Cenro worker faces graft case in court for asking money from a lot owner

Friday, February 3, 2012

AN employee of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro-DENR) in Cebu City is facing a graft case in court for allegedly demanding money from a woman and her son who wanted their lot titled in Talisay City in 2006.

Edwin Atentar, a special land investigator of Cenro was indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for alleged violation of Section 3 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

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“Aside from bare allegations and denials of respondent (Atentar), he never proffered evidence to support his flimsy theory that he was impelled by an august intention when he accepted the money,” graft investigator Yvette Christine Labrador-Soleng said in her resolution.

A P30,000 bail was recommended for Atentar’s temporary freedom.

In his counter-affidavit, Atentar said that complainant Virgilia Seguerra went to Cenro for the processing of the miscellaneous sales application (MSA) to purchase 15,088-square-meter lot in Barangay San Roque, Talisay City.

Atentar said Seguerra “entrusted” him P8,000 cash that would cover the occupation fee.

He said he even tried to return the money, but Seguerra told him to “keep” the money for future processing fees.

Seguerra and her son, Wayne, initially filed graft charges against Atentar and Talisay City Assessor Ma. Alma Abellanosa.

In 2004, Seguerra said, she went to Cenro regarding her application for MSA.

But since the in-charge officer was not yet available, Atentar reportedly approached her and offered Seguerra to process the application for MSA.

Atentar asked Seguera to allow him to inspect the lot, and later demanded P20,000 as initial payment for “survey authority.”

Seguerra requested to reduce the amount and made a partial payment of P8,000 to process the survey authority.

The respondent received the money from Seguerra in his office.

In 2005, a record officer of Cenro issued a falsified certification to one Valeriano Ylanan stating that Wayne Seguerra “does not have pending miscellaneous sale application.”

About 15 tax declarations were later issued to Ylanan although the declarations bore the same tax declaration numbers under Wayne’s name.

Seguerra filed a complaint against Atentar before the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, which ordered the respondent to return the money to the complainant.

Atentar later returned the P5,000 to Seguerra.

Abellanosa was implicated for allegedly conspiring with Atentar to issue the tax declarations to other person although such declaration was in Wayne’s name.

In the resolution, graft investigator Soleng pointed out that Atentar had no obligation to receive the money from Seguerra for payment of supposed occupation fee.

Atentar’s job is limited only to being a special land investigator and member of the appraisal committee.

“Without doubt, the state of affairs of the present case engenders a well-founded belief that a crime has been committed, and that Atentar is probably guilty of the crime and should be held for trial,” said Soleng.

The charge against Abellanosa, on the other hand, was dismissed for lack of merit.