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May
18
Riding in Tandem robbers invade Soldiers Hills Village in Muntinlupa
Filed Under Muntinlupa, Sumbungan! | Leave a Comment
A reader messaged us and asked us if we could warn residents of Soldiers Hills Village in Muntinlupa about a riding in tandem thieves going around the area.
According to the concerned reader, the suspects act as if they are just doing something on their motorcycles but in reality are observing those they can victimize.
He gave an instance wherein the riders pulled on the bag of a girl who did not let go of her bag. The girl was dragged several feet because of this. This was around 8pm.
“Di namen sila ma-identify kase mga naka-helmet,” said the concerned reader.
There were also instances wherein these riders would position themselves across some houses then as soon as the owner of the house enters their property, the suspects would barge into the house with them.
“Security is not enough. We should all help each other in ensuring the safety in our community,” said the reader, adding that residents should report suspicious-looking men hanging around the neighborhood to authorities immediately.
May
16
Motorcycle drag racing in Muntinlupa; Watch video here
Filed Under Muntinlupa, News | Leave a Comment
Wow. Even after the Muntinlupa Police asked them to stop and disperse already.
What the Muntinlupa policeman also said was just sad and frustrating.
Watch the video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPdhrKzytIs&feature=player_embedded
May
15
SC junks complaint vs CA justice
Filed Under Muntinlupa, News | Leave a Comment
From abs-cbnnews.com:
By Ina Reformina
MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has junked an administrative complaint against a Court of Appeals (CA) associate justice arising from a homeowners dispute in Muntinlupa City.
In an en banc court ruling, the high court dismissed the complaint against Justice Socorro Inting “for want of substance.”
In their complaint, officers and trustees of Katarungan Village Homeowners Association, Inc. of Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa City accused Inting of committing grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority, and conduct unbecoming of a Court of Appeals Justice.
Complainants claimed it was wrong for the magistrate to have joined some members of the association in filing complaints against its several newly elected officers in June 2010 before the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB). The dispute stemmed from a split in the composition of the association’s set of officers and trustees; Inting comes from one of the two factions.
The high court said Inting, as a trustee of her village’s homeowners association, has the right take a position in any legitimate issue that might arise in the course of the discharge of her duties [as village officer].
“She could of course be wrong on those issues but it is not for this that she can be subjected to administrative action… None of those issues are related to her work as Justice of the CA,” the decision read.
The high court said that while it is its duty to investigate every allegation of wrong doing against judges and other court personnel, “it is also its duty to protect them (judges/justices) from frivolous charges.”
May
11
The Muntinlipa City government yesterday dismissed the graft cases filed by a former official against Mayor Aldrin San Pedro and 15 city councilors as nothing more than a “squid tactic” purportedly to conceal the extortion and other illegal acts that he committed while working as head of the city’s bids and awards secretariat.
Omar Acosta, city’s public information chief, said Abel Sumabat, who claimed to have acted as “bagman” for the respondent city officials in the graft case he filed with the Ombudsman, is himself facing at least six criminal cases before the city prosecutors office involving, among others, extortion, estafa and malversation of public funds.
Three of the cases were filed against Sumabat by private contractors from whom he allegedly extorted close to P5 million by making misrepresentation that the money is for “special operations procedure ” (SOP) to ensure that the contracts will eventually be awarded to them.
But when his promise did not materialize, the contractors decided to file charges against Sumabat, Acosta said.
Sensing that his anomalous acts were about to be discovered, Sumabat promptly resigned on February 2012. Fearing indictment, he then turned the table against the city officials by filing the graft case and even sought state protection through the Witness Protection Program.
“It appears that (Sumabat) is indeed a bagman but only for himself,” Acosta said. “He used his office as head of the BAC secretariat enrich himself.”
“It’s, therefore, obvious that Sumabat filed the graft case only as smoke screen to hide his own guilt,” Acosta added. “Worse, is that some politicians are exploiting the situation by coddling Sumabat, hoping to gain from its outcome.
In addition, a careful reading of the case will reveal that most of the charges made by Sumabat were most rehash versions of cases that had been previously dismissed by the Ombudsman such as those pertaining to purchase of trolley bags and various infrastructure projects.
Respondent city officials are confident that truth will come out and they will be eventually vindicated.
In another development, the city legal office and lawyer for the respondent city officials, Atty Leonard De Vera, sought the removal of Sumabat in the WPP, saying that Sumabat is not a credible witness for the state, citing the numerous cases that so far have been filed against him.
“Truly, there is no greater irony that to have a corrupt former government employee use the agencies of the government to protect himself from the very State he defrauded,” De Vera said in his letter to Justice Secretary Leila De Lima.
May
11
From philstar.com:
By Michael Punongbayan
MANILA, Philippines – Muntinlupa Mayor Aldrin San Pedro and 15 city councilors are facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged rigged bidding procedures and supposedly anomalous transactions for projects worth a total of P1.2 billion since 2007.
Abel Sumabat, a former head of the bids and award committee secretariat and self-confessed “bagman,” filed a supplemental affidavit before the Ombudsman Wednesday to clarify his allegations and including the 15 councilors as respondents. Sumabat is currently under the protection of the Witness Protection Program (WPP) of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
He named in his supplemental affidavit District 1 Councilors Raul Corro, Patricio Boncayao, Jr., Margarita Amythyst Labios, Baldomaro Niefes, Alexander Diaz, Ringo Teves, and Dan Hubert Barlis; and District 2 Councilors Luvi Constantino, Robert Abas, Neptali Santiago, Joselito Arevalo, Robert Baes, Elmer Espeleta, Rafael Sevilla, and Vergel Ulanday.
Sumabat, who held the position of Internal Auditor IV, said he believes his life is in danger because of what he exposed.
Records show he first filed a complaint on Feb. 20, accusing San Pedro of involvement in various allegedly anomalous transactions like the P889-million garbage hauling and disposal contracts were awarded to different firms without the conduct of public biddings over the past five years.
Sumabat said the P240-million contract for the rehabilitation of the Muntinlupa City Hall in 2007, the P22-million supply contract for trolley bags in 2008, a P130-million road asphalting project in 2007, the P55-million school building project in 2008, the purchase of three firetrucks and an aerial ladder worth P103 million in 2008, and the questionable purchase of 20,000 sacks of rice in December 2011, among others, should also be probed.
“Part of my work as bagman is to collect the SOP (standard operating procedure) due for each project, make advances from suppliers and contractors in exchange for contracts and PO (purchase orders),” he said in his affidavit.
“All the money collected will be remitted to the city mayor. Moreover, I was assigned to prepare all pertinent documents in the conduct of rigged bidding,” Sumabat added.
