Two ranking NBI officials not resigning — DOJ chief de Lima

 News
Sep 052013
 
Two ranking NBI officials not resigning — DOJ chief de Lima

Two ranking officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have not submitted their courtesy resignations, despite calls from Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for deputy directors with “trust and integrity issues” to resign out of delicadeza. De Lima said this is the situation after emerging from a meeting with NBI Deputy Directors Reynaldo Esmeralda (Intelligence Service) and Ruel Lasala (Special Investigation Services) late Thursday afternoon. Esmeralda and Lasala had requested the meeting with De Lima, following the resignation of NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas. Earlier, allegations surfaced that two of Rojas’ subordinates tipped off pork barrel fund scam suspect Janet Lim Napoles about an arrest warrant against her. De Lima then revealed that “three to four” of the six NBI directors have “trust and integrity issues,” as she appealed to them to resign out of delicadeza. Apart from Esmeralda and Lasala, the remaining NBI deputy directors are Rickson Chiong (Technical Services), Edmundo Arugay (Administrative Services),  Virgilio Mendez (Regional Operation Services), and Rafael Ragos (Comptroller Services). De Lima had already cleared Mendez in the controversy, while Arugay had earlier tendered a courtesy resignation. “I don’t think they are willing to submit courtesy resignations… They explained why and therefore I cannot compel them to submit their courtesy resignation,” said De Lima, explaining that resignations of presidential appointees, like NBI deputy directors, whether courtesy or not are supposed to be voluntary. De Lima said Esmeralda and Lasala gave her an explanation why they did not want to resign, but De Lima refused to Read More …

NBI chief Rojas' mind 'made up'; De Lima might take over for now

 News
Sep 052013
 
NBI chief Rojas' mind 'made up'; De Lima might take over for now

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima on Thursday revealed that she and President Benigno Aquino III had tried several times to convince National Bureau of Investigation Director Nonnatus Rojas not to give up his post, to no avail. In an interview with reporters in Manila, De Lima said Rojas seems to have “made up his mind” to resign from the highest post at the NBI not only after two of his men were accused of tipping off pork barrel scam suspect Janet Lim Napoles about her arrest, but also due to health reasons. “I talked to Dir. Nonni three times and I was unsuccessful in convincing him so sinabi ko na rin kay Presidente iyon na hindi ko na-kumbinse,” De Lima said. She added: “Kinausap niya [the President] rin once the other day ata [si Rojas]… at hindi na magbabago iyon, irrevocable ang kanyang resignation.” De Lima said she would await President Aquino’s announcement whether he was accepting or rejecting Rojas’ resignation before looking for his replacement. She said the one who would be replacing Rojas would come from within the Department of Justice, including the NBI and any of the DOJ’s other attached agencies. “One thing is clear, it’s not going to be an undersecretary kasi may jurisprudence na yan na hindj puwede mag act concurrently [ang isang undersecretary],” De Lima said. De Lima also revealed that she might head the NBI while she is looking for an officer in charge to replace Rojas. “If I am unable to designate Read More …

Napoles still at large, now considered a fugitive after arrest warrant

 News
Aug 142013
 
Napoles still at large, now considered a fugitive after arrest warrant

The hunt continues for Janet Lim-Napoles, who was ordered arrested Wednesday for the “serious illegal detention” of a whistleblower in a P10-billion pork barrel scandal. The businesswoman is still at large and the arrest warrant has yet to be served Thursday even as her lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, said she has not spoken to Napoles, nor did she know her client’s whereabouts.  “In all truthfulness, we do not know where she is. I am saying to you as officer of the court if she is listening to this, we are still appealing and saying she has legal remedies under the law and we are studying her legal options,” Kapunan said in a telephone interview on News to Go on Thursday.  Branch 150 of RTC-Makati issued warrants of arrest on Wednesday afternoon for Napoles, the alleged mastermind behind the kidnapping of Benhur Luy, and Napoles’s brother Reynald ‘Jojo’ Lim.  Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said Napoles may also face charges in connection with anomalies involving the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), or pork barrel, of several lawmakers.  “NBI has been working the whole time on an investigation of the PDAF,” De Lima said in a telephone interview on News to Go on Thursday. “Pine-prepare na namin ‘yan kung anong mga kaso ang isasampa at sinu-sino ang mga sasampahan ng kaso other than Napoles,” said De Lima, who said she could not confirm how many lawmakers would be facing charges, as the investigation was still ongoing. “Ayaw pa namin magpalabas ng listahan o Read More …

Napoles fights back, to file flurry of raps vs. accusers

 News
Aug 052013
 
Napoles fights back, to file flurry of raps vs. accusers

(Updated 12:52 p.m.) Months after being embroiled in a supposed scam involving the pork barrel of lawmakers, businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles decided to fight back by hurling a flurry of charges against her accusers. Napoles’ lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, told GMA News Online on Tuesday that they would be filing within the day separate cases of perjury, libel, disbarment, and illegal arrest in Quezon City, Makati, and Taguig City. She said they would file perjury complaints against supposed whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas for allegedly accusing Napoles of soliciting money from lawmakers’ pork barrel — or Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) — for non-existent projects through fictitious foundations. Luy’s family will also be included in the perjury complaint, Kapunan said. A disbarment case, meanwhile, would also be lodged against Luy’s lawyer, Levito Baligod, before the Integrated Bar of the Philippines for allegedly extorting money from the Napoles camp in exchange for his client clearing Napoles’ name in the issue. Tri-media campaign? Kapunan said their camp will also slap the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler with charges of libel for its “disregard for the truth” and for “abusing the word ‘allegedly’” in its reports on the controversy. Kapunan said the Inquirer will be slapped with charges for the series of reports it did on the fund mess, while Rappler will be sued for its story on the lavish lifestyle of Napoles’ daughter, Jeane. “We want to test this so-called good faith in reporting. Kapag sinabi mong alleged at ipi-print mo, that in Read More …

De Lima: Cases to be filed vs. encroachers of waterways in next two weeks

 News
Jul 232013
 
De Lima: Cases to be filed vs. encroachers of waterways in next two weeks

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said the government would be filing at least two cases in the next two weeks against people who own structures that encroach on waterways. In an interview with reporters, De Lima said President Benigno Aquino III has instructed an inter-agency working group, which included the Department of Justice (DOJ), to concentrate its efforts on eight “priority waterways,” including the San Juan River and the Tullahan River. Encroachment on waterways, either by informal settlers or private establishments, has been one of the factors behind severe flooding in Metro Manila during the rainy season. Aquino, during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, mentioned that the DOJ is preparing cases against those who constructed buildings that prevent waterways from functioning properly. De Lima said the inter-agency group has conducted ground surveys on these waterways based on satellite images and other sources. “Alam po natin iyong mga waterways, esteros, creeks… These are properties of public dominion and therefore not susceptible to appropriation or to private ownership,” De Lima said. “Nadiskubre namin na mayroong mga properties o mga encroachments o structures, may properties na may titulo at ang mga properties nila ay nage-encroach sa three-meter buffer zone,” she added. De Lima said the two cases to be filed in the next two weeks would be considered “pilot cases” and would be for “cancellation or revocation of title.” She also said the inter-agency team is already preparing to send out notices to owners of these Read More …

Fresh syndicated estafa charges filed vs. Amalilio, 11 others

 News
Jul 232013
 
Fresh syndicated estafa charges filed vs. Amalilio, 11 others

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended fresh syndicated estafa charges against Aman Futures owner Manuel Amalilio and former Pagadian City mayor Samuel Co in connection with a large-scale investment scam that duped 15,000 investors last year. In a resolution, the DOJ special panel said the three elements of syndicated estafa according to Presidential Decree No. 1689 were all “present” in the case — a) estafa or other forms of swindling under Articles 315 and 316 of the Revised Penal Code is committed; b) estafa or swindling is committed by a syndicate; and c) defraudation results in the misappropriation of moneys contributed by stockholders, members of rural banks, etc. “Evidence shows that there is sufficient ground to engender a well founded belief that the crime of syndicated estafa has been committed and that respondents… are probably guilty thereof and should be held for trial,” the panel said in a 66-page resolution. Amalilio is currently serving a two-year jail sentence in Malaysia for possession of fake passports and IDs. Syndicated estafa is a non-bailable offense in the Philippines. Aside from Amalilio and Co, also ordered charged were Fernando Luna, Lelian Lim Gan, Eduard Lim, Wilanie Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez, Lurix Lopez, Mohammad Hassan Mackno, Dimasara Jova, Ian Madarang, and Priscilla Ann Fernandez Co. The latest DOJ resolution stemmed from two complaints—one filed by Co and another by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)—and three private complainants, including a certain Fabian Tapayan. Co’s complaint was dismissed after the panel found him an “active-participant Read More …

Unfair competition

 Economy
Jul 202013
 
Unfair competition

The end will never justify the means. How can some sectors even suggest that the government turn a blind eye on the illegal act of dumping Turkish flour into our territory and then threaten to increase bread prices if anti-dumping duties are imposed on Turkish flour. Two lobby groups of bakers have warned that they will increase the price of pandesal from P3 to P3.50 per piece if government decides to impose a 20 percent dumping duty on Turkish flour, which the bakers apparently have been using. They have in fact already petitioned the Department of Agriculture and the Tariff Commission not to impose the dumping duties. Aside from entering the country at dumped prices, this is the same Turkish flour which in the past has been pestered by health and safety issues. Dumping, a special case of price discrimination, is a situation in which the price a firm charges for its goods in a foreign market is lower than either the price it charges in its home market or the production cost. Dumping thus is the sale of surplus output of a firm on foreign markets at below cost price. Dumping also occurs when a firm sells its products at a higher price in the home market and at a lower price in the foreign market. (http://www.economicsconcepts.com/dumping.htm) In 2012, Turkish flour was sold to the Philippines at $340 per metric ton while their domestic price in Turkey was $470 per ton. In 2011, the export price of Turkish flour Read More …

DOJ probe indicates possible rubout in Ozamiz gang killings – De Lima

 News
Jul 192013
 
DOJ probe indicates possible rubout in Ozamiz gang killings – De Lima

Forensic investigation has found evidence that the two gang members who were killed while under police custody in Laguna may have been murdered instead of accidentally shot, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Ricky Cadavero, head of the notorious Ozamiz group that has been linked to mall and bank robberies in Metro Manila, and gang member Wilfredo Panogalinga Jr. were earlier reported to have allegedly attempted to grab the guns of their escorts during an ambush four days ago in Cavite. Asked by reporters Friday if the killing was a rubout, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said: “There are indications of that but I am not prepared to say it categorically.” In a report aired on GMA’s “24 Oras” news program, a forensics expert from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said a re-autopsy of the victims’ bodies show they did not sustain any external injuries during the incident. “No injuries were seen on the extremities that would indicate a struggle took place,” said Dr. Antonio Vertido, head of the NBI Medico-Legal team from Region 4A. According to the forensic report, the gunmen were less than two feet away when they shot Cadavero and Panogalinga. The trajectory of the bullet was also downward. The two gang members were killed while they were being transported to Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna from Cavite, where they underwent inquest proceedings. The incident occurred hours after Interior Secretary Mar Roxas announced that the two gang members, who escaped from separate jails last year Read More …

Businesswoman implicated in alleged scams involving billions of pesos denies charges 

 News
Jul 122013
 
Businesswoman implicated in alleged scams involving billions of pesos denies charges 

The businesswoman implicated in multi-billion peso ghost projects being probed by the National Bureau of Investigation has refuted accusations an alleged former employee leveled against her, her brother and her company, JLN Corporation. Janet Lim Napoles said in an affidavit she submitted to the Department of Justice that her accuser, Benhur Luy, was not her employee and that the “JLN Group of Companies” Luy has identified is not her JLN Corporation registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Napoles’ affidavit was filed last June, but the Department of Justice released it only on Friday. “JLN has never transacted business or closed deals with the government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, much less the government offices which Benhur mentioned and especially those enumerated by (Luy’s relatives) Arturo, Gertrudes, Arthur, and Annabelle… in their joint sworn statement,” Napoles said. Her company was alleged to have been tapped in ghost projects of the government allegedly pegged in one report as totalling P10 billion worth of projects, including the fertilizer fund scam, the Malampaya fund scam, and anomalies in the implementation of several PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund)-funded projects. She did acknowledge that trading in construction materials is among the concerns of her JLN Corp. “I certainly was not involved in any of the high profile scams which occured during the previous administration,” Napoles said in an affidavit she submitted to the Department of Justice. The businesswoman said the fact her name and that of her company were never mentioned in a Read More …

De Lima: NBI probe on P10B fund scam may include lawmakers

 News
Jul 122013
 
De Lima: NBI probe on P10B fund scam may include lawmakers

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is studying the possibility of including in its investigation several lawmakers being implicated in the P10-billion fund scam by a syndicate allegedly using “pork barrel” in ghost projects. This was according to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who confirmed on Friday that the NBI is in the middle of probing a fund scam being allegedly carried out by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles, owner of JLN Group of Companies. Her firm was allegedly tapped for government-funded projects that were later found questionable, including the P728-million fund for a fertilizer project for poor farmers that were allegedly diverted to benefit politicians and a sitting president. “Whether or not lawmakers are or will be part of the NBI probe or whether or not there’s need to issue a look out bulletin will depend on results of the evaluation of the evidence,” De Lima said. De Lima refused to give further details on the ongoing NBI probe on the fund scam. She also refused to identify the lawmakers who would be investigated. “Given the gravity of the allegations, we’re keeping such investigation under wraps until the NBI completes its evidence gathering and evaluation,” she said. Napoles and her brother Reynaldo Lim were earlier charged by the NBI for illegally detaining Benhur Luy, a lead employee of JLN Group of Companies and a probable witnesses in the fund scam. The Department of Justice (DOJ), however, dismissed the complaint for lack of probable cause. The NBI has already moved for Read More …

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