2 NPA rebels, soldier killed in clashes in Sultan Kudarat, Samar
BY VICTOR REYES
TWO New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and a government soldier were killed while another soldier was injured during clashes in Sultan Kudarat and Samar.
The latest encounter occurred in Barangay Salansang, Lebak town in Sultan Kudarat at 5:43 a.m. yesterday, the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) said.
Lt. Col. Dennis Almorato, 6th ID spokesman, said soldiers were sent to the area after civilians reported the presence of rebels extorting from residents.
Troops from the 57th, 37th and 7th infantry battalions clashed with 10 rebels belonging to the Executive Committee of NPA’s Sub-Regional Command Dagum.
The fighting resulted in the death of two of the insurgents and the recovery of an M16 rifle, a cal. 45 pistol, a grenade, magazines, assorted ammunition, rebel documents and personal belongings of the rebels.
Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, 6th ID commander, said they will remain relentless in the campaign against the NPA.
The Armed Forces is aiming to end the insurgency problem throughout the country before the end of the year so it can fully transition to external defense operations.
“We will be relentless in our decisive military operations in Sultan Kudarat and its nearby provinces to clear the area from the threats brought by the terrorist group,” said Rillera.
In Samar, a government soldier was killed and another was injured in a similar clash in San Jorge town last Tuesday, said Capt. Jefferson Mariano, spokesman of the Army’s 8th ID.
Before the clash, residents of Barangay Gayondato in San Jorge reported the presence of the rebels roaming in their area.
This prompted the deployment of troops from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Battalion “to drive away the armed group,” said Mariano.
“However, as they approached the area, they were fired upon by the CTGs (communist terrorist groups) resulting in the encounter,” said Mariano.
The fighting resulted in the death of Corporal Reycon Remedio, who was hit on the left side of his head, and the wounding of another soldier during the 45-minute encounter.
Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, 8th ID commander, said: “It is unfortunate that another life was lost in the pursuit of peace. He (Remedio) offered his young life protecting the residents of Gayondato to attain lasting peace in Eastern Visayas.”
Ligayo said the death of Remedio “will not deter our resolve to continue our sworn duty to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
“There will be no let-up in our operations,” Ligayo added.
Ligayo also urged NPA rebels in the region “to lay down their arms, avail themselves of the government’s peace program, and reunite with their families to live a peaceful life.”
NEDA okays DepEd resilient schools’ program
BY Ashzel Hachero
THE Department of Education yesterday said the construction of more resilient school buildings, particularly in disaster-prone areas in the country, will reduce class disruption and the delivery of other school or education-related services.
This is after the National Economic and Development Authority approved the DepEd’s Infrastructure for Safer and Resilient Schools (ISRS) program which aims to address the need to recover school infrastructures affected by disasters from 2019 to 2023.
Costing around P30 billion, the ISRS program will benefit 4,756 school buildings, 13,101 classrooms, and around 741,038 learners in 1,282 target school beneficiaries.
It is composed of four components, namely, simple works for school infrastructure recovery, relatively complex works for school infrastructure recovery, project management, monitoring and evaluation, and contingent emergency response.
“In addition, this also includes the improvement and strengthening of procedures and tools, as well as training to DepEd units to ensure the sustainability of the project outcomes,” the DepEd said, adding that with more resilient schools, there will be fewer class disruptions in disaster-prone areas.
Earlier, the DepEd said it would strengthen school designs to ensure they can withstand stronger typhoons and earthquakes.
It said that particular attention will be on the roofing, ceiling, and window patterns as well as engineering in the redesigning of DepEd facilities.
Aside from this, it said that local DepEd engineers and school heads must work together to ensure that only appropriate materials are used by winning contractors to achieve storm- and earthquake-proof school buildings.
In 2022, the department exhibited on Facebook a five- to 12-story school designed to be disaster-resilient.
Its design targets the use of green building technology with flood mitigation, typhoon, and earthquake resilience features.
It also includes the use of renewable energy, natural lighting, and ventilation design.
DMW set to open office in Vienna
By Gerard Naval
THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is set to open its Migrant Workers Office (MWO) in Vienna in the third quarter of this year as part of its efforts to address the growing number of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Austria.
In a statement released for the celebration of the Philippines-Austria Friendship Week, the DMW announced its forthcoming opening of the MWO in Vienna later this year.
“We are opening the Migrant Workers Office in Vienna in the third quarter of the year to support the increasing number of OFWs in Austria,” said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
He said the MWO is necessary considering the increasing demand for OFWs by Austrian employers.
“It will provide guidance to Austrian employers on the legal process of recruiting and deploying Filipino workers,” said Cacdac.
DMW data showed there are more than 5,000 OFWs in Austria, most of whom are employed in the hospitality, food service, and healthcare sectors.
Last year, the Austrian government also indicated interest in hiring around 500 Filipino workers annually for job openings across all industries, particularly in healthcare, construction and engineering, information technology, and tourism and hospitality sectors.
“This makes the country an emerging labor market in Central Europe,” noted Cacdac.
There are currently 39 MWOs in different parts of the globe.
Aside from the MWO-Vienna, also in the pipeline are MWOs in Bangkok (Thailand), and Budapest (Hungary).
SC, Aussie Federal Court strengthen cooperation
BY Ashzel Hachero
THE Supreme Court and the Federal Court of Australia have strengthened judicial cooperation with the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and Debra Sue Mortimer, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, inked the MOU in a hybrid ceremony last Wednesday.
Under the MOU, the SC and FCA shall undertake programs for judicial cooperation to develop a “firm foundation for ongoing and future relations” and to promote a “deeper understanding of each other’s legal and judicial cultures, common international legal standards, regional development and relevant emerging issues.”
The MOU also aims, according to the SC, to enhance its capacity to implement judicial reform programs in accordance with the Strategic Plans for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027.
The SC, in a statement, said that to manage and implement the MOU, the Chief Justices will meet annually to plan the implementation of projects and activities and to coordinate the arrangements with other justice sector agencies of both countries.
Gesmundo said the MOU signing formalized a new phase in the decades-old partnership between the Australian and Philippine governments.
“We cement a long-standing relationship through new and innovative ways of bettering our court services and improving the quality of our justice service duty-bearers. This Memorandum of Understanding will cover an initial five-year period, and hopefully, will be renewed thereafter. But just for its initial year, we shall already commence with three groundbreaking initiatives: the first on Competition Law, the second on Multi-Party Litigation or Class Actions, and the third on Administrative Support Functions for our Regional Court Managers Program,” Gesmundo added.
Mortimer echoed Gesmundo’s statement, saying the MOU, aside from formalizing “this long-existing relationship,” also recognized its strength.
She added that it signifies the FCA’s commitment to collaborate and strengthen its relationship with the Philippine Supreme Court.
This is the second MOU between the SC and the Australian judiciary.
Last May 8, 2024, during the opening of the three-day 2024 Asia and the Pacific Regional Conference of the International Association of Women Judges and 2024 National Convention of the Philippine Women Judges Association in Cebu City, the SC and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia also signed an MOU on judicial cooperation.
The first MOU focuses on enhancing access to the family courts of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society, including women and children, developing women’s leadership opportunities in the family courts, and capacity-building initiatives on trafficking in persons and online sexual abuse and exploitation of children.
Last month, the SC also partnered with the Australian government in launching the Fostering Advancement of Inclusive and Rights-based (FAIR) Justice program.
The FAIR justice program is a 5-year program of the Australian government aimed at supporting the country in enhancing the administration of justice for women, children, indigenous people, people with disabilities, and other socially disadvantaged groups.
The SC said the program will focus on improving the quality of adjudication and case management concerning socially disadvantaged groups, strengthening transparency and accountability in the justice system, and enhancing inclusion and accessibility in the delivery of justice.
Early this year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his government has committed a $20 million investment to support the Philippines to reform, and improve access to, its justice system.
QC court junks case vs ‘exorcist’ priest
BY ASHZEL HACHERO
A QUEZON City court has dismissed the case filed by retired Justice and former Commission on Elections chairperson Harriet Demetriu against “exorcist” priest Winston Cabading for “offending religious feelings.”
In her decision dated May 7, Quezon City RTC Branch 224 Judge Zita Marie Atienza-Fajardo said the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence that Cabading violated Article 133 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), which provides penalties for offending religious feelings, and Section 6 of Republic Act 10175, or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, which covers offenses penalized by the RPC if it is committed through and by the use of information and communications technologies.
To recall, Demetriu sued Cabading in December 2022 and accused him of being a “rabid critic” of the Our Lady of Mary Mediatrix in Lipa by ridiculing the alleged Marian apparition in Lipa City in 1948.
A former trial court judge, Demetriu is best remembered for convicting former Calauan, Laguan town mayor Antonio Sanchez and seven of his henchmen in the 1995 rape-slay case of University of the Philippines Los Baños students Eileen Sarmenta and Allan Gomez.
Cabading, a parish priest at the Archdiocese of Manila Office of Exorcism, argued there was no allegation in Demetriu’s complaint that he made the statements in a place of worship nor during the celebration of a religious ceremony to qualify it as an offense under Article 133 RPC, which states that the acts complained must happen or were done in a place devoted of religious worship or during the celebration of a religious ceremony and that it must be so offensive to the feelings of the faithful.
The court sided with Cabading’s arguments, explaining his personal statements were not done or performed in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration or commemoration of a religious ceremony.
Cabading’s statements questioning the alleged apparition were uploaded through the Facebook account of Wendell Talibong’s “Pananampalataya at Katuwiran.”
Likewise, the court held that it was not Cabading who posted and live-streamed the alleged offensive statement that was the subject of Demetriu’s complaint.
Cabading also did not own the Facebook account, the court also said.
“A religious ceremony includes masses, baptism, weddings, funerals, rituals and similar practices which involve prayers, hymns, readings and symbolic actions by the religious or the Church with the Church premises,” the court said in junking Demetriu’s complaint.
“Religious ceremonies are also those religious acts performed outside of a church, such as procession and special prayers for burying dead persons,” the court added.
The court also said Cabading’s statement does not rise to the point that it can be considered offensive to the feelings of the people since it was not directed to ridicule, mock or scoff at a religious practice, dogma or ritual.
“The statements were not notoriously offensive, there was no scoffing and did not appear to ridicule. It was not a personal conviction but that which is stated by the Vatican. There was no scoffing of Mother Mary whom the private complainant venerates,” it added.
Earlier, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith asked the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines to dissuade any activities that run counter to the Church’s official position on the alleged Marian apparitions in Lipa.
To recall, the Vatican in 1951 said the alleged apparitions have no supernatural origin or character. It reaffirmed its decision with another decree in 2015.
Another convict in Navarro case surrenders to NBI
BY Ashzel Hachero
FERDINAND Guerrero, one of the individuals convicted by a Taguig court in the serious illegal detention with ransom case filed by actor-television host Ferdinand “Vhong” Navarro, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday.
Guerrero was accompanied by his lawyer to the office of NBI Director Medardo de Lemos at the NBI headquarters in Quezon City.
He underwent booking procedures, including the taking of mug shots, before he was turned over to the Bureau of Corrections to serve his sentence.
Guerrero, businessman Cedric Lee, model Deniece Cornejo and Simeon Palma Raz were convicted by Branch 153 of the Taguig City RTC early this month.
They were sentenced to reclusion perpetua and ordered to jointly pay Navarro P300,000 in civil, moral and exemplary damages.
Cornejo and Raz, who were present in court for the sentencing, were immediately taken into custody while Lee surrendered several days later.
Cornejo is detained at the Correctional Institute for Women in Mandaluyong City while Raz and Lee were taken to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Lee and his group were accused of holding Navarro captive and inflicting serious physical injuries against him on January 22, 2014.
Lee allegedly beat up Navarro and threatened to kill the actor if he failed to pay them P2 million.
Navarro said he agreed to pay half the amount for his freedom.
Cornejo had alleged that Navarro raped her inside her condominium unit in Taguig’s Bonifacio Global City on the said date.
In 2018 and 2020, the Department of Justice affirmed the dismissal of Cornejo’s complaints against Navarro.
However, the appellate court in July 2022 reversed the dismissal.
In March 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed the rape and acts of lasciviousness charges filed by Cornejo against Navarro.
Only 3 of Gapan City’s vehicles registered with LTO covered by GSIS insurance: COA
BY Peter Tabingo
IF you are a car owner driving in Nueva Ecija, you would be well advised to avoid tangling with any of Gapan City’s service vehicles if you hope to avoid a headache: 94 percent of its fleet is neither registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) nor covered by insurance.
According to the 2023 audit on the Gapan City government released last May 13, only three out of the 51 vehicles owned by the local government had an active LTO registration. The rest have expired papers and legally should not even be allowed on public roads.
The unregistered fleet includes the city’s three fire trucks, 16 dump trucks, a bus, six heavy equipment machinery, 13 vans, three pickup trucks, and various motorcycles.
Three of those vehicles had expired registrations dating back to 2017. Another 15 last renewed their papers in 2018 and 17 more in 2019.
“Out of the 54 units of motor vehicles owned by the City, only three units have updated registration, 41 units were not renewed and the remaining 10 units have no record of registration at all,” the audit team said.
State auditors notified city officials that Joint Circular No. 1-85 of the Commission on Audit, the Office of Budget and Management (now DBM), the Ministry of Finance (now DOF), and the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (now DOTr) has made it mandatory for all government agencies to ensure that all units in its service fleet are registered.
The same rule bars the use of any unregistered government vehicle on the road and imposes a 50 percent penalty for late registration to be shouldered by the public official who is responsible for renewing LTO permits.
In its comment on the audit findings, the Gapan City government cited the “absence of emission testing.”
“The failure of the City to maintain its records and update the registration of its motor vehicles with the LTO indicates lack of proper management and control over the motor vehicles, which may result in the possible loss and misuse of the government assets,” auditors pointed out.
In addition, the COA said the local government would be forced to spend more due to penalties and fines aside from sanctions from the LTO.
The transmittal letter attached to the audit report showed the office of City Mayor Emary Joy Pascual received an official copy on April 15, 2024.
“We recommended and the Local Chief Executive agreed to direct the City Treasurer/General Services Officer to prioritize the registration of all motor vehicles owned by the City with the LTO,” the audit team said.
The same failure to update the vehicle registration was cited as the reason for the lack of insurance coverage on 50 of the vehicles.
The only insured vehicles in Gapan City’s fleet are the three with renewed registrations and the newest one recently acquired.
City officials assured the COA that the problem will be addressed during the year and all vehicles will be under the General Insurance Fund of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).
Catbalogan City skirted rules in P72M NTF-ELCAC infra projects
BY PETER TABINGO
EIGHTEEN infrastructure projects with a combined cost of P72.68 million undertaken by the Catbalogan City government in Samar cut corners in planning and documentation, government auditors said.
The 2023 audit on the local government unit revealed not one of the 18 projects is supported by proof of ownership of the lots for the project sites.
Likewise, all were not backed by geo-hazard certificates from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) attesting that they are located in safe areas and not inside no-build zones.
Funding for the said projects came from the 2023 appropriations totaling P6.336 billion for the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) — Support of Barangay Development Programs (SBDP), which is a component of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
“Of the 18 projects, 12 have already been started, while the remaining six (6) have not yet begun implementation as of December 31, 2023,” the Commission on Audit said.
Auditors’ review of the documents showed that for the projects’ locations, only certified true copies of a notarized “Expression of Commitment to Acquire Ownership of Lots Affected by the Fiscal Year 2023 LGSF-SBDP,” signed by the city mayor were submitted instead of documentary proof that the LGU already acquired the project sites.
“In addition, the geo-hazard certification from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, stating that the projects’ locations are not included in the critical geo-hazard areas or no build zones, was likewise not submitted,” the COA noted.
City officials told the audit team that the same documents submitted as proof of land ownership in the projects’ locations were the same sets of papers submitted to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) which endorsed the projects for implementation.
Auditors however pointed out that the absence of a document establishing undeniable ownership of the land on which the project will be constructed opens the city to disputes and legal complications that may arise in the future.
“Additionally, securing the geo-hazard certification from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau assures safety from potential geological hazards and enhances the viability of the proposed projects,” they pointed out.
During the exit conference with the audit team, the city government promised to “address the identified issues and implement the necessary corrective actions.”
P7.62B mid-year bonus released to cops – PNP
BY VICTOR REYES
THE PNP said it has released P7.62 billion in mid-year bonuses to its more than 220,000 personnel.
In a statement on Wednesday night, the PNP said the amount was credited to the Landbank ATM payroll accounts of eligible policemen.
The mid-year bonus, provided under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, is equivalent to one month’s salary of policemen who have served under the police force for four months or more.
The PNP said the payment of the mid-year bonus of personnel with pending cases or serving punishment is withheld as part of the disciplinary policy of the agency.
“This bonus reflects the government’s appreciation for the relentless dedication of our men and women in uniform. It underscores their pivotal role in upholding peace and security nationwide,” said PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil.
Marbil reiterated the PNP’s commitment to serving the Filipino people.
“We assure the public that the PNP remains committed to its mandate of serving and protecting the Filipino people, and this bonus will only strengthen our resolve to perform our duties with excellence and integrity,” he said.
PNP to appeal dismissal of raps against kidnappers
of beauty queen
BY VICTOR REYES
THE PNP yesterday vowed to exhaust all legal remedies after government prosecutors dismissed the cases filed against a police major and his co-accused in connection with last year’s disappearance of beauty queen Catherine Camilon.
“The SITG (Special Investigation Task Group) will exhaust all available legal remedies,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo told a press briefing at Camp Crame.
The legal remedies, Fajardo said, include the filing of a motion for reconsideration before the regional state prosecutor’s office that dismissed the charges of kidnapping and illegal.
“They are also studying the possibility of filing directly a petition for review before the Department of Justice,” Fajardo added, referring to SITG Camilon investigators.
Prosecutors dismissed the case without prejudice, meaning the PNP can still pursue the case if they can present additional evidence against the respondents.
The respondents were Maj. Allan De Castro and his driver, Jeffrey Magpantay. Two John Does were also charged by police probers.
Camilon, who remains missing, was supposed to meet with De Castro, his alleged boyfriend, last October 12, before her disappearance.
Magpantay was seen by witnesses transferring the injured Camilon from her car to a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that was later found in Batangas City on November 9.
Probers found hair strands and bloodstains inside the SUV. Forensic examination showed the hair strands and blood matched the DNA samples taken from Camilon’s parents.
“The order is very clear on this matter; the dismissal is without prejudice. This means that our investigating unit, particularly SITG Camilon, is not precluded from refiling the case,” said Fajardo.
On the status of Camilon, Fajardo said the PNP is still hoping that Camilon is still alive.
“But we have to be realistic also. If a person is missing for a long period of time, we cannot discount the possibility that that person is already dead,” said Fajardo.
“But we are still hoping and praying that someday we can still see Catherine alive,” added Fajardo.
