TRC got P600 million

Former Technology Resource Center (TRC) director general Dennis Cunanan said in an interview that P600 million of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of senators and congressmen passed through TRC to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), connected with Janet Lim-Napoles. He denied receiving any kickbacks but he admitted charging a 5% “management fee.” It is not clear where the 5% management fee went.

On the other hand, whistle-blower Benhur Luy reported that his records showed that P539 million PDAF funds passed through the TRC.

Cunanan revealed that former Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) party-list Rep. Joel Villanueva had also coursed his PDAF through TRC.

Four more witnesses are predicted to surface, to confirm their participation with the PDAF scam.

18,000 child laborers

International watchdog Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (PCCR) said there are 18,000 child laborers in the gold mining industry.

They are mostly hired by small-scale miners in the Mt.Diwalwal, Compostela Valley; Paracale, Camarines Norte; and Panique, Masbate.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) director Leo Nazareno admitted they cannot do anything about the problem because they have no jurisdiction over small-scale mining.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) should direct provincial governors to stop the practice.

Solons got P6.5 billion DAP

Several congressmen have admitted that they received P10-15 million each from the Development Acceleration Program (DAP) during the Corona impeachment trial in 2012.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) released P5 billion to the House of Representatives while P1.5 billion was released to the Senate.

The releases to the congressmen were supposed to be for farm-to-market roads and soft projects such as milk feeding program and assistance to victims of calamities.

The releases from DAP were on top of the P70 million PDAF pork barrel. The fund releases were coursed through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and then realigned to the National Livelihood Development Corp. (NLDC). Senators got from P50 million to P100 million each.

These questionable DAP releases for solons confirm that the pork barrel scams continued under the Aquino administration for 2011-2012. Definitely a violation of the ‘Daang Matuwid’ policy. There is no doubt that the DAP projects were approved by President Aquino.

Confirmed recipients of additional DAP releases in 2012 were Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Vicente Sotto III, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Loren Legarda, and former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Congratulations, Cardinal Quevedo

Cardinal-elect Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo was installed as cardinal by Pope Francis in Rome, giving Mindanao its first prince of the church.

Forty-five priests attended Cardinal Quevedo’s installation, together with Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, archbishop of Manila.

Cotabato parishioners are planning a big celebration for Cardinal Quevedo.

Cardinal Quevedo, 74, comes from Sarrat, Ilocos Norte. He used to be archbishop of Nueva Segovia in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.

Drugs with rice

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte sees a link between rice smugglers and drug dealers. Duterte expressed the view that several sacks of drugs are intermingled with the rice shipments.

The smuggling of drugs has also been reported as being done by importers of Chinese dry goods, which are being sold in Divisoria.

This is the biggest problem with the anti-drug campaign, the smuggling of drugs through outlying ports, especially Cebu, Davao, and Subic.

Only 27 completed

Virgie Idano, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) assistant regional director for Eastern Visayas, reported that contrary to Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson’s report that 222 bunkhouses have been completed; only 27 in Tacloban have been finished and turned over to DSWD. Idano said that 35 bunkhouses are still being constructed in four barangays of Tacloban.

The DPWH is blaming bad weather conditions and shortage of construction materials for the delay.

Truck ban relaxed

Upon representations of Malacañang, Mayor Joseph Estrada has allowed trucks to enter Manila from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to the 9 p.m.– 5 a.m. period allowed for trucks to enter Manila.

Caloocan is now mulling a similar truck ban, according to Mayor Oscar “Oca” Malapitan.

Six thousand trucks enter the port of Manila Pier Zone every day.

More Australian aid

The Australian government is giving the Philippines $2.5 million for the public private partnership (PPP) program. It also gave the Department of Education (DepEd) an A$150 million to build 1,000 classrooms. The grants were announced by visiting Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop.     

In Cebu, the Aboitiz Foundation is building 200 classrooms in Bogo City and San Remigio in northern Cebu.

Tidbits: The Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC), presided by Judge Elmo Alameda, granted the petition of Janet Lim-Napoles to undergo a medical check up. The judge, however, limited her check up, to be performed at the PNP hospital in Camp Crame.

Olympic figure skater Michael Martinez was honored by his home city of Muntinlupa, who donated P100,000 for his training. The day before, he was welcomed at the Mall of Asia.

President Aquino visited Cateel, Davao Oriental, which suffered extensive damage from Typhoon Pablo. He promised to build 1,179 houses for Typhoon Pablo survivors in Cateel. So far, only 110 houses have been built. He was informed that many towns in Davao Oriental still had no electricity.

Corporal Noel Pascua, 35, was killed while Sgt. Jonathan Dumasia was wounded in an NPA ambush in Saranggani.            Senior Inspector Jerry Uy, a policeman, was shot dead by two men riding-in-tandem in Biñan City, Laguna.

A presidential security group (PSG) officer belonging to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 2003 was arrested for using cloned ATM cards to withdraw money. Raphael Malacay Marcial was arrested while he was in the act of withdrawing from East West bank ATM along Pasong Tamo.