OPERATIVES of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested two Cavite policemen and their civilian cohort for extortion in Bacoor City, Cavite last Tuesday.
The cops — Senior Master Sergeant Joselito Bugay and Staff Sergeant Dave Gregor Bautista — are assigned with the Bacoor City police station while their cohort has been identified as John Louie De Leon.
Another cohort of the erring policemen, Edralin Gawaran, a member of the Bacoor Traffic Management Department of the Bacoor City government, managed to escape.
The three suspects were arrested during an entrapment operation at a gasoline station in Barangay Molino, Bacoor City at around 11:30 a.m. based on the complaint of a driver, Benjamin San Miguel Jr.
San Miguel lodged a complaint before the PNP after the suspects imposed a hike in the alleged monthly protection money — from P130,000 to P1700,000 — they are supposedly getting from the transport group where the complainant belongs.
A CIDG report said Bugay threatened they would take over the transport terminal of San Miguel’s organization and apprehend members of the group if the complainant’s group will not comply.
The suspects were caught in the act of receiving marked money during the entrapment operation, the CIDG said.
Seized from them were the marked money, an M16 rifle, two pistols, assorted magazines and ammunition, and four cellphones.
The CIDG said the suspects have been collecting around P1.5 million a month in protection money from transport groups in Bacoor City, with an average of P170,000 per transport group.
“The police officers allegedly used threats to coerce drivers and transport leaders into providing these payments, which were supposedly intended for officials of the Bacoor Traffic Management Department and other individuals involved,” the CIDG said in a statement.
PNP chief Gen. Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the police chief of Bacoor City, Lt. Col. Jesson Bombasi, will be relieved for command responsibility.
“In line with our one-strike policy, the chief of police, he will be affected. He will be relieved,” Acorda told a press conference at Camp Crame yesterday.
Acorda said he will issue a formal order for the relief of the Bacoor police chief after the conference.
“We are looking at the command responsibility, that is why we are imposing (a) one-strike policy. We are making sure that commanders on the ground are held accountable for the actions of their men,” said Acorda.
Acorda also urged the public to report the illegal activities of policemen so they can be arrested and charged.
CIDG director Maj. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said they have received prior information about the suspects’ illegal activities, adding Acorda ordered the CIDG to act on these reports “so that’s the reason why we conducted an entrapment operation.
“It’s for protection so they (transport group members) will be not apprehended for any violation,” Caramat said of the money the suspects were collecting from the transport groups.
“The transport groups came to the point of having difficulty (raising protection money), that’s the reason why they sought the help of the Chief PNP for the arrest of the scalawags,” said Caramat.
Caramat said the CIDG is conducting an investigation to identify other individuals collecting protection money from transport groups.
2 graft charges dismissed, 2 affirmed against former Postmaster General
BY Peter Tabingo
THE Sandiganbayan has dismissed two of four graft cases against former Postmaster General Josefina dela Cruz but affirmed the remaining two charges in connection with the alleged unlawful appointment of a staff who was unqualified for the post.
Associate Justice Maryann E. Corpus-Mañalac penned the 22-page resolution that threw out the first two cases concerning the appointment of Esther Cabigao as Director III at the PhilPost Human Resource Management Department despite her lack of eligibility required by the Civil Service Commission (CSC).
The court held that in the first two cases, the defendant only approved Cabigao’s appointment papers after the employee had undergone the screening process of the PhilPost Personnel Selection Board.
“In other words, it was reasonable for the accused to appoint Cabigao as Director III at that time. Moreover, …there is no evidence to show that Cabigao did not perform her duties as Director III,” the court pointed out.
Associate Justices Rafael R. Lagos and Maria Theresa C. Mendoza-Arcega concurred.
As for the two remaining cases, the court held the evidence of the prosecution sufficiently supports the theory of the prosecution that the accused gave unwarranted benefit or advantage to Cabigao when the latter was promoted in 2013.
“The accused appointed Cabigao as Department Manager III despite knowledge of the appointee’s lack of education required for the position. By so doing, she put an unqualified appointee in a position for which that (personnel) was ill-suited. Cabigao was clearly placed in a more favorable or improved position,” the Sandiganbayan said.
It said the evidence in the latter cases established “a prima facie case of guilt.”
Comelec exempts fuel subsidy from BSKE spending ban
BY GERARD NAVAL
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday allowed the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to continue providing fuel subsidies to qualified public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and operators.
The DOTr and the LTFRB are now exempted from the ban on the release of public funds in relation to the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), said Comelec Law Department Director Maria Norina Casingal in Memorandum No. 23-06413.
“Upon evaluation, we find the request to have sufficiently complied with the requirements of Sections 7 and 10 of Resolution No. 10944. In view of the foregoing, the Law Department recommends the approval of the request for exemption of Assistant Secretary James Andres B. Melad, DOTR, and Atty. Robert D. Peig, Executive Director, LTFRB,” the memorandum stated.
“By virtue of the authority granted upon me under Comelec Resolution No. 10944, promulgated on 09 August 2023, the recommendation of the Law Department is hereby approved,” said Comelec Chairman George Garcia.
Under the fuel subsidy program, LTFRB shall distribute P10,000 each to modern PUJ and modern UV Express operators, while the operators of other modes of transport will receive P6,500 each.
In the petition of the DOTR and LTFRB, the agencies are looking to disburse P1.06 billion for the fuel subsidy program.
Under Resolution No. 10944, the Comelec prohibits social welfare projects implemented by the national, regional, provincial, and local government units from September 15 to October 30, 2023.
Exemptions from the ban, however, may be authorized by the Commission upon the submission of a request for exemption.
In a separate interview, Garcia said it was only on Tuesday night when the poll body received the request for exemption from the LTFRB.
“We don’t intend to prolong the wait as the people really need this, especially those driving public utility vehicles,” said Garcia.
He said such a principle will be applied to other social welfare services, which they believe are much needed by the people.
“As much as possible, we don’t deny applications for exemption, especially if the one requesting is a national government agency and it is part of their regular projects,” said Garcia.
BOC distributes P42M seized imported rice
BY ANGELA CELIS
THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has turned over P42 million worth of rice seized during its anti-smuggling operations to selected government agencies and beneficiaries last Tuesday.
In a statement on Wednesday, the BOC said 42,180 sacks of rice have been distributed to select beneficiaries in Zamboanga City and Tungawan in Zamboanga Sibugay.
It said the remaining stocks will be allocated to different regions across the country once the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has identified the areas where rice supply is most needed.
President Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the distribution of the seized imported rice and cited the BOC for its consistent investigation and inspection of warehouses suspected of storing smuggled rice.
“The BOC treats this matter with the utmost urgency, as it is crucial not only for our farmers but also for all Filipinos who work diligently to put food on the table. That’s why the BOC will relentlessly curb these illegal activities,” Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio said.
Earlier, the BOC seized the 42,180 sacks of rice at the Port of Zamboanga after the owner failed to submit the necessary documentation to prove the legality of its importation and payment of correct duties and taxes due thereon.
Following Executive Order No. 39-2023, the President ordered BOC to intensify intelligence gathering efforts to identify and padlock warehouses suspected of storing smuggled rice.
The bureau was also instructed to work closely with the Department of Agriculture and Department of Trade and Industry for appropriate steps to address unwarranted price increases and supply shortage manipulation.
At the House, administration lawmakers backed the President’s move to distribute confiscated smuggled rice to the poor.
“We, in the House of Representatives, firmly stand with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his initiative to distribute premium quality rice to the 4Ps beneficiaries in Zamboanga City with his instruction to the National Food Authority to increase its buying price for palay,” said Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Romualdez said the BOC’s operations should not stop at confiscating rice and other products smuggled into the country, urging it to file charges against the smugglers.
“I congratulate the Bureau of Customs and other concerned agencies for a job well done. But they should not stop at confiscating rice and other products smuggled into the country. These offices should file charges against the smugglers immediately,” he said.
He said unless the culprits are jailed or otherwise punished, they would continue doing their illegal activities, even if some of their smuggled products end up being seized.
The Speaker said the initiative “solidifies our collective stance against the activities of hoarders, smugglers, and those who unscrupulously manipulate the prices of rice and other essential commodities.”
For his part, Rep. Brian Yamsuan (PL, Bicol Saro) said the President “has outsmarted smugglers and taught them an expensive lesson with his recent move to distribute smuggled rice stocks to poor families in Zamboanga.”
He said the move also aims to protect small Filipino farmers from unfair competition as smuggled rice that flood the market usually pull down the prices of their produce.
“The President has given smugglers and hoarders a bitter, expensive lesson where it would hurt them the most–their pockets. Their seized rice stocks mean their investments can never be recovered. Ang smuggled rice na naisaing na, hindi na kayang bawiin. Lugi ang smugglers, pero panalo naman ang magsasaka at mahihirap nating mga kababayan (Smuggled cooked rice can’t be recovered anymore. Smugglers lose but farmers and the poor win),” he said. — With Wendell Vigilia
