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Binay’s P200M pork train to Palace

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 Julius Mariveles Leave a comment

WE ARE reprinting this story originally titled “Binay bags P200-M PDAF: Pork train to Malacanang?” by PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas and published on our website on July 22, 2012.

WITHIN six months after he took his oath in June 2010 as the country’s 15th Vice President, Jejomar ‘Jojo’ C. Binay, had two wishes fulfilled, with a lot of help from President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and his friends in Congress.

First, Aquino granted Binay’s request to set up official residence and workplace at the newly renovated Coconut Palace in Manila, a 2.7-hectare “Imeldific” complex built in 1978 supposedly for P1.2-billion.

Second, Aquino and Congress allowed Binay to have his own pork barrel – until then the exclusive perk of lawmakers – although they later pruned his plea for P500-million pork per year to only P200 million.

Click on the photo to read the full article.

PRESIDENT AQUINO, right, with Vice President Binay during happier times| PCOO Photo

Binay’s P200M pork train to Palace

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 Julius Mariveles Leave a comment

WE ARE reprinting this story originally titled “Binay bags P200-M PDAF: Pork train to Malacanang?” by PCIJ Executive Director Malou Mangahas and published on our website on July 22, 2012.

WITHIN six months after he took his oath in June 2010 as the country’s 15th Vice President, Jejomar ‘Jojo’ C. Binay, had two wishes fulfilled, with a lot of help from President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and his friends in Congress.

First, Aquino granted Binay’s request to set up official residence and workplace at the newly renovated Coconut Palace in Manila, a 2.7-hectare “Imeldific” complex built in 1978 supposedly for P1.2-billion.

Second, Aquino and Congress allowed Binay to have his own pork barrel – until then the exclusive perk of lawmakers – although they later pruned his plea for P500-million pork per year to only P200 million.

Click on the photo to read the full article.

PRESIDENT AQUINO, right, with Vice President Binay during happier times| PCOO Photo

From the Files: The Binays

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 Julius Mariveles Leave a comment

THE Department of Interior and Local Government has served today the suspension order issued by the Office of the Ombudsman on Makati City Mayor Jejomar “Junjun” Binay Jr.

The anti-graft body issued March 11 the six-month preventive suspension on Binay and 15 other City Hall officials over charges of alleged corruption in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II, a report published on gmanetwork.com said.

Junjun Binay is the namesake of his father, the vice-president of the Philippines. He is one of the seven members of the Binay family, most of whom are into politics.

He started his political career as a chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan or youth council in Makati.

The Binays are among the political families that rose to power after the EDSA People Power Revolt in 1986. Read more about them in this 2007 report of PCIJ former deputy director Jaileen Jimeno originally published on the iReport magazine.

Click on here or on the photo to read the full article.

VICE-PRESIDENT JEJOMARY BINAY, left, with President Aquino during happier times | PCOO Photo

When top cops tweet and chirp

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 mcmangahas Leave a comment

“Interestingly for a senior cop with apparently little time on his hands, Garbo is also trailing innumerable Twitter accounts that belong to inhabitants of the entertainment and sports world here and overseas. Among them are Victoria’s Secret, Rhian Ramos, Phil Younghusband. LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, Disney World, Jennifer Lopez, Emma Watson, Avril Lavigne, Gary Valenciano, Taylor Swift, NBA, Jodi Sta Maria, Yeng Constantino, Georgina Wilson, Valerie Concepcion, KC Concepcion, Luis Manzano, Camille Pratts, Bianca Gonzales, Sunshine Cruz, Mylene Dizon, Iza Calzado, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Daniel Padilla, Megan Young, Solenn Heusaff, Isabelle Daza, Andie Eigenmann, Rachelle Ann Go, Sam Pinto, Richard Gutierrez, Angel Locsin, Rocco Nacino, Anne Curtis-Smith, Bianca King, Sarah Lahbati, Alden Richards, LJ Reyes, Lovi Poe. Ryza Cenon, Isabel Oli, Michelle Madrigal, Sheena Halili, and Bea Binene.”

By Malou Mangahas

TOP COPS, teeny tweeps?

Yes, the most senior officials of the Philippine National Police have joined the ranks of newbies on Twitterlandia.

Welcome three Twitter teens from the PNP top brass: Benjamin Magalong, Marcelo Garbo and Alan L. Purisima.

Purisima is the suspended PNP general who recently resigned from his director general post. Magalong and Garbo are among the top contenders to succeed him.

Of the three, Magalong seems to be the most shy in Twitter. Purisima and Garbo in comparison have racked up quite intriguing Twitter trails. One of them has even revealed a keen interest in showbiz and sports.

(Two other officials reported to be in the running to be top cop, Raul Petrasanta and Ricardo Marquez, do not seem to have Twitter accounts.)

Benjamin Magalong, director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and chair of the PNP Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapano incident:

SCREENGRAB from @benjiemagalong Twitter page

@benjiemagalong posted his first tweet, “Testy tweet @CIDG_PIO” on May 11, 2014. He has since pushed 55 more, but it has been months since his latest, which was on Oct. 7, 2014.

Magalong’s Twitter handle features only six photos and video mostly about his visits or meetings with CIDG field units, while one showed him with former senator Panfilo M. Lacson.

He has 1,308 followers and follows 125 tweeps, including 17 who he has tagged as his favorites. Among these are the Twitter handles of Purisima, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, President Benigno S. Aquino III, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, Official Gazette PH, Deped, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), various PNP and CIDG units, and major media agencies.

Alan L. Purisima, former director general of the PNP:

SCREENGRAB from @AlanLPurisima Twitter page

@AlanLPurisima describes himself as “The Chief, Philippine National Police” on Twitter. He is also on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ala.purisima.

Purisima has pushed 270 tweets, has 16,500 followers, follows 41 tweeps, and has tagged 21 accounts among his “favorites.” He has posted 48 photos and videos.

Purisima had his Twitter debut on July 18, 2013 with this message: “Serbisyong Makatotohanan Para sa Bayan.”

He followed that same day with a second one: “Follow me at @AlanLPurisima”

His latest tweet moved on Dec. 9, 2014 stating, “Press Statement: DILG Implementation of Preventive Suspension Order against PNP Chief Purisima is Illegal. full text here http://bit.ly/1yylNwM ” He uploaded the file on Scribd.

Amid news reports about his allegedly unexplained wealth, Purisima used his Twitter page to air his side between September and December 2014:

* “Hinding hindi po ako papayag na manalo ang katiwalian. Ipagpapatuloy ko ang paglilingkod sa bayan at sa pagsira ng walang kabuluhang gawain”
* “…at dumudungis sa pangalan at reputasyon ng kapulisan. Kaya naman po hindi na tayo nagulat na sadya tayong sinisiraan…
* “Patuloy din ang pag-imbestiga sa tinatawag nating ‘scalawag’ sa serbisyo. Hindi natin kinukunsinti ang kanilang mga gawaing nakakasira…
* “Hindi po natin palalagpasin ang mga gawaing ganito. Ipararamdam natin sa kanila (kampon ng kasamaan) ang bigat ng kanilang mga ginawa.
* “Hindi rin natin sasantuhin ang ating kabaro na tumiwalag sa tungkulin at pinili na maging kampon ng kasamaan…hindi po natin palalagpasin
* “Mga kababayan, tandaan po natin na kapag tinatama natin ang anumang kamalian, papalag ang mga nakikinabang sa lumang kalakaran”
* “Smear campaign meant to block reforms at PNP” http://bit.ly/1ozl2iY
* “Kung may alam po kayong iba pang katiwalian sa inyong PNP, isumbong nyo po sa akin. Patutunayan ko sa inyo na hindi ako puro salita lamang.”
* “At makakaasa ang ating mga kababayan na hindi natin palulusutin ang ganitong mga kontrata kahit kailan..”
* “…pati pa rin ang mga (pekeng) permit to carry outside of reaidence. Ipinatigil ko na rin ito. Hindi natin palulusutin ang ganito…”
* “May sindikato din na yumayaman dahil sa kontratang di pabor sa gobyerno. Kaakibat nito ang paglalabas ng pekeng ID cards ng security guards”
* “Kung gusto ninyong magkaroon ng baril sa legal na paraan, kailangan pong humarap sa Firearms & Explosives Division. May proseso po tayo.”
* “Hindi na uubra ang mga modus operandi nila. Yan ang pinatigil ko at patuloy kong babantayan, kahit sino pa ang tamaan.”
* “Hinding-hindi po ako papayag na magkaganoon (business as usual ng sindikato at may raket) Hindi na uubra ang mga modus operandi nila.”

The speeches and activities of President Aquino occupied significant space on Purisima’s Twitter accounts, as well as notes about better days Purisima had shared with Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II. For instance:

• “113th Police Service Anniversary with @noynoyaquino and @MARoxas”
• “Press conference with SILG @MARoxas regarding PNP’s Oplan Lambat to reduce crime incidence today at NHQ lobby”

A slew of self-promotion tweets came in, too:

• “Courtesy call of Mr. Lamont Siller, the new Legal Attache of the U.S. Embassy yesterday at Camp Crame”
• “Received the 4th Trailblazer Award for the PNP, towards a highly capable, effective&credible police force last Friday”
• “Proceeds of the 1st CPNP Alan L Purisima Shooting Cup donated to PSSA received by Gov. Teng Mangudadatu-Pres. PPSA”
• “Be part of the CHIEF PNP ALAN LM PURISIMA CUP: World Shoot XVII Qualifier Match IPSC-PPSA LEVEL III on Feb. 5-9, 2014″

As for his “favorites,” Purisima tagged the Twitter accounts of Sen. Grace Poe, President Aquino, Binay, Roxas, Presidential Spokesman Edward Lacierda and his deputy Abigail Valte, DOTC, Meralco, Department of Health, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Education, various PNP units, and major print and broadcast media agencies.

Manuel Garbo, chief of PNP Directorial Staff:

SCREENGRAB from PNP-OTCDS Twitter page

@PNP_OTCDS is a hybrid official and personal account. Below the Twitter name PNP TCDS is this description: “OTCDS is home to the PNP’s #4 man, The Chief of the Directorial Staff, PDDG Marcelo Poyaoan Garbo Jr., NHQ-PNP, Camp Crame, QC.”

Garbo has logged 198 tweets, has 6,444 followers, and is following a huge number of 1,644 Twitter accounts. He has tagged 27 “favorite” tweeps, and has posted 132 photos and video.

Garbo’s most recent post was on Feb. 22, 2015 with a photo to boot: “Courtesy call of Mr International, PO2 Mariano Flormata aka Neil Perez to TCDS.”

A most prolific tweep, Garbo’s posts are a mix of official family, fun, friends, and leisure concerns. Among his tweets:

• “Sharing laughter with friends from the Cebu media”
• “Visit of Korean diver friends from Cebu”
• “DIPOs you will monitor the Tweets of RDs, PDs & CDs. Why? Frm this, you will know who is working & not working.”
• “Cascading CPNPs directive on the use of Twitter to DIPO Ex-Os, PIO, DPCR, PCRG & NOC.”
• “Turnover of 25 state-of-the-art portable radios frm Motorola Solutions Phils to the PNP.”
• “2014 BOSS IRONMAN CHALLENGE IX”
• “A visit by friends from the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry”
• “With Members of the Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry.”
• “Let us maximize the use of twitter. This is a way to show that we are working.”
• “Selling twitter to focal persons of ISA.”
• “Whiteboard session. Commanders must also dedicate time to mentor his men, not only to teach but also to sync thoughts.”
• “Ceremonial tee-off of Mayor Aldong Parojinog Golf Tournament at Ozamis Ozamis City.”
• “The police should do more than just enforce the law, they should be forward thinkers and community movers to effectively prevent crimes.”
• “do you know that PNP PIPS has 3 components: Goal Setting, Submission of Detailed Security Plans, & Periodic Review & Assessment”
• “PATROL stands for “Peace and Order Agenda for Transformation and upholding of the Rule-Of- Law”

The first Twitter account Garbo followed was that of his former boss and classmate, Alan L. Purisima.

A MISHMASH of accounts. The Twitter pages being followed by the PNP-OTCDS and Dir. Marcelo Garbo

These days, Garbo is following 1,644 Twitter accounts. They make for a long, eclectic list that does not seem to belong to a star-rank toughie of the PNP.

The serious and the heavyweight include PNP, government, and Twitter handles of local and international media (among them ABS-CBN, GMA7, RTVM, Inquirer, Philippine Star, Candy magazine, Yes! Magazine, Preview, Gmanews Online, Bayan mo, Ipatrol mo, Rappler, as well as TV shows like “SONA,” “24Oras,” “Saksi,”, “Umagang Kayganda,” “Interaksyon,” and “Bandila,” and CNN, Reuters, Washington Post, and New York Times), as well as that of U.S. President Barack Obama and business tycoons Bill Gates and Manny V. Pangilinan.

He is also following SAF, Smart, Yahoo! Phils, Twitter Phils, Climate Change Commission, Philippine Army, Bongbong Marcos, , Cebu Pacific, Globe Telecom, Sony Phils, Caltex Phils, the Liberal Party, NAPC, Huawei Enteprise, DAR, Cheche Lazaro, Senate, DFASpokesman, PCGG, NUJP, Namfrel, Deutsche Bank. H&M Phils, SM cinema, Highway Patrol Group, UN development, various PNP units, PCSDPO, DOTC, PNP-PIO, among others.

Interestingly for a senior cop with apparently little time on his hands, Garbo is also trailing innumerable Twitter accounts that belong to inhabitants of the entertainment and sports world here and overseas. Among them are Victoria’s Secret, Rhian Ramos, Phil Younghusband. LeBron James, Oprah Winfrey, Disney World, Jennifer Lopez, Emma Watson, Avril Lavigne, Gary Valenciano, Taylor Swift, NBA, Jodi Sta Maria, Yeng Constantino, Georgina Wilson, Valerie Concepcion, KC Concepcion, Luis Manzano, Camille Pratts, Bianca Gonzales, Sunshine Cruz, Mylene Dizon, Iza Calzado, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Daniel Padilla, Megan Young, Solenn Heusaff, Isabelle Daza, Andie Eigenmann, Rachelle Ann Go, Sam Pinto, Richard Gutierrez, Angel Locsin, Rocco Nacino, Anne Curtis-Smith, Bianca King, Sarah Lahbati, Alden Richards, LJ Reyes, Lovi Poe. Ryza Cenon, Isabel Oli, Michelle Madrigal, Sheena Halili, and Bea Binene. – PCIJ, March 2015

Backstory: Top cops gone awry

March 12, 2015March 12, 2015 mcmangahas Leave a comment

By Rowena F. Caronan

FINGERS ARE crossed that whoever becomes the next Director General of the Philippine National Police (PNP) would not also become a magnet of controversies like many of his predecessors.

In fact, of the four PNP heads who have served under President Benigno S. Aquino III, only one – Nicanor A. Bartolome – managed to bow out of service scandal-free. The rest somehow became entangled in controversies that rocked their leadership of an institution tasked to enforce the law and maintain peace and order.

PNP’s most recent chief, Alan L.M. Purisima, resigned last February 6 amid the investigation on the Mamasapano incident.

Purisima had the longest tenure as PNP director general post under Aquino, a distinction that is likely to remain until Aquino’s own term as President ends. Purisima’s more than two years as PNP chief, however, has been marred with numerous controversies – starting with his appointment on December 18, 2012.

His immediate predecessor, Bartolome, had been asked to relinquish his post three months ahead of his mandatory retirement on March 16, 2013. The reason for Bartolome’s early retirement, Malacañang said, was to have a smooth transition of the tasks of the PNP head to whoever was appointed and for preparations for the May 2013 elections to proceed without hitches. After all, the election ban on appointments would begin March 29, 2013 – too close to Bartolome’s mandatory retirement date.

Bartolome had initially planned to go on “non-duty” status before end-2012 while holding on to his four-star rank until March to obtain full retirement benefits. The four-star rank, however, is the highest title in PNP and held by only one police official. This meant that until Bartolome retired, his replacement, Purisima, would remain a three-star official and on the same rank as some of his subordinates.

Both Bartolome and Purisima are known long-time shooting buddies of President Aquino. During the term of the President’s mother, Cory Aquino, Bartolome and Purisima had been members of the Presidential Security Group assigned to protect the Aquino family.

Bartolome eventually agreed to early retirement, enabling Purisima to obtain the highest rank in the PNP upon his installation into office. Following his appointment, Purisima promised to walk the path of Aquino’s “Daang Matuwid,” saying his administration would not tolerate erring and corrupt police officers.

He spelled out his plans for the PNP through a program called “CODE-P: 2013,” which stood for competence, organizational development, discipline, excellence and professionalism. He continued the Individual Performance Scorecard (IP Scorecard), which served as performance monitoring and evaluation mechanism that became the basis for sanctioning or rewarding a police officer. In October 2013, Purisima relieved police officers in Western Visayas and Central Luzon for alleged inaccurate reporting of crime statistics in their jurisdiction. He also relieved the police officers involved in the rubout in Antimonan, Quezon in December of the same year.

Since March 2014, however, it has been downhill for Purisima. The first blows were graft and plunder complaints about a multi-million-peso contract that the PNP signed with the Werfast Documentation Agency Inc. to deliver gun permits. Werfast was allegedly charging overpriced and substandard service. According to the complainant, Werfast was not in the Department of Transportation and Communication’s (DOTC’s) list of authorized courier service; moreover, the company allegedly secured its certificate of incorporation only three months after the deal had been made in May 2011.

News reports later quoted Purisima as admitting that the contract did not undergo a public bidding since the PNP would not pay for the courier fees. By December 2014, his involvement in the anomalous contract would become the basis for the Ombudsman to order a six-month preventive suspension on him and other police officers.

In June 2014, Purisima was also questioned for spending P25 million for the renovation of his official residence or the “White House” at Camp Crame. Indirect bribery charges were filed against him in September for supposedly accepting gifts from his Mason brothers, who donated funds that were used for the renovation. In addition, he was slapped with graft and plunder charges for his alleged untruthful declaration of the value of a multi-million-peso property in Nueva Ecija, as well as the absence in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth of a 10-hectare piece of land in Talisay, Batangas that he is said to own. Purisima has denied owning the Batangas property.

More recently, Purisima found himself at the center of the Senate investigation on the Mamasapano tragedy. He was lambasted for allegedly meddling in the operations of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) team on January 25, 2015 in the remote Maguindanao town even while on a preventive suspension. On that day, SAF troopers had an unexpected clash or “misencounter” with members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during a mission to capture terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir (also known as Marwan) and bomb-maker Abdul Basit Usman. The Mamasapano clash claimed the lives of 44 SAF officers, 18 MILF members, and five civilians.

In previous occasions, President Aquino, upon being questioned by the media, had repeatedly defended Purisima. But on February 6, Aquino announced on live television that he had accepted Purisima’s resignation. Purisima’s mandatory retirement, however, is on November 21, 2015 yet.

The Mamasapano tragedy is one of the two largest botched operations of the PNP under Aquino’s term. The first took place on Aug. 23, 2010, during which the apparent mishandling of police operations led to the death of eight Hong Kong nationals being held hostage by a dismissed police officer. The hostage-taker was also killed in the incident.

The hostage crisis, which earned the country international shame and infamy, involved then outgoing PNP director general Jesus A. Verzosa.

Versoza had already resigned by the time the report of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee on the hostage crisis came out in September 2010. Even while Versoza was identified as one of the culpable parties, no legal action was taken against him and other high-ranking officials, including then Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico E. Puno. Puno was known to be the President’s close ally.

Verzosa was named PNP chief in September 2008 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He remained in his post until September 2010 or about three months after Aquino took office. Yet even after his retirement, Verzosa still made headlines, along with his successor, Raul M. Bacalzo, as one of the alleged recipients of multi-million-peso monthly jueteng payola. Both denied the allegations.

Bacalzo re-implemented a one-strike policy on jueteng and illegal gambling activities immediately after his appointment in September 2010. Under the policy, PNP commanders would face relief if illegal activities remained active in their jurisdiction. Bacalzo also banned police officials from playing golf during office hours to improve the PNP’s image.

By the time his term ended in September 2011, Bacalzo had ordered the removal of the PNP logistics director and other officials as chairman and members of the Bids and Awards Committee that was involved in the anomalous procurement of choppers in 2009. His office also conducted a probe on the irregular repairs of light armored vehicles in 2007.

Bacalzo’s tenure as PNP chief, however, was marked by a rash of car thefts, bus bombings, and alleged ambushes of the National People’s Army (NPA). Yet, in a statement posted on the PNP website, the country’s crime rate supposedly decreased under Bacalzo’s leadership.

Bacalzo was Aquino’s first appointee in the PNP. Although he led the institution briefly, he is the only one so far who served until his mandatory retirement, which was on September 9, 2011.

Succeeding Bacalzo was Bartolome, who hails from the President’s ancestral hometown, Tarlac. Before his selection as PNP chief, Bartolome was popularly known as the face and mouthpiece of the organization, serving as such under several PNP director generals.

Bartolome headed the PNP for 15 months, from September 2011 to December 2012. He is remembered for securing funding for the construction of various PNP hospitals, including those built in Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City and Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez in Butuan City. His success in securing projects from the Department of Health, however, is credited largely to his having a wife – Dr. Noemi Bartolome – working there. – PCIJ, March 2015