Perhaps it is so massive and so scandalous: ghost projects, cut and paste, uncompleted projects op, etc
Massive 20-25% commissions for just including in NEP, UA, or Bicam, paid in advance. etc. Milking raiding the treasury progressed from pork barrel, PDAF and now flood control projects. How creative our top leaders can be Whom we entrust with out taxes and nations future.
Sen Chiz Escudero, in a privilege speech before a Senate Plenary session points to fmr HOR Speaker Martin Romualdez as the mastermind behind the flood control projects He urged every one to rip the script/narrative of Romualdez to divert attention on the anomalous flood control controversy.
The good senator was seen to be defending himself and distancing himself from: 1 insertions emanating from the Senate; 2. allegations that he received millions of campaign funds from contractor.
This is going to be the start of the fight between two former boss of the Legislative bodies. Where will this lead to? Who will win? Who will be jailed?
Cong Elizalde (Zaldy Co) has sent irrevocable letter of resignation as Ako Bikol Party List Representative amidst grave threat to his and family's life, and amidst lack of due process in current flood control anomalies. Most damning was Orly Guteza testimony before Senate Blue Ribbon committee that directly linked him to the current controversy: ie delivering suitcases full of money to the latter's residence.
He resigned on the deadline given to him by Speaker of the House Faustino Dy III to return to the Philippines
No one knows the whereabouts of Cos family: USA or Europe?
Various names were mentioned by Usec Bernardo in his testimony at the Blue Ribbon committee and there were several: Binay,, (Angara, Revilla) Villanueva. Earlier, Estrada, Escuderos name was dragged into the mess. Will there be more. Will a quorum be lost at the Senate? Will they be recalled? or can they be ousted?
Even Sen Marcoleta is even suspected of having a COI, his wife being an independent director of Stronghold insurance, a vendor of performance bond of the Discayas.
1. Sec Vince Dizon has joked that he nearly jumped into the river while inspectting an uncompleted bridge project. He has been overwhelmed by the immensity of the difficulties at the Dept, and has not yet developed a system to overcome these difficulties
2. Baguio City Mayor Magalong has resigned from ICI.
3. Testimonies from former Usec Bernardo has revealed that the following changes occur after submission of budget at NEP
1. At errata, those that were placed initially disappear, or are reduced, or are replaced by other projects
2. At BICAM more adjustments and insertions
4. The testimony of driver/security of Cong Co, Orly Guteza is reported to be missing and his affidavit is to be discredited because the notary disowned the notarization. That is the only damning evidence that links the scandal to high ranking govt official
5. The testimonies are leading to the highest leaders of the land:
1. Mention of the exec secretary
2. The deliveries of huge sums of cash to houses of Cong Co at Valle Verde and Horizon and MR Aguado residence near the gate of Gate 4 of Malacanang.
MR denies ownership of Aguado mansion. (After testimony of member of security detail) but:
Romauldez himself has kept vague about Aguado’s ownership.
But his cousin, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez, in a November 2022 column for the Philippine Star, wrote that Vice President Sara Duterte and then-US vice president Kamala Harris met “at the Aguado residence of Speaker Martin Romualdez” where “they exchanged notes on a number of topics that included Filipino food.”
Photos of the Office of the Vice President from Duterte and Harris’ meeting incidentally show a map of Eastern Visayas displayed at the foyer of Aguado Residence. Martin Romualdez represents the 1st district of Leyte, a province in the Eastern Visayas.
There is a new buzz going around town coming from a sitting lawmaker law bender. Wala nang batas2!
This has drawn a lot of flak from netizens legal circles and public at large.
Perhaps the good senator is tired and sick of parliamentary niceties and technicalities of the law. And maybe why he said that. But that has put his office and the institution into being irrelevant and to be embarrassed of. There has to be parliamentary order so that the gentlemen there would not engage in fistfight. Training and familiarity with the job is probably needed. From being a journo to that of a statesman
Mayor Isko would run after them and PNP will use full force of the law to make them remember not to mess up with law and order. The good mayor evokes sense of peace order and stability. Good work Mayor Isko. Gods Gift to Manila
The alleged mastermind was a lawyer and/or a retired politician.
The new Speaker of the HOR made his first order: cancellation of travel clearance of Elizalde Co, a congressman and alleged owner of Sunwest and its subsidiaries. But it was alleged that he is not coming back. He would rather risk losing his elected position it was alleged.
His location in USA could not be determined. He has made good his exit plan. Good planner
We dont know whether such acts are enough to placate the rioting angry citizens.
It was heart pounding watching these videos. It makes you afraid but you could notice that those leading the violence looked like they are provocateurs and perhaps paid: they wore bonnets, had black clothing and wore masks. They were not protesting or holding a rally. They were destroying and fighting and hurting authorities. They destroyed traffic lights, islands and barriers. This is no way to protest against wrong doing by doing another wrongdoing They are organized. And that should be investigated. The destruction of public property was just as sad and ironic: protest vs those who plundered govt property.
This post condemns the acts of plunder and pillage of govt treasury; equally condemnable were acts of anarchy and crimes against police officers (who had nothing to do with the acts of high govt officials). We value order vs disorder. WE are sure there is still Divine Justice
The Sept rally was a perfect storm for many factors:
1. The Duterte PBBM conflict which included the arrest and extradition to the Hague of PRRD;
2. The flood control scandal which were featured live on TV provoking anger in many of the watchers.
3. The anti PBBM growth wanting him to step down for poor governance
4. The scandalous and hurting display of wealth by nepo babies, the contractors, employees and official of the govt department for roads and highways; pictures of millions stacked for distribution to the commissioners (elected govt officials?)
5. Anomalous GAA with insertions, the diversion of Philhealth, PDIC funds to be part of UA
6. The widespread huge corruption of govt funds and taxpayers money.
7/ The floods brought about by typhoons and coupled with 2.
The riots were bound to erupt and explode and they did.
We do not want this order. We want Peace. in the Philippines
Peace and order has been restored in Manila. Mayor Isko is inspecting the damages in Manila. He vowed to run after the rioters. And destroyers of public property
Its scandalous that the children and wives of politicians are being bashed at soc media because they say, the sins of parents are not the sins of children. But there are laws that prohibit such display of profligacy: RA 6713:
Section 4h: h) Simple living. - Public officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form.
Take note nepo babies and DPWH contractors too. Maybe the law declared it so because it hurts. Its like rubbing salt into an open wound. It must include also government contractors and suppliers?
Its not because they want to enjoy, or relax. But because they are laundering money. As we have seen in the case of Alcantara. How do they launder the money. ?
They go to a casino and exchange the cash for chips. They can do any of these things:
1. Lose some of the money and exchange some of the cash for managers check and declare the managers
check as winning
2. Arrange for a game where somebody wins and takes out the winning as managers check.
The winning has thus been laundered quickly.
So as why many laundromats flourish, (there are many dirty clothes and people are tired of washing clothes manually) So do casinos. Many people are laundering dirty money.
This post hate casinos. I do not admire tycoons who are into casinos. They do not add to the economy but they destroy and subtract. They are useful only to the owners who rake in billions and help steal billions from the govt coffers through money laundering. They propagate a false sense of success to the winner and make others addicted.
In many cities in USA where there were casinos, blight has crept in and rise and fall of the casino players contribute to this. Also crimes abound. How much do we know about Vegas lately?
Due to this investigation of corruption and we relate this to beautiful clothes, cars, mansions of celebs, we need not feel slighted nor feel less privileged anymore. Whether they wear AP, or Rolex or Philip Patek or Lamborghini Miura, or a Ferrari F40 or they are fashion icon wearing fabulous jewelry, we should lessen our admiration of them.
There was a classmate (he is now deceased) who wears a necklace of high karat necklace who used to be a contractor at DE 2 at a nearby province. The DE close to him was a kumare pa.
This post met a contractor also for DE in an island province. She is a HO account of a bank and was known to order closure of a jewelry store in MM. She has properties in key cities of Asia. When I met her she wore earrings rings, bracelets of diamond (high karat) and a gold watch with diamonds. It could have been several millions.
But now they are probably hiding these stuff. They could have sourced from illegal deals or worse stolen from taxpayers money. As this investigations are ferreting them out It is safer not to show the spoils of theft and besides it is prohibited under RA 6713, 4h
1. How did we get into this? The leader should know the head leads the tails.
2. The cousin was involved and was tolerated And there are indications that a very close relative is also involved.
3. It all started with the UA, amounting to more than P500 billion, that were taken out from other GOCCs: Philhealth that went into UA and the insertions. It came from the GA that was signed by the President
4. The good department did the MO (looked for contractors licenses did the ghost substandard projects) and the manipulation and even the connotational body supposed to do the oversight, apparently blinded the % did not see the ghost projects, substandard etc. Probably may parte sa %. It was a massive systemic graft and corruption
Mga terms mga opportunity for corruption
1. Insertion
2. "Parking"
3. "Sagasa"
4. Moro moro bidding;
5. Highest bidder sa bigayan
Rental of the license: I was invited by the CB of PN to rent out our license for 5% I did not agree because this does not even cover VAT.
May this be a healing and cleansing moment for the HOR. May the new Speaker be successful in his promise.
Really it is a time to clean the House get rid of the clowns, and puppets and the criminals. The entitled persons to pork barrel, the PDAF, and now the flood control funds and insertions
It is time for redemption.
However serious doubts are all ready being cast whether he can rid the house of pests.
He got elected with 253 votes. I met his father a decade ago during the time of Erap. He visited Erap in Tanay and visited our office for a possible business deal. His entourage consisted of about a dozen armed guards.
This post fervently hopes that crimes against the people with the wholesale plunder (will this be tried in ICC) will be stopped and the cases filed before the proper courts so that the guilty can be punished. No need for revenge protest rallies, burning of houses, and robbery of the houses of the representatives. (not thieves)
Finally the nation can relax a while and avoid a dangerous confrontation with the ugly angry mob crying for stop to the perceived injustice and the continuing plunder of the Philippine Treasury. The head of the state is wondering how come we got into this. Its funny. The Head leads the tail. What happens to the country and the rest of the govt is due to his leadership: its absence or presence. And the speaker is blood relative.
Maybe the Presidency downfall is next to come. What has happened to the country: a plunder of the highest order must be stopped. The fingers point resigned SHOR and his cohorts as the probable cause Cases yet have to be filed. The father could have ordered a firing squad for the offenders. All that they did was a defiance of what the Lord has ordered for us to do on this earth. Even what the nepos are doing, flaunting their riches (which they claim did not come from the people- maybe from God) is all ready sickening. Thanks the Lord for this reckoning and for the reflection that took place in the conscience of this person. May the Lord have mercy on his soul.
The public has had enough of corruption news and has gone into protests because of the moro2 and what is perceived as gloved approach to handling these scandals. A rally was held at EDSA today, and much bigger one tomorrow. There were other leaders calling for attack on the houses of the corrupt congressmen
Filipinos are probably tired and sick of large scale corruption and plunder of flood control projects amounting to millions: ghost, uncompleted projects, substandard. And large billions of kickbacks too involving top govt DPWH officials and legislators.
First it was in Indonesia, then Nepal. And soon....
The root casue was insertion and somebody from Bicol and another powerful persons in the Legislature. They should e stopped. We hope even Hell accepts them
The contractors who are being pressed to tell names linked at least 3 senators and 60+ congressmen to flood control ghost projects and other anomlies. Sen Lacson, now the Chair of blue ribbon committee cautioned however that they can not be charged without valid receipts ... He3. They will not sign receipts. Who does (Judas)
I dont think so. But due to their pride and search for fame, they included themselves in profligate display of luxury and wealth. Their parents request please do not include them. We the netizens did not cause. It is the choice of the nepo ladies and their parents ..
The protests in Indonesia over increase of allowances of lawmakers sparked awesome destruction and trouble. Will this happen in PHL amidst much greater amount of money alleged to have been stolen and the profligacy being posted by the nepos.? This post thinks what happened in PHL is more outrageous
Where were our activists when legislators in the PHL voted unto themselves huge emoluments The flood control anomalies, budget insertions and ghost projects have to stop And the perpetrators jailed. Will that happen. The heavens took the first step by dumping huge amount of rain at the HQ of the manggagatas...
Why did he resign? Maybe its out of delicadeza or shame. Thats the least he could do, short of committing the Japanese harakiri to protect his honor.
But a sinless man would run to rather than run away from the problem. May be it is too huge problem for his office to solve and has ruined his beloved Departmetn for so long, and he has allowed the corruption to fester.
How about Sec. Mark Villar? He had no prior knowledge about this? What did he do to stop these corruption?
May matinding baha na naranasan sa QC nitong nakaraang Sabado at ito ay limitado lang sa Commonwealth, pook ng Ateneo at UP. Depensa ng Pag asa DOST: ibinuhos ang limang araw na ulan sa loob ng isang oras (Ito dapat pagplanuhan ng DPWH. Ito bagong norm) Ito ang hinuha/palagay ng may akda:
1. Para makiaalam na mga iskolar ng UP, mga pare at Atenista tungkol sa flood control controversy. Wala pa silang comento
2. Pakikiisa ng langit sa mga taong bayan. Dinala na baha sa tabi ng Kongreso para maghunos dili sila at mag ayos. Hindi na kailangang magpunta sa probinsiya para mag imbestiga. Heto na baha sa harap ninyo.
