All eyes on DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno as reports of shady business linked to Robredo’s death surface

Following reports that police officers led by Department of Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno had tried to “raid” the late Secretary Jesse Robredo’s apartment just a day after his fatal plane crash, an ABS-CBN News report has revealed that Robredo had in fact been investigating an arms deal that involved Puno…

ABS-CBN News was able to secure a copy of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) report on the planned purchase of assault rifles by the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force that involved two procurements of nearly P178 million and P213 million.

The documents show that Robredo received the report on August 8, less than two weeks before the fatal plane crash off Masbate.

ABS-CBN News sources said this report is among the sensitive documents that were in Robredo’s condominium unit at the time of his death.

This is the same condo unit that Puno and some police officials allegedly tried to access on August 19, a day after the plane crash.

Earlier, we highlighted the the questionable circumstances surrounding the plane crash that killed Robredo and two pilots. According to news reports, Robredo’s remains had been returned to his hometown in Naga City only “a few hours after technical divers found and recovered his body in the waters off Masbate.” From there, it will be made available for public viewing. There is no report of any autopsy being performed nor any plans for one in the future. Some people have also speculated on the suspicious circumstances surrounding the way Robredo’s aide Jun Abrazado “survived” the crash. One of them is Nemesio Antonio Jr in an article on his blog Danger Signs. Some questions he poses among others:

(1) Initial reports stated that Abrazado suffered a fractured arm during the accident, yet situation spokesperson at the time Mar Roxas reported that “Abrazado swam out of the plane’s cabin upon regaining consciousness and not finding Robredo.”

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(2) Abrazado reportedly related how he observed that the plane was broken into two after the crash. But having reportedly lost consciousness after the crash, how did he know this?

(3) How did Abrazado lose sight of Robredo so soon after regaining consciousness?

Interestingly, Malacañang has so far been notably mum on the subject of Puno’s attempt to storm Robredo’s apartment a day after his plane crashed. Bombo Radyo Philippines reports that the Aquino Administration has as of press time declined to comment. According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, her office would not be able to comment pending clear guidance from “higher officials”.

Rico Puno is a shooting buddy of Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III. He is also a key figure in the botched rescue operation that led to the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists in a August 2010 hostage drama. Puno was later absolved of any responsibility for the appalling incompetence exhibited by Filipino security forces in that incident. Puno also seems to have close ties with the Philippines’ jueteng (illegal numbers game) underworld. In September 2010, Puno admitted he got offers to be on the take from the lucrative jueteng business from relatives and friends (“conduits”, he calls them, that the actual operators used to extend the offer to him). He said he “turned them down”.

Yet, some questions come to mind…

(1) Why would friends and acquaintances even consider approaching him with such proposals if they didn’t see a possibility that he’d be potentially open to such things? Suffice to say, one’s “friends” reveal quite a lot about one’s character.

(2) If Puno were serious in towing his boss’s zero-tolerance line regarding corruption, then those people who extended the offer to him are potential leads to an equally serious crackdown on jueteng. Is he going to pursue these leads now?

(3) Why is this admission coming at the heels of an imminent whistle blow coming from retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz? Indeed, there is nothing like an imminent threat of exposure to smoke out people with dirty noses.

Where there’s smoke, it is quite likely that there is fire, and Puno is smoking now, and has been, apparently, since the earliest days of the Second Aquino Administration.

34 Replies to “All eyes on DILG Undersecretary Rico Puno as reports of shady business linked to Robredo’s death surface”

  1. ?? True or False — UnderSec PUNO had always been direct-report to President Noynoy.

    ?? True-or-False — Under Sec PUNO always was Presi-Noynoy’s eyes-and-ears over PNP.

  2. If these were all proven right, then it is so fun to admit that the daang matuwid is really perpetrated to cover-up the KKK’s of noynoy and their evil plans. Should it be proven that Puno had planned the accident of Sec. Jesse for him to gain control over the case against himself, then he must pay for it in a similar manner or worse.

  3. We have a Hacienda Luisita Mafia, in our country in full operation. Like the New York and the Las Vegas Mafia in the U.S.A. People in the Hacienda Luisita Mafia consider themselves: “untouchables”. They are protected by higher officials in the Philippine government. Gambling like Jueteng is one of their money making operations. Casino gambling is the money making operation of the U.S. Mafia. Government contracts, like garbage collection and public works are also , one of the money making operation of the U.S. Mafia. “Omerta” or the Code of Silence, is implemented to those, who poke their noses to their operations. Was the late Robredo, a victim of the “Omerta”…

  4. To counteract the conspiracy with the survival of the aide of the late secretary, the points mentions can be answered reasonably.

    1) Even if fractured his arm. For someone whose face a very dire situation. Adrenaline will kick-in, ignoring the pain that is being experience by the body. We do have incident where GSW victims be able to run or do superhuman things that saved their life in the process. This could also be the case for the aide that survived. His will to live is strong that he manage to swim out with a fractured arm.

    2)He might had notice it when he go concious. A plane broken in two is can easily be seen and notice. It’s not a large plane.

    3)Will to survive. You are in a plane that just crashed and slowly sinking in the bottom of the sea. Your instinct is to get out of there as soon as possible. Yes. He’s an aide, someone that should precedent the life of his master to his. It so happens that his instinct kick in. Nothing unusual to that. If survivors lost a family or two in a disaster. What more would a person initially move toward saving someone he isn’t close to.

  5. huwag muna tayong manghusga kasi hindi pa tapos ang imbestigasyon at wala pang matibay na ebidensya. pinag aaralan pa nga kung totoo yang mga haka haka laban kay Puno o hindi.

    1. ang dapat pagusapan kasi may sagot na ay ang pagpilit ni mike arroyo na maginhibit si sereno sa kaso nya. Aba, binago na nga ang korte para makulong ang mga totoong may kasalanan sa bayan sa pangunguna ni Gloria.

        1. Well I don’t think fishball knows the meaning of the words LOGIC or SENSE. Hell, I don’t think he/she even has LOGIC or SENSE.

    2. There is an “Unholy” Alliance, between Noynoy Aquino and former Sec. Puno. The Hostages murder at Luneta, was the first “pinalusot” si Puno. Now, there is a suspicion of murder of Robredo. Because, Robredo knew too much; stepped into sensitive toes; and was poking his nose on multi billion pesos questionable deals.
      It’s really like a Hacienda Luisita Mafia hit. I will not be surprized, if it is one…

  6. A corrupt arms dealer in charge of a billion peso contract. Thats like putting an alcoholic in charge of a bar.
    FG puno is making FG arroyo look saintly.
    And pnoy is now desperate to put a lid on it with a wall of silence since he is clearly involved.
    Robredo was too honest for his own good and his big mistake was telling aquino that he was going to expose puno.
    Next thing a very convenient and timely death with an inconvenient survivor who has been placed incommunicado.
    20% commission on 1 billion – people have done far worse for far less.

  7. Ang bait naman ni Persi-dente Noynoy, sinaklolohan si uSEC Puno. Sa interview, ang sabi daw ni Presidente, hindi si Puno ang nag-prisinta pero siya(Si Noy-i-Noy) ang ang nag-utos kay PUNO na lockdown iyong mga papeles at ebidensiya.

    Puwede din naman, si PresiNoynoy nga ang nagsabi kay Puno tungkol sa mga papeles at dokumento — ano kaya, jueteng? Logging? Smuggling?

    1. Well Furher in my post http://getrealphilippines.com/2012/08/i-got-friends-in-low-places/

      I make the same point that BS Aquino does not hide who his friends are regardless how it might look. The guy is so naive thinking the country is his school yard where he isn’t accountable. There are rules for the common folk and rules for his friends and we see it over and over again. He has no clue about delicadeza. Then again he has no clue about almost anything practical.

  8. I like how PersiNoynoy says trustworthy his KKK Puno. PersiNoy says “…. it does not make sense that Puno will do corruption for only a few millions “..

    “How many rifles were involved? It’s not that big. If ever, it will only total a few millions. Would you ruin your reputation for a few millions that you will only spend for a lawyer if you are charged? It doesn’t make sense,” he (Perss-i-Dente Noyi-Noy) said.

    1. 20% on 1 billion may not be much to aquino and cohorts but puno would be salivating at such a payday.
      as an arms dealer its all about money, not helping society
      and of all the arms dealers in all the world the israelis, and russians, are the most corrupt and amenable to kickbacks within the price.
      the straight path is as bent as a corkscrew

      1. I thought I have seen many Inquirer articles/news-items which mention na sa Pilipinas, P500,000 can get you a killer-for-hire. Iyong isang kontrata kaya na-bulgar, iyong killer eh hindi binayaran ng husto nuong boss. Nuong ibi-nenta iyong Armalite para makabawi si killer, nahuli tulor.

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