By: Julito G. Rada

THE Department of Finance, through its Revenue Integrity Protection Service, plans to conduct lifestyle checks on at least 70 more employees in the main office and its attached agencies, such as the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Internal Revenue, before the end of the year in line with the Duterte administration’s goal of weeding out corruption in the government.

Finance Undersecretary Bayani Agabin, who oversees the RIPS, said the investigation will cover officials and employees who have acquired real estate and personal properties with amounts not commensurate to their annual salaries. “For instance, there is one that we are investigating?in 1996 his annual salary was P80,000, he was able to buy a lot worth P40,000. Then in 1997, he [reported that his] annual salary was P126,000, but he was able to buy a lot for P150,000. His annual salary is not even enough to pay for that lot,” Agabin said.

RIPS executive director Ray Gilberto Espinosa said his office added at least 10 more personnel covered by lifestyle checks every month.

“So we started actively initiating investigations last January, and we are targeting around 70 plus by the end of the year,” Espinosa said.

The RIPS, which is the anti-corruption arm of the department, forwards cases for further investigation and resolution to either the Office of the Ombudsman or the Civil Service Commission.

From January to September 2017, decisions were promulgated by the Ombudsman and CSC finding several  employees and officials of Customs and  the BIR guilty of Grave Misconduct and Serious Dishonesty and finding anomalies regarding the accomplishment and filing of their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth reports, the RIPS said in a recent statement.

In the administrative cases filed by RIPS, the penalty of dismissal from the service was imposed on two BIR employees and three BOC employees that carried penalties of forfeiture of benefits, perpetual disqualification to hold public office and a bar to taking the Civil Service Examinations.

Judith Pacana, chief revenue officer IV of the BIR Iligan City, was  guilty of Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct by the Ombudsman in its Decision dated 06 June 2017, holding that “[Pacana’s] failure to disclose a significant number of her assets and liability in several SALNs.”

In the case involving Ester Grafil Sese, an Administrative Aide at Customs who was only earning P78,264.00 in gross salary in 2012, the Ombudsman found that she failed to declare various motor vehicles in her 2000 to 2010 SALNs, falsely declared the acquisition cost of her assets, failed to declare various firearms in her 2012 to 2013 SALNs, and failed to declare a townhouse in her 2002 SALN.

The Ombudsman in its Decision dated Oct. 26, 2016 ordered Sese’s dismissal from the service for Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct.

In another case, Visitacion Difuntorum, Customs Operations Officer V of Customs, was found guilty of Dishonesty  for failing to declare in her SALNs various lands located in Quezon City and Catarman, Samar, from 1995 to 2006.

Also, a Customs Special Agent, Ramir Saunders Gomez, was ordered dismissed from the service  by the Ombudsman for Serious Dishonesty and Grave Misconduct for  failing to declare six real properties discovered by RIPS in Old Cabalan, Olongapo City, in his SALN.

In the CSC, the RIPS won the case against Ma. Herminia A. Pabito, Revenue Officer IV of the BIR, who was found to have failed to declare in her 2009 to 2011 SALNs a piece of property registered in Pabito’s name and her sister; and failed to secure travel authorities for her travels in Bangkok, Thailand, Shanghai, China and Hong Kong.

For failure to secure the necessary authority to travel abroad to Singapore, a Supervising Tax Specialist of Customs was found guilty of Simple Dishonesty aggravated by committing it twice.

Some of the above government employees are going to be charged with criminal cases.

The Ombudsman found that eight Customs employees and one BIR employee committed Perjury and Falsification by a Public Officer under the Revised Penal Code and for their SALN violations.

Source: thestandard.com.ph

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The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) formally honored on Monday the members of the Subic-based Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) contingency team who volunteered for the operations to free Marawi City from the ISIS-led terrorists of the Maute Group.

During the flag ceremony here last Monday, SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma led officers and employees of the agency in recognizing the courage and heroism of each of the 42 members of the 2nd Special Action Battalion who are headquartered at the Naval Magazine Facilities in the Subic Bay Freeport.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma expresses the agency’s commendation of the courage and heroism of Subic-based SAF officers who volunteered to serve in the operations to free Marawi City from terrorists. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

“None of us is perfect by nature, but you are perfect in showing us what we can do to defend our country and its people,” Eisma told the police contingent under the command of Police Superintendent Mario Mayames Jr.

“You volunteered to fight the terrorists, and you did a great service to our nation,” Eisma added.

During the recognition ceremony where employees cheered the police officers, Eisma announced that aside from a certificate of commendation, the SBMA will give each policeman P10,000 cash as a token of appreciation for upholding peace and order in the Freeport and other parts of the country.

The SAF were part of the joint military and police forces that ended the war in Marawi after five months of fighting.

SBMA Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma presents the agency’s recognition of the courage and heroism of Subic-based SAF officers who volunteered to serve in the operations to free Marawi City from terrorists. (AMD/MPD-SBMA)

For his part, Mayames recalled that before deployment to Marawi, the SAF volunteers underwent a two-week refresher course in combat skills, armaments and equipment. Yet their training in mountain, jungle and urban warfare did not prepare them for the Marawi experience, he added.

“The situation in Marawi was very rare. Unlike before where we conducted urban warfare and our enemies were holed in one or three buildings, in Marawi the enemies were in all the buildings and had a 360-degrees firing range. Our firing range was only 180 degrees,” Mayames said.

Still he noted that after the three months in Marawi, the Subic-based 2nd SAF battalion only suffered two wounded among its 42 members.

Mayames also recounted feeling pity for the devastation suffered by the city. “And I can’t help asking myself, was it really heroism that we did in Marawi?” he added.

“We just went there killing the enemies and (in effect) destroyed all of Marawi. Was it really heroism?” an emotional and teary-eyed Mayames asked.

The SBMA employees cheered and said, “Yes.”

The SAF commander also explained later why it was necessary to bomb and destroy the whole Marawi.

“We could not penetrate each building because of snipers who were holed up for cover underground,” he recalled. “The aerial bombings were necessary to put the enemy at bay so that the soldiers and police could launch an assault against them.” (RAV/MPD-SBMA)

Source: subicnewslink.blogspot.com

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Local fishermen have disputed claims by leaders of some activist groups in Central Luzon that the ship-to-ship transfer (STS) operations of liquefied natural gas (LNG) on Subic Bay endanger fisher folk in the area and that locals were not consulted about the project before its approval by the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

Resty del Rosario and Laureano Artagame, both officials of local Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Councils (FARMC), dismissed the claims and pointed out that the negative reports came from personalities who do not represent the legitimate concerns of fishermen from Subic Bay.

The news item came out in the alternative news website Kodao and quoted Pamalakaya Central Luzon coordinator Alberto Roldan as saying that STS operations for LNG in Subic “endanger fisher folk as well as civilian establishments and communities in Olongapo City.” Pamalakaya stands for the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya, which is the national federation of fishermen’s organizations.

The report also quoted Marcelito Clemente, coordinator of the Central Luzon Alliance for a Sovereign Philippines (CLASP), as saying that the project was “simply another case of profit above public safety for SBMA.” CLASP, a left-leaning group, had called for the withdrawal of U.S. military bases in the country and had opposed the holding of Balikatan military exercises with American armed forces.

The local fisher folk leaders, however, said the reports do not mirror the sentiments of local fishermen.

“We support the SBMA on this project 100 percent,” said Del Rosario, who chairs the Subic Bay Integrated Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council, which whose members include fisher folk in Olongapo City, Subic and San Antonio, Zambales and Morong, Bataan.

“Is the LNG operation safe? We believe so, because the SBMA wouldn’t place that project there without examining and addressing the risks involved,” Del Rosario added.

He noted that the critics of the STS project are far too removed from the area, and hence are unaware of the local situation.

“How would they know what happens down here? How can they be the voice of the locals? They are just being alarmists,” an exasperated Del Rosario said.

“As local leaders representing the mostly poor and marginalized fishermen in the locality, we will not be a party to anything that will harm our people. We will not agree to it,” Del Rosario added.

Artagame, meanwhile, emphasized that the SBMA has not been remiss in consulting local fishermen about the LNG project during its inception in 2016. He recalled that the Jovo Group, China’s leading clean energy service provider which operates the project, conducted a consultation in October last year before making the first ship-to-ship transfer in April this year.

“We were invited during the consultation and it was amply shown to us that the LNG is clean and safe,” Artagame said. “Of course, we gave our suggestions regarding the operation, and the SBMA officials assured us that they will stop the operation if ever there will be any harmful effect. By the grace of God, no such effect had ever come our way since then,” he added.

Aside from the perceived safety of STS operations here, Del Rosario also pointed out that the area where the transfer is being handled is no longer a part of the community fishing grounds ever since the US Navy had used Subic Bay as a military base.

“We are fishing elsewhere, a little farther from the location of the LNG and even father out of the bay, and the SBMA is even helping us restore coral reefs that have been damaged over the years by illegal fishing,” Artagame said.

Ever since the LNG project was approved, only two transfers have been made: the first was made on April 27 and the second on November 19. (HEE/MPD-SBMA)

PHOTOS: 

[1 ]Laureano Artagame, Provincial Chairman of FARMC Zambales and Vice-Chairman of FARMC of the Municipality of Subic. 

[2] 3The first LNG ship-to-ship transfer operations on Subic Bay made last April.

Source: subicnewslink.blogspot.com

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By: Patrick Roxas, TMT

SANTA CRUZ, Zambales: Governor Amor Deloso has warned mining firms operating in this province to only haul down existing old stockpile and not engage in new mining activities.

Deloso issued the warning during a surprise visit to this town and consulted with the residents.

The governor said while big mining companies operating in Santa Cruz have been given permission by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to haul nickel stockpile, they should not engage in digging or mining again as he threatened to cause them inconvenience if they do so.

“They need to follow the directive that only old stockpiles are to be hauled down as this [stockpile]is posing danger to the homes of the residents especially when nickel stockpile goes down during heavy rains” Deloso said.

“The permit only allows stockpiling and their Ore Transport Permit (OTP) doesn’t say to dig again,” Deloso added.

Deloso said disaster at the mining area happened two years ago where six people died and he doesn’t want it to happen again.

Source: manilatimes.net

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A portion of wetlands inside the Subic Bay Freeport has been turned into a dump. Residents living near the area are protesting as a section of the marshland has been damaged. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has shut down a disposal area near a forest here, heeding complaints that construction debris dumped there may have destroyed the habitat of plants and animals there.

Residents said the agency’s maintenance department had allegedly left concrete, gypsum boards, wood scraps, paper trash and plastic bags at El Kabayo, the disposal area.

Amethya dela Llana, manager of the SBMA Ecology Center, slapped the operators of the disposal area with a closure order and directed the agency’s maintenance and transportation department to clean it up.

Illegal landfill

Dela Llana said the inspection team she sent to the area found illegal landfilling activities involving solid wastes.

The team also confirmed the presence of construction debris and piles of trash that were scraped and pushed into the forested area, she said.

She said the team reported that the area had drawn flies due to noxious odor.

Dela Llana ordered Angel Bagaloyos, manager of the
SBMA maintenance and transportation department, to explain in writing why he allowed the disposal of residual wastes in the area.

Mountain of debris

One of the complaining residents said a bulldozer owned by the SBMA was seen flattening what she described as a “mountain of construction debris” on Friday.

“Aside from this area being part of the forest where animals and birds cross freely, we fear this would become an open invitation to unscrupulous characters to also dump their garbage,” the resident said. “We also discovered there was a second dumping site a few meters into the forested area.”

Other residents said they also saw garbage bags hidden under dried leaves, indicating that there was a deliberate attempt to conceal the trash. —Allan Macatuno

Source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

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