Inmate, civilian nabbed in Zambo prison buy-bust
BY Ashzel Hachero
AN inmate and a civilian were nabbed in a joint buy-bust operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Bureau of Corrections at the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (SRPPF) in Zamboanga City yesterday.
Arrested were Kerwin Mohammad Abadilla and Albadir Mala Ajijul alias Jun-Jun.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. said Abadilla is an inmate at the SRPPF’s minimum security compound.
Catapang said Abdilla and 14 other inmates were moved out of the minimum-security compound at around 7 a.m. last Tuesday to work in a five-hectare vegetable farm in Purok 6, Sitio San Ramon, Barangay Talisayan, Zamboanga City.
The operation that led to the arrest of Abadilla and Ajijul was prompted by information received by PDEA and BuCor from informants regarding the duo’s involvement in the illegal drug trade.
Recovered from the two was an undetermined amount of white crystalline substance believed to be shabu.
Four BuCor officers identified as CSO4 John Hicap, CO2 Jimmy Wong, CO2 Joel Broncano and CO1 Marlon Hemandez were relieved of their duties while a thorough investigation is being conducted by the SRPPF.
“I have already ordered the SRPPF to coordinate fully with PDEA to uncover those behind this incident,” Catapang said, adding the BuCor will further intensify its drive to weed the bureau of undesirable personnel.
“There is no place for misfit personnel and our collaboration with other law enforcement agencies was meant to curb the issue of proliferation of contrabands inside the corrections facilities despite our rigorous measures in place, “Catapang added.
Last October, the BuCor inked an agreement with the PDEA, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, the National Bureau of Investigation, and the PNP to synchronize their anti-illegal drug efforts, particularly in ridding the New Bilibid Prison and other prison and penal colonies in the country of illegal drugs.
Catapang said there is a need for a coordinated move to stamp out illegal drugs, adding that despite their efforts, the BuCor still contends with the smuggling of illegal drugs not only in the national penitentiary but also in other prison facilities.
BuCor data showed that 70 to 80 percent of the more than 50,000 inmates detained at the NBP and six other prison and penal colonies are serving time due to drug-related convictions.
Police seized P757,316 worth of suspected dangerous drugs and arrested two construction workers in a buy-bust operation in Binangonan, Rizal before dawn yesterday.
Col. Felipe Maraggun, Rizal provincial police office (PPO) director, identified the suspects as alias Odnal, 48, and Voltaire, 48, residents of Binangonan, Rizal.
Seize from them were five sachets containing more or less 111.37 grams of suspected shabu. — With Christian Oineza
6-year term for barangay officials proposed
BY RAYMOND AFRICA
SEN. Imee Marcos has filed a bill seeking to extend the three-year term of barangay officials to six years to allow them not only to comply with all the directives of the national government, but to design and implement their own policies, as well.
In filing Senate Bill No. 2629 last Monday, Marcos said the current three-year term of barangay officials “is far too short” and does not afford them the opportunity to formulate, develop, and implement their own policies.
“The present term of three years is far too short for these officials to see their own projects through since they spend the greater portion of their terms implementing the policies and projects of the National Government, and as well as those of the city, municipal, or provincial government units,” said Marcos, who is the chairperson of the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation.
She said extending the term to six years “would be sufficient and would enable these officials not only to comply with all the orders and mandate of the National Government and various local government, but also to design and implement their own policies and projects for the betterment of their respective barangays.”
She added that “an equally important reason” to fix longer terms for barangay officials is for the government to save billions of pesos, citing a Commission on Elections report that it spent around P18 billion for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in 2023.
“This upward trend in election costs will continue not only because of the general increase in the prices of election materials and manpower, but also because of the possibility that even barangay elections will also be automated in the future,” she said.
Marcos cited data showing that from 1982 to 2022, the average term of barangay officials has been four years and four months due to postponements in the holding of the barangay elections.
She noted the 1987 Constitution provision that “the state shall ensure the autonomy of local governments” and which “makes it clear that the terms of barangay officials shall be determined by law.”
Marcos likewise said there is a need to review the Sangguniang Kabataan laws, including the terms of office of its officials, since they “also have crucial roles in the operation and development of the barangay.”
“Thus, the terms of office of SK officials shall be dealt with in the future amendments or revisions of the relevant SK laws,” she said.
There are 42,001 barangays in the country as of December 31, 2023.
Davao BIR officer fails in bid to reverse conviction
BY PETER TABINGO
THE Sandiganbayan has thrown out the appeal of a revenue officer from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) — Region 9 in Davao City seeking reversal of its November 6, 2023 decision that upheld his conviction on two counts of solicitation or acceptance of gifts that is prohibited under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The anti-graft court’s Third Division denied the Motion for Reconsideration filed by accused Leo Gonzalez who disputed the allegation that he solicited cash and a parcel of land from complainant and lone prosecution witness Federico Barco.
“The bare denials of petitioner Gonzalez that he neither solicited money from witness Federico Barco nor requested a 10-hectare slice out of the 130-hectare agricultural land occupied by Mr. Barco in Arakan, North Cotabato fail to persuade,” the Sandiganbayan declared.
Noting that the issues raised by the defendant were mere rehash of the same arguments that were passed upon by the Municipal Trial Court and the Regional Trial Court in Davao City and again before the Sandiganbayan, the court said it found nothing that can “alter, amend, revise or even reverse” its previous findings.
Gonzalez was found guilty of soliciting from Barco P610,000 in cash and requesting a 10-hectare piece carved from his 130-hectare farm in Arakan, North Cotabato. He was meted imprisonment of one year for each count and ordered to pay the cost of the suit.
Barco testified in court that the BIR officer promised him that the tax liability of his daughter’s restaurant in Davao City would be reduced from P1,304,170.75 to just P90,000 if he agreed to the conditions.
He supposedly was told to pay P700,000 but only P90,000 would be covered by an official receipt.
When asked why only P90,000 will have a receipt and what will happen to the balance of P610,000, the complainant said Gonzalez reportedly replied: “Marami kami.”
In his motion for reconsideration, the defendant claimed that he was acting on a Mission Order to investigate Bakbak Native Chicken restaurant in Davao City in 2008 while also doing a preliminary surveillance on Barco’s farm for unreported income.
The prosecution panel countered that it was unusual for a BIR officer like Gonzalez to conduct official business outside of the BIR premises and to personally furnish Barco a computation of Bakbak Chicken’s tax liabilities which led Barco and his daughter to believe that there was already a final notice of tax assessment.
At the same time, prosecutors noted that the Mission Order did not even contain the name of Gonzalez.
The Sandiganbayan resolution was penned by Associate Justice Bernelito R. Fernandez with the concurrence of Presiding Justice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang and Associate Justice Ronald B. Moreno.
Italian wanted by Rome for rape arrested in Cebu
BY Ashzel Hachero
AN Italian wanted by authorities in Rome for raping and sexually assaulting a minor 12 years ago was arrested by immigration officers in Lahug, Cebu City.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco identified the fugitive as Stefano Todeschini, 57, who was apprehended last April 5 by operatives from the BI’s fugitive search unit.
Tansingco said Todeschini was arrested on the request of the Italian Embassy in Manila which sought his deportation so he could stand trial for his crimes.
The BI chief added the Italian is the subject of an Interpol red notice which stemmed from the issuance of an arrest warrant against him by a court in Vicenza, Italy.
“Prosecutors alleged that Todeschini committed the crimes against a 10-year-old girl on multiple occasions,” Tansingco said, adding that Todeschini is also an undocumented alien, his Italian passport having expired in May 2017.
“This should serve as another warning to foreign criminals that the long arm of the law will catch them wherever they might hide,” he added.
Todeschini is detained at the BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City pending deportation.
DOH open to extending BARMM measles vax drive
By Gerard Naval
THE Department of Health yesterday said it could extend the measles immunization drive in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to reach the target of 1.3 million children.
The campaign is set to end on Friday. The DOH said the immunization drive has reached some 500,000 eligible children.
“If we have anybody left behind, we will continue to go back for them,” Health Secretary Teodoro said in a media forum in Manila.
Under guidelines for the measles immunization drive, the intensive phase shall be done in 10 days, or from April 1 to 12, excluding Saturday and Sunday. It will be followed by one week of “mop-up immunization” for deferrals, refusals, and missed children.
When the DOH reach 95 percent immunization coverage, Herbosa said, “We do hope that, in about four to six weeks, we can declare the outbreak of measles in BARMM already controlled.”
The vaccination drive is in response to the measles outbreak in the Bangsamoro, where 1,481 cases of measles have been reported from January 1 to March 16, 2024.
This is more than half of the 2,661 measles cases reported nationwide by the DOH during the same period.
Pinoy hurt in UAE fire discharged from hospital
By Gerard Naval
A FILIPINO worker seriously hurt in a fire in the United Arab Emirates last week has been discharged from hospital, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said yesterday.
The worker’s wife earlier died in the fire that hit a residential building in Sharjah.
“The husband, who survived the fire, is out of hospital and will soon be repatriated,”
DMW Undersecretary and officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said.
“He is recuperating from his injuries at the residence unit of a family friend,” he added.
Cacdac also said the remains of the Filipina wife is also being readied for repatriation.
The fire engulfed a 39-storey residential tower in Al Nahda, Sharjah.
At least five individuals had died while 44 others were injured.
Nine other Filipino workers and two children were injured in the fire, according to the DMW.
“They are recovering at a local hotel arranged for them by Sharjah local government officials,” the DMW said in statement.
