EDITORIAL - Barangay violence
Over and over again, we have seen how people in this country readily commit murder over political rivalries......»»
430 ‘narco-officials’ under monitoring
Philippine National Police chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. on Thursday disclosed that at least 430 barangay officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs are now monitoring by law enforcement agencies. Acorda said some of these barangay officials are included in the PNP’s list of High-Value Individuals and Street-Level Individuals in the war against drugs. “They are subject to intelligence operations. We are hoping that this will be reduced in the coming days. Hopefully, those involved would eventually stop. If not, they will be subject to police operations,” Acorda said. He added that the barangay officials have varying involvement in illegal drugs where some are pushers, some are protectors and others are financiers. “But based on our update, there are more or less 430 barangay officials (involved in the illegal drug trade), many of them are in Region VI (Western Visayas),” said Acorda, as he urged the public not to vote for candidates who are involved in illegal drugs. “I want to take this opportunity to appeal to voters not to consider candidates, who have involvement in illegal drugs, to become our next set of barangay officials,” Acorda said. For his part, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos urged all candidates for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections to undergo a drug test amid police intelligence reports that there were around 430 barangay officials involved in the illegal drugs activities. Abalos said illegal drugs remain one of the biggest problems in the country and barangay officials should take the lead not only in fighting them but also in leading by example by proving that they are clean. Meantime, Acorda revealed that they are monitoring 48 active and potential private armed groups that may mobilize on the days leading to the elections. The PNP said it is focusing more on Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 5 (Bicol), 6 (Western Visayas), 13 (Caraga), Cordillera Administrative Region and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Acorda said part of the early interventions are operations to take away the instruments of crime and violence, particularly firearms. The post 430 ‘narco-officials’ under monitoring appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
PNP: Trust the process
Philippine National Police Chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. appealed to the public to trust the PNP’s built-in mechanisms in disciplining its erring personnel following the recent involvement of certain police officers in criminal activities that have put the institution’s integrity in a bad light. “The PNP, as an organization founded on professionalism, is more than equipped to undertake administrative investigation and, if the circumstances warrant, render punitive actions against its personnel involved in criminal activities,” Acorda said. He added that the mechanisms are designed to ferret out the truth and the same process would also allow PNP officers under probe a venue to defend themselves against charges. Acorda assured the public that the PNP would be transparent and impartial in all its internal personnel investigations. “Regardless of rank or position, all PNP personnel who are formally charged administratively will have to subject themselves voluntarily to these processes,” Acorda said. “Formal hearings and deliberations will be done in all cases before a final verdict is rendered,” he added. Acorda stressed that the PNP’s Internal Affairs Services and the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group are part of the built-in mechanisms within the organization designed to deal with erring personnel involved in criminal activities. At the same time, Acorda said all disciplinary measures against erring cops should start from the level of all ground commanders. Meantime, the PNP is intensifying efforts in intelligence monitoring against barangay officials who may have or have involvement in illegal drugs. PNP public information office chief Brig. Gen. Redrico Maranan disclosed that it is part of the police’s efforts to ensure the conduct of safe and peaceful Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. He added that strengthening the operations against barangay officials involved in the illegal drugs is vital in raising public awareness of people seeking government posts involved in these illegal acts. Maranan said this will also help the PNP reduce incidents of violence ahead of the polls as drug syndicates are known to use their money in supporting candidates sympathetic to their business. The post PNP: Trust the process appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senators want Negros Oriental barangay polls postponed
Episodic violence in Negros Oriental continues despite increased police presence in the aftermath of the assassination of governor Roel Degamo, prompting senators to call on the Commission on Elections to place the province under its control and postpone the holding of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections there this October......»»
EDITORIAL - Heritage conservation
The National Commission for Culture and the Arts deserves support in its push for a prize for the rice terraces in Barangay Maligcong in Bontoc, Mountain Province......»»
Negros BSKE postponement being reviewed
The Commission on Elections on Thursday said that there needs to be a study on the proposed postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in Negros Oriental, citing “stringent requirements” on the implementation of such a measure. This as Senator Francis Tolentino on Wednesday proposed the rescheduling of the local polls in the province due to the violent situation following the assassination of former Governor Roel Degamo last 4 March. “It should be seriously and carefully studied by the Commission. Although admittedly, we have the power to postpone the election in an area, however, there are stringent requirements of the law,” Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia told reporters in a Viber message. Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code gives Comelec the power to declare a postponement of the election due to “violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous causes of such a nature” that could adversely affect the conduct of the polls in an area. The same provision also states that rescheduling of the polls should be “reasonably close to the date of the election not held, suspended or which resulted in a failure to elect” but should not be beyond thirty days after the lapsing of the declaration of postponement. Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco added that another way to postpone the polls in Negros Oriental is by amending Republic Act 11935, which moved the polls from its previous schedule of 5 December last year. “If there will be a law amending RA 11935 (if any) for these purposes, the Comelec will comply and implement the same,” he said. Tolentino said that the current violent climate in Negros Oriental following Degamo’s death could add more chaos if the barangay and SK elections will proceed on 30 October. “If you could agree with me, with the concurrence of other colleagues and the Comelec, let’s postpone the Barangay and SK Elections in Negros Oriental. If we postpone it, there would be much intense momentum among our peacekeeping forces,” Tolentino said. The Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, whose chairman is Tolentino, is currently probing the death of Degamo and other violent cases in the province. The post Negros BSKE postponement being reviewed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
CHR: Village execs’ slays can affect barangay, SK polls
The Commission on Human Rights is urging the government to hasten the investigation on the killings of village officials, saying unabated local violence can affect the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October......»»
EDITORIAL - Rise for freedom
Today is not just a day of hearts. On Valentine’s Day in 2012, a global mass action was launched to end violence against women......»»
EDITORIAL - Trigger-happy
There is a Filipino term for trigger-happy persons: utak pulbura. The term aptly describes Cesar Panlaqui, a Manila barangay tanod who was caught on surveillance video fatally shooting a scavenger who had violated the curfew on Saturday night......»»
EDITORIAL - Silencing the lawyers
If you don’t succumb to complications from COVID, you could die from armed violence......»»
EDITORIAL - Ayuda for the dead
Last year after pandemic aid was distributed nationwide, hundreds of barangay and other local government officials together with civilian co-conspirators were slapped with criminal charges related to anomalies involving the ayuda. As of September last year, 89 barangay captains had been ordered suspended over the anomalies......»»
EDITORIAL - Police violence
Jonel Nuezca, the police master sergeant who shot a 52-year-old woman and her son point-blank during an argument in Tarlac, cannot cop an insanity plea in the double murder case, according to presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr., who is a lawyer......»»
EDITORIAL - Unsolved murders
Even with the country confronting a killer pandemic, armed violence takes no rest......»»
EDITORIAL - Psychological violence
With the Supreme Court affirming the conviction of a man for cheating on his wife and keeping a family with another woman, lawmakers may want to take a second look at Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act of 2004......»»
EDITORIAL - Now get down to work
There was no violence as Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco and his supporters entered the Batasang Pambansa building yesterday morning for a plenary meeting to reaffirm his election as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives......»»
EDITORIAL - Mass murder in Sulu
Not even a raging pandemic can make the purveyors of violence rest......»»
EDITORIAL - Stimulus
Several barangay and local government officials are facing charges or are under investigation in connection with anomalies in the disbursement of funds for the social amelioration program or SAP under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act......»»
EDITORIAL - Brazen attack
Despite restrictions on mobility, armed violence continues in the country, with brazenness......»»
EDITORIAL - Typhoons in the time of COVID
In Batangas on June 7, heavy rain in the afternoon turned volcanic ash into mud that inundated Barangay Buso-Buso in Laurel town......»»
EDITORIAL - Opportunities for violence
The crime volume went down by 56.53 percent during the community quarantine, according to the Philippine National Police......»»
Man shot dead after defending woman from bag snatcher in Batangas
LUCENA CITY — A man was shot and killed by an unidentified bag snatcher after he defended a woman from becoming a victim in Balayan town in Batangas province on Friday night, May 26. The victim, Ariel Cinco, 32, was walking home with fellow workers Ericka Iladia and two other women in Barangay (village) District […] The post Man shot dead after defending woman from bag snatcher in Batangas appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»