Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Central Visayas immigration chief charged for receipt 'padding'
By Karlon N. Rama Sun.Star Staff Reporter
Charges for malversation and misconduct were filed yesterday against Bureau of Immigration (BI) 7 Director Geronimo Rosas and two confidential agents over receipt padding.
Teresita Rosco of 91 Cabreros St., Basak, Cebu City filed the criminal and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas. She impleaded Fred Suico and Edmund Rosas, the confidential agents.
The case comes about two weeks after Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Jr. ordered an investigation on the alleged human trafficking and bribery involving some bureau personnel in Cebu.
The investigation was prompted by a letter-complaint addressed to Gonzalez’s office regarding the trafficking of foreigners, notably Indian nationals and Pakistanis.
Rosco, for her part, wants Rosas and the two agents placed under preventive suspension.
“The past few weeks, I have been under threats and duress with two or three unidentified men (coming) to my place of residence and looking for me,” Rosco said.
“Besides, the documentary evidence is strong, it involves dishonesty or grave misconduct, it would warrant removal from service and the respondents’ stay in office will absolutely prejudice the case filed against them,” she also said.
Rosas, in an interview, down played the existence of the complaint, describing it to be a “harassment” charge that will be clarified “in the proper forum.”
“We don’t even have employees under those names,” he said, referring to Fred Suico and Edmund Rosas.
As Rosas readies to defend himself from allegations, 13 of his staff members face a criminal complaint of their own at the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor.
Assistant City Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro, who was until recently detailed to the BI 7 office, charged Atty. Brandon Enad, Rey Cuizon, Ferdie Balbuena, Ian Rommel Retuya, Rhea Hubahib, Erlinda Chu, Davie Soria, Nelson Gallentos, Acani Datu-Imam, Carlo Magno Salazar, Jefferson Callino, Emmanuel Torres and Hope Latorena.
Castro said the group circulated a four-page petition last June 26, calling for the cancellation of her detail order to the BI 7.
The petition, she said, contained, libelous and defamatory remarks directed at her with “the obvious and sinister aim of demolishing my honor and character.”
Several “scurrilous” statements were likewise made, including how she “spreads rumors and besmirches the name and reputation of BI 7 personnel” and how she “meddles with investigation on foreigners.”
“The publication is highly defamatory because aside from being untrue, it imputes upon me a vice or defect which tends to cause dishonor, discredit or contempt upon me,” Castro said.
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez has assigned Castro to the immigration office in Iloilo City to help them in the investigation of administrative cases. She remains with the Cebu City Prosector’s Office, though.
Gonzalez earlier ordered an investigation on Castro for alleged “meddling” in the bureau’s affairs.
In the complaint against Rosas, Rosco narrated how she, sometime in December 2005, went to the BI office and applied for the extension of the visa held by an Australian friend, Sylvester Philips.
She said she was approached by Suico and offered help in the processing for P10,000.
She narrated that she turned down the offer and, four months later, went back to the BI to pursue the application.
“In the BI, it was Mr. Fred Suico whom I directly transacted. In his own handwriting, Mr. Suico gave me a temporary order of payment slip showing the amount of P7,070,” she said.
She paid the amount but was not given a receipt, getting instruction instead to come back for it sometime later.
“When I received and examined the official receipt, I noticed with surprise that there were many erasures, alterations and superimpositions on the receipt,” Castro alleged.
“These receipts were recycled, meaning they were issued to different foreigners and were used again as official receipt for the payment I made on behalf of Mr. Phillips,” she said.
In schemes like this, payment for certain transactions are received but not entered in the books. Recycled receipts are given to payees as “proof” of payment.
She impleaded Suico for facilitating the transaction, Edmund Rosas for causing its approval and Director Rosas for approving the transaction.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 6, 2006 issue)
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