Katy Perry live in Manila…. are you ready?

Katy Perry is in Manila! The Queen of Pop arrived without much fanfare it seems, choosing to fly in via private jet from Jakarta where she last performed for her California Dreams 2012 tour.

By mid afternoon of Saturday, The Katy Perry arrived just in time for the launch of her perfume Purr at the SM Mall of Asia (SM MOA Concert Grounds is also the venue of her concert). There was also a meet & greet with fans, and I saw this pic of her and Tim Yap on Twitter. She’s sporting blue hair.

I wrote before about how I watched her concert Down Under and I must say it’s highly recommended. Katy’s concerts show her talent to the fore and this is matched only by the spectacular production of her team. Katy even performs magic stunts on stage. Her stage props like giant cupcakes, lollipops and cotton candies are meant for the mostly young girls who comprise her fans.

So yes, am sure Katy’s concert just in time for Chinese New Year will rock Manila! When I watched her in concert, she was still happily married to Russell Brand. Now they are no more and I wonder if that will add another dimension to her singing. The California Girl is an ultra-talented artist, no doubt about it. Enjoy folks and welcome to Manila Miss Perry!

May kuneksyun ba ang kaso ni Gatdula at Mancao?

Nagkataon lang kaya o may kuneksyun ang pagtanggal kay Director Magtanggol Gatdula ng National Bureau of Investigation sa kanyang pwesto at ang desisyun ng Manila Regional Trial Court (Branch 18) na manatili ang dating opisyal ng pulis na si Cezar Mancao II bilang akusado sa kaso ng pagpatay sa publicist na si Salvador “Bubby” Dacer at ang kanyang driver na si Emmanuel Corbito?

Marami sa mga reporter na nagtatrabaho sa Japanese media ang nagtataka kung bakit pinatulan ni Justice secretary Leila de Lima ang paratang ng Haponesang si Noriyo Ohara na kinidnap daw siya at kinikilan ng mga ahente ng NBI kasama si Gatdula.

Alam daw kasi ng mga opisyal ng Japanese Embassy na may kuneksyun ni Ohara sa mga hindi kanais-nais na mga grupo sa Hapon at hindi malaman kung alin sa mga sinasabi niya ay totoo. Noong taon 2009 pa raw dito sa Pilipinas ngunit noong Oktubre 29, 2011 siya hinuli ng mga ahente ng NBI sa Pangasinan sa bahay ng ‘handler’ niya dito.

Itong handler niya, kilala ang isang media man na may kuneksyun sa mga taga DOJ.

Ano ang kuneksyun ng kaso ni Ohara at Gatdula kay Mancao?

Alam naman ng lahat na ng panahon ni Gloria Arroyo, ginamit niya ang DOJ at NBI (ang NBI ay sa isakop ng DOJ) para habulin si Sen. Ping Lacson. Tinrabaho nila si Mancao na kasama sa opisina ni Lacson ng siya ay hepe ng Philippine National Police.

Napabaligtad ng mga tauhan ni Arroyo si Mancao para si Lacson sa pagpatay kay Dacer at Corbito. Nilakad pa na mailagay siya sa Witness Protection Program. Di ba kina-ilangan umalis si Lacson sa Pilipinas para hindi siya ma-aresto at makulong na siya talagang gusto ni Arroyo.

Ang abogado ni Mancao ay si Ferdinand Topacio, and abogado ni Arroyo. Halata ang kunek, ano?

Ang akusasyun laban kay Lacson ay ibinasura na ng korte. Sampal sa mga taga DOJ.

Heto pa ngayon ang desisyon ng Manila RTC na manatili na akusado si Mancao. Di lalong sampal din sa kanila.

Si De Lima ay hinirang ni Pangulong Aquino sa DOJ. Dapat kasama rin ang DOJ sa “tuwid na daan” isinusulong ng administrasyong Aquino.

Kaya lang, marami sa prosecutors ng DOJ ay datihan na. Maniniwala ka bang nag-iba na kalakaran dyan dahil nagbago ang pinuno? Ang nangyari nga malaki ang kanilang impluwensya kay De Lima. Kaya hindi nakapagtataka ng inabot sila ng halos isa at kalahating taon bago nakapagsampag ng kaso laban kay Arroyo.
Kaya, tingnan nyo ang sulat na pinadala ni De Lima sa Ombudsman tungkol sa resulta ng imbestigasyun sa kaso ni Ohara. Naka- adres kay Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales ngunit nakasulat, “Dear Ombudsman Gutierrez,”. Pinirmahan naman ni De Lima.

Ganyan ang sitwasyun sa DOJ.

P.F. Chang’s now in the Philippines! our first taste

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, a popular US-based full-service chain, has opened its first branch in the Philippines & also its first in Asia. The resto is a sprawling two-storey affair at a new complex in Alabang Town Center called The Street. We daresay everything is impressive: from the structure to the modern interiors to the food. The restaurant layout speaks of the fact that this isn’t just a place for eating but of drinking and hanging out as well.

In a nutshell, here are a few good things about P.F. Chang’s at ATC: unlimited rice (and brown rice!), a menu for vegetarians and those who want it gluten-free. The food isn’t strictly Chinese but is Chinese-inspired and really good. I was glad to know that they don’t use MSG.

One of my favorites was Chang’s Spicy Chicken (P320 an order). I liked the fact that it was breaded so lightly and not drowning in sauce. An exquisite version of sweet and sour.

If you’re tired of the usual hot shrimp salad, then try PF Chang’s Shrimp with Candied Walnuts 9P460 for two). I revelled in this dish’s creamy light sauce, the crunchiness provided by the nuts and the surprise addition of honeydew. It’s a new way to enjoy shrimp which is good since I love seafood!

The meat dishes are perfectly tender and their bestselling Mongolian beef (P695) is no exception. One order consists of 12 oz. high-grade US Angus beef cooked in a hot wok then quickly tossed with scallions and garlic.

Another dish I highly recommend is the Chengdu Spiced Lamb (P900 a serving) which is listed in the Emperor’s Choice portion of the menu ( premium items, which means they’re a tad more expensive). I am so used to my lamb curry and grilled lamb chops and I would say this dish was one of a kind. The flavor hinted at being seasoned with cumin and mint. It also had a topping of onions and cherry tomatoes.

For appetizers, try also the Dynamite Shrimp (P295) and the Chicken Lettuce Wraps (P285).

I found the prices to be reasonable but of course, beef, lamb and fish items are priced higher. Expect to allot a budget fo P350 to P500 per person.

I just noticed that the menu doesn’t offer much in terms of desserts (there are only two cakes listed) which probably means you look for it elsewhere.

I am just glad to try this popular US chain and to be invited to their press preview before they opened to the public.No doubt this will be a destination for the family whenever we crave for Chinese food. It’s a good thing that they chose to locate their maiden branch in the South of Manila since it’s a short drive away from us.

Welcome to the Philippines, P.F. Chang’s!

Gatdula axed as NBI Director

President Aquino said he has lost trust on NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula. He is president and he has every right to fire anybody whom he no longer trusts.

But there must be competent way to do it.

After the Department of Justice implicated NBI Director Magtanggol Gatdula in kidnapping and extortion, here comes the DOJ Undersecretary Francisco Baraan saying they didn’t make any conclusion.

Take a look at the letter Justice Secretary Leila de Lima sent to the Ombudsman. She can’t decide who she is sending the letter to.

From Inquirer:

Nothing conclusive on axed NBI Director’s guilt says DoJ official

There is still nothing conclusive regarding the recommendation to file a complaint for kidnapping and serious illegal detention against dismissed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Magtanggol Gatdula, a ranking official of the Department of Justice (DoJ) told Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Friday morning.

“What we did is only fact finding investigation. We have no conclusive findings there because our duty is to recommend only,” Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan said in an interview.

“But the President [Benigno Aquino III] has read our recommendation. He can remove any official who are serving at his pleasure with or without cause even Director Gatdula has no participation based on our findings,” Baraan said.

Gatdula has been replaced following the recommendation of the DoJ panel chaired by Justice Undersecretary Baraan that he be subjected to a preliminary investigation for kidnapping and serious illegal detention under the Revised Penal Code following the allegations abduction and extortion of Noriyo Ohara or Marife Laganas.

“Just to disabuse the mind of the public, there is still no finding of guilt [but] the President mde the judgment call-that’s his discretion,” Baraan said adding that their recommendation was only to include Gatdula in an administrative investigation, “but the President exercised his discretion as the appointing power.”

The case stemmed after Ohara was taken by the NBI last Oct. 29. Foster family of Ohara said the NBI asked for P15-million in exchange for her release and for not initiating deportation proceedings against her.

Aside from Gatdula, there are other ranking officials of the NBI recommended to be slapped with various criminal complaints. The panel also recommended a major revamp of key officials at the NBI. Tetch Torres, INQUIRER.net

Update:

Aquino accuses sacked NBI chief of insubordination

President Benigno Aquino said former National Bureau of Investigation director Magtanggol Gatdula committed insubordination when he failed to turn over to the Bureau of Immigration an undocumented Japanese.

Aquino said there were orders for Gatdula to make the transfer but he failed to do so.

“That to me is insubordination. Now, at the end of the day, the head of the principal agencies will be a person who has our trust and confidence,” the President told reporters.

“The trust is no longer there,” he added.

‘Beyond my competence’

The quote for this week should be: “It’s not within my competence.”

That was what Supreme Court Clerk of Court Enriquita Vidal told the Senate-turned-impeachment court when she was still in a dilemma whether to comply with the trial court’s order to produce the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

A variation of it, “It’s not within the competence of the witness,” was former Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas’ constant protest when prosecution lawyers would ask records custodians-witnesses to comment on the veracity of the contents of the documents that they were merely told to bring to the impeachment court.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also said, “It is not within my competence.”

Not in relation to Corona, his favorite subjects these past days and weeks, but on the comment of presidential sister Kris Aquino that visiting Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra is a perfect match to her brother, President Aquino.

Kris tweeted yesterday: “Came from Malacañang. Lunch for Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. She’s tall & slim & attractive! 44 yrs old, bagay for PNoy!”

Expect her to trivialize matters of state.

ABS-CBN online said “Unfortunately for the President, the Thai leader already has a common-law husband, Anusorn Amornchat, and a son Supasek.”

Corona declares P22.9M net worth, 5 properties

By YVONNE T. CHUA, VERA Files

Chief Justice Renato C. Corona has reported a net worth of P22.9 million and five pieces of property, including three condominium units he bought in the 10 years he was member of the Supreme Court.

Corona, who was impeached last month and is being tried by the Senate, has been accused of failure to disclose to the public his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth.

The impeachment complaint from the House of Representatives also quoted reports that that some of Corona’s properties were not included in his declarations and alleged he has accumulated ill-gotten wealth, having acquired assets of high values and keeping bank accounts with huge deposits.

Corona has invoked a 1992 en banc resolution restricting the release of SALNs of members of the judiciary in refusing to release the statements to the public.

But Supreme Court clerk of court Enriqueta Vidal was forced yesterday to surrender Corona’s SALNs since 2002 on orders of the Senate. Also yesterday, the Supreme Court authorized the turnover of the documents to the impeachment court.

For the rest of the report, please click here (VERA Files).

UPCAT results 2012 out now

Results of the highly-competitive UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) which high school seniors took last August 2011 are out now.

The results are best viewed online through the UPCAT Results 2012 Online link in the University of the Philippines College of Admission website.

Here’s the list of UPCAT passers in alphabetical order:

Aaron, Eunice Moncada – Abes, Hector Salazar

ABES, LOIZA ALLISON BANDIOLA – ACLAN, SHERLYN ANTOINETTE BOONGALING

ACLAN, STELLAH GRACE PALOMARES – AGREDA, ROCHELLE IVY DELACRUZ

AGRIMANO, RONALYN BENDO – ALAZAS, ANDRE MIKO BONTES

ALBA, MAXINE LALLY TYBACO – ALFARO, RACHELLE ANNE TOLENTINO

ALFARO, RUMEL ANGELO TORRE – ALVARAN, LOUISE MARIE ROSE TUMALIUAN

ALVAREZ, ANNE KRISTINE VILLANUEVA – ANCHETA, ALEJANDRO LORENZO SANTOS

The results are highly anticipated by incoming college freshmen of Class 2012 and their families. The University of the Philippines is still considered the top-ranked institution for tertiary learning in the country. Many people aspire to study here because of its lower tuition as a state university and the prestige of being enrolled in a school where most of the country’s leaders and top professionals have passed.

Welcome to Newly Open Casa de Doña Upeng

Welcome to Casa de Doña Upeng. Many have wondered what lies behind this elegant home which was built in 1950 by Guadalupe Bengzon Jimenez and has remained a landmark in Mangaldan since then. Now you can experience the old world charm of Casa de Doña Upeng as it opens its doors as a first class bed and breakfast and premier function venue. Case de Doña Upeng – the place for unforgettable memories

See you there!

Impeachment trial as comedy

Who says the Corona impeachment trial would be boring with all the legal gobbledygook, a classic quote by then Sen. Rodolfo Biazon during the Estrada impeachment trial in 2000, that we expect would dominate the trial?

It was the second day and the prosecution was expected to start the presentation of evidence. It was
Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr (Cavite, 2nd dist) who was the lead prosecutor and he started with saying that it
was in the public interest that they start with Article 2 of the Impeachment complaint which was“culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betrayed the public trust when he failed disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and networth statement of assets,
liabilities, and net worth as required unders Sec. 17, Art. XI of the 1987 Constitution.”

The defense, as expected, opposed the re-arranging of the order of presentation of evidence. Barzaga said the prosecution was not ready with the evidence for Article 1 which was “betrayal of the public trust through his track record marked by partiality and subservience in cases involving the Arroyo administration from the time of his appointment as supreme court justice which continued to his dubious appointment as a midnight chief justice and up to the present. “

In the course of the exchanges among the prosecution, defense and the presiding judge, Barzaga said that he was just submitting computer-generated documents from the Register of Deeds.

Computer-generated? Barzaga started arguing for the genuineness of computer-generated documents.Enrile asked if he was going to present anybody to authenticate the documents. Barzaga said he had none and that’s why, he said, “We are willing to postpone the hearing for today. “

“ Yun lang pala ang gusto mo, magpa-postpone,” Enrile remarked.

Lead defense lawyer Serafin Cuevas, former Supreme Court justice, was caught by TV cameras suppressing a chuckle.

Enrile warned Barzaga that he won’t admit as evidence documents without someone testifying as to its authenticity.

Barzaga said, “Thank you, your Honor, for that ruling.”

“Not a ruling.That’s a warning,” Enrile clarified.

There were suppressed chuckling from the gallery.

There was also a lot of chuckling on Twitter. Atty. Marvin Aceron, tweeted“ Cong Barzaga, upo ka na Pards.”

Professional Heckler:”Kasi naman, inubos n’yo ang ebidensya sa media. Wala tuloy ma-present sa Senado.”

Vencer Crisostomo said, “Kahapon teledrama, ngayon comedy pala itong impeachment.”

Oh well, not bad. The prosecution, even if they admitted yesterday was a disaster, said those are just birth pains. Rep. Miro Quimbo of the prosecution team, insisted that computer-generated copies are genuine. They promised that they will have their witnesses today.

At the start of the trial, the senators denied a motion seeking to compel the Corona family to testify the chief justice.

Citing Article 3, Section 17 of the Constitution, the senators acting as jurors, ruled that Corona, his wife Cristina and their children cannot testify against themselves.

We feel uneasy about the lack of preparedness by the prosecution when the House of Representatives impeached Corona with unbelievable speed last month. Does it mean that there was no evidence at that time and they are only building up the evidence now?

That’s not comedy anymore. That’s scary.

Lacierda:WB report on JRSP genuine

Statement of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda on the World Bank report on the Judiciary

Contrary to the excitable—but utterly wrong—conclusions of an opposition lawmaker, the World Bank report on Judicial Reform Support Program (JRSP) is genuine. It seems that what the World Bank has done is clarify that it did not release the report to the media, but a careful reading of its statement shows that they did not deny the authenticity of the report itself.

We have verified with officials who were furnished copies of the World Bank report that the version uploaded by a media outfit online, and theirs, are a match. The report details the expenditures declared ineligible for World Bank funding. It also demanded a refund from the Supreme Court for expenses that were not covered by the grant.

It is interesting to note that neither the Chief Justice nor his spokesman have disputed the authenticity, or the existence, of the report: what the Chief Justice has egregiously misrepresented is that the report didn’t cover his period in office; while his spokesman dodged the issue by calling it “unfair.” The truth is the report specifically covers the period of Mr. Corona being Chief Justice.

As the President has pointed out, the report proves the pressing need for reforms in the judiciary. Reforms that the present Chief Justice, who has lost his moral ascendancy, is incapable of achieving. The ongoing impeachment of the Chief Justice is thus a vital step in the process of reforming the judiciary, so that it can finally deliver true justice, speedily and impartially, to our people.

Thumbs up! Manila Revisited room package @ Manila Hotel

Here’s something I happily recommend to tourists, balikbayans and countrymen wanting to know a piece of the country’s history or simply rediscover their roots. Manila Hotel, the grand old dame of this city’s hotels, is offering a Manila Revisited special room package inclusive of transport and a tour of the following landmarks: Fort Santiago, Jose Rizal’s Execution Site, Casa Manila, Palacio del Gobernador, Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church and the former headquarters of General Douglas MacArthur.

The room package is inclusive of buffet breakfast, welcome fruits and drinks. (Okay, special mention must also be made of the hotel’s 24-hour free wifi!) Superior deluxe is priced at P7,500 net for single occupancy and P8,500 for double. If you’d like to avail of the luxurious Sunset/Sunrise suites, it’s P15,500 net for single occupancy and P16,500 net for double.

Above: Manila Hotel’s grand lobby. Other establishments may be newer, but I’ve always liked this hotel for its character and sense of history. The 100-year old building has played host to countless international statesmen, celebrities and events.

We were invited to see for ourselves the Intramuros tour that comes with the hotel package and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I always pride myself with knowing a big part of Manila. I came out of this tour humbled and thoroughly enlightened of the past life of our ancestors, notably the national hero Jose Rizal.

We rode to Intramuros and Rizal Park in horse-drawn carriages or kalesa. Trailing us was a tranvia (old style street tram) with a group of musicians onboard.

It’s been a long time since we visited Fort Santiago and it was refreshing to see the serene greenery of its small park.

This fort was envisioned as a citadel by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and it was also here that Rizal was imprisoned prior to his execution. Inside Fort Santiago, there’s a Rizal Shrine museum where one can see Rizal’s sculptures, memorabilia and a striking painting of Rizal by Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

Stopping by Casa Manila gives one an idea of the sprawling houses of the rich in the 18th and 19th centuries. I enjoyed seeing antique furnitures, intricately designed four-poster beds and even a manually-operated fan.

Our tour guide led us to this little-known spot in the sprawling Rizal Park which reenacts Rizal’s execution through a series of sculptures.

After visiting Fort Santiago, Casa Manila & trudging through the rest of Intramuros in our kalesa, Rizal Park was our last stop. We returned to the hotel at the stroke of dusk.

In Manila Hotel, don’t miss the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Suite. It’s $2500 a night but you can request for a free look-see. Gen. MacArthur lived in the hotel for a long time and some of his personal effects are still here, like his military cap and a pair of chairs that survived the bombing of the Second World War.

Note: the tours are administered by the Castillian Carriage and Tour Services specializing in guided trips of Intramuros and other historical sites administered by English-speaking guides.

The Manila Hotel
One Rizal Park, Philippines
Tel. No. (632) 6270011

Philippine media fell for hoax WB report?

Philippine media has a term for it: kuryente

It looks like a number of Philippine media organizations were victims of a hoax World BanK Report regarding Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project criticizing Chief Justice Renato Corona and Court Aministrator Midas Marquez.

Manila Bulletin came out with a report on WB disowning the so-called JRSP report. Here it is:

World Bank disowns JRSP report
By CHINO S. LEYCO
January 16, 2012, 5:38pm

MANILA, Philippines — The World Bank denied on Monday it released a report on the Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) that noted its dissatisfaction with the way the project was being implemented.

Erika Leann Lacson-Esguerra, World Bank program assistant for external relations, said Monday the bank did not release to the media a supposed memo regarding the “unsatisfactory” progress of the high court’s loan.

“This email message did not come from the World Bank. Any official statement from the World Bank will be posted online (www.worldbank.org.ph),” Lacson-Esguerra said.

On Monday, several newspapers including Manila Bulletin received a press release on JRSP’s progress report that claimed it was an official statement coming from the World Bank.

The press release said that since mid-2010, or months after Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona took over, progress in attaining the project development objective and implementation have been rated “unsatisfactory.”

“The World Bank also noted the continuing procurement delays, uneven pace and quality of implementation, limited information on project results and fiduciary issues,” the statement read.

Data from the World Bank’s website revealed that the pace of implementation has picked up under Corona’s leadership, saying more than $1.3 million was disbursed in the first half of 2011 alone.

Of the total project cost of $24.4 million, which aims to make the judicial system more accessible, about $21.9 million would come from World Bank’s International Bank of Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the remaining $2.5 million will come from the national government.

Data from the World Bank showed that the bank has disbursed a total of $16.47 million as of December 31.

It also showed that the JRSP project could not be completed by December 31, 2009, and had to be extended by 18 months, to June 30, 2011.

The extension, however, was not enough, so the project was extended anew to June 30, 2012.

The bank attributed the delays to implementation and coordination issues in the Supreme Court, lengthy procurement processes as well as changes in the judiciary leadership.

The World Bank also cited the severe Typhoon “Ondoy” in 2009 as a setback because of the damage it brought to courts and records.

The bank also said that aside from the extension, the loan was also modified, with some loans reallocated and $500,000 cancelled.

World Bank did not disclose of reason for the cancellation.

“There are no changes to components but there are modifications to some activities within components. These changes have no implications for the development objectives,” the World Bank said.

On Monday, President Benigno S. Aquino III called for a review on the use of judiciary fund for transparency after the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona is finished. (Additional reports from Genalyn D. Kabiling and Hannah L. Torregoza)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Here’s the ‘WB report’ which I got by email (worldbankreport@gmail.com)

MEMO
RE: WORLD BANK REPORT ON THE JUDICIAL REFORM SUPPORT PROJECT
DATE: 8 JANUARY 2012
x——————————————————————————————————-x

Background: The World Bank (WB) approved a loan to finance the Philippine Supreme Court’s Judicial Reform Support Project (JRSP) on 2 October 2003. The thrust of the JRSP is to assist in developing a more effective and accessible judiciary that would foster public trust and confidence through the implementation of the Supreme Court’s Judiciary Program for Judicial Reform conceptualized during the term of Justice Hilario Davide. The JRSP is set to end 30 June 2012 and is therefore at the closing stage. Disbursements as of 30 November 2011 is at US$16.3 million.

However, the WB Task Force has forcefully called the attention of the Supreme Court that while there were significant early victories such as the small claims court and the e-library, “since mid-2010, progress in (a) attaining the project development objective and (b) implementation have been rated ‘Unsatisfactory”. Hence, the unsatisfactory performance is directly attributable to Renato Corona since he assumed the position of Chief Justice in June 2010. The WB also noted the continuing procurement delays, uneven pace and quality of implementation, limited information on project results and fiduciary issues. Among the significant delays were the dropping of the Halls of Justice for Mindanao and Manila. While Halls of Justice for Angeles and Lapu-Lapu pushed through, the WB found that both remain at risk of diminished levels of performance and insufficient maintenance.

While the WB noted the incompetence and inefficiency in the implementation of the project that is the ultimate responsibility of Corona as CJ, its key finding is that the fiduciary environment pertaining to JRSP implementation has so deteriorated that the JRSP was rated as “`high risk’ and `unsatisfactory’ on project management, project procurement and financial management dimensions”, and it was observed that the SC’s “project financial statements can no longer be relied upon.” The WB stated that the fiduciary failures begun in 2010 and accelerated in 2011. From mid-2010, project decision-making became more centralized with the sidelining of the Program Management Office (PMO) and the assumption of authority of Marquez (Public Information Officer (PIO) Midas Marquez was appointed also as the Court Administrator, Chairman of Bidding and Awards Committee and as the authorized signatory of Corona) that there was a break-down and elimination of internal controls that resulted in questionable procurement and expenditures, ineligible disbursements, retroactive contracts, uncontrolled commitments, increased risk of contingent liabilities and potential over-commitment of funds. The WB continued “as a result, the quality of project implementation and reliability of project financial information deteriorated.

These were the observations that resulted in that rating:

1. The capacity of the SC’s Program Management Office (PMO) that was supposed to oversee the implementation of the project was downgraded. PMO staff was reduced from 30 to 10. PMO personnel with institutional memory departed or were sidelined and an ad hoc management style emerged that has demoralized remaining PMO personnel. The WB also noted that while the PMO had responsibility, it had no authority. As a result, there was a loss of attention to project development objectives and results;

2. Instead, authority was shifted to Midas Marquez. Hence, the WB this noted that since mid-2010, an increasingly top-down project decision-making and implementation process (especially on what to procure and through what method) has resulted in the exclusion of key stakeholders within the SC and diminished existing internal “check-and-balance” mechanisms. Power and authority over the JRSP was consolidated to Public Information Officer (PIO) Midas Marquez, who was also appointed as the SC Court Administrator. Marquez was authorized to approve on behalf of the Chief Justice payments up to P200,000 which was later increased to P500,000. Marquez was also the Chair of the Bidding and Awards Committee in 2010. Thus, in 4 contracts to one firm (Media Banc), Marquez was the requestor of the services, the approver of terms of reference, the end user and the authorizer of contract extensions and payments to the firm. The report also stated that Marquez appear to exercise authority without commensurate responsibility or accountability.

3. Consequently, the WB noted that “procurement and financial management disclose numerous issues. Contract management was rated “unsatisfactory”: substantial implementation delays (and possibly cost escalation) have occurred on key contracts and the final benefits and impact of project activities are likely to be significantly less than expected.” In addition, there are delays in payments, incomplete billings and there appears to be unpaid bills. WB noted since mid-2010, GOP financed payments amounting to P43.9 million has not been made by the SC. In view thereof, there is high risk of contingent liabilities despite fact that project was about to be completed.

4. The WB noted that while the project was supposed to be in the closing stage, there was a sudden increase in expenditure in the latter half of 2011 that were mostly made without prior agreement with the WB and even in spite of such non-agreement. The Bidding and Awards Committee chaired by Marquez went ahead with procurement knowing these were not included in the agreed procurement plan or not agreed with the Bank. Worse, ICT goods were not procured for front-line judges and court personnel who desperately needed it but for the SC in Manila. Only 14 percent of the ICT goods went to the lower courts—the key JRSP beneficiaries. 62% by value of the IT procurements bought in small lots was used for SC and appellate courts. 18 % of the purchases went to units or officials whose connection with the JRSP project was unclear such as for Justice Roberto Abad, the Bar Examination Chairperson.

The WB noted that it was not even aware of the IT purchase for the Regional Court Administrator Office (RCAO) which is under Marquez until a site visit when Lapu-Lapu judges informed them that they received no IT equipment under the JRSP. Apparently, the IT purchases were diverted to the RCAO at the initiative of Marquez, leaving the courts bereft of IT equipment. The WB noted that it was not informed of this “major change in destination of IT equipment earmarked for a priority front-line project beneficiary group!” [1]

The purchase of these ICT through inefficient and expensive shopping procedure (which practice emerged since mid-2010 and accelerated in 2011) mostly outside of the agreed procurement plan and through individual items and small lots inimical to economy and efficiency accelerated in 2011. The WB noted that this procurements ‘appear to be driven by the objective of rapidly disbursing JRSP resources” before the loan expires despite the fact that this was outside of project priorities or results.

5. The WB based on a random sampling of only 133 SC disbursements, 70 payments totaling US$199,900 as ineligible and asked SC to reimburse. SC has initiated refund but as of 30 November 2011, US$161,422 has not yet been refunded. The WB noted that of these ineligible expenditures, 16 expenditures were for Marquez’s Office of the Court Administrator.

Among the ineligible expenditures were: speaker’s fees for Marquez’ a unnamed OCA staff, registration fees of unnamed senior SC official to the Court Public Information Seminar in Atlanta, USA and International Association of the Court Administration in Jakarta, Airfare of Judges to Sydney, registration fee of unnamed Senior Supreme Court official and OCA staff for a Conference in Bogor, Indonesia, trips and accommodation of SC officials to Cebu, room accommodation during the Goodwill games with Guam at P69,000, meals with justice and Guam delegation at P83,529, 11 notebook computers for OCA (at P259,050), 8 units of laptop at P364,960 and 1 unit at P65,580 for 2011 Bar Chairperson (Justice Roberto Abad), 12 units desktop and 1 notebook to Office of the Chief Justice at P496,790, 1 unit printer at P24,415 for the OCA.

6. The WB also stated that the information it received about the amount of Government contribution is not fully reliable. The WB task force found that they were misled as to the amount of actual GOP contribution. The SC claimed that the unspent balance of the GOP commitment was US$.8 million (P34 million at current exchange rate) but the WB team was informed that outstanding GOP counterpart was P50 million. Hence, it appears SC was not disbursing GOP contributions.

7. The practice of “borrowing funds” from the WB account to finance unrelated expenditures like foreign travel, conferment of honorary degrees, Goodwill games was also noted. There were also expenses that were never reimbursed such as costs of tickets paid to a travel agent.

8. As a result of the mismanagement of the JRSP and the delays in the implementation, Philippines suffered exchange rate losses due to the devaluation of the US dollar amounting to US$3.9 million (about P174.5 million, including realized losses of P88.6 million).

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[1] Par. 27 of page 9 of the Report.