Insatiable greed of Filipinos

By Mortz C. Ortigoza 

If Senator Leila de Lima cited “human frailties” in committing the criminal case of concubinage when she had illicit relationship with her married driver, “human frailties” could be cited why government officials commit corruption, a malady since time immemorial.

If dangerous drug pushers mended their ways and avoid narcotics because they are being assassinated, I think assassination would be the deterrence for government officials to shun corruption.

BRIBERY.Bureau of Immigration officials Al Argosino and Mike Robles hold P30 million out of the
 P50-million alleged bribe money from  Gambling TycoonJack Lam on Tuesday, December 13, 2016
16 days after they received it in a restaurant last November 27, 2016. PHOTO CREDIT: mb.com.ph

Remember two top officials in the executive branch were ambushed to death recently.

How many government officials would die in assassination because of their insatiable greed to pocket public funds?

***

Son of a gun, the axiom in Filipino “Ang kapwa magnanakaw ay galit sa kapwa magnanakaw” has a grain of truth among beleaguered officials of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) who were accused by their briber to have received P50 million.

Retired police colonel Wally Sombero said he gave P50 million to BI Deputy Commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles in exchanged of the release of the 600 of the 1,316 Chinese nationals detained at the BI.

 These chinks worked at the 300-hectare Fontana Leisure Parks and Casino in Clark, Pampanga of gambling tycoon Jack Lam without working permits for aliens.

The P50 million pay- off was recorded by the security cameras at the second floor and the cameras set up by the men of BI Intelligence Chief  Charles Calima at the parking lot of the of City of Dreams in Paranaque.

Calima, a former police general did not trust Argosino and Robles in the transaction, thus he did not only video recorded them in the consummation of the crime, but even attached an audio recording inside the dress of Sombero, a retired police colonel.

One of the paper bags, reports said, that contained the ten million pesos “exploded” due to the weight of the bills inside.

 BI Intelligence Chief Calima was dragged on this bribery scandal because he told the duo that their transaction with Sombero was recorded. To keep the act from exploding before the public, Argosino and Robles gave P18 million to Calima while P2 million went to Colonel Sombero.

Why a Leila, not a Rody, serves more jail time

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 When I was in a huddle with some politicians in a recent government function, I eavesdropped on the conversation between a lawyer and his lawyer-son regarding my recent column titled “The Immoral Senator De Lima”.

I wrote there that the controversial and hated lady senator could not be sued by the People of the Philippines because her offense of concubinage was a private crime.

It means it was only Norlyn Magalanes Dayan, the wife of De Lima’s paramour her driver Ronnie, who could sue her with that criminal case and no other person or institution.

“Are concubinage and adultery supposed to be public crime?” the lawyer asked his son.

“No, it’s only rape”.

When I bumped into fellow radio commentator Ruel Camba, I told him about the lawyers and that private crime.

“Ina-antay ko lang i correct ako ng old lawyer that concubinage is not a private crime, e ni researched ko iyong anak ng bakang column ko na iyon,” I told Ruel with a funny bravado.

“This is the first time I heard about private crime, I thought all crimes are public,” he excitedly quipped.
"No, it's just like toilets, may private toilet may public toilet din," I sheepishly retorted.

Private crime, to the uninitiated who read this blog, is an offense which cannot be prosecuted except upon a complaint filed by the aggrieved party (batasnatin.com).

 Do you know that a reader, a niece of a congressman, of my blog reacted on that same column?

COP faces mendicancy problems in former narco haven

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – After he transformed an infamous “sitio” from haven of narcotics peddlers, the chief of police here faces a growing problem of mendicancy and prostitution among the people there.

Beggars in the Philippines. Photo Credit: ABS-CBN

“The guy who used to peddle shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and earned two thousand pesos per day could be seen begging the chief of police for a bowl of rice to feed their families,” a police officer who asked anonymity told Northern Watch Newspaper.

Superintendent Neil Miro, this City’s chief of police (COP), said that even the wives of these former peddlers succumbed into prostitution to meet economic end.

“During the heyday of the illegal trade at Sitio Aling, you can even see bystanders there with toy dog breed’s Shih Tzu. Where did they get the monies in buying and feeding those pets?” the same police source posed.
Miro said that to mitigate the impact of unemployment, he already talked with friends in  the construction business in Manila and Pampanga to employ the jobless males in Aling.

Shame on you, Senator Leila!

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

My radio tandem Harold asked me the difference between promiscuous Senator Leila de Lima and West Point graduate Captain Elisabeth Campbell in the movie “General’s Daughter”.

ME: Campbell allowed herself to be screwed by Captains, Majors, Colonels while De Lima allowed herself to be bonked by security guards like Ronnie, Jomel, Warren, and whatchamacallit!

***

Senator Leila de Lima lamented recently the outcome of the probe of the House of Representatives: "As a woman, it breaks my heart that my private life and personal relationship (to her body guards) has become subject of the public and Congress' ridicule."

What a nerved for her to say that.

She acquiesced early this month her “illicit” relationship with a married driver and body guard at Winnie Monsod’s TV talk show at GMA-7.

PH CONGRESS: IN AID OF SEX EDUCATION

Solon worries on Senator's Ex-Paramour Safety

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY - A Pangasinan congressman manifested to his colleagues the safety of a former lover of Senator Leila de Lima who was arrested recently.

SAFETY. Pangasinan congressman Leopoldo Bataoil (2^nd District) appealed to national police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa to take custody of arrested former driver and body guard Ronnie Dayan when  he (Dayan)  told a congressional hearing that he had personal knowledge about the eight  million pesos given by dangerous drug lord Kerwin Espinosa to Dayan’s former mistress then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. Photo: Mortz C. Ortigoza.

Ronnie Dayan, charged for contempt of Congress for failure to attend its hearing, was arrested last November 22 at Sitio Bato, Barangay Lacong at San Gabriel town in La Union.
“Being the father of the Second District, I feel that I am responsible for his safety including that of his family. And it is important that he is kept alive so that his testimony for whatever purposes is seen necessary be put to good use,” Representative Leopoldo Bataoil (2^nd District, Pangasinan) stressed.

Dayan told the members of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights how he received eight millions  pesos of narcotic monies from drug lord Kerwin Espinosa and how he slapped then Justice Secretary de Lima upon hearing she had promiscuous relationship with former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) motorcycle traffic enforcer’s Warren Cristobal.

"[N]agkakalabuan na kami ni ma'am. Kesyo hindi na daw kami masaya sa pagsasama naming (sic), lagi kasing bangayan, at laging nag-aaway kami," Dayan told the congressmen who relished the revelation.

I lost my watch in a Davao City’s taxi

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

At 1:10 pm recently, I was inside a Davao City’s taxi bound for meeting with friends at a coffee shop near Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU).

“The text message was not complete. It should be MTS (Matina Times Square) near ADDU-High School,” I told the taxi driver when I hailed him for the correct destination.

The Maro taxi where I lost my Rudy Project's sports watch.

As we drove to MTS, Edwin, the driver, told me that he came from Barangay Kalaisan, Kidapawan City a neighboring village of Barangay Calunasan of my town Mlang, Cotabato Province.

As we conversed I felt the rubber strap of my Rudy Project’s watch was wet after I rinsed my face at the rest room of Aldavinco Market near ADDU.

I unstrapped my watch and put it on the upper part of my knapsack I was carrying on my laps in the front seat of the cab.

“This is quite a spacious car. Is this Toyota?” I posed.

“Yes sir, Vios 2016 model,” Edwin, who is the son of the former Barangay Captain of Barangay Kalaisan, said.

 I told him that my brother has a rubber plantation in Barangay Calunasan near his village.

When we reached the coffee house I thanked him and fished out P100 bill when I saw P75 appeared on the taxi meter.

“Kini ang bayad, sa imuha na kanang kambio (Here’s the P100, the loose change is yours),” I said in Visaya.

When I settled with my friends at the table of the coffee house, I noticed, son of a gun, my sports watch ain’t on my left wrist.

“I knew it  fell inside the taxi,” I told them as I lost hope I could no longer recover it just like what happened when one left his precious stuff in a Manila taxi.