Apply for amnesty, Año asks rebels
BY VICTOR REYES
NATIONAL Security Adviser Eduardo Año yesterday urged members of rebel groups, including the communist New People’s Army, to avail themselves of government’s amnesty program.
“The NSC (National Security Council) extends its sincere invitation to all rebels to consider the path of peace and reconciliation by availing of the amnesty program,” said Año, also vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
He noted the National Amnesty Commission has started accepting amnesty applications after Congress’s recent concurrence with President Marcos Jr’s amnesty proclamation.
Año described the amnesty program as a “significant development and a game changer in ending the more than 50-year communist armed conflict in the country.”
“We encourage all the remaining active members of the armed rebel groups to seize and embrace this chance for reconciliation and renewal of hope as we all work together towards lasting peace and development,” he said.
Año said thousands of rebels and militia members surrendered last year. The NPA’s strength had been further reduced to 1,110 with the neutralization of 422 of its members this year.
He said the NPA has been “strategically defeated,” noting there is longer an “active” NPA guerrilla front in the country. What the NPA has, Año said, are 11 weakened guerrilla fronts — five in Luzon, three in the Visayas, and three in Mindanao.
“The NTF ELCAC is on track to dismantle all remaining weakened guerilla fronts before the end of the year,” said Año.
NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr said three of the 11 weakened NPA guerrilla fronts — two in Visayas and one in Mindanao — are due to be declared as dismantled “very soon.”
The Armed Forces is aiming to defeat the NPA and other internal security threats within the year so it can fully transition from internal security operations to external defense or territorial defense operations.
22 ex-GSIS trustees told to refund P433M illegal pay
BY PETER TABINGO
THE Commission on Audit (COA) en banc has affirmed the disallowance issued in 2011 against benefits and allowances paid to 22 former members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) from 2009 to 2010 totaling P445.31 million.
In an 18-page decision, the COA Commission Proper denied two separate petitions for review filed by the GSIS-BOT officers saying it found “no cogent reason” to overturn the 2015 ruling of the COA Corporate Government Sector Cluster 2 that declared the Board’s compensation illegal.
“It must be stressed that the members of the BOT are not considered organic personnel of the GSIS. Hence, they are not entitled to the benefits being enjoyed by salaried employees,” the COA said.
The ruling was signed by COA commissioners Roland Café Pondoc and Mario G. Lipana. COA chairperson Gamaliel A. Cordoba inhibited from taking part.
A breakdown of the disallowed sum showed it included P133.38 million Provident Fund, P77.74 million representation allowances, P73.09 million Christmas bonuses and incentives, P39.32 million transport allowances, P24.65 million mid-year financial assistance, P22.47 million year-end bonuses, P21.78 million representation expenses, P13.58 million 15th Month Pay, and P12.2 million Christmas Representation Allowances.
Other cash perks in smaller amounts were rice allowances, Christmas Raffle, medical allowances, anniversary bonuses, clothing allowances, car plans, and insurance premiums.
Government auditors issued the notice of disallowance (ND) on the ground that under RA 8291 or the Government Service Insurance Act of 1997, members of the Board of Trustees are not supposed to receive any other compensation besides a per diem of P2,500 for each board meeting at a maximum of four such meetings in a month and “a reasonable transportation and representation allowances to be fixed by the Board.
Persons held liable in the ND were former BOT chairpersons Bernardino A. Abes (P50.916 million) and Hermogenes D. Concepcion Jr. (P10.06 million), Board vice chairperson Winston F. Garcia (P3.41 million), and trustees Jesus Santos (P47.83 million), Jesse H. T. Andres (P47.31 million), Esperanza B. Ocampo (P45.8 million), Reynaldo P. Palmiery (P40.16 million), Alejandro R. Roces (P37.63 million), Mario L. Ramirez (P25.87 million), Raymundo A. Lapating (P21.27 million), Leonora V. De Jesus (P9.66 million), Elmer Bautista (P9.59 million), Aida D. Nocete (P9.44 milion), Florino O. Ibanez (P9.4 million), Fulgencio S. Factoran Jr. (P8.65 million), Raul Serrano (P6.13 million), Ellenita T. Martinez (P5.07 million), Hugo Gutierrez (P4.8 million), Jocelyn Bolante (P4.56 million), Daniel C. Gutierrez (P4.31 million), and Leovigildo Arellano (P4.24 million).
Subject to verification by the audit team, the COA said GSIS officials who certified the correct payment, recommended approval, approved the transactions, and signed the checks may likewise be held liable.
Among the findings of the special audit team were that each trustee received a monthly representation allowance of P120,000 and transportation allowance of P40,000.
Each BOT member also received P250,000 yearly Christmas representation allowances.
“The granting of the unauthorized and excessive benefits and allowances to the trustees also violates the directive of the President under Section 3(c)38 of AO No. 103, which limits the combined total per diems, honoraria and other benefits given to the members of the governing boards to a maximum of P20,000.00 per month,” the commission en banc pointed out.
It noted that the hefty pay of the trustees were not submitted for approval of the Office of the President or the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
“The provision requiring the President’s approval is a safeguard against unnecessary and excessive granting of benefits and allowances. It must be emphasized that the GSIS funds are not private funds. The funds are imbued with public interest because they come from the contributions of its members,” the COA added.
COA to San Jose WD:
Press Primewater to comply with joint venture obligations
BY Peter Tabingo
GOVERNMENT auditors have recommended that the San Jose Water District in Occidental Mindoro insist on the compliance by Primewater Infrastructure Corp on its commitments regarding the 2019 Joint Venture Agreement (JVA), particularly the posting of surety bonds, lowering non-revenue water (NRW), and proper maintenance of assets of the water district.
In the 2023 audit report on SJWD released March 26, the Commission on Audit noted that Primewater had consistently failed to post sufficient surety bonds for the first five years of the joint venture.
Instead of P25.817 million or 10 percent of the capital investment of P258.173 million for the first five-year performance period, Primewater had posted only P3.267 million for year one or a deficiency of P22.55 million; P5.28 million in year two or a deficiency of P20.54 million; P5.55 million for year three or a deficiency of P20.26 million; P6.925 million for year four or a deficiency of P18.89 million; and P4.79 million for year five or a deficiency of P21.03 million.
“The Board of Directors (BOD), though various resolutions… has repeatedly made it clear with Primewater the necessity to post performance bond covering the amount of P25,817,295.30 equivalent to 10 percent of the programmed capital expenditure for the first five-year performance period. Evidently, Primewater had its ears closed on this matter,” the COA noted.
It warned that an insufficient performance bond by the JV partner is disadvantageous to SJWD since there is a lack of guarantee of indemnification losses should Primewater fail to meet its service obligations.
Likewise, the audit team noted that in the last four years, the billed volume of water was way below the production volume, which meant substantial losses in the form of non-revenue water (NRW) caused by leaks in the distribution network, illegal connections, or inaccurate billing meters.
NRW was 40 percent in 2020, 39.89 percent in 2021, 38.68 percent in 2022, and 29.94 percent in 2023. These all failed the maximum acceptable NRW set by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) at only 20 percent.
Finally, auditors noted that at the start of the joint venture in November 2019, the SJWD turned over 16 pump stations to Primewater as part of its contribution to the JVA.
However, a joint inventory and inspection by the water district and Primewater in January 2023 revealed that only eight pump stations have been used while the other eight were “abandoned” for low yield during some parts of the year.
The water district said its Board of Directors did not approve the abandonment of the eight pump stations and noted there should have been an in-depth study before the pump station was shut down to ascertain the cause of the low yield.
The joint inventory also revealed that parts of equipment in the abandoned pumps have gone missing or were cannibalized or transferred to another pump station.
“Review of the Report on the Physical Count of Property, Plant, and Equipment confirmed that… several properties that were previously operational as of the commencement of the JV activity were abandoned while several items were transferred/moved from one PS (pump station) to another until they were unusable,” the COA added.
2 Japanese members of “Luffy” gang deported
BY Ashzel Hachero
THE Bureau of Immigration yesterday deported two Japanese tagged as members of the notorious “Luffy” gang.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco said Sugano Kazushi and Shimoeda Saito were “deported for being undesirable aliens after the Japanese government tagged them as fugitives from justice for reportedly working as fraudulent callers for a criminal group victimizing their compatriots.”
He said the two are the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the Tokyo Summary Court for being part of a large-scale telecom fraud group.
Tansingco added the BI also has information showing them as members of the infamous “Luffy” group, which allegedly committed a string of violent crimes in Japan.
The two have been hiding in the Philippines since 2019.
A manhunt was conducted against them and their cohorts after the BI received official communication from the Japanese government in February 2023 informing the agency of their criminal status.
Saito made headlines on November 16, 2023 after being intercepted at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 while attempting to flee the country on a Cebu Pacific flight bound for Nagoya, Japan.
Upon being arrested, he resorted to various tactics, intentionally bumping his head on the immigration counter and feigning distress to evade arrest and deportation.
“Their deportation is a significant achievement in our efforts to disrupt criminal networks victimizing unsuspecting individuals. We will not allow our country to be used as a hiding ground for criminals and syndicates,” the BI chief added.
To recall, four “Luffy” gang members were deported from Manila to Tokyo last year.
The four were wanted by Japanese authorities for allegedly being behind robbery cases and other illegal activities in Japan.
“Luffy” was the alias used by Yuki Watanabe, one of the four Japanese deported last year.
Leonen to lawyers: Be the voice of the oppressed
BY Ashzel Hachero
SUPREME Court Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen has called on lawyers to use their position to be a louder voice of the oppressed.
Leonen made the call in his speech during the 6th Leg Program for the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability Rollout in Angeles, Pampanga last March 22.
“We are here to make use of our positions to be a louder voice of the oppressed,” Leonen said, adding a good lawyer is someone who is grounded and aware of the social issues surrounding the world.
“We are only as good as our service toward the good of our people,” he said.
Leonen stressed that the core of being a lawyer, of lawyering is to provide access to justice.
He also challenged law practitioners to restructure how they practice law and focus more on their various advocacies for marginalized groups.
He highlighted the process of public interest lawyering, which he said can be a way to develop legal partnerships with clients who have limited financial capability to avail of the services of a lawyer.
“It also goes beyond the idea of lawyering as merely litigation. It also involves the use of legal knowledge to restructure or reform existing laws, rules, and regulations which remain unresponsive to developments in society,” he added.
Leonen acknowledged that not all lawyers are interested in practicing public interest lawyering because they are usually one of the poorest paid and urged the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to support the proposals to find alternative funding for public interest lawyers.
“Public interest lawyering is vital in improving our realities but the hurdles that surround it force us to recognize the issue of sustainability,” Leonen said, adding that by enhancing public interest lawyering, legal advocacy will not be an individual and isolated cause but will be a collective and evolving one.
The Free Legal Assistance Act of 2010 grants lawyers tax deductions for giving legal services to poor clients, while the Public Attorney’s Office also provides free legal representation to individuals who either have no income or are below certain income thresholds in civil, criminal and administrative cases.
The IBP also provides legal assistance to indigent persons through its Legal Aid Program.
Leonen also reminded lawyers to always be on the side of integrity and speak up against any form of injustice and discrimination.
“The justice that we serve should not be blind. It should look at the reality that no two people stand on equal footing,” he added.
PCSO distributes 300 ambulances in different parts of the country
By Christian Oineza
THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has distributed 300 ambulances in different parts of the country.
Mel Robles, PCSO general Manager, said they aim to distribute more ambulances, especially in municipalities or towns that don’t have them.
Robles said each ambulance costs ₱2.2 million.
He added they intend to finish the distribution of ambulances to 1,400 local government units (LGUs) by 2028.
Senator: BI agents in cahoots with fugitive POGO workers
BY RAYMOND AFRICA
SEN. Sherwin Gatchalian yesterday asked the Bureau of Immigration (BI) leadership to investigate and identify agents who maybe working in cahoots with foreign fugitives who end up working in Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs), formerly known as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
In a statement, Gatchalian said some BI personnel could be conniving with the fugitives after it was discovered that a number of wanted persons in their respective countries were among those arrested during police operations against POGO hubs.
He cited as example the raid on a POGO hub in Bamban, Tarlac last March 13 where a certain Chang Chia Wei, a Taiwanese, was among the more than 500 foreigners arrested during the operation.
He said a consequent verification with the BI using Chang’s biometrics revealed that “he was in fact a fugitive in his own country.”
Chang is currently under the custody of the BI while awaiting deportation.
Gatchalian said Philippine authorities have yet to identify other foreign fugitives under police or BI custody.
Aside from Chang, Gatchalian said that a raid in a POGO hub in Las Piñas in June last year also led to the arrest of seven fugitives — four Chinese and three Taiwanese.
Also, an operation in a POGO center in Clark in May last year led to the apprehension of 17 foreign fugitives.
Gatchalian said the cases were similar to the “pastillas scam” where foreigners were whisked past immigration counters in exchange for money rolled in white paper to look like the local milk pastry called “pastillas.”
“Paano nakakapasok sa Pilipinas ang mga wanted fugitive mula sa ibang bansa? Sadyang nalulusutan lang ba tayo o talagang pinapalusot natin? Alin ang tama? (How do these wanted persons from other countries manage to get in the Philippines? Do they slip past immigration officials or are they deliberately being allowed entry? Which is which?)” Gatchalian said.
He said that foreign fugitives working in POGO hubs seem to be a “common occurrence in all the POGO raids we have seen in recent years.”
“This indicates that they are part of organized criminal syndicates. It boggles the mind that the BI is unable to detect the entry of these fugitives, indicating that some of their personnel could be in cahoots with these fugitives,” he said.
He added it is ironic that some immigration officers were very strict in filtering outbound Filipinos to the point of even asking for birth certificates or college diplomas, while very lax in allowing the entry of foreign fugitives.
Gatchalian, in an interview with radio dwPM, reiterated his call for Malacañang to issue a directive to ban POGO operations as he observed that these gaming hubs are now operating outside Metro Manila.
He said local government units should also strictly monitor the existence of POGO centers in their respective localities and immediately act on any illegal activities such as human trafficking, prostitution, illegal detention, and physical abuses, among others.
“Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang krimen kahit na ang daming raid na nangyayari. Ang lakas ng loob nila at ngayon kumakalat na ibang parte ng ating bansa (POGO-related crimes are continuously happening despite the several raids conducted by authorities. They have become brazen and have fanned out in other parts of the country),” Gatchalian said.
Gatchalian said he has submitted to President Marcos Jr. last year the report of the Committee on Ways and Means recommending of the immediate closing of POGO hubs but this, he lamented, has not been acted upon by the Chief Executive.
“Ayokong mag-speculate kung anong dahilan pero ang ebidensiya klarong-klaro lalo na ang krimen patuloy na nangyayari sa POGO at ngayon binago na nila ang pangalan, Internet Gaming Licensees. Kahit binago ang pangalan ay ganon pa rin ang nangyayari. Hindi sa pangalan yan, kundi yung sa mga tao at naaakit sa negosyong ito sa ating bansa. Hindi lehitimong negosyante ito, criminal syndicates eh (I don’t want to speculate what is the reason but evidence clearly show that crimes continue to happen in these POGO hubs even if they have changed its name to Internet Gaming Licensees. Even if they changed the name, the same illegal activities still happen. It’s not the name that will change it but rather the people who run them and the people who are enticed by the business who are not even legitimate businessmen, but are members of criminal syndicates),” he added.
