Corruption at Customs and DSWD

The Commission on Audit (COA) bared a P26 billion anomaly at the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

COA Chairman Grace Pulido Tan said audit findings showed that the BOC issued P26 billion in illegal refunds in 2011. More than double the P12 billion in 2010.

COA also bared DSWD unaccounted over the counter payments of P3.72 billion of the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) fund.

COA also reported P243 million ghost repairs of vehicles at DPWH NCR region.

Certainly corruption is still widespread under the present administration.

Also questioned by lawmakers is the P16.5 billion bidding for school rooms with a high cost of P1.7 million per school room.

Meanwhile, COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza said she has nothing to do with the ongoing investigation into the Makati Friendship Suites built when VP Binay was Mayor of Makati. 

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NO PLANNING . . The crash of DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo has exposed another deficiency of government. It has very few trained technical divers and they don’t have adequate rescue equipment for rescue work.

Robredo’s death has now caused President Aquino and AFP Chief of Staff Jessie Dellosa to order the training of more technical divers and buy more sonar equipment including remote operating vehicle (ROV).

I’ve always thought that all Navy Seals were trained for deep sea diving. I was wrong. In the same vein, we don’t have enough rescue equipment to take care of trapped flood victims.

Who is doing the planning and thinking of this matter?

Where is the money going?

Let’s forget the expensive big ticket equipment. Let’s buy the basic equipment for rescue. Even the PNP does not have enough guns for its policemen. 

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POLITICAL UPDATE . . UNA Spokesperson J.V. Bautista formally announced the inclusion of former Senator Dick Gordon and your columnist as official candidates for Senator under UNA. Tuguegarao City Mayor Delfin Ting will face retired PNP General Jefferson Soriano.

Cong. Edwin Olivares (Parañaque, 1st District) is running for Mayor against Councilor Benjo Bernabe, son of graduating Mayor Jun Bernabe.

Rep. Josie Joson (Nueva Ecija, 1st District) is running for Governor against incumbent Gov. Oyie Umali.

Former Gov. Yusop Jikiri of Sulu is running for Congressman in the 1st district of Sulu against former Cong. Muner Arvison.

Congresswoman Nur-Anna Sahidulla has no strong opponent in the 2nd district of Sulu.

Former Commodore Chrisler “Jun” Cobarrubias is running for Congress in Zamboanga City. His probable opponent: Mayor Celso Lobregat. 

Former Sandiganbayan presiding justice Edilberto Sandoval is running for Congress in the 2nd District of Batangas.

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DILG SWEEPSTAKES . . It looks like DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas and the Liberal Party hierarchy is backing Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya for appointment to the DILG post.

Rep. Abaya is an Annapolis graduate, an Engineer and is the Secretary General of the Liberal Party.

Also being mentioned for the post are Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senator Ping Lacson and Gov. Joey Salceda of Albay. But Vice President Binay issued a statement saying he is not available for the job.

There is reportedly a power play between the Balay faction of Mar Roxas and the Samar group of Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa in getting the DILG job for one of its members.

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SUCCESS STORY . . Baliuag University began 97 years ago in 1925 as Baliuag Institute with 75 students. It now has an enrolment of over 5,000 serving Bulacan province and Central Luzon.

Today, Baliuag University’s performance in board examinations has been repeatedly ranked by the Professional Regulations Commission among the top universities in Nursing, Library Science, Engineering and Education.

Baliuag University has a mission of providing affordable, quality education in Baliuag and other towns of Bulacan. Baliuag University offers programs that are responsive to the times yet rooted in heritage and humanitarian values.

Its graduates realize their aspiration as well society’s greater good. Its employees strive to ever greater heights of academic and ethical excellence.

The University is run by Dr. Alicia Bustos as chairman of the Board of Trustees and president. Dr. Patricia Bustos Lagunda is executive vice president. Dr. Flordeliza Castro is vice president for academic affairs. Monina Bustos Santos is vice president for administrative and financial affairs.

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BACKWARD STEP . . In a surprise move, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno announced a policy of dignified silence discouraging media interviews.

She said she prefers to return to the practice of justices speaking through their resolutions and decisions.

“If the Supreme Court is to return to its golden days, then the Chief Justice must decline all those well meaning requests for interviews,” Sereno said.

This appears to be a step backward from the policy of transparency being espoused by President Aquino.

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UNBELIEVABLE CRIMES . . 3 men gate-crashed a birthday party and robbed the guests in Quezon City.

A Filipino American boy was kidnapped from outside his school in Quezon City.

Singer Freddie Aguilar lost $12,000 to a thief who knew the combination of his safe inside his house at North Fairview, QC.

PMA graduating Cadet Alfonso Aviles was shot by holduppers inside a jeepney in Quezon City when he tried to stop the holduppers.

Three men carjacked the Nissan X Trail of Gen. Patricio Isleta (Ret.) behind a Quezon City hospital shot the driver Jowie Pintuan and dumped him in Caloocan.

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TIDBITS . . . Davao Vice-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has announced that he is not interested in the DILG Secretary’s post. He insisted he is “not qualified.”

Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian is on the list of DILG Secretary wannabes.

Vice-President Jojo Binay is leading the Philippine delegation to the Non Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Teheran, Iran.

Congratulations to Mayor Annabelle Tongson of San Luis, Aurora for being elected president of the Lady Municipal Mayors Association of the Philippines.