only under a temporary electric connection despite its claim that it is already 100 percent complete and should have been functioning under a permanent electric connection, COA said.
Government auditors learned that the building was utilized by the province during the Covid-19 pandemic as a temporary isolation facility. The Provincial Engineer explained that the contractor promised to complete the installation of the elevator when the electric connection has become permanent with the electric cooperative. He added that no other repair or restoration activities were undertaken since then, which contributed to the "unpleasant" condition of the building during site inspection.
COS recommended that Albay should comply with the provisions of the usufructuary contract by making the necessary repairs to the structure and conform with the as-built plan. Once done, they should immediately turn it over to the DSWD for its proper use and operation, it stressed.
The provincial government of Albay has failed to properly turn over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development a P54 million building for use as temporary shelter to children in conflict with the law, the Commission on Audit said.
Authorities arrested two policemen linked to the killing of a police captain at a public market in Parang town, Maguindanao del Norte, on Thursday, May 2.
Parang police chief Major Christopher Cabugwang said the case is considered solved, even as he disclosed they were looking for three other suspects who fled after the shooting.
Cabugwang, who did not identify the arrested suspects, said they were placed under police custody.
“We have their identities. They are relatives of the slain prime suspect,” he said.
The primary suspect, earlier identified as Mohiden Ramalan Untal, was wounded during a shootout with Captain Roland Moralde, who was assigned with the 14th Mobile Force Battalion of the Bangsamoro region police. Untal also died later, the police official said.
Cabugwang said Moralde was at the market when he allegedly tried to accost Untal for carrying a gun. But, instead of yielding to the police officer, Untal allegedly fired several times at Moralde.
A closed-circuit television (CCTV) helped the police identify the other assailants who turned out to be policemen, too.
CCTV footage, which went viral on social media, shows five armed men shooting Moralde in cold blood even as he was already slumped on the ground.
Cabugwang said medico-legal officers found at least 20 bullets from an assortment of handguns and rifles in Moralde’s body. A murder case is being readied against the five suspects.
Citing witnesses’ accounts, Cabugwang said Moralde, who was in his uniform, chased the fleeing Untal but was instead attacked by a group of armed men, who turned out to be relatives of Untal.
“What is so unfortunate is that Moralde was killed despite wearing his police uniform by fellow policemen,” Cabugwang said.
“Bugso daw ng damdamin kasi kamaganak nila yung binaril (They claimed it was instinct because it was a relative who was shot),” he said.
Brigadier General Peexy Tanggawohn, police director in the Bangsamoro region, said the prevalence of violence against police officers “is deeply concerning.”
“It demonstrates a disregard for the principles of law and order,” he said.
Tanggawohn said such acts of disrespect towards authorities should not be tolerated because they not only undermine the safety of policemen but also pose a threat to the safety of the community.
Cabugwang said they were investigating why Moralde was alone when the incident happened.The market where the incident took place is only a few kilometers from the regional headquarters of the Bangsamoro police.
Authorities arrested two policemen linked to the killing of a police captain at a public market in Parang town, Maguindanao del Norte, on Thursday, May 2.
Criminal charges were filed against the mayor of Mandaue City, Cebu for allegedly approving the cutting of mangroves in one of the barangays in the city.
Aside from Mayor Jonas Cortes, two other city officials, Jamaal James Calipayan, city administrator, and Buddy Alain Ybañez, head of the City Risk Reduction Management Office, were also charged.
They were charged for allegedly violating Republic Act (RA) 7161, a law that prohibits cutting of mangroves and forest products, RA 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Practices Act, grave misconduct, and conduct unbecoming of public officials.
Private complainant Maria Priscilla Melendres, a resident of Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, filed the charges on April 11 before the Office of the Ombudsman in Quezon City.
“I am filing this complaint against the above-named public respondents because of their unlawful acts of damaging our environment, specifically the illegal cutting of mangroves in violation of the law; for manifest bias and partiality, and violation of my property right since the illegal cutting and destruction of mangroves and forestland was done beside my property in Pakna-an, Mandaue City,” Melendres said in her affidavit-complaint.
Melendres said excavation activities started near her property on November 17, 2022.
She said she had filed a complaint against BNR Construction and Development Corp., the lessor of the heavy equipment that conducted the digging of several mangroves.
The complaint was filed before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office.
Melendres said the complaint against BNR was dismissed on grounds that the dredging project was authorized and approved by the city government of Mandaue.
She filed another complaint over the same issue but this time, Cortes and the two other city officials were already named as respondents.
In her complaint, Melendres cited the counter-affidavit of BNR Construction President Roger Hsia, who stated that the cutting of mangroves was authorized by the mayor.
Melendres added that officials from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources saw the digging and cutting of mangroves when they conducted an inspection in the area.
After the inspection, Melendres said the DENR issued a Notice of Violation on November 23, 2022 ordering Hsia to stop the dredging activities.
Melendres added that while Cortes approved the cutting of mangroves in Paknaan, the city’s Mangrove Protection Governing Board denied the request of District Engineer Daisy Toledo of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Central Visayas to cut 17 mangrove trees to clear the outfall of Mahiga Creek in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue.
In denying the request, the board said the mangroves have not blocked the natural flow of water at the Mahiga Creek and even served as a filter for solid and liquid wastes coming from the upstream that helps prevent further polluting the Mactan Channel.
The board also cited several laws that prohibit cutting of mangroves.
“The acts of the City Mayor are clearly tainted with bias and manifest partiality. How come he approved and authorized the cutting of mangroves in Barangay Paknaan on May 31, 2022, but denied the request of Engr. Daisy B. Toledo raising the same grounds and reasons?” said Melendres.
Criminal charges were filed against the mayor of Mandaue City, Cebu for allegedly approving the cutting of mangroves in one of the barangays in the city.
The Commission on Audit (COA) has reminded the administrators of hospitals owned by the provincial government of Camarines Norte to dispose of their medical wastes properly to safeguard people's health and the environment.
The reminder, contained in COA's annual audit reports, was issued to the administrators and officers of the Camarines Norte Provincial Hospital (CNPH), Labo District Hospital (LDH), and Capalonga Medicare and Community Hospital (CMCH).
COA said its audit team found that the hospitals failed to observe strictly the Health Care Waste Management Manual formulated by the Department of Health (DOH).
The manual, it said, instructs healthcare facilities on how to observe proper handling, storage, and disposal of medical wastes, such as sorting wastes into color-coded plastic bags or containers.
Under the manuel there are six colors for the color-coding scheme -- black for non-infectious dry waste; green for non-infectious wet waste (kitchen, dietary, etc.); yellow for infectious and pathological waste; yellow with black band for chemical waste including those with heavy metals; orange for radioactive waste; and red for sharp and pressurized containers.
After gathering the medical wastes, these should be stored in a waste storage area until transported to a designated off-site treatment facility. The area should also be marked with a warning sign: "CAUTION: BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE STORAGE AREA-UNAUTHORIZED PERSONS KEEP OUT."
COA also said that the storage area should be protected from sun, rain, strong winds, floods, and the like, and it should not be situated in the proximity of fresh food stores or food preparation areas.
Citing its findings after inspection, COA said that CNPH did not follow the color-coding scheme for plastic bags and containers, and its existing Material Recovery Facility (MRF) and Storage Facility is inadequate to accommodate the daily accumulation of hospital wastes.
It said that the medical wastes were simply piled outside the facility and covered temporarily with large sheets of tarpaulins to prevent it from being totally exposed.
LDH, on the other hand, failed to follow the color-coded containers or garbage bins scheme, it said. These were also not placed in their designated locations, as a green plastic bag intended for kitchen and dietary waste was found in the Emergency Room, it added.
Also in the Emergency Room, yellow plastic bags were properly used for infectious and pathological waste. However, they were incorrectly placed in a black garbage bin, COA said.
In the case of CMCH, the hospital did not follow the proper use of color-coded bins and plastic bags. The audit team found that the hospital was using green plastic bags and garbage bins in the Emergency Room, and even the Lobby and Kitchen areas of the hospital had mismatched plastic bags and bins, it said.
At the same time, COA said that state auditors found that the septic tank and vaults of the hospital were constructed beside the area where food is being stored and prepared.
The hospital, it added, left the duty to dispose of diapers, which is categorized as infectious and pathological waste, to its patients. As a result, the audit team could not ascertain if these were being properly disposed of or not, it said.
COA recommended that the provincial governor should ensure adequate supply of resources to the local hospitals in order for them to effectively implement the provisions of the DOH Health Care Management Manual and respective Waste Management Plan.
The provincial head should also issue strict reminders to relevant health personnel regarding the proper observance of health care waste management, it said.
After the inspection and the submission of the report, COA said the three provincial hospitals have told the audit team that they have already taken steps to follow proper medical waste management and they also acknowledged the importance of adhering to the DOH Health Care Management Manual in a medical setting.
The Commission on Audit has reprimanded the administrators of several hospitals owned by the provincial government of Camarines Norte for not disposing of their medical wastes properly thus endangering people's health and the environment.
Graft charges have been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) against Bulacan Gov. Daniel R. Fernando, Vice-Gov. Alex Castro, other provincial officials and private individuals for alleged irregularities in the contract for the Bulacan Flood Control and River Restoration Project.
The complaint was contained in a letter sent to Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires by Francisco Balagtas who denominated himself as "Whistleblower" with address at the Provincial Capitol Building in Malolos City.
In his letter that was received last May 6 by the OMB, Balagtas asked that Fernando, Castro, and other unnamed officials, and TCSC Corporation owners and corporate officers -- led by the firm's President Dionesio V. Toreja and Vice President for Mining Bernie Pacheco -- be charged with violations of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
"Allegations suggest that the governor may have granted unwarranted benefits or advantages to TCSC without adhering to the requisite fair and competitive selection process and procedures mandated by law," the letter stated.
It stated that there was no publication to invite participants to bid on the project, which raised "grave concerns" over "favoritism and corruption."
While the flood control and river restoration project aims to provide a lasting solution to the province's inundation problem, Balagtas' letter stated that there might be "political motivations" surrounding it as he suspects Fernando and the other officials are "exploiting it as a strategic gambit in anticipation of forthcoming electoral contests."
"Such conjecture raises profound ethical questions concerning the potential misuse of public resources for personal or political gain, rather than the earnest fulfillment of the public interest considering that they stand to receive financial share from the commercial disposition of the dredged or extracted materials," the letter also stated.
Balagtas' letter stated that the Bulacan project is in contrast to the river dredging initiative of San Miguel Corporation (SMC), which is considered as a "stark example of transparency and accountability" because it operates at no cost to the government and without financial gain for the corporation.
At the same time, the letter stated that there are "compelling evidence" indicating possible violations of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Department Order No. 139, Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 series of 2019, and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Administrative Order 2020-07.
"These regulatory frameworks delineate explicit guidelines governing environmental projects and public-private partnerships, underscoring the paramount importance of transparency, accountability, and fidelity to prescribed procurement protocols," Balagtas said in his letter.
Graft charges have been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) against Bulacan Gov. Daniel R. Fernando, Vice-Gov. Alex Castro, other provincial officials and private individuals for alleged irregularities in the contract for the Bulacan Flood Control and River Restoration Project.
Activist groups Pamalakaya and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment filed an administrative complaint on Monday against the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) over reclamation and dredging projects in Manila Bay that they said have caused widespread and “irreversible” damage to coastal communities and the marine environment.
“It is high time to formally question the legality of reclamation and dredging projects in Manila Bay,” said Pamalakaya chair Fernando Hicap.
“Just because most of the projects have acquired necessary documents doesn’t mean that they went through [the] proper process, including but not limited to public consultation and evaluation of their cumulative impacts,” he added.
Both groups, which were assisted by the Community Legal Help and Public Interest Centre in filing the complaint, said the projects have decimated fish populations, depleted other marine resources, increased invasive species, caused severe coastal erosion and disrupted livelihoods dependent on fishing, among others.
Hicap said the PRA and DENR were “accountable to millions of fisherfolk and coastal residents across Manila Bay over the irreversible damage to our lives and livelihood.”
n their complaint, the groups asked the two government agencies to provide various documents and assessments related to the projects, including relocation plans for affected communities, technical evaluations and advisory opinions on the projects from the National Economic Development Authority and DENR, environmental compliance certificates, area clearances and monitoring reports.
They also sought an impact assessment report examining the combined effects of all reclamation and dredging across Manila Bay, hydrodynamic modeling studies of how the projects have altered tidal flows and currents and detailed development plans and area plans from the PRA.
Activist groups filed an administrative complaint against the PRA and DENR over reclamation and dredging projects in Manila Bay that they said have caused widespread and “irreversible” damage to coastal communities and the marine environment.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has been placed under suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The state’s anti-graft investigating body on Wednesday, May 8 announced that they ordered to put Rama under preventive suspension for six months.
Aside from Rama, seven other city hall officials were also included in the suspension order. They are lawyer Collin Rossell, Maria Theresa Rossell, Francis May Jacaban, Angelique Cabugao, Jay-Ar Pescante, Lester Joey Beniga and Nelyn Sanrojo.
In a resolution issued by Ombudsman Samuel Martires, he said that they had seen sufficient grounds to preventively suspend Rama for the complaint of grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a public officer, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest among others.
The decision stemmed over a case that involved the reassigning of several city hall employees that resulted in the city government’s failure to pay them their wages for 10 months.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has been placed under suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Mayor Delfin Comesis Jr. here has offered a P100,000 reward for information on the mastermind and gunman in the murder of barangay kagawad Celso Apilado.
Comedis mourned the death of Apilado.
He described Apilado as a good person and a performing barangay official.
Comedis offered the reward to hasten its solution and bring justice to the Apilados.
The mayor said information on the incident may be relayed to the Burgos police station at 09985985161.
Apilado, of Barangay Upper Tumapoc, was shot dead on May 3 here.
The Mayor of Burgos is offering a reward for information about the assassination of a barangay kagawad.
Seven Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officers have been relieved of their posts in connection with the investigation on their conduct of strip search on wives of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
“They will be placed under attached/unassigned at the New Bilibid Prison Superintendent's Office,” theBuCor said in a statement on Wednesday.
The order was signed by Acting NBP Superintendent Ruben Formoso.
Formoso issued the order a day after wives of PDLs and political prisoners filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against the strip search they experienced at the NBP's Maximum Security Compound on April 21.
One of the wives, Gloria Almonte, said she was “nearly in tears and trembling” and was asked to bend over while being subjected to inspection. Another wife said she had to repeat the procedure at least 10 times as she supposedly wasn't doing it right.
The compliant prompted BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. and Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla to order separate investigations.
Formoso said BuCor will probe how the officers conducted their strip search and whether they violated existing protocols.
Seven Bureau of Corrections officers have been relieved of their posts in connection with the investigation on their conduct of strip search on wives of persons deprived of liberty at the New Bilibid Prison.
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https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/9/coa-flags-camarines-norte-over-distribution-of-52-rescue-vehicles-in-2023
The Commission on Audit (COA) has questioned Camarines Norte provincial officials on the distribution of 52 emergency and rescue vehicles without adopting procedures in the selection and evaluation of the prospective barangay recipients. COA said that Camarines Norte purchased 53 vehicles in 2023. Fifty-two units were distributed to various barangays. The vehicles were intended for use in far-flung barangays to transport sick or injured persons to or from places of treatment. The vehicles were supposed to offer safety and comfort for the constituents of the province to avoid aggravating their illnesses or injuries. But, it said, its audit team found that Camarines Norte failed to establish clear-cut guidelines for the selection and evaluation of the barangay recipients of the said vehicles, which, therefore, cast doubt as to the eligibility of the beneficiaries. It noted that there were no attached documents to the disbursement vouchers pertaining to the procedures adopted by the province in the selection and evaluation of prospective barangay recipients. "The absence of documented parameters to determine the eligibility of the respective recipients did not optimize the assurance that the said assets were distributed with a view to ensuring the effectiveness of the program and achievement of the intended purpose," COA said. "The inability of the management to establish clear-cut guidelines on the selection and evaluation of prospective barangay recipients of the above-mentioned vehicles cast doubt on the eligibility of the beneficiaries, propriety of the distribution and the attainment of the project’s objective to assist far-flung barangays in the transport of sick or injured individuals," it also said. Confronted with the findings, COA said that the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) admitted that a formalized guideline in the selection and evaluation of barangay recipients is yet to be established, and the selection process conducted was facilitated with the assistance of the Governor’s Office (GO). It recommended that the province submit its justification for the distribution of the subject vehicles to the identified barangay recipients. It also urged the province to establish clear-cut guidelines on evaluation and selection of beneficiaries to ensure that the objectives of distribution of emergency transport and rescue vehicles are achieved.
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The Commission on Audit has questioned Camarines Norte provincial officials on the distribution of 52 emergency and rescue vehicles without adopting procedures in the selection and evaluation of the prospective barangay recipients. |
