Ex-chief of staff confirms payola

First posted 00:43:59 (Mla time) January 30, 2011

Christian V. Esguerra

MANILA, Philippines—A chief of staff of the Armed Forces under then

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has confirmed the existence of a
multimillion-peso payola pot at the Camp Aguinaldo general
headquarters, as earlier revealed by ex-military budget officer George
Rabusa.

But the retired general said the pot, along with other fund sources in and
out of the AFP, provided the military brass sufficient sums for their
retirement so that, contrary to what Rabusa had claimed, an outgoing
chief of staff did not need a hefty sendoff gift (pabaon).
“I realized we had so much money in the military,” the source admitted
on Saturday in an interview with the Inquirer. “The leeway given to us [in
using funds] was more than enough to make us comfortable in
retirement.”

The source asked not to be named at this time, saying he would reveal
what he knew about corruption in the military at the proper forum. He
said he was willing to testify at congressional inquiries into the matter.
Rabusa, a retired lieutenant colonel, testified on Thursday before the
Senate blue ribbon committee that he and other top military officials
shared an annual payola pot of around P480 million raised from various
AFP units.

Also known as the provisions for command-directed activities (PCDA)

fund, the collection was allegedly distributed by the comptroller at the
discretion of the chief of staff.

The Senate blue ribbon committee’s inquiry is primarily intended to look

into the controversial plea bargain between state prosecutors and ex-
military comptroller Carlos Garcia, who is accused of plundering military
funds.

Reflection
This news article shows the obvious corruption here in the Philippines
which is one of the major problems in politics. For me, the president
should make proper investigation about this subject matter because this
has been going on for too long.
 Vizconde refuses to rat on
tipsters
First posted 04:22:53 (Mla time) January 31, 2011
Cathy C. Yamsuan

MANILA, Philippines—Lauro Vizconde and his lawyer said they would

rather face contempt penalties than name the court officers who tipped
them off about the alleged efforts of Supreme Court Associate Justice
Antonio Carpio to secure the acquittal of Hubert Webb. “I would rather
not get them into trouble,” Vizconde said in Filipino in a telephone
interview. “I’m afraid they would be ostracized by their peers.
(Nagmalasakit nga lang, napahamak pa.) Besides, I think wala nang
mangyayari (nothing will happen). I realized we can no longer get justice
after all the effort,” he added.

“We are ready to face the consequences,” lawyer Ferdinand Topacio

said in a separate interview.

“I will have to stand by my client. We’ll be ready to face any sanctions we

may (be given).”

In a resolution dated Jan. 18, the Supreme Court gave Vizconde and
Topacio 10 days to prove allegations that three incumbent officers of the
Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals had told the widower in
separate instances that Carpio was working for Webb’s acquittal.

Vizconde said he would still comply with the order. But instead of naming
the officers, he is expected to tell the court this morning that he preferred
not to break the vow of confidentiality he gave to those who had warned
him.

Vizconde is also set to indicate in his compliance that he wishes “to

attain closure insofar as the judicial aspect of the case is concerned.”

Asked to explain, the widower said he would no longer pursue court-

issued remedies to get justice for his slain family.

Reflection
This article shows that not everyone gets real justice. In the Vizconde
case it’s obvious that Hubert Webb is at fault yet he was still set free.
Lauro Vizconde doesn’t want to do anything now even though there is a
redemy because he thinks there’s no use.
 EDSA bus bombing: 4 dead
First posted 01:42:38 (Mla time) January 26, 2011
Miko Morelos Tina Santos Jeannette Andrade Norman Bordadora

MANILA, Philippines—“Who is responsible? At this point all we can say

is speculation,” President Benigno Aquino III said Tuesday night as he
also disclosed that all intelligence agencies were in the process of
identifying those behind the EDSA bombing that killed four, two instantly,
and injured 14 others.

The bomb placed under the seat in the middle of a passenger bus driven
by a man ironically named Maximo Peligro went off just before 2 p.m. on
Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) near the north gate of the
upscale Forbes Park subdivision in Makati City.
The blast blew a huge hole on the right side of the northbound Newman
Goldliner plying the Baclaran-SM Fairview route.

Makati Mayor Junjun Binay said the explosion was so powerful that it
punched a hole in a nearby concrete fence.

“It appears that it was a big bomb that exploded but we’re still
determining what kind of bomb,” said the Makati police chief, Senior
Supt. Froilan Bonifacio.

The explosion shattered the windows of the air-conditioned bus (Plate

No. TXJ-710), which was approaching the loading bay on EDSA and
Metro Rail Transit station on Gil Puyat (formerly Buendia) Avenue.

Police said the sixth row on the right side of the bus sustained massive
damage.

The attack came two months after the United States and several other
Western governments warned that a terrorist attack in Manila was
imminent, and followed a bus hijacking in August last year that left eight
Hong Kong tourists dead.

The President said terrorists were behind the explosion that ripped
through the bus.

At a news briefing, Mr. Aquino said he received intelligence reports last

year that “a Muslim secessionist group” was planning a “bombing” attack
but did not have the resources to mount it.

Wondering how the group was able to mount the attack, the President
ordered a probe of the bombing.

“Everybody can be assured that in the soonest possible time, like many
other incidents such as the bar exam bombing, there will be a solution to
this situation,” he said.
Mr. Aquino expressed his sympathies to the families of those who died
and who were wounded in the blast.

When he arrived at the site 10 minutes after the explosion, Binay said he
saw blood and severed body parts on the bus.

He said he also saw a severely injured man through the big hole.

Two of the victims were killed on the spot. The two others died in the
hospital, police said.

Both legs of a female fatality, who was yet to be identified, were cut off
from the thighs, according to a survivor.

“She must be at least 18 years old,” said Susanna Flores, among the
seven passengers brought to Ospital ng Makati.

She said the other fatality, Johansson De Leon Reyes, of Plaridel,

Bulacan, was covered in blood and “his left leg was at a funny angle as if
it had been broken off.”

A woman whose identity is yet to be established, sustained a head

wound. “I was told she jumped off the bus. She was the first to be
wheeled into the hospital,” Flores said.

Mary Grace Buen Borondia, 29, of Maybunga, Pasig City, was first
brought to Ospital ng Makati but was later transferred to Makati Medical
Center.

Other casualties brought to Ospital ng Makati were identified as Anabel

Gozon, 40, of Barangay Sampaloc, Tanay, Rizal; Antonio Lino, 41, of
San Mateo, Rizal; Jeffrey Victoriano, 27, of Taguig City; and Irish
Teniola, 22.

Ten of the victims were taken to St. Luke’s Medical Center at Bonifacio
Global City in Taguig. They were Roy Saguit Rivera, 40; Fe An Padilla
Sy, 25; Fleur An Padilla Sy, 48; Aiza Hutalle Peralta, 26; Virgilio Aquino
Reyes, 76; Paul Richard Obial Reyes, 41; Jennifer Valdez Andoque, 19;
Veronica Sanchez Gando, 24; and Gloria Aquino Reyes, 71.

An investigation report issued by the Makati police Tuesday night said

the fatalities were Johansson De Leon Reyes, who died on the spot;
Mariano Magayaw Salustiano, 57; Shirley Khristel Hausena Andes, a
female wearing a silver necklace marked “Krish” and an unidentified man
brought to St. Luke’s who died while being treated.

The report was signed by Chief Insp. Genaro Peruda, staff duty officer.

A doctor said those who survived the blast sustained minor injuries,
mostly in the feet.
“Basically these are minor injuries. We haven’t seen anyone with a
fracture,” said Dr. Joven Cuanang, chief medical officer at St. Luke’s
Medical Center.

Maximo Peligro and Michael Haralde, the driver and conductor of the
bus, respectively, were taken into police custody for investigation.

At a Makati police station, Peligro said he smelled gunpowder right after

the blast. “If it was a normal explosion, there would be no smell of
gunpowder,” he told reporters.

He discounted mechanical failure as the cause of the explosion, saying

that the bus was well-maintained.

Peligro, who was unharmed, said that the bus windshield was not
damaged by the explosion. He said he kicked it to enable him and the
other passengers to get off the vehicle.

He said two men, who acted strangely, quickly got off the bus just
moments before the explosion. “They were moving from one seat to
another although we had no idea there was an explosive aboard,” Peligro
said.

Haralde said the two men hopped on the bus in Baclaran, Parañaque
City, took seats in the middle section and got off on Evangelista Street in
Makati.

Haralde, who sustained injuries on both legs, said the bus had 20
passengers when it left Baclaran. It became almost full when it stopped
at a loading bay on Evangelista.

He said almost half the passengers disembarked at EDSA Ayala.

The driver and the conductor said the explosion happened before the
bus reached EDSA corner Buendia.

Authorities are considering an improvised explosive device as the cause

of the blast.

“We have yet to gather all the debris and reconstruct the fragments to
categorically determine what type of explosive material was used,” said
Director Nicanor Bartolome of the National Capital Region Police Office.

Bartolome said the footage taken by the closed-circuit television (CCTV)

camera of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) would
be a big help.

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said the agency had turned over copies
of footage from its CCTV cameras to investigators hoping to find out the
identities of the suspects.

For more than four hours, the road from Ayala to Buendia was closed off
to traffic to allow police to examine the scene, resulting in heavy buildup
of vehicles along the northbound at grade section of the Skyway and
along EDSA from Roxas Boulevard.

The bus was moved to the Southern Police District (SPD) in Taguig City
at 7:45 p.m. where investigators will conduct further technical
investigation of the vehicle.

Mr. Aquino inspected the bus half an hour later for about 15 minutes. He
was joined by Bartolome and Chief Supt. Jose de los Santos of the SPD.

He visited the victims at St. Luke’s Medical Center Tuesday night. With a
report from Agence France-Presse

Reflection
This article shows one of the majors problems aside from corruption and
this is terrorism done by the Abu Sayyaf. For me this is the second
common thing that happens here in the Philippines that up to now has
not been put to a stop. The Abu Sayyaf rebel against the government so
they do these bombings as means of getting the government’s attention.