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2 activists kidnapped in Pangasinan
The Commission on Human Rights has called for a search for two environmental rights defenders and church workers who were reportedly kidnapped in Pangasinan last weekend......»»
CHR probes Davao drug war deaths
The Commission on Human Rights yesterday expressed grave concern over Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s recent declaration of a war on drugs in the city......»»
PAWS files animal cruelty raps vs killer of golden retriever Killua
Non-government organization for animal rights Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on Monday filed criminal complaint against the individual who struck the golden retriever Killua which resulted to its demise......»»
2 Pangasinan-based environmental defenders abducted
by DOMINIC GUTOMAN Bulatlat.com MANILA – Two Pangasinan-based environmental defenders and organizers were violently mauled and dragged into an SUV at about 8 p.m. on March 24 in Barangay Polo, San Carlos, Pangasinan, according to human rights group Karapatan-Central Luzon Karapatan – Central Luzon said the abduction of Francisco “Eco” Dangla III and Axielle “Jak”… The post 2 Pangasinan-based environmental defenders abducted appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Abduction by state agents: An isolated incident or a growing pattern?
By: CMFR StaffPosted on: March 18, 2024, 3:52 pm JEERS TO the media for reporting the abduction in Batangas of Jose Marie Estiller on February 20 as an isolated incident and for not providing the necessary background of past cases of abductions and enforced disappearances by state agents in the country. The lack of context ignores the continuing reality of human rights violations against activists.....»»
Abduction by state agents: An isolated incident or a growing pattern
JEERS TO the media for reporting the abduction in Batangas of Jose Marie Estiller on February 20 as an isolated incident and for not providing the necessary background of past cases of abductions and enforced disappearances by state agents in the country. The lack of context ignores the continuing reality of human rights violations against activists and critics during the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.Media.....»»
CCTV cam gives away bike ‘thief’
One of several robbery suspects was nabbed for allegedly burglarizing a house in Pasig City Thursday morning, carting away a motorcycle, a wristwatch and debit cards of a sales staff. The police on Friday said the arrested suspect was identified only as alias Kokoy, 24 years old, a resident of Phase 3, Lupang Arienda, Taytay, Rizal. According to the complainant, identified only as alias Harvey, 24 years old, he parked his Yamaha Aerox motorcycle beside his rented apartment and went to sleep. Subsequently, when he woke up, he noticed that their sliding window was opened and his Casio wrist watch worth P3,000, a black leather wallet containing P1,500, debit cards, and personal identification cards that were placed on top of the sink were missing. He immediately went out to check his motorcycle, and to his surprise, it was also missing, he said. The victim viewed the CCTV footage from his neighbor leading to the discovery of the three male suspects carting away the motor bike and the filing of a complaint with the anti-carnapping unit of the Pasig City police. The post CCTV cam gives away bike ‘thief’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Ecuador officials fired as 7th ‘assassin’ slain in prison
Another suspect in the assassination of a presidential candidate in Ecuador has died in prison, the same fate that befell six other suspects to the crime at another penal facility. The prison authority reported Saturday the killing of the Colombian suspect at the El Inca prison in Quito as President Guillermo Lasso announced the sacking of the police force’s general commander, investigations chief and prisons director. Lasso’s office also said it will file a criminal complaint against the director of the Guayaquil prison, where the six prisoners were said to have died amid “disturbances.” “He has already been detained... to give his version before the prosecutor’s office,” the presidency said. Authorities have not provided details on the inmate deaths, nor explained how the Quito prison failed to provide extra protection for the seventh suspect following Friday’s killings. All dead victims were arrested and detained in August over their alleged involvement in the assassination of anti-corruption crusader Fernando Villavicencio. The centrist candidate who had been polling in second place was gunned down days ahead of the 20 August as he left a stadium where he held a campaign rally. One suspected assassin was killed by police responding to the shooting of Villavicencio, while another six were arrested. The suspects’ deaths come just over a week before the election between leftist frontrunner Luisa Gonzalez and challenger Daniel Noboa. The winner of the 15 October vote will succeed Lasso, who called snap polls to avoid possible impeachment for embezzlement. The post Ecuador officials fired as 7th ‘assassin’ slain in prison appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Teacher who slapped student probed
The Schools Division Office of Antipolo City on Tuesday said it is taking “appropriate actions” to address the alleged child abuse incident at an elementary school in Antipolo City. “We have forwarded the required intake sheet, incident report, and narrative report to the Office of the Regional Director, DepEd Region IV-A, for information and appropriate action,” DepEd Antipolo said in a statement. DepEd Antipolo added that the Office of the Regional Director had issued an order designating a fact-finding team. Last 20 September at about 9 a.m., 14-year-old Francis Jay Minggoy Gumikib, a Grade 5 student at the Peñafrancia Spring Valley Elementary School in Barangay Cupang, Antipolo City, was allegedly slapped by his teacher, Mirasol Sison. Gumikib reportedly developed a severe headache after the incident and was brought to the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City for treatment only on 26 September. He died at the hospital on Monday, 2 October. A complaint of homicide in relation to the Anti-Child Abuse Law would be filed against the teacher. An autopsy of the student’s remains was requested to determine the cause of death. “Currently, the school principal has assigned an alternate teacher to handle the classes of the teacher concerned who is on official leave,” it added. DepEd Antipolo has formed a team of selected registered guidance counselors, school health nutrition unit representatives, and youth formation development coordinators to help avert a repeat of the incident. The post Teacher who slapped student probed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PHAPi: Cyber-attack on PhilHealth to further delay unpaid claims reimbursement
The Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines Inc. on Wednesday said it is expecting further delays in the reimbursement of arrears of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation to private hospitals due to the cyber-attack on the agency’s online system. According to PHAPi president Dr. Rene de Grano, the cyber-attack on the state-run health insurer’s online system is expected to cause further delay in its promise to settle its outstanding debts to hospitals amounting to P27 billion. “During the past hearing, PhilHealth president [Emmanuel] Mandy Ledesma promised to pay by December the P27 billion-worth of supposed arrears of PhilHealth to different hospitals,” De Grano told reporters in a chance interview. “Of course, we are hoping that it will be pushed through. But then this problem (cyber-attack) came, which made PhilHealth’s entire system down, then of course, we will be expecting more delays,” he added. Over the weekend, PhilHealth confirmed reports that there was an “information security incident” on its online system. The Department of Information and Communications Technology previously stated that the agency’s system was attacked by Medusa ransomware. As defined by Trend Micro, a multinational cyber security software company, ransomware is a type of malware that prevents or limits users from accessing their system, either by locking the system’s screen or by locking the users’ files until a ransom is paid. In the state-run health insurer’s case, the Medusa ransomware group was said to be demanding $300,000 in exchange for access to its system. The group threatened to leak the personal information of PhilHealth members if it did not pay the ransom. Worst case scenario Earlier this month, Ledesma made a commitment before lawmakers in the budget deliberation of the House Committee on Appropriations on the proposed P199 billion budget of the Department of Health for next year that the state-run health insurer would settle “a bulk or majority” of its P27 billion unpaid claims to various hospitals in the country. Of the P27 billion worth of unpaid claims by PhilHealth to various hospitals, P10 to P15 billion are estimated to be from private hospitals. Unlike big private hospitals that have “buffer funds,” De Grano said that further delays in payment would cripple the operations of smaller private hospitals. “Most of the small private hospitals rely on or are very dependent on patients who are NBB, charity patients, or no balance billing,” he said. “If there would be further delay in payments, smaller private hospitals will run out of money to the point that it will affect their cash flow. It will affect their operations.” If the non-payment of PhilHealth continues, he warned that smaller private hospitals would require their patients to pay their bills from their pockets. “The worst that will happen, initially, perhaps smaller private hospitals would no longer accept [PhilHealth] beneficiaries. They would ask patients to pay their bills out of their pockets,” he said. “Because, otherwise, we can no longer provide these services. Private hospitals are paying for their nurses, medicines, and supplies. If PhilHealth won’t pay them, it would empty their funds,” he added. Delayed HEA Meanwhile, De Grano also expressed his support for the complaint filed by a group of private healthcare workers against several DOH regional offices before the Anti-Red Tape Authority over the long overdue distribution of their health emergency allowances or HEA. “They prioritized the government facilities. The private [hospitals] were left,” he said. “They should tell the truth. They must tell if there are no longer funds available.” Earlier this week, the United Private Hospital Unions of the Philippines, whose members are part of at least 26 private hospitals in the country, filed a complaint against DOH regional offices over its failure to distribute P5.8 billion worth of HEA. Under Republic Act No. 11494, also known as the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, healthcare workers who were at the frontline of the government's fight against COVID-19 are mandated to receive HEA and other benefits. The post PHAPi: Cyber-attack on PhilHealth to further delay unpaid claims reimbursement appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBI arrests man for ‘sextortion’
Charges will be filed against a man who threatened his girlfriend that he would expose her sex videos, nude photos and rape of her teenage daughter if he would not shell out P10,000. This after the National Bureau of Investigation Anti-Organized and Transnational Crimes Division arrested him based on the complaint of the girlfriend, in an entrapment operation last 19 September in Quezon City. The NBI-AOTCD arranged the entrapment at the girlfriend’s place of work where she handed P10,000 to the man. “Upon handing over of the marked money, the operatives immediately approached the subject and put him under arrest,” the report said. Agents were able to seize the man’s cellphone which contained the nude photos and sex videos of the complainant. Charges were filed before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office with robbery and robbery with violence or intimidation of persons under Articles 293 and 294 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended; grave threats as defined and penalized under the RPC; and violations of Republic Act 9995, the Anti-Photo and Video Voyeurism Act of 2009; and RA 9262, the Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004. The NBI said that the suspect’s cousin “offered his testimony in support of the complainant’s allegations, stating that he saw the threats that his cousin sent to complainant and confirmed that subject was extorting P10,000 from the complainant.” The cousin stated that the complainant showed him several online transactions of money transfers to the subject amounting to P50,000. The post NBI arrests man for ‘sextortion’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CoA queries PNP’s TXT 2920
The Department of the Interior and Local Government unit, which supervises the Philippine National Police, has pledged to take necessary measures amid reports that anomalies have hounded the PNP’s emergency reporting system. Under PNP 2920, individuals can text in complaints against erring PNP personnel. PNP offices are mandated to create or activate their version of TXT 2920, “Isumbong mo kay Tsip,” and “Anti-Kotong Text,” to serve as a watching or check and balance mechanism against its personnel and act with dispatch on reports reaching their office. During the sponsorship debate on the DILG’s P262.0 billion budget for 2024, 1-Rider Partylist Rep. Bonifacio Bosita raised the question of whether PNP’s 2920 is still active since he, himself, witnessed how the PNP covered up its personnel against complaints. Quezon City Rep. Luisa Cuaresma, the DILG’s budget sponsor, said the system is under the monitoring of the DILG, “particularly the PNP.” According to Bosita, a retired police commission officer before his stint in Congress, he witnessed how the PNP maneuvered the process to make it appear that the complaint was not legitimate. Relay system “When something happens at a police station, it will reach the PNP headquarters and be forwarded, communicated to the regional office of the PNP and taken down to the provincial police of the PNP and taken down to the police station concerned where the police being complained about is assigned,” Bosita said. “Because of this, Madam Sponsor and Mr. Speaker, the chief of police is trying to make it appear that the report received by the national headquarters is just a lie,” he added. The post CoA queries PNP’s TXT 2920 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment
Days after she filed a graft case against Quezon City Barangay Kaligayahan Chairman Alfredo “Freddy” Roxas, threats that something bad would happen to her flooded her mobile phone and social media account. Aljean Abe, the village’s former teaching aide went to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday to file another Grave Coercion charge against Roxas in relation to Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Abe in her complaint furnished to DAILY TRIBUNE narrated that when she filed the graft charges last 11 September, several messages were sent to her cellular phone by supporters of Roxas threatening to do harm to her. Abe averred that the threat messages came from Mark Roldan Santiago Sedilla and Jennilyn Guiling Montefalco both employees of Barangay Kaligayahan and avid supporters of Roxas who is also an honorary councilor for being the president of League of Barangay Chairmen in the city. Fearing for her life and her family, Abe decided to transfer to a place where Roxas and his supporters could not reach her. However, the following day (12 September) she was surprised to see their barangay vehicle parked in front of her new address where Melanie Aviguetero, Jamaica Jallorica and an unidentified man tried to take photos of her. The three are also employees of Barangay Kaligayahan, according to Abe, who informed her that she needed to go to their office and talk to Roxas. Two days after (14 September) Abe said she received a text message asking why she filed a graft case against Roxas. She was also asked if she needed monetary assistance from their barangay and if she wanted to be hired again as barangay worker. If she agrees, she needs to go to their barangay to sign a contract and some documents in front of a lawyer. These things, Abe said prompted her to file the grave coercion charges against Roxas. The post Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment, files grave coercion at Ombudsman
Days after she filed a graft case against Quezon City Barangay Kaligayahan Chairman Alfredo ‘Freddy’ Roxas, threats that something bad would happen to her kept pouring in her mobile phone and social media account. Aljean Abe, the village's former teaching aide went to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday to file another Grave Coercion charge against Roxas in relation to Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Abe in her complaint furnished to Daily Tribune narrated that when she filed the graft charges on September 11, 2023, several messages were sent to her cellular phone by supporters of Roxas threatening to do harm to her. Abe averred that the threat messages came from Mark Roldan Santiago Sedilla and Jennilyn Guiling Montefalco both employees of Brgy. Kaligayahan and avid supporters of Roxas who is also an honorary councilor for being the president of League of Barangay Chairmen in the city. Fearing for her life and her family, Abe decided to transfer to a place where Roxas and his supporters could not reach her. However, the following day (September 12) she was surprised to see their barangay vehicle parked in front of her new address where Melanie Aviguetero, Jamaica Jallorica, and the unidentified man tried to take photos of her. The three are also employees of Brgy. Kaligayahan, according to Abe, informed her that she needed to go to their office and talk to Roxas. Two days after (September 14, 2023) Abe said she received a text message asking why she filed a graft case against Roxas. She was also asked if she needed monetary assistance from their barangay and if she wanted to be hired again as a barangay worker. If she agrees, she needs to go to their barangay to sign a contract and some documents in front of a lawyer. These things, Abe said prompted her to file the grave coercion charges against Roxas. Abe, and another barangay worker, Hernando Compedio filed charges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Roxas a couple of weeks ago upon learning that their names were still included in the barangay payroll list even after they had already been fired and resigned from their jobs. Other charges of graft practices were also filed by Barangay Kaligayahan Kagawad laban kay Punong Barangay Allan Francisco Jr. against Roxas over a resolution passed without the proper barangay council session. Roxas meanwhile, could not be reached to comment on the charges hurled against him. The post Barangay Captain accuser cries harassment, files grave coercion at Ombudsman appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Addressing vote-buying
It seems that the present Commission on Elections is not running out of ideas on how to effect reforms. It is not “sleeping on their post” as sentinels used to say. It continues to pursue changes in the electoral landscape unmindful of negative social and political headwinds. I just wrote about its speedy action of placing Malabang, Lanao del Sur under Comelec control because of the indiscriminate firing of guns on the first day of filing of certificates of candidacy. Now, it’s tackling the mother of election irregularities — vote buying and vote selling. This illegal practice is anti-democratic. It continues to be the bane of elections. It restricts one’s freedom to choose one’s leaders. That it thrives as endemic in a political milieu like the Philippines is a testament to how difficult life is for the common people. Financial need, especially for those on the margins of society, is so chronic that people are willing to sacrifice their basic freedoms to make ends meet. This is a problem almost beyond solution because of the difficulty of punishing the wrongdoers, both the buyer and seller. We have laws punishing it but prosecutors can only build a case against a suspect with the participation of at least one of the accomplices to the crime. And who would want to testify against oneself unless immunity is assured? And so, we see a mockery of the law. No one gets jailed for violating it. The proactive Comelec comes now with a bagful of measures to combat the anomaly. It has created a special group, the Committee on Kontra Bigay, to address the problem and it is helmed by a no-nonsense reformist, Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr., the namesake of a great and astute statesman who served the country in various capacities for decades. I say he is the right choice, not only because of the reputation he has built, but more so because of the weight of the name he carries which he would not want to taint with a whiff of wrongdoing. The Commission has listed a litany of prohibitive acts associated with vote-buying. It’s too long to list in this limited space. But on top of these are acts and activities “presumed” to be illegal because they lead to the commission of the crime. These include “possessing or delivery of... monies or anything of value together with sample ballots or other campaign materials... queues of registered voters for the distribution of money... and such other goods... employing the hakot system or the gathering of two or more registered voters in a specific place before election day and on election day ...prohibiting the possession... carrying of cash exceeding P500,000 along with campaign paraphernalia two days before an election and on election day... an ‘ayuda’ ban except that which is normally given to qualified individuals...” It also created the Kontra Bigay Complaint Center which will receive complaints of vote-buying. For human rights guardians, consider this: the Comelec allows “warrantless arrest wherein any law enforcement officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person when in his or her presence, the person to be arrested has committed, is committing, or is attempting to commit the election offense of vote-buying.” Wow! A case arising out of these acts is fertile ground for legal hermeneutics. Any two-bit lawyer can find a “palusot” in this scenario. It may be extremely difficult to prove all these by evidence but it’s surely a theoretical force to deter the commission of the crime. And let it not be said that the present Commission did not lift a finger to combat this perennial problem which everyone talks about but was never addressed by past commissions. For this reason, the present Commission deserves our appreciation for a bold ambitious move. amb_mac_lanto@yahoo.com The post Addressing vote-buying appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
QC councilor slapped anew with graft raps
The Quezon City Barangay Kaligayahan chairman who is an honorary councilor for being the League of Barangay Chairmen President is in for more trouble. One of his former employees slapped him along with the barangay (village) treasurer and a kagawad (councilor) with charges of violations of Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Falsification of Public Documents before the Office of the Ombudsman, late afternoon Monday. Arjean Abe, of Tawid Sapa 2, Greenfield’s, Barangay Kaligayahan charged Barangay Kaligayahan Chairman and Quezon City Councilor Alfredo “Freddie” Roxas, his treasurer Hesiree Santiago, and Kagawad Arnel Gabito chairman of Appropriation Committee with charges of violations R.A. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Revised Penal Code for faking her signature to appear that she is still a barangay employee. Abe, in her complaint, obtained by DAILY TRIBUNE, said she was hired as a teacher aide on 1 March, 2022, receiving a monthly salary of P6,000 and was detailed at the barangay day care center. She was later transferred as a clerk taking care of issuance of barangay clearance because of the pandemic and classes on face to face were suspended. Abe said on 31 January 2023 she resigned from her work with her letter of resignation received by Santiago. However, she found out that her name still appeared in the barangay payroll list, one of which was submitted by her as an evidence against the three officials. The payroll was for 1 to 31 May 2023 where her name and signature still appeared and projected that she is still an employee receiving P6,000. The payroll list, Abe presented as “Annex A”, also has the signature of Roxas, Santiago and Gabito. These documents, Abe said, are submitted to the Quezon City goverment for funding. She also submitted a copy of her Identification Card as “Annex B” bearing her true signature for the Ombudsman for vetting against the signature on the payroll list. Abe said the acts of the three officials also constitute falsification of documents which is a violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code as she prays that the Ombudsman would act on her complaint and compelled Roxas and the two other Barangay Kaligayahan officials to answer to her charges and be jailed and eventually barred from holding public offices. The graft charges was the second to be slapped against Roxas as a barangay tanod (village watchman) earlier filed the same charges last month, accusing Roxas, Barangay Kaligayahan Secretary Maripha de Jesus and Santiago for also making him their “ghost employee.” Roxas also faced Graft and Corrupt Practices Act violations filed by one of their kagawad (village councilor) Allan Francisco Jr. who sued Roxas and other barangay kagawads Jim Mahusay; Alexander Rivera; former singer-actress Perla Adea; Arnel Gabito; Dionisio Gascon and Sofronio Grimaldo, and barangay secretary Josephine Penaranda for the approval of a barangay council resolution “interposing no objection to the application of M.M. Ledesma Laboratories Corp.” along Zabarte Road Extension on 15 April, the barangay assembly day, which is not a regular barangay council session day. The post QC councilor slapped anew with graft raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Another graft case slaps against QC honorary councilor
The Quezon City Barangay Kaligayahan chairman, who is an honorary councilor for being the League of Barangay Chairmen President, is in for more trouble. One of his former employees slapped him, along with the barangay (village) treasurer and a kagawad (councilor), with charges of violations of the Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and falsification of public documents before the Office of the Ombudsman, late afternoon Monday. Arjean Abe, of Tawid Sapa 2, Greenfields, Barangay Kaligayahan, charged Brgy. Kaligayahan Chairman and Quezon City Councilor Alfredo "Freddie" Roxas, his treasurer Hesiree Santiago, and Kagawad Arnel Gabito, chairman of the appropriation committee, with charges for violations of Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Revised Penal Code for faking her signature to appear that she is still a barangay employee. Abe in her complaint, obtained by Daily Tribune, said she was hired as a teacher aide on 1 March 2022, receiving a monthly salary of P6,000, and was detailed at the barangay daycare center. She was later transferred as a clerk taking care of the issuance of barangay clearance because of the pandemic and classes on face-to-face were suspended. Abe said on 31 January 2023, she resigned from work with her letter of resignation received by Santiago. However, she found out that her name still appeared in the barangay payroll list, one of which was submitted by her as evidence against the three officials. The payroll was for 1 to 31 May 2023 where her name and signature still appeared and projected that she is still an employee receiving P6,000. The payroll list, Abe presented as "Annex A", also has the signatures of Roxas, Santiago, and Gabito. These documents, Abe said, are submitted to the Quezon City government for funding. She also submitted a copy of her identification card as "Annex B", bearing her true signature for the Ombudsman for vetting against the signature on the payroll list. Abe said the acts of the three officials also constituted falsification of documents which is a violation of Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code as she prayed that the Ombudsman would act on her complaint and compel Roxas and the two other Barangay Kaligayahan officials to answer to her charges and be jailed and eventually barred from holding public offices. The graft charges were the second to be slapped against Roxas as a barangay tanod (village watchman). She filed the same charges last month, accusing Roxas, Barangay Kaligayahan Secretary Maripha de Jesus, and Santiago of also making her their "ghost employee." Roxas also faced Graft and Corrupt Practices Act violations filed by one of their kagawads (village councilors), Allan Francisco Jr., who sued Roxas and other barangay kagawads Jim Mahusay, Alexander Rivera, former singer-actress Perla Adea, Arnel Gabito, Dionisio Gascon, Sofronio Grimaldo, and barangay secretary Josephine Penaranda for the approval of a barangay council resolution “interposing no objection to the application of M.M. Ledesma Laboratories Corp.” along Zabarte Road extension on 15 April, the barangay assembly day, which is not a regular barangay council session day. The post Another graft case slaps against QC honorary councilor appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ARTA rues reduced allocation
The Anti-Red Tape Authority said Monday it could do its job better if the House of Representatives would allocate it more funds in the coming year. ARTA Director General Ernesto Perez said ARTA had submitted a budget request of roughly P780 million under its National Expenditure Program for 2024. “What was granted to us by the Department of Budget and Management was barely 35 percent,” he lamented. Perez said under the General Appropriations Act of 2023, ARTA received P219 million. ARTA was flagged by the Commission on Audit in its 2022 report for failing to investigate complaints in a timely manner to ensure the implementation of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services Program. CoA said it took ARTA an average of 124 days just to accomplish the first step of the complaint resolution process, which is the issuance of a notice to file a sworn answer. “We are concerned if this were to remain the practice of ARTA. It would erode its reputation and eventually defeat the purpose of ARTA as one of the institutions specifically tasked to thwart red tape and corruption,” the 2022 CoA report read. But Perez said they had already properly responded to the CoA report, and the problem was raised because of the deferment of the electronic complaint management system, or ARTA e-CMS, that the previous administration launched in 2022. “It was not able to be implemented because of budgetary constraints. So, we had to suspend that and go back to the manual way. The CoA took note of that. In fact, in our 2020 audit report, we had zero CoA findings,” he said. Perez said that ARTA’s complaint resolution rate was presently at 99 percent. The post ARTA rues reduced allocation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sandigan clears QC prosecutor of bribery raps
The Sandiganbayan has cleared former Quezon City Assistant Prosecutor Raul Desembrana of a direct bribery charge arising from his alleged demand of P80,000 in exchange for dismissing a complaint in 2014. In a 39-page decision, the anti-graft court’s Special Fourth Division acquitted Desembrana of bribery under Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code for the failure of the prosecution to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The erstwhile prosecutor was accused of direct bribery for allegedly requesting P80,000 from Dr. Alexis Montes and his son Connor, with pending unjust vexation cases before his office filed by a retired military chaplain. According to the prosecution, Desembrana took advantage of his position for the unlawful demand of P80,000 from the Monteses and for receiving P4,000, placed on top of the “boodle money.” The prosecution alleged Desembrana of demanding P80,000 from Monteses’ lawyer, Ephraim Cortez of the National Union of People’s Attorneys, in exchange for withdrawing the case against his clients, which was assigned the Desembrana for preliminary investigation. Further, the prosecution added that Desembrana proposed an arrangement wherein he would issue a favorable draft resolution for the Monteses in return. In 2014, the National Bureau of Investigation set up an entrapment operation at a restaurant inside Quezon Memorial Circle, where they captured Desembrana after he took the P4,000 marked money from Cortez. In exonerating Desembrana, the Sandiganbayan, however, said the prosecution failed to present the P4,000 allegedly used during the entrapment operation as well as the “boodle money” and the white envelope. “The alleged acceptance of the P4,000 by accused Desembrana cannot be reasonably established without the presentation of the original marked money or the object evidence which was allegedly accepted by accused Desembrana,” it said. The Sandiganbayan also took note of Cortez’s testimony that he did not open the white envelope and relied only on the NBI agents’s statement that the mark and the boodle money were inside the envelope. “Hence, contrary to the allegations in the Information, the evidence presented by the prosecution failed to establish that accused Desembrana ‘actually received P4,000 which were placed on top of the “boodle money” from Atty. Ephraim B. Cortez,” it said. The post Sandigan clears QC prosecutor of bribery raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former Bataan gov off the hook
The Sandiganbayan announced on Sunday that it has cleared former Bataan Governor Leonardo Roman of a P3.66-million graft charge stemming from the anomalous construction of a mini-theater at the Bataan State College in 2004. Citing the prosecution’s failure to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, the anti-graft court’s Second Division acquitted Roman of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or RA 3019 in a 41-page ruling. “As the prosecution, in this case, failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt all the elements of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 under which the accused was charged, accused Roman should be entitled to an acquittal,” said the Sandiganbayan. To recall, the case against Roman involved the alleged awarding of a P3.66-million mini-theater project of the Bataan State College in 2004 in favor of V.F. Construction despite no allocated budget or appropriation for the project. He was also accused of colluding with his co-accused executive assistant Romeo Mendiola, treasurer Pastor Vichauco, budget officer Aurora Tiambeng, and accountant Numeriano Medina by giving unwarranted benefits to V.F. Construction for the release of the sum. Filed before the Ombudsman, the case stemmed from a complaint-affidavit dated 1 September 2004 accusing Roman and his cohorts of the crime of malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents. Roman served as the governor of Bataan from 1986 to 2004. In 2006, the Ombudsman dismissed the complaint for lack of probable cause. The Supreme Court affirmed the Ombudsman’s decision to drop the criminal charge. The Ombudsman, however, filed the case before the Sandiganbayan in 2015 following the SC’s ruling to reverse the criminal charge of graft. Based on the prosecution’s probe, Roman entered a contract with V.F. Construction to construct a mini-theater and rendered his authorizations, approvals, and certifications for the P3.66-million payment. Investigation revealed that Roman certified the project as fully completed and issued the payment to the construction firm in two installments. However, more than five months after the final payment was made to the construction company, the CoA discovered that the mini-theater, contrary to Roman’s declaration, was incomplete. The structure, it said, was only 50.7 percent complete. In clearing Roman, the Sandiganbayan stressed that it was “not convinced” by the prosecution’s theory that the erstwhile governor’s execution of a contract and approval of the payment with the V.F. Construction despite the lapses was tantamount to graft. “The evidence on record is insufficient to prove beyond reasonable doubt that there was bad faith, manifest partially, or gross inexcusable negligence on the part of the accused when he committed the questioned acts,” the Sandiganbayan said. According to the Sandiganbayan, while Roman may have committed mistakes in the performance of his duty, the fact remains that the evidence is insufficient to prove a serious breach of duty that was committed flagrantly, palpably, and with willful indifference or blatant and extremely careless manner. The post Former Bataan gov off the hook appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»