Policemen not paid

Twenty-eight thousand Philippine National Police (PNP) officers, who were assigned to provide security for Pope Francis, the Papal entourage, and the government officials, were promised to receive an allowance of P2,400 after the five-day visit of the Pope.

Disgruntled policemen took to social media to air their gripes over the allowance they failed to receive.

Complaints have come in that some police units did not receive any stipend, some unit members received P150, some received P700, and some were given food rations; many did not receive any.

The Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG) members did not receive any amount during the five-day papal visit. But three days after the Pope left, when the complaints were aired, their budget officer Superintendent Evangeline Martos started paying their allowance.

Martos has been removed from her post by PNP officer-in-charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina as investigations on the missing Papal funds are currently ongoing, according to Superintendent Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesperson.

Martos explained that some of the police officers who received the complete allowance of P2,400 were not able to complete the five-day duty. She stated that said officers must return the balance in order for their replacements to be compensated.

In the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), allowances for the troops were pocketed by some battalion or unit commanders. National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Carmelo Valmoria had confirmed that the money for the allowances were released to all the unit commanders.

Another black mark for the PNP. All the commanders who did not release the funds to their unit members should be sacked and made to account for amounts they received.

Other budget officers of other units are now being investigated. This is nothing new.

Millions involved here. If computed, the amount would total P39.2 million pocketed funds.

It is fair to give credit to the security personnel who kept Pope Francis safe during his five-day visit to the Philippines. No suspicious forces were able to get near the head of the Catholic Church. Some of the men worked overtime, beyond their required hours and canceled their days off. They were scorched by the heat and then came the heavy downpour during the last few days of the Pope’s visit.

Indeed they should be honored for their service.

No peace in Mindanao

The PNP Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) members who came to Mamasapano to serve warrants of arrest for Malaysian bomb maker Zulkifli bin Hir, known as “Marwan,” suffered heavy casualties in a fire fight with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) rebels in Maguindanao.

A police source said 36 officers belonging to SAF-ARMM were killed, disarmed and mutilated; and eight SAF and members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are captives by the BIFF.

Mohagher Igbal, the lead MILF negotiator, said that was the first encounter between their group and the government forces this year. Igbal is hopeful that it would be the last.

In Zamboanga City, a bomb inside a parked car exploded, killing two and wounding 53 others.

Mayor Beng Climaco Salazar blamed the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) for the bombing.

AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said that while the ASG is the usual suspect, authorities are also looking at the BIFF and other groups with political motivations.

The explosion was serious enough to cause President Aquino to visit Zamboanga to highlight the government’s resolve to bring to justice the culprits behind a deadly explosion and condole the victims of the attack.

A day after, three buses were damaged after a MK2 hand grenade was thrown at a bus terminal in Cotabato City by two unidentified suspects riding a motorcycle. No casualties were reported.

PLM grad tops nursing exam

Elijah Legaspi, a graduate of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), topped the November 2014 Nursing Licensure Exam.

Legaspi bested 15,292 other graduates, with a rating of 86.80 percent.

Joining Legaspi in the top 10 are six graduates of schools in Eastern Visayas that were devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Having witnessed firsthand the state of public hospitals during his internship, Elijah said he has no plans of going abroad and prefers to work in a public hospital.

According to Legazpi, PLM taught them to reach out to the underprivileged.

Legazpi, whose inspiration was his relatives who had died from various illnesses, took up nursing as his pre-medicine degree.

Mayor Joseph Estrada announced he was giving Legaspi a reward.

Philconsa against BBL

Lawmakers say their challenge is to craft a bill that is constitutional and promotes economic growth in the Bangsamoro bill to ensure peace in Mindanao.

But in a 75-page released Bangsamoro Basic Law, the Philippine Constitutional Association (Philconsa) claimed that the proposed bill is constitutionally flawed and cluttered to replace the failed ARMM.

Among the issues are the right to self-determination, the Bangsamoro’s apparent asymmetrical relationship with the national government, form of government, territorial claim, foreign affairs, internal and external security, and sources of government funds.

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, chairman of the 75-member House ad hoc committee on the BBL, admitted the panel saw some provisions of doubtful constitutionality.

Rufus said they will be removed in the committee report, including the creation of separate Commission on Audit (COA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), and Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the proposed autonomous region.