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Tuesday, August 01, 2006
2 City Hall employees face complaints over fake permits
Two more City Hall employees were charged yesterday for their alleged role in the proliferation of fake business permits in Cebu City.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 director Medardo de Lemos, in a letter-complaint to Visayas Ombudsman Director Virginia Palanca-Santiago, charged Iolani Baracao and Concepcion Bartiquin with falsification.
They were also impleaded for violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Bartiquin, who resides on MacArthur Blvd., Cebu City, was charged for the same offense last January.
With her and Baracao—together with Remberto Cabigon and Sherwin Baguio, who were charged for the same offense last October—the NBI hopes it has rid City Hall of its fake business permits problem.
Reports that a number of businesses in Cebu City operate with fake business permits, and therefore not paying taxes, rocked City Hall last year.
The discovery was made after a team of City Hall revenue collectors randomly began knocking on the doors of some business establishments, checking their permits.
Among those discovered operating with a fake permit was the shop of Flora Arquillano in Stall 33, Unit 1 at the Carbon Market.
A certification from document examiner Romeo Varona of the Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory showed that the signature above the name of Elisa Gonzales was forged.
Likewise, a certification from Helen Solito of the Social Security System showed that the SSS clearance stamped on the business tax payment certificate issued to Arquillano was also falsified.
“The questioned Cebu City Mayor’s Business Permit 000977 (therefore) was printed without the authority and consent of the City Government as it did not possess the supporting documents,” de Lemos’ letter-complaint to the anti-graft read.
Bookkeeper
Arquillano, during the investigation by Supervising Agent Renan Oliva, admitted that she had a bookkeeper, identified Corazon Tumulak, process her application for the permit in 2005.
Tumulak, in turn, told investigators that she approached Baracao, who had been her classmate in college, for help after the
application got disapproved.
She said Arquillano’s establishment couldn’t comply with one of the requirements—that her salesladies and clerks be made members of PhilHelath, SSS and Pag-ibig.
She said she didn’t know what happened next.
“After a week, I called Baracao and asked about the business permit of Arquillano and was told to be here to pick it up at her office,” Tumulak said.
Oliva impleaded Baracao on the basis of Tumulak’s testimony.
Bartiquin, meanwhile, was impleaded because records from City Hall’s Management Information and Computer Services showed that it was she who made the printout. (KNR)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 1, 2006 issue)
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