Category Archives: Politics

Cesar Rafael Update

The police is hunting for the suspected mastermind and his alipores according to this latest report from the Philippine Star via ABS-CBN:

BONTOC, Mt. Province – Police vowed to arrest the mastermind and three other suspects in the Christmas Day murder of the mayor of Paracelis town within the month.

Being hunted down for the killing of Mayor Ceasar Rafael are Anonat barangay chairman Rommel “Borbon” Ambatali, the suspected mastermind and alleged leader of a criminal syndicate involved in kidnappings for ransom, robberies in band, illegal possession of firearms, murders and cattle rustling in Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela; Anonat barangay kagawad Danny Agabao, and brothers Tony and Orland Gumbi.

Last week, Ambatali and his six henchmen were formally charged for the Rafael killing after two suspects – Bong Felix, 34, and Rene Yadao, 32 – gave themselves up to police and claimed that they served as lookouts.

The two tagged Ambatali as the mastermind who paid them P5,000 for the hit job.
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Kicking JdV: Your Rep’s Vote

The House of Representative has been the center of media attention lately because of the ouster of its former Speaker, Pangasinan Congressman Jose de Venecia. De Venecia was kicked out of his Speakership post after a majority of the members of the House declared his post vacant.

We don’t care either way who is Speaker as we’ve given up on Congress a long time ago. After all, this recent brouhaha is a fight among thieves as former Senate President Jovito Salonga said in a TV interview. We are curious however about how our Cordillera representatives voted. Here’s the breakdown:

Those who voted “Yes” to declare the post of Speaker vacant (in effect kicking out de Venecia):
1. Kalinga Rep. Manuel Agyao
2. Apayao Rep. Elias Bulut Jr.
3. Abra Rep. Cecilia Seares-Luna

Those who voted “No”
1. Ifugao Rep. Solomon Chungalao
2. Benguet Rep. Samuel Dangwa
3. Baguio Rep. Mauricio Domogan

It’s interesting to note that the neophyte representatives (Rep. Agyao and Rep Luna) and the youngest one (Rep. Bulut) voted to kick out de Venecia while the more seasoned Reps voted to keep him.
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“Covering” Our Officials

What are the chances that any of our Cordillera officials will make the cover of international magazines? Unless they do something really really newsworthy like, say, win a Nobel Peace Price or get themselves adopted by Angelina Jolie, we must say that such chances are zero.

Of course, that shouldn’t stop us from creating fake magazine covers for our officials like we did here.

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Rafael Slay Suspects Under Custody

From ABS-CBN: Three suspects in the murder of Paracelis town mayor Cesar Rafael last month are now in police custody.

ABS-CBN morning show Umagang Kay Ganda reported that Rene Yadao and Bong Felix surrendered and confessed to the murder of Rafael.

Yadao and Felix told investigators that they had been planning the assassination of Rafael as early as November last year. They said a barangay chairman, whom they have yet to name, masterminded the killing.

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Probers: Politics Behind Mayor Cesar Rafael’s Murder

Come on people in power, let’s have a gun ban not only during elections but forever and ever. Politicians, of course, should be the first to surrender their guns. Here’s the latest update on the murder of Paracelis Mayor Cesar Rafael.

Politics behind murder of mayor, probers say
By Dexter See/Manila Bulletin

Bontoc, Mountain Province — Police probers here said that politics is behind the murder of Paracelis Mayor Ceasar Rafael on Dec. 25, 2007.

They said they are now closing in on the suspects in the first sensational political crime in this province.

Senior Supt. Joseph Adnol, director of the Mountain Province police office, said that the investigators have ruled out revenge and personal grudge as motives, noting that circumstantial evidence point to politics as the cause of the murder of the mayor.

He said that the investigators are now validating the information on the five to 10 suspects who, they said, have not yet left the province due to the tightened security they have implemented at various exit and entry points.

However, Adnol did not give any description about the politicians involved in the killing, saying it is still premature to disclose such details because this might prejudice an on-going operation against the mastermind and the killers.

The men who carried out the murder plot on the long-time municipal chief executive of Paracelis are said to be aligned with an influential person in the town.
Continue reading Probers: Politics Behind Mayor Cesar Rafael’s Murder