News Roundup 16 August 2023

News and Updates

Aug 16, 20235 min Read

House expels Teves over failure to return to country, terrorist tag | PHILSTAR.COMMANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:34 p.m.) —The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to expel Rep. Arnolfo Teves (Negros Oriental) over his continued absence from Congress and his recent designation as a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council.

The House has given Teves the harshest disciplinary action possible after suspending him twice for his failure to face his colleagues in the lower chamber and for seeking political asylum outside the country.

The House ethics panel’s recommendation to expel Teves, which received 265 favorable votes, 0 negative votes and three abstentions, was based on a number of reasons related to his refusal to resume duties as a lawmaker.

Compared to the panel’s reasons for recommending Teves’ suspension – first on March 20 and then again on May 31 — the committee this time took into consideration Teves’ designation as a terrorist by the Anti-Terrorism Council in its decision. This “reflects the discredit on the House,” the panel stated in its committee report.

In particular, the House ethics panel said it arrived at its decision after it took “painstaking time and effort to inquire with several concerned national government agencies” that could detail recent developments with regard to Teves’ actions.

The House ethics panel recommended Teves’ expulsion for the following reasons:

  1. Teves’ ongoing and persistent pursuit of his application for political asylum in the country of Timor-Leste; 
  2. Teves’ continuous absence without leave in the House of Representatives in violation of the House Rules;
  3. Teves’ designation as a terrorist by the Anti-terrorism Council-among other criminal charges which reflects discredit on the House of Representatives;
  4. Teves’ indecent behavior portrayed in social media which reflects discredit on the House of Representatives and diminishes the stature of the position.

“And the main basis for this recommendation is his continuous absence without leave in the House of Representatives by his persistent pursuit of political asylum in Timor-Leste. This constitutes abandonment of Public Office and violation of his Oath of Office as House Member,” the committee report read.

Full Story at: House expels Teves over failure to return to country, terrorist tag | Philstar.com

Navotas police chief hid involvement of 11 officers in Jemboy case – PNP IAS | PHILSTAR.COMMANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Navotas City police has been sacked from his post after the Internal Affairs Services of the Philippine National Police found that he gave orders to conceal the involvement of 11 police officers over the fatal shooting of a minor.

The PNP-IAS said in a memorandum on Wednesday that Navotas police chief Allan Umipig “instructed the team leader of the operatives to exclude from their reports 11 police officers who were also involved in the fatal shooting of the 17-year-old Jerhode Jemboy Baltazar.”

Umipig will be facing charges of dishonesty and command responsibility, while the 11 policemen who were “initially concealed” will be charged for “abandoning the victim and other possible violations of police operational procedures,” according to the PNP.

This development comes two weeks after police shot Baltazar dead on August 2 in what they describe as a case of mistaken identity. 

Six Navotas cops, including the ground commander and assistant commander of Navotas City Police Station Substation 4, were charged with criminal and administrative cases over the incident. Human rights lawyers, however, have said that there is enough evidence supporting the filing of murder charges against the police.

Umipig earlier admitted that cops under him had committed a “lapse in judgement.”

Full Story at: Navotas police chief hid involvement of 11 officers in Jemboy case – PNP IAS | Philstar.com

Senators ask: Why is flood control budget bigger than agriculture, defense funds? | INQUIRER.NETMANILA, Philippines — Senators on Wednesday questioned the huge allocation for flood control next year placed under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

For 2024, the DPWH is seeking a P215 billion budget for flood control.

“For the record, this is six times larger than entire outlays for school buildings, 16 times larger than the outlay for hospitals, and then eight times larger than the calamity funds,” Senator Grace Poe said at a budget hearing in the Senate.

“So talagang kailangang ay detalyado kung ano ang mga plano na ito,” she said.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero also pursued this issue.

Directing his questions to the administration’s economic team, Escudero asked why the budget for flood control is bigger than the allocations of other government agencies like the entire agriculture sector with P181 billion.

This, he said, is considering that the country is an agricultural economy and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sits as the concurrent head of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

Full Story at: Senators ask: Why is flood control budget bigger than agriculture, defense funds? | Inquirer News

Hontiveros sees obstruction of justice in Jemboy Baltazar’s slay | INQUIRER.NETMANILA, Philippines “Relief from position is not justice.”

These were Senator Risa Hontiveros’ words as she urged Ombudsman and Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Navotas police chief Colonel Allan Umipig and other persons.

Her request was prompted by suspicions of a cover up in the involvement of police officers in the killing of Jemboy Baltazar.

Umipig was relieved from his post and is now facing administrative charges.

While the temporary removal of Umipig from his unit was noted by Hontiveros, she said this action alone is not enough.

“Is it standard procedure for police officers to shoot on sight and not even attempt arrest?” she asked.

“I urge the Ombudsman and [the] DOJ to further investigate the Navotas police chief and police officers for obstruction of justice after it was discovered they had altered the report on Baltazar’s death to remove the names of the 11 officers,” said the lawmaker.

Hontiveros also intends to seek a Senate probe into Baltazar’s tragic end.

Full Story at: Hontiveros sees obstruction of justice in Jemboy Baltazar’s slay | Inquirer News


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