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Escudero urges Marcos to appoint full-time DA chief
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. should appoint a “full-time and competent alter ego” to lead the Department of Agriculture, said Senator Francis Escudero on Monday. In a radio interview, Escudero lamented that the DA chief should address the challenges confronted by the agricultural sector with “urgency” including the administration's campaign against rice smuggling and hoarding. “Kung mahalaga talaga iyan, kailangang may full-time at dedicated na kalihim at hindi part-time lamang (If that's really important, it should have a full-time and dedicated secretary and not just a part-time one,” he lamented. While he understands the President's desire to hold on to the position in a bid to "personally oversee" the sector, Escudero stressed that “there are too many national issues and concerns that Marcos has to attend to as head of state.” “Maganda ang intensyon ng Pangulo. Ang problema ay iisa lang ang katawan niya, dadalawa lamang ang mga kamay niya at ang 24 oras niya ay 24 oras din nating lahat (The President’s intention was good. But the problem is, he has only one body, two hands and his 24 hours time is for ours too),” he added. Escudero further pressed the need to focus on resolving woes related to the agricultural sector, particularly rice smuggling and hoarding, which are mainly blamed for the high prices of rice in the markets. Also, Escudero reiterated his call for the government to expose the names of people, not just the trading companies, involved in rice smuggling and hoarding in the country. He said appropriate charges must also be filed against them. The Bureau of Customs reported Saturday that it has seized P31.5 billion worth of smuggled goods, including agricultural products, from January to September this year. The majority of the items seized by the bureau were counterfeit items such as shoes, bags and clothes. The smuggled agricultural products were logged at P3.3 billion. Escudero had previously lamented that no charges have been filed against any individual involved in the smuggling of goods into the country. The post Escudero urges Marcos to appoint full-time DA chief appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Escudero to BOC: File charges vs. rice smugglers, hoarders
Senator Francis Escudero challenged the Bureau of Customs to immediately file charges against traders susceptibly involved in smuggling and hoarding rice. Escudero said such illegal activities have caused an artificial shortage of food staples and rice price spikes in recent months. The senator then slammed the BOC for its failure to disclose to the public the “names of traders and operators whose warehouses were raided by government authorities for tons of suspected smuggled rice.” “Ang dami nang raids na ginawa nitong mga nakaraang linggo, bakit hanggang ngayon, wala pang kasong isinasampa sa mga taong sangkot? (You have done so many raid activities this past weeks, why is it until now you haven’t filed cases to anyone involved?),” he said. Escudero stressed the need to file charges and ‘bring these economic saboteurs to court” so it could “serve as a warning” that the Marcos administration is indeed serious in its campaign against smugglers and hoarders. He said the authorities should not stop by just conducting a series of raids, instead, the efforts should showcase strong results. The Republic Act 10845 or the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 considers large-scale smuggling of agricultural products as economic sabotage, with "at least P1 million worth of sugar, corn, pork, poultry, garlic, onion, carrots, fish, and cruciferous vegetables, in their raw state, or which have undergone the simple processes of preparation and preservation for the market, or a minimum of P10 million worth of rice, as valued by Bureau of Customs." “Why haven't I heard anyone sued for economic sabotage or something? Who owns these warehouses? Who are the people involved?" Escudero asked, citing that the BoC-Port of Zamboanga seized some 42,180 sacks of rice worth P42 million in Barangay San Jose Gusu on 15 September. The local bureau inspected the warehouse on 19 May after receiving information that smuggled rice was being stored in the area. Two weeks prior, the BOC inspected three warehouses in Bulacan and found these stocked with suspected smuggled imported rice worth P505 million. It temporarily sealed and guarded these warehouses located inside the Intercity Industrial Complex in Balagtas, Bulacan. Aside from filing charges, Escudero said the government should also update the public on the development of these cases “in the spirit of transparency.” "Ito ang mga dapat nilang masagot ngayon (this what they should answer now): who oversees the disposition and how will it be disposed? Ano ang gagawin nila sa mga bigas na nakumpiska? (What will happen to confiscated rice?),“ Escudero said. In a news forum last Saturday, BOC Port of Zamboanga chief, Benito Lontok, said the agency is planning to donate the smuggled rice for the implementation of the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa Program and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s assistance programs. However, Lontok said the plan is still “subject to approval” of BoC Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno. 'DA should step up' Meanwhile, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged DA to take more proactive measures to address the price hike in rice. Cayetano lamented the prices of rice remain high despite the government’s implementation of a price cap on the product. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier blamed smugglers and hoarders for causing the increasing prices of rice in the country. Hence, issuing the executive Order No. 39 on 31 August, mandated price ceilings for regular-milled rice at P41 per kilogram and well-milled rice at P45 per kilogram. The EO 39 will be implemented nationwide beginning 5 September. Marcos vowed the government would continue going after the rice smugglers and hoarders, including the imposition of penalties for those found guilty of violating the mandated price cap for rice. Cayetano lauded Marcos for this effort and for being a “sincere Agriculture Secretary” with a primary intent on the country’s food situation. However, he stressed that other DA officials should not rely on the Chief Executive for solutions. “The DA to seek long-term solutions to stabilize food prices, emphasizing that temporary measures may not address the root causes of the problem,” he said. The post Escudero to BOC: File charges vs. rice smugglers, hoarders appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case
Former US president Donald Trump was arrested at a Georgia jail on Thursday on racketeering and conspiracy charges for trying to overturn the 2020 election results in the southern state. During a brief session lasting less than 30 minutes, the 77-year-old Trump was booked on 13 charges at Atlanta's Fulton County Jail, according to records published by the sheriff's office. Trump's height was listed by the jail as six foot three inches (1.9 meters), his weight as 215 pounds (97 kilograms) and his hair color as "Blond or Strawberry." Other defendants in the racketeering case who have surrendered to the Georgia authorities in recent days have had a mugshot taken. The billionaire has been criminally indicted four times since April, setting the stage for a year of unprecedented drama as he tries to juggle multiple court appearances and another White House campaign. In posts on his Truth Social platform shortly before leaving his New Jersey golf club for the flight to Atlanta, Trump said he was being arrested for "having the audacity to challenge a RIGGED & STOLLEN (sic) ELECTION." "This is yet another SAD DAY IN AMERICA!" he added. Trump was able to dodge having a mugshot taken during his previous arrests this year: in New York on charges of paying hush money to a porn star, in Florida for mishandling top secret government documents, and in Washington on charges of conspiring to upend his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden. But Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat said standard procedure in Georgia is to take a defendant's photograph before they are released on bond -- set at $200,000 in Trump's case. The arrest comes one day after Trump spurned a televised debate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, featuring eight of his rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination -- all of whom lag well behind him in the polls. He still stole the spotlight, though, with all but two of the candidates saying they would support him as the party's nominee even if he were a convicted felon. During a pre-recorded interview with former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson -- which aired on social media at the same time as the debate -- Trump dismissed the criminal cases filed against him as "nonsense." Trump said the Justice Department had been "weaponized" under Biden to hamstring his White House bid. Court dates in election race A tight security perimeter was set up for Trump's booking at the Fulton County Jail, which is under investigation for a slew of inmate deaths and deplorable conditions. Fani Willis, the Fulton County district attorney who filed the sweeping racketeering case, had set a deadline of noon (1600 GMT) on Friday for Trump and the other 18 defendants to surrender. Trump and 11 others have turned themselves in so far. Former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows surrendered on Thursday and was released on $100,000 bond. Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who served as Trump's personal lawyer when he was in the White House and vigorously pushed the false claims that Trump had won the 2020 election, was booked and released on Wednesday. John Eastman, a conservative lawyer who is accused of drawing up a scheme to submit a false slate of Trump electors to Congress from Georgia instead of the legitimate Biden ones, has also been booked and released. A few dozen supporters of the former Republican president gathered outside the jail, including Sharon Anderson who spent the night in her car. "I think this is a political persecution and now that's turned into a political prosecution," Anderson told AFP. Trump is the first US president in history to face criminal charges. His various trials, if they take place next year, may coincide with the Republican presidential primary season, which begins in January, and the campaign for the November 2024 White House election. Special counsel Jack Smith has proposed a January 2024 start date for Trump's trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the last election with a lie-fueled campaign that culminated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Trump's attorneys have countered with a suggested start date well after the election -- April 2026. Willis, the Georgia district attorney, initially proposed that the racketeering case begin in March next year, the same month Trump is scheduled to go on trial in New York on charges of paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels. On Thursday, after one of the defendants asked for a speedy trial, she proposed that it begin for all 19 in October of this year, a move met with an immediate objection from Trump's lawyers. The Florida case, in which Trump is accused of taking secret government documents as he left the White House and refusing to return them, is scheduled to begin in May. The post Trump arrested in Georgia racketeering case appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The legal woes of Donald Trump
Former US president Donald Trump is facing four criminal indictments, all filed since March -- with the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 White House race possibly navigating a series of trials as he campaigns. On Thursday, he was formally arrested on 13 counts in the southern state of Georgia in connection with his alleged efforts to interfere with the results of the 2020 election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden. Trump has already been indicted in federal court in connection with election interference in multiple states, and over his handling of classified documents, making him the first former US president to face federal criminal charges. The twice-impeached Trump has also been charged in New York with making election-eve hush money payments to a porn star. Here are the key cases involving the 77-year-old one-term president -- and others that could materialize: Georgia election meddling Trump stands accused in Georgia of pressuring state officials to overturn Biden's election victory -- incidents that were also referred to in a federal indictment. Evidence includes a taped phone call in which he asked Georgia's then-secretary of state to "find" enough votes to reverse the result. Fulton County's top prosecutor Fani Willis has charged Trump with 13 felony counts including violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents. Eighteen co-defendants also were indicted, including Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, for pressuring local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump's White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows. 2020 election interference Special Counsel Jack Smith had already slapped Trump with four federal charges related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, as well as conspiracy to obstruct and obstruction of an official proceeding -- the January 6, 2021, meeting of a joint session of Congress held to certify Biden's election victory. He is also charged with conspiracy to deny Americans the right to vote and to have one's vote counted. The indictment mentions six co-conspirators but none are identified -- Trump, currently the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, is the only named defendant. Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, as Congress met to certify the presidential election results. Before what was ultimately a deadly attack, Trump delivered a fiery speech urging the crowd to "fight like hell." Classified documents Trump, in another indictment brought by Smith, is accused of endangering national security by holding onto top secret nuclear and defense documents after leaving the White House. Trump kept the files -- which included records from the Pentagon, CIA, and National Security Agency -- unsecured at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida and thwarted official efforts to retrieve them, according to the indictment. Trump was initially charged with 31 counts of "willful retention of national defense information," each punishable by up to 10 years in prison. A count was added related to a classified document "concerning military activity in a foreign country." He also faces charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice, making false statements, and other offenses. The federal judge in the case has set a trial date of May 20, 2024, at the height of the presidential campaign. Stormy A New York grand jury indicted Trump in March over alleged hush money payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels. Prosecutors say the money was paid prior to the 2016 election to silence Daniels over claims she had a tryst with Trump in 2006 -- a year after he married Melania Trump. Late in the campaign, Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen arranged a payment of $130,000 to Daniels in exchange for her pledge of confidentiality, prosecutors said. That case, in which he faces 34 felony counts, is due to go to trial next March, in the middle of the Republican primary election season. Other probes Trump was found liable in a civil case for sexually abusing and defaming a former magazine columnist, E. Jean Carroll, in 1996, and ordered to pay her $5 million in damages. In New York, state Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil suit against Trump and three of his children, accusing them of fraud by over-valuing assets to secure loans and then under-valuing them to minimize taxes. James is seeking $250 million in penalties as well as banning Trump and his children from serving as executives at companies in the city. Trump has denied all wrongdoing. The post The legal woes of Donald Trump appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump has 10 days to surrender
Former United States president Donald Trump and 18 others were charged Tuesday with racketeering over their attempt to overturn Georgia state’s presidential election result in 2020 and they were given 10 days to voluntarily surrender. “Rather than abide by Georgia’s legal process for election challenges, the defendants engaged in a criminal racketeering enterprise to overturn Georgia’s presidential election result,” Fulton County prosecutor Fani Willis told reporters. Willis gave the 19 individuals named in Monday’s grand jury indictment until noon of 25 August to voluntarily surrender. Trump, who is running for president next year, called the indictment a witch hunt in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Why didn’t they indict 2.5 years ago? Because they wanted to do it right in the middle of my political campaign,” his post read. The Trump campaign released a statement as the charges were being processed calling Willis, who is a Democrat, a “rabid partisan” who was “persecuting” the former president with “bogus indictments.” In response, Willis said: “I make decisions in this office based on the facts and the law. The law is completely nonpartisan.” The indictment is the fourth and latest against the 77-year-old Republican, compounding the legal threats he is facing in multiple jurisdictions which may imperil his bid for a second White House term. He was already federally indicted over the alleged plot to subvert the election and is also facing prosecutions over his alleged mishandling of classified documents and keeping allegedly fraudulent business records. The twice-impeached Trump was charged with violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents. He is also accused of lying in statements and filing fake documents, as well as solicitating public officials to break their oaths. Trump’s former personal lawyer and ex-New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who pressured local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump’s White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows, were among the 18 co-defendants. Giuliani faces 13 felony counts, including over accusations of harassment of two Fulton County poll workers. Other Trump allies were charged over the accessing of sensitive data from an election office in a rural county south of Atlanta, one day after the 2021 Capitol riot. Atlanta-area authorities launched the probe after Trump called Georgia officials weeks before he was due to leave the White House, pressuring them to “find” the 11,780 votes that would reverse President Joe Biden’s victory in the Peach State. WITH AFP The post Trump has 10 days to surrender appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump indicted for racketeering over 2020 election interference
Donald Trump was indicted Tuesday on charges of racketeering and a string of election crimes after a sprawling, two-year probe into his efforts to overturn his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden in the US state of Georgia. The case -- relying on laws typically used to bring down mobsters -- is the fourth targeting the 77-year-old Republican this year and could lead to a watershed moment, the first televised trial of a former president in US history. Prosecutors in Atlanta charged the Republican leader with 13 felony counts -- compounding the legal threats he is facing in multiple jurisdictions as a firestorm of investigations imperils his bid for a second White House term. Eighteen co-defendants were indicted in the probe, including Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, who pressured local legislators over the result after the election, and Trump's White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows. "Trump and the other defendants charged in this indictment refused to accept that Trump lost, and they knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome of the election in favor of Trump," the indictment read. "That conspiracy contained a common plan and purpose to commit two or more acts of racketeering activity in Fulton County, Georgia, elsewhere in the state of Georgia, and in other states." With Trump already due to go on trial in New York, south Florida and Washington, the latest charges herald the unprecedented scenario of the 2024 presidential election being litigated as much from the courtroom as the ballot box. The Trump campaign released a statement as the charges were being processed calling Fulton County's chief prosecutor Fani Willis, who is a Democrat, a "rabid partisan" who was "persecuting" the former president with "bogus indictments." The twice-impeached Trump was charged with violating Georgia's Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as six conspiracy counts over alleged efforts to commit forgery, impersonate a public official and submit false statements and documents. He is also accused of lying in statements and filing fake documents, as well as soliciting public officials to break their oaths. - Most serious threat - Georgia, which Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes, presents perhaps the most serious threat to Trump's liberty as he leads the field comfortably for his party's nomination to bid for reelection. Even if he is returned to the Oval Office, he would have none of the powers that presidents arguably enjoy in the federal system to pardon themselves or have prosecutors drop cases. The harsh penalties associated with RICO cases can be an incentive for co-defendants to seek cooperation deals, and the statutes are usually used to target organized crime. Under federal law, anyone who can be connected to a criminal "enterprise" through which offenses were committed can be convicted under RICO. The broader Georgia law doesn't even require the existence of the enterprise. Atlanta-area authorities launched the probe after Trump called Georgia officials weeks before he was due to leave the White House, pressuring them to "find" the 11,780 votes that would reverse Biden's victory in the Peach State. Meadows, who is accused of trying to get a public official to violate his oath, was on the call. Willis empaneled a special grand jury that heard from around 75 witnesses before recommending a raft of felony counts in a secret report in February. She alleges that Trump's team worked with local Republicans on a scheme to replace legitimate slates of "electors" -- the officials who certify a state's results and send them to the US Congress -- with fake pro-Trump stand-ins. - Criminal intent? - Giuliani, who faces 13 felony counts, was being investigated over accusations of harassment of two Fulton County poll workers while other Trump allies were charged over the accessing of sensitive data from an election office in a rural county south of Atlanta, one day after the 2021 Capitol riot. Trump is already facing dozens of felony charges after being federally indicted over the alleged plot to subvert the election, and further prosecutions over his alleged mishandling of classified documents and keeping allegedly fraudulent business records. Authorities in Atlanta installed security barricades outside the downtown courthouse in anticipation of a potential influx of Trump supporters and counter-protesters in the latest case. Lawmakers investigating Trump's efforts to cling to power heard evidence in a series of congressional hearings last summer that would challenge his potential defense that he genuinely believed he had been cheated of the election. ft/sst © Agence France-Presse The post Trump indicted for racketeering over 2020 election interference appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Zambo co-op reports steady progress
The Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative or ZAMCELCO reported on Wednesday that its rating, assessed by the National Electrification Administration, rose from C in 2021 to B in 2022. In a press statement, ZAMCELCO said the improvement indicated that its customers are receiving better services, driven by management and investment boosts. “We are thankful for this nod from the NEA, which further lets us know that ZAMCELCO is on the right track,” ZAMCELCO chief management officer Rommel Agan said. Invaluable partner “The steady improvements to our services harks back to our vision of being an invaluable partner of the local government to develop Zamboanga City into one of the country’s most economically-competitive cities,” he added. The NEA’s rating system was based on multiple criteria, including institutional-governance parameters, financial parameters, technical parameters, level of electrification, and reportorial requirements. The electric cooperative’s improved rating was welcomed by ZAMCELCO Chief Management Officer Rommel Agan who said he was ‘thankful for this nod from the NEA, which lets us know that ZAMCELCO is on the right track.’ Agan pointed out that ZAMCELCO’s improvements were primarily attributed to the new management, which took over in 2018. The new leaders delivered their commitment to cater to the growing demand, which increased to 609 million kilowatt-hours or kWh in 2022 from 539 million kWh in 2018. Joint venture Crown Investment Holdings Inc. and Desco Inc. formed a joint venture that won the P2.5-billion investor-manager contract bid in 2018. This joint venture was instrumental in restoring ZAMCELCO, the cooperative, and ensuring efficient power supply to its 125,000 billed customers. The power company recently initiated a comprehensive campaign throughout its franchise to ensure continuous and affordable power supply for its consumers. ZAMCELCO also vowed to keep its generation charges low — the second cheapest in Mindanao by managing the supply contracts of the cooperative to achieve the most favorable power mix for customers. The post Zambo co-op reports steady progress appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 Bureau of Corrections officers sacked
Bureau of Corrections director general Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Tuesday revealed that he has ordered the immediate dismissal from service three corrections officers who were found guilty for grave misconduct. Catapang identified the erring BuCor officers as Correction Officers II Marlon Esguerra, Zol PG Plenos and Prison Guard 1 Ernesto Dionglay Jr. Plenos was also ordered to surrender his government issued firearm. The BuCor chief stressed that the sacking of the officer should serve as a warning to erring personnel to shape up or leave the bureau. “We will be relentless in our campaign to reform the bureau of misfits and this is to show that we mean business,” Catapang said. Reports disclosed that Esguerra was found guilty of grave misconduct when he was found to possess seven bricks of tobacco which he hid in his belt. He was scheduled for duty at the office of the Officer of the Day at the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison on 4 May 2018. He admitted the offense, citing financial difficulties. Plenos, on the other hand, was found in possession of six pieces of La Reyna Tobacco while entering the Gate 4 of MaxSecom on 23 August 2017. He also admitted charges against him. Meantime, Dionglay was arrested on 3 August 2017 in possession of 46.55 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as “shabu” which he hid in his underwear. He was arrested by personnel of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force detailed at Gate 4 Annex designated as Employees Gate of the MaxSecom. The post 3 Bureau of Corrections officers sacked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP belies POGO raid rights violations
Legal representatives of Xinhuang Network Technologies are demanding that the Philippine National Police allow medical treatment for the 13 or more foreigners who were allegedly injured after being taken into police custody on 29 June. In a letter dated 1 July, the Vargas Law Office said that they received reports that the foreigners were injured during a commotion while in police custody at the compound of Xinhuang in Las Piñas City. Lawyer Ananias Christian Vargas said that one of the foreigners reportedly suffered a gunshot wound and that others have serious physical injuries. He claimed that the police have refused to allow an ambulance to transport the injured to a hospital. PNP public affairs office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan denied the allegations of police brutality and said that the PNP observes human rights. He said that more than 1,500 of the 2,700 rescued workers had already been released, but that foreigners remain in the area as they are still being processed in coordination with the Bureau of Immigration. “As a matter of policy, in every police operation, observance of human rights is paramount. Hence, Human Rights Affairs desks had been put up to ensure that the basic rights of the rescued victims are respected and protected at all times,” Maranan said. “Rest assured that the PNP’s aggressive and honest law enforcement operations are at all times conforming with the rule of law,” he added. The PNP said that the Las Piñas operations are part of the anti-human trafficking campaign in relation to violations of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. It also said that it has filed criminal charges against five Chinese nationals before the Department of Justice in relation to the raid of seven POGO establishments in Las Piñas City early this week. The raid led to the “rescue” of more than 2,700 alleged POGO workers, around 1,500 of them Filipinos, while the rest are foreigners, mostly from countries in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has issued a show-cause order to the representative of Xinchuang on why its certificate of accreditation and authority to operate should not be canceled. Pagcor also ordered Xinhuang to cease and desist from all offshore gaming activities pending the completion of the PNP investigation on its alleged criminal activities. Seized during the raid were computer units, SIM cards, cellular phones, and passports that wil be subjected to forensic investigation. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco, meanwhile, reiterated the state-run agency’s stand against illegal activities that are being linked to offshore gaming. “We condemn all criminal activities that violate Philippine laws and human rights — regardless of nationality. As we have always said, PAGCOR will not hesitate to impose sanctions on erring licensees and accredited service providers,” Tengco said. “Similarly, we will continue to cooperate with our partner law enforcement agencies to ensure that responsible and regulated gaming is observed,” he said. The post PNP belies POGO raid rights violations appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Wagner chief to leave Russia in deal to ease crisis
The chief of the rebel Wagner mercenary force will leave Russia and won't face charges after calling off his troops' advance on Saturday, Moscow said, easing Russia's most serious security crisis in decades. The feud between Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russia's military brass came to a violent head in the past day, with his forces capturing a key army headquarters in southern Russia and then heading north to threaten the capital. Within hours of Prigozhin's about-face, the Kremlin announced he would leave for Belarus and Russia would not prosecute either him or the group's members. It had been a dramatic day of developments, with President Vladimir Putin warning against civil war, Moscow telling locals to stay off the streets and Kyiv revelling in the chaos engulfing its enemy. The tide shifted suddenly when Prigozhin made the stunning announcement that his troops were "turning our columns around and going back to field camps" to avoid bloodshed in the Russian capital. Prigozhin, who has feuded bitterly with Moscow's military leadership even as his outfit led parts of Russia's Ukraine offensive, said he understood the importance of the moment and did not want to "spill Russian blood". - Wagner troops cheered - By early Sunday Wagner had pulled fighters and equipment from Rostov-on-Don, where they had seized the military headquarters, said the regional governor. But before they left, dozens of residents were cheering and chanting "Wagner! Wagner!" outside the military headquarters they had captured. Authorities in the southern Lipetsk region announced the lifting of restrictions after earlier reporting Wagner fighters in their territory, where the local capital is just 420 kilometres (260 miles) south of Moscow. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he had negotiated a truce with Prigozhin, drawing thanks from Moscow. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later told reporters that the "criminal case against him (Prigozhin) will be dropped. He himself will go to Belarus." Peskov also said that members of Wagner who had taken part in what authorities termed an "armed rebellion" will not be prosecuted. "Avoiding bloodshed, internal confrontation, and clashes with unpredictable results was the highest goal," Peskov added. Kyiv revelled in the chaos that engulfed its enemy. "Prigozhin humiliated Putin/the state and showed that there is no longer a monopoly on violence," presidential aide Mykhailo Podolyak said on Twitter. While Russia claimed the rebellion had no impact on its Ukraine campaign, Kyiv said the unrest offered a "window of opportunity" as the nation pressed its long-awaited counter-offensive. - Moscow's warning - The United States and its allies publicly stayed on the sidelines as officials waited to see how the revolt would play out. US President Joe Biden spoke with the leaders of France, Germany and Britain amid concerns that Putin's control over the nuclear-armed country could be slipping. Moscow issued a stiff warning to the United States and allies to stay back. "The rebellion plays into the hands of Russia's external enemies," the foreign ministry said. Before Prigozhin's climbdown, Russian regular forces had launched what one regional governor called a "counter-terrorist operation" to halt the Wagner advance northwards up a main highway towards Moscow. In the capital, the mayor urged Muscovites to stay indoors and declared Monday a day off work. Security was tightened in the city centre, with armed men in flak jackets guarding the parliament building and Red Square closed off to the public. "I don't know how to react. In any case it's very sad this is happening," 35-year-old Yelena told AFP, declining to give her last name. The measures came after Prigozhin announced his troops had taken control of the military command centre and airbase in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, the nerve centre of Russia's offensive in Ukraine. - 'A blow to Russia' - Responding to the challenge in a televised address, Putin accused Prigozhin of a "stab in the back" that posed a threat to Russia's very survival. "Any internal turmoil is a deadly threat to our statehood and to us as a nation. This is a blow to Russia and to our people," Putin said, demanding national unity. "Extravagant ambitions and personal interests led to treason," Putin said, referring to Prigozhin, who began building his power base as a catering contractor. Another Putin ally, Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov, declared that he had dispatched his own units to help quash the Wagner rebellion. Armed Wagner fighters deployed around administrative buildings in Rostov and tanks were seen in the city centre. As the insurrection force headed north through Voronezh and Lipetsk towards Moscow, the capital's mayor announced that "anti-terrorist" measures were being taken. Critical facilities were "under reinforced protection", TASS reported, citing a law enforcement source. While Prigozhin's outfit fought at the forefront of Russia's offensive in Ukraine, he repeatedly blamed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Valery Gerasimov, chief of the general staff, for his fighters' deaths. bur-jmm/jj © Agence France-Presse The post Wagner chief to leave Russia in deal to ease crisis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Resign en masse, Rody tells cops
Former president Rodrigo Duterte demanded yesterday the resignation of the entire Philippine National Police force, saying that many of its members had become the “gatekeepers” for the nation’s illicit drug trade. “We have a fractured police force in this country,” Duterte said on his weekly program over the SMNI channel. Duterte expressed dismay over the Senate’s recent investigation into the alleged cover-up by police officials of the P6.7-billion shabu bust where the drugs were allegedly seized from a police sergeant. He lamented that some police officers were not just protecting drug dealers, “but are into drug dealing themselves.” “The volume is one too many. How many police personnel are involved? There are many; it goes up to the generals,” he said. If he were still president, Duterte said he would order all members of the PNP, from the lowest-ranked patrolman to its chief (General Benjamin Acorda Jr.) to surrender all the firearms issued to them. He said he would then order the Armed Forces of the Philippines to take over police duties following the dismantling of the PNP. “The army would be happy to take over. And I suppose that is what should happen,” Duterte said, adding that he trusted the military more than the police. “The AFP knows what is right and wrong, and what is right for the country,” he said, slamming the “built-in arrogance” of rogue cops, especially those involved in the drug trade. Generals accused of coverup In October 2022, PNP officers seized 990 kilograms of shabu, worth P6.7 billion, from an office in Tondo, Manila. Several PNP generals were accused of trying to cover up the arrest of an alleged drug dealer, dismissed police sergeant Rodolfo Mayo, even as kilos of the drugs were found to have been pilfered. Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, who oversees the PNP, assured Duterte and the public that the PNP was not hopeless as an organization. Abalos said criminal complaints had been filed against about 50 PNP members, including two generals. Abalos said a plan is afoot to place the PNP Internal Affairs Service under the supervision of the Office of the President or the DILG to make it totally independent of the PNP. Go welcomes raps Meanwhile, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go backed the filing of charges against the police generals and policemen tagged in the coverup in the P6.7-billion drug bust. “I welcome that. That’s the right thing to do. The truth must always come out, and those found guilty should be held accountable and prosecuted,” Go told reporters Thursday. “We, along with [former] President Duterte, fully supported the PNP. That’s why we worked to double their salaries to work against the illegal drug trade so they would not engage in those activities,” he said. ‘PNP functioning well’ For his part, PNP public information chief P/Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan said the PNP continues to function well, citing a 10-percent decline in so-called index crimes, from 18,270 from 1 January to 9 June last year to 16,492 crimes for the same period this year. In the campaign against illegal drugs, Maranan said the PNP conducted 19,464 operations, arrested 25,641 persons, and confiscated P6.2 billion worth of illegal drugs for the period cited this year. A total of 836 PNP personnel were dismissed and 1,703 were suspended as of 7 June, Maranan added. “This is a manifestation of the PNP’s well-functioning disciplinary mechanism to weed out those who are unfit to be in the organization,” Maranan said. He said the PNP recently achieved an 80-percent trust and performance rating. The post Resign en masse, Rody tells cops appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP intensifies campaign vs ‘missing’ plates
Philippine National Police Chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Sunday has ordered law enforcement personnel to apprehend motorists plying the streets using motor vehicles with no license plates. The PNP chief stressed that the move is part of the PNP’s strict adherence to the “no-plate, no-travel” policy, which police authorities will implement with renewed vigor nationwide. “There are standing rules to this effect that motorists should be aware of. The PNP, through the Highway Patrol Group, will make sure such regulations are strictly followed,” he said. Acorda issued the directive during a command conference in Camp Crame last week and stressed that with the renewed campaign, the PNP hopes to curb the criminal activities of lawless elements using motor vehicles with no or fake license plates. He said not even the personnel of the PNP will be exempt from the implementation of this policy. Acorda said police officers should set an example by following even the simplest of regulations at all times. “Anyone of our personnel who will be caught doing this unlawful act will face the appropriate administrative and criminal charges,” he added. Meanwhile the PNP chief said that the PNP will closely coordinate with the Land Transportation Office in crafting more effective means to sustain the implementation of the “no-plate, no-travel” drive. All motor vehicles are required to have valid license plates under the “No-registration, No-Travel” policy contained in the 2015 Joint Administrative Order issued by the Department of Transportation and Communication and LTO. In the same order, a fine of P10,000 will be imposed on the owner of an unregistered vehicle, while the driver will have to pay a P1,000 fine. The post PNP intensifies campaign vs ‘missing’ plates appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Trump indicted in classified documents probe
Donald Trump said Thursday he has been indicted over his handling of classified documents after leaving office, the US ex-president's most serious legal threat yet as he pursues a second White House term. "The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform as he broke the bombshell news of a historic moment for the United States: the first time a sitting or former commander-in-chief has faced federal charges. There was no immediate confirmation from the Justice Department. Trump attorney Jim Trusty told CNN that his client has been indicted on seven charges including the willful retention of documents in violation of the Espionage Act, making false statements, obstruction of justice and a count of conspiracy. Though the precise details of the charges were not immediately clear, people familiar with the matter told The New York Times the conspiracy charge was related to obstruction of justice. In his post, Trump, who is running for president again, said he has been summoned to a federal courthouse in Miami next Tuesday -- the day before his 77th birthday. His announcement came a day after US media said federal prosecutors had informed his lawyers that he is the target of the probe into his handling of classified documents. Trump was already the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime -- in his case over election-eve hush money payments to a porn star who said she had an affair with him. That indictment was handed down by Manhattan's district attorney in March. In a statement after his initial online posts, the Trump campaign lashed out at what it called an "unprecedented abuse of power," and called for the indictment to be thrown out. 'Dark day' In a defiant video released after he shared the news, Trump repeatedly declared his innocence and framed the indictment as a form of election interference by a Justice Department "weaponized" by the Biden administration. "They come after me because now we're leading in the polls again by a lot against Biden," Trump said in the clip. "Our country is going to hell and they come after Donald Trump... We can't let this continue." Fellow Republicans swiftly stood by him, including Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, who has had a rollercoaster relationship with Trump. "Today is indeed a dark day for the United States of America. It is unconscionable for a President to indict the leading candidate opposing him," McCarthy said in a statement. "I, and every American who believes in the rule of law, stand with President Trump." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a rival for the GOP presidential nomination, echoed Trump's claims of a "weaponized" DOJ, adding on Twitter that he would "excise political bias" if elected president. The Twitter account of Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee posted a repeated Trump slogan: "WITCH HUNT." Special counsel Jack Smith, named by US Attorney General Merrick Garland, has been looking into a cache of classified documents that Trump had stored at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida after leaving the White House. The FBI carted away some 11,000 papers after serving a search warrant on Mar-a-Lago in August, and obstruction-of-justice charges could be a result of his resisting efforts to recover the trove. Trump eventually turned over 15 boxes containing almost 200 classified documents to the National Archives in January 2022 but was subpoenaed for any outstanding records in his possession. When asked about the charges Thursday night, Smith's spokesman Peter Carr told AFP: "We are declining to comment." The White House said it learned of the indictment from media coverage and a spokesperson declined to comment on the news, noting that the DOJ "conducts its criminal investigations independently," CNN reported. Mounting legal woes Some Democratic lawmakers spoke out following Thursday's revelation. Trump's indictment "is another affirmation of the rule of law," House Democrat Adam Schiff said. "For four years, he acted like he was above the law," he added. "But he should be treated like any other lawbreaker. And today, he has been." Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing in the documents case, telling a Fox News town hall event on June 1 that "everything I did was right." But he has openly acknowledged taking and storing the documents, undermining his lawyers' suggestion that he took the stash inadvertently in the confusion of a chaotic departure. "This evidence just adds to the mound of stuff that already exists, and no one piece is the 'be all and end all,' but when you put them all together, the case is so strong," former Watergate prosecutor Jill Wine-Banks told MSNBC. "You cannot imagine his getting away with this." The latest indictment comes with Trump facing numerous other probes as he bids to be the Republican nominee to challenge Joe Biden for the presidency in 2024. Smith is also looking at whether Trump should face charges over the 2021 US Capitol riot, and Georgia prosecutors are investigating whether Trump illegally attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election outcome there. Trump has already been charged with dozens of financial crimes as part of the alleged hush money scheme to silence the porn star, and is due to go on trial next March, in the middle of primary election season. The post Trump indicted in classified documents probe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
In defense of Our Lady Mediatrix of all Grace
This is a reaction to the CBCP position that appeared in a PhilStar article dated 29 May 2023 concerning Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace, as articulated by Bishop Pablo David, CBCP president. This open letter is in defense of Our Lady Mediatrix. The article was headlined, “Vatican has Spoken on Lipa Apparitions.” The article began, “The Vatican has already ruled on the alleged apparitions of Mary Mediatrix of All Grace in Lipa, Batangas in 1948.” Bishop David says there was “no sign of supernatural character or origin.” In other words, the Mediatrix issue was an open and shut case. The article, however, did not take into account the history that had been omitted and about which the Vatican was silent. That needs to be mentioned here to avoid a false picture. The Vatican’s Confederation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the most powerful Church office that investigates alleged apparitions, created a commission of eight Filipino bishops in the 1950s, led by then Bishop Rufino Santos (later a Cardinal), to investigate the Mediatrix apparitions in Lipa. The findings were unanimous. All the bishops declared the Mediatrix apparitions authentic. But under extreme pressure from the Apostolic Nuncio, the diplomatic representative of the Vatican in the Philippines, the bishops were forced to reverse their findings. This was discovered only years later when one bishop, on his deathbed, recanted his reversal. All the other bishops also recanted later, throwing a monkey wrench into the Vatican-led study that said the apparitions were not authentic. There was a move to set the record straight with another investigation — about which Pope Francis was aware — but that proposal was ignored and never materialized. Instead, Vatican and CDF elements began an intense campaign to suppress the Mediatrix phenomenon that has lasted more than eight decades to this very day. The original miraculous Mediatrix statue was hidden in some cellar. Other statues were destroyed. The miraculous rose petals that had religious images on them were burned, destroying the very evidence needed for future investigations. Those that escaped the medieval-style iconoclasts are now secretly hidden somewhere. Novena pamphlets, stampitas, and religious materials were burned, including the precious diary that contained the first-hand account of visionary Sister Teresing Castillo. A second diary was written before she died and which is available on the internet. Many bishops of Lipa were “exiled” to remote dioceses or forced to resign through the decades for their support of the Mediatrix. The entire Philippine Church, fearing repercussions, was forced into silence, except for a few brave souls. Despite all this, the Virgin prevailed. When the bishops fell silent, the laity, immune to Vatican repressions, took over. Taking a cue from a CBCP declaration that Mediatrix devotion was allowed despite the apparitions having been declared as non-authentic, the devotion spread like wildfire. About 80 life-size Mediatrix statues were distributed to dioceses nationwide, especially in Mindanao, where Mediatrix miracles mushroomed. Lay Mediatrix groups sprouted everywhere. Nobody could stop the Virgin. The statements of the CBCP and Bishop David are understandable, as they cannot defy the Vatican. Any defiance is tantamount to “schism,” a denial of the Papacy and of the Church itself. Fr. Jose Syquia, chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of Manila, and his assistant, Fr. Winston Cabading, are an example of overzealous loyalty to the Vatican, which is also understandable, but only up to a point. They cannot make fun of Our Lady. That was why Fr. Cabading was arrested based on the charges filed by Mediatrix devotee ex-justice Harriet Demetriou. In her second diary, Sr. Teresing wrote that she withstood the tortures by the devil of a foul smell and bruises on her arms. Satan fears the Philippine Church as the launch pad of Our Lady Mediatrix for the Church evangelization of Asia, especially China, where there is now a Mediatrix statue in Nanjing. The triumph of the Virgin over Satan today was prophesied in the Book of Genesis 3:15, when God told Lucifer, “I will put enmity between you and the woman (Our Lady) and between your offspring and hers (Jesus). Her offspring shall crush your head, and you will bruise his heel.” eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com The post In defense of Our Lady Mediatrix of all Grace appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DeSantis set to enter 2024 race, teeing up bitter face-off with Trump
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to launch his 2024 presidential campaign Wednesday, signaling 18 months of acrimony ahead as he and Donald Trump lock horns in what is expected to be an attritional contest for the Republican nomination. DeSantis was considered a rising Republican star, but has been caught flat-footed by months of relentless attacks from the former president, who has surged into a commanding lead despite being engulfed in a firestorm of criminal investigations. The 44-year-old governor will make his announcement in a livestreamed chat with billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk on the network's audio platform as he bids to co-opt some of the tech mogul's star power to upstage Trump. "I'm endorsing governor DeSantis -- he doesn't hold back and he's trying to make changes," one backer said in a video compilation of messages of support posted on Twitter by the Never Back Down political organization. Musk teased the 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) Twitter Spaces event in remarks to a conference hosted by the Wall Street Journal, promising it would be live and unscripted, with "real time questions and answers." The announcement will come with a campaign launch video and the start of a three-day retreat in Miami for some of DeSantis's wealthiest donors, who will be briefed on the campaign before the governor hits several early voting states next week. National profile Long viewed as the most viable challenger to twice-impeached Trump, DeSantis is better known than most of the hopefuls in the chasing pack for the Republican nomination -- but still lacks the frontrunner's national profile. The launch format offers him a dual advantage -- giving him precious access to Musk's 140 million followers, many of whom are in Trump's base, and, if he wins the nomination, the attention of a chunk of younger, less conservative voters he will likely need for a shot at the White House. DeSantis has used his platform as Florida's chief executive to burnish his conservative credentials, signing off on some 80 new state laws this spring, many targeting "woke indoctrination" in schools and other public institutions. They include a ban on the discussion of gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, a block on funding for efforts to promote diversity at public universities and one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. Never Back Down, which has been acting as the governor's de facto campaign arm, has a ground operation in most of the early nominating states and is making plans to expand. But the launch comes with DeSantis's ratings in decline as a number of policy missteps have prompted disquiet about his readiness to take on Trump. He faces the daunting task of closing an enormous polling gap, with Trump posting leads of close to 40 percentage points, despite being indicted on felony financial charges and being found liable for sexual abuse in a New York civil trial. Jockeying for endorsements Behind the scenes, the Trump and DeSantis camps have been jostling to secure political endorsements from state lawmakers while, at the national level, Florida's congressional delegation has broken heavily for Trump. Musk is a well-known DeSantis admirer, although he was clear that Twitter would remain neutral on the nomination and that his hosting of the campaign launch should not be taken as an endorsement. "I've said publicly that my preference, and I think the preference of most Americans, is... to have someone fairly normal in office," he said, without making any explicit criticism of Trump. The former reality TV star was banned from Twitter after the 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters and has not posted since being reinstated in November. He has been attacking DeSantis almost daily on his record, character and fitness for office, but responded to Wednesday's announcement with relative restraint -- simply posting favorable polling on his own online platform, Truth Social. "Announcing on Twitter is perfect for Ron DeSantis. This way he doesn't have to interact with people and the media can't ask him any questions," a Trump aide said. The post DeSantis set to enter 2024 race, teeing up bitter face-off with Trump appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP overhaul of anti-drug units ongoing
The Philippine National Police said dissolving special operations units attached to the PNP-Drug Enforcement Group is part of efforts to overhaul its anti-illegal drugs operations. PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo admitted that there were already initial discussions that the 17 SOUs could not just be disbanded since there is more than 1,000 PNP personnel that would be affected. She added that all top units of the PNP were already asked for comments, conclusions and recommendations in connection with the proposed deactivation of PDEG’s SOUs. “Once all the inputs are in, this will be submitted to the Office of the Chief PNP and if approved, it will be submitted to the National Police Commission for review,” Fajardo told reporters in a press briefing held at Camp Crame. PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda earlier said that should the proposal be approved, all the operations of PDEG are COPLAN (case operational plan)-based and that much of the illegal drugs campaign would be delegated to regional and provincial Drug Enforcement Units. Meanwhile, more than 700 policemen assigned to the 17 SOU of the PDEG are set to be recalled and be subjected to a values formation and moral recovery program. Fajardo said the PDEG leadership under Brig. Gen. Faro Olaguera is now preparing for the recall of all its SOU personnel while the discussion on whether or not the 17 units would be disbanded is ongoing. The 17 SOU units of PDEG represent the 17 regions in the country. “According to him (Olaguera), they are now preparing for the possible transport of their personnel here at the National Headquarters (Camp Crame, Quezon City) and they are also preparing for the billeting area for them,” Fajardo said. “And should they be transported here at the NHQ, they will be included in the program that is now being prepared and spearheaded by the Directorate for Human Resources and Doctrine Development for them to undergo values formation and moral recovery program and other reorientation courses,” she added. The deactivation of PDEG’s SOUs became a hot topic in the PNP over the involvement of some anti-narcotics policemen to illegal drugs activities that include recycling and pilferage of confiscated illegal drugs. The recent and biggest controversy that hit the PNP was the October 2022 operation in Manila wherein PDEG personnel, some of them were assigned to the PDEG-SOU of Region 4A, were accused of stealing kilos of shabu from the 990 kilos confiscated from a lending agency owned by dismissed police master sergeant Rodolfo Mayo Jr. Former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. was also quoted saying that the reason why he would not attend on-site presentations of confiscated illegal drugs is that such successful operations are sometimes included in the playbook of illegal drugs syndicates to make it appear that the drug war is winning. Two police generals and two police colonels were also recommended to be kicked out of the police service and be slapped with criminal and administrative charges for illegal drugs involvement. All of them turned out to be former officials of the PDEG. Earlier, Acorda also said policemen will undergo “proper vetting” before they will be assigned to police units involved in the continuing war against illegal drugs. Acorda made the pronouncement amid recent findings about the involvement of some personnel of the PDEG in illegal drugs. More than 40 personnel of the PDEG were disarmed, ordered restricted and are now under investigation over allegations of drug protection racket, pilferage and recycling of confiscated illegal drugs. “The anti-illegal drug campaign shall be done by ensuring proper vetting of PDEG and Drug Enforcement Unit personnel to make sure that only those who have successfully undergone an honest vetting process will be assigned with anti-illegal drug units,” he said Acorda, who used to be the head of the PNP’s Directorate for Intelligence, wants to maximize all the information that must be obtained in ensuring that anti-narcotics personnel of the PNP are all clean. He said the vetting process will be done from the PDEG down to the station level of drug enforcement units. Fajardo said the move is also aimed at ensuring that those who have a derogatory record will not be returned to the PDEG or any PNP anti-illegal drugs unit -- the issue behind dismissed Mayo. “The background investigation will further be intensified and field commanders were the ones tasked to conduct it and all their findings were tasked to be written so that if there would be problems later on, we would hold them accountable,” said Fajardo. Fajardo said there is also an ongoing review of the existing policies in the conduct of background investigations. The post PNP overhaul of anti-drug units ongoing appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
4 ranking PNP officials to face drug raps
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. on Monday disclosed that four ranking police officials have been recommended to be removed from the Philippine National Police and will undergo pre-charge proceedings at the National Police Commission. Abalos also said that they would only make public the names of the police officials once charges are filed against them and if Malacañang communications will already be forwarded to his office or to the Napolcom that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved the four officials’ resignation. The four police officials — two generals and two police colonels — were all members of the PNP Drug Enforcement Group implicated in the 990 kilos of shabu haul in 2022, according to Napolcom vice chairman Atty. Alberto Bernardo. PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr, on the other hand, said that the four police officials “are on administrative holdings” and are already not “holding any key position.” Abalos said after the five-member advisory panel headed by former PNP chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. recommended the acceptance of the courtesy resignations of the third-level officials, including two one-star generals and two colonels, the panel endorsed the filing of administrative charges against the officials before the Napolcom for violation of the PNP’s rules and regulations against illegal drugs. The four were among the 953 third-level officers evaluated by the panel after they submitted their courtesy resignations. Of the total, the panel cleared 917 of them. Aside from Azurin, the other members of the panel are Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, ex-Defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro, retired police general Isagani Nerez and former Court of Appeals associate justice Melchor Sadang. Meantime, the 32 officers who were recommended with “further investigation” will have to be reviewed by the Napolcom. Acorda assured the public that after these proceedings and all the gray areas on what really happened to the 990 kilos of shabu, the police force will be renewed. Meantime, Abalos revealed that it will conduct a yearly local anti-drug abuse council performance audit to ensure that they are aligned with the government’s policy against illegal drugs. “The war on drugs is everyone’s business. This is not only the fight of the DILG, PNP and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. This is all our fight that is why we have to ensure that the local government units are with us in this campaign,” said Abalos. He added that the DILG will oversee the performance audit to the 81 provincial ADACs, 146 city ADACs and 1,488 municipal ADACs in the whole country, stressing that the agency will check the LGUs’ adherence to the illegal drug campaign based the criteria of organized local ADAC; conduct of quarterly meetings; allocation of funds for the implementation of anti-drug activities indicated in the Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan; implementation of ADAC plans and programs; support for ADACs in component local government units and innovation. The DILG chief also emphasized the importance of ADAC’s role in the ‘whole-of-nation approach’ that the department enforces in its illegal drug campaign through the Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan program. The post 4 ranking PNP officials to face drug raps appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Credibility challenge
International Criminal Court probers will continue to be barred from the Philippines because the government has a responsibility to the nation not to let them in. Assistant Solicitor General Justice Angelita Miranda said the core issue in the government’s defiance of the ICC’s effort to investigate the drug war is about defending sovereignty. “While we adhere to international laws, the Philippines has a functioning judiciary and the ICC should respect that,” Miranda said on the weekly Daily Tribune program, Straight Talk. International lawyers have said that the principle of complementarity compels the ICC not to interfere in the judicial processes of the country. Through the maneuverings of the opponents of former President Rodrigo Duterte, led by destabilizer Antonio Trillanes IV, the ICC was provided with an alibi to probe the anti-narcotics campaign. Trillanes’ henchman, Gary Alejano, filed a haphazard impeachment complaint against Duterte in 2017, shortly after the destabilizer’s pawn, lawyer Jude Sabio, filed the crimes against humanity complaint with the ICC against the then president. Alejano knew that the impeachment case would not prosper but that was part of the grand scheme of Trillanes to activate an ICC investigation. The president could only be removed through impeachment and proving that the process would not prosper gave the excuse that legal remedies to run after Duterte had been exhausted, opening an opportunity for ICC to enter the picture. Miranda said she supports Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla when he says he will personally meet the ICC prosecutor when he lands in the country and escort him back to where he came from. Sabio’s petition to the ICC was the product of figures concocted by the political foes of Duterte such as on the existence of the Davao Death Squad during his term as Davao City mayor and the alleged 20,000 deaths linked to the anti-narcotics campaign. Proof of the partisan nature of the complaint lodged with the ICC was very evident, yet the tribunal took it upon itself to still pursue the preliminary examination despite Sabio’s withdrawal of the charges after admitting it was a Trillanes operation. Sabio came out in the open after a dispute over his retainer with Trillanes. In 2019, after ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda started her preliminary examination of the crimes against humanity complaint, the Philippines completed its withdrawal from the 1998 Rome Statute which created the international court. Despite the country’s pullout, the prosecutor pointed out that the ICC retained jurisdiction over crimes committed in the Philippines between 2011 and 2019 when it was still a member of the ICC. The inconsolable enemies of Duterte then challenged the disengagement before the Supreme Court which issued a decision siding with the then president as the chief architect of foreign policy. The filing of the ICC case in April 2017 was primarily intended to deflect a determined campaign against drug syndicates but it resulted in the probe of the drug network in the New Bilibid Prison that led to the detention of Senator Leila de Lima, who was justice secretary when the shabu factory in the maximum security prison flourished. The evidence against Duterte and various personalities that the ICC associated with the drug war relied mainly on the testimonies of Arturo Lascañas and Edgar Matobato, who were characters in Trillanes’ stable. Various probes, including Senate inquiries, proved that the revelations of both were a canard as they were drawn from the myth surrounding Duterte. Initially dug up were the supposed vigilante killings when the president was Davao City mayor. The yarn was proven to be without proof in investigations conducted by the Senate. The partisan aim of the Sabio complaint was evident after it hauled practically the entire officialdom of the Duterte administration in the insane petition. Along with the president in the complaint were then Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, Philippine National Police chief Ronald de la Rosa, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueño, National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran, and Solicitor General Jose Calida. Even Senator Richard Gordon was included for coming out with a Senate report that threw out the testimony of Trillanes factotum Matobato. The investigations debunked allegations that the extrajudicial killings were state-sponsored. The Palace labeled the allegations as mere vicious noises in the futile campaign to oust Duterte which was its real intention. The plot of the hypocrites now is to brand the Marcos administration as shielding Duterte from prosecution which will not find favor among Filipinos who entrust their overwhelming confidence to both leaders. In contrast, the ICC is trying to shore up its credibility by going after the Philippines. The post Credibility challenge appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 cops charged before ombudsman
Six police officers in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, including the chief of the municipal police, are facing charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly planting evidence against a social media content creator......»»
PNP won’t intervene in people’s initiative
The Philippine National Police will not intervene in the signature campaign seeking to amend the 1987 Constitution as long as it does not lead to violations of the law, according to PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr., after former president Rodrigo Duterte called on security forces to “protect” the Charter......»»