Tuesday, June 05, 2007 Arrested CH worker posts bail; Tomas offers reward for tipsters, warns workers
THE Cebu City Hall employee who was earlier arrested during an entrapment for allegedly falsifying public documents was seen yesterday preparing the papers for his release.
Sandre Agravante Po was able to pay the P24,000 bail for the crime of estafa through falsification of public documents.
Po was charged yesterday before the Cebu City Regional Trial Court (RTC).
He also faces four counts of falsification of public documents by a government employee, and violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees before the anti-graft office.
Po, 45, is alleged to be one of several City Hall employees engaged in faking documents, which include official receipts, to defraud the government of taxes.
Up to P50T
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, meanwhile, pledged to run after crooks in City Hall, offering rewards of up to P50,000 in cash for informants on anomalies.
Osmeña said he believes the alleged falsification of documents is not an isolated case and that other anomalies are going on in other departments.
“Many of these things have been going on for a long time, not only at the assessor’s office. Almost every office here, naa gyuy tinonto. There is clearly connivance here at City Hall,” he told reporters yesterday.
In his news conference yesterday, the mayor announced he will give a cash reward to individuals responsible for uncovering anomalies. The rewards range from P20,000 to P50,000, depending on the type of information they provide.
Some have already been given cash reward for their cooperation in divulging anomalous activities at City Hall, he said.
The National Bureau of Investigation arrested Po last Thursday night for allegedly falsifying public documents that involved a certification where the tax assessment of two properties submitted to the City was smaller than the actual tax based on records of the City Treasurer’s Office.
Investigations
“I want to make it clear that we are not tolerating these anomalous activities. We have many continuing investigations, from spare parts to medicines, and on people who have perfected their racket,” Osmeña added.
Seized from Po during his arrest were a central processing unit, a colored monitor, a keyboard, a scanner/printer, an automatic voltage regulator, a modem, a webcam and a speaker. He was arrested in his house on J. Alcantara St., Cebu City.
Osmeña has also ordered the start of dismissal proceedings against Po, who worked for the City Assessor’s Office before his reassignment to the Cebu City Resource Management and Development Center in 2001.
Officials are convinced that Po is not acting alone.
City Administrator Francisco Fernandez said the arrest of Po is only the beginning, and that more heads will roll in their effort to improve tax collection. (KNT/LCR)
