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The
public be forewarned that there is an impostor who has
been calling me and saying he is Atty. Mike Arroyo, the
President’s husband, but every time I return his calls
or his messages, he refuses to acknowledge or answer his
cell phone.
Curious,
I had his messages monitored, and it appears that this
person is also using the name of Speaker Nograles for
certain activities which are obviously illegal in
nature. Fortunately, we are about to zero in on this
person and it may not take long before we get hold of
his neck. I warn the public that this person may
victimize others who are unknowing of his nefarious
activities or his modus operandi.
****
In the
Bureau of Immigration (BI), we have an employee working
as a fingerprint examiner, now assigned in Region 6,
with a salary of about P12,000 a month. But, wonder of
wonders, without any other sign of other lucrative
sources of income except from his employment, this
employee is now building a property in Silay City worth
P19 million, in a village called barangay Guihalaran
(literally “was gifted”), based on the records of the
Assessor’s Office in that city. Not only is this obvious
grafter building this multimillion-peso edifice, he also
bought a beachfront property of some 2,000 square
meters, and he owns several branded cars like an Isuzu
Sportivo, a Crosswind AUV, a Sportage Kia and a Honda
CRV. So how does he do it?
Discreet
investigation revealed that this “gifted” BI employee is
using his position and connections with the immigration
bureau to provide protection to illegal aliens for a
price. He owns a travel agency which he uses to process
visas for foreign students and illegal aliens, from whom
he allegedly charges from P25,000 to P40,000 per illegal
alien. He operates a beach resort called “Kikay Beach”
which is said to camouflage the presence of illegal
aliens as tourists.
In the
face of such obvious wealth, he tells everyone that he
won the lotto, and I wonder whether the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes Office has a record of his winnings.
National Bureau of Investigation findings show that this
“lucky and gifted” BI employee has a common-law wife in
Silay City in whose name many of his illegally amassed
pieces of property are registered. It is also reported
that he has a real wife in Iloilo, but he has not
assigned the ownership of his many illegally acquired
pieces of property with his real wife, with whom he has
several children. I have already directed BI
Commissioner Marcelino Libanan to relieve this employee
and have him investigated for unexplained wealth and for
his illegal activities, which are all contrary to law
and punishable under RA 3019 and 1379. Yes, we will
throw the book at him because he has not only broken the
law, he has betrayed his country!
****
There
was an explosion on the road going to the municipality
of Placer in Masbate a few hours before President Arroyo
and members of her Cabinet arrived for a Cabinet
meeting. It is said the New People’s Army (NPA) was
behind the explosion, obviously to discourage the
President from visiting the countryside, especially
those needing government assistance like rebel-infested
areas. Leaders of the NPA have time and again exhibited
a diabolical mind intent on spoiling the President’s
Masbate visit, which aims to bring the blessings of the
government into that province and its people. This is a
cowardly act that should be condemned, but on the other
hand, we are relieved that whatever sinister plans the
NPA were hatching in their minds, it failed miserably,
and the President was able to complete her successful
visit, bringing focus to many depressed communities in
that province.
In fact,
there is no denying how the President works day after
day, in some instances, far into the night, to find
solutions to national ills, most of which are not of her
own making. And, of course, we thank Kind Providence
that for all the risks the President has taken in her
determined visits to all the nooks and corners of this
country, we discerned that she has been given the mantle
of protection from above.
****
Central
bank records show that remittances from overseas
Filipino workers (OFWs) jumped to a record 14.7 percent
in five months to some $6.8 billion. This, despite the
slowing global economic trend. According to Philippine
Overseas Employment Administration records, this was
due to the increase in overseas deployment, which
reached 39.5 percent from last year’s figures, and also
due to the increase in remittances in May when OFWs sent
more money to their children back home to pay for
tuition and other fees. We look at this with happiness
and satisfaction because it appears that the threats of
some groups to slow down or sabotage the inflow of
foreign remittances simply did not work. The government
and the President are most concerned of the sacrifices
our OFWs experience each day while working abroad, but
we are also thankful these sacrifices are rewarded
through our country’s growing economic stability largely
through their remittances. We salute you! |
