Friday, March 28, 2008 Anti-graft office drops charges v. 3 customs execs
THE Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has dismissed for lack of merit the case filed by an insurance agent against former district collector Ma. Lourdes V. Mangaoang of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu and three others.
Aside from Mangaoang, the graft office also cleared customs legal officer Edward James Dy Buco, assistant customs bonds chief Libie Ann Cortes, and Sterling Insurance Corp. vice president Rafael del Villar.
Complainant Charles Almendras, who used to be the branch manager of Sterling, filed the case allegedly because he and Lelis V. Lim were banned by Mangaoang from transacting business with the Port of Cebu.
Almendras said that Cortes and Dy Buco concocted stories that they attempted to bribe them (Cortes and Dy Buco) which Mangaoang made as basis to ban them from customs. They also alleged that del Villar conspired with the customs officials, resulting in his forced resignation from the insurance company.
Bribery attempt
Prior to Almendras’ complaint, Mangaoang filed a case against the former and Lim for attempted corruption of public officials.
Almendras and Lim allegedly attempted to bribe customs officials to get favor in the insurance business, especially for surety bonds covering imported goods.
In her answer, Mangaoang explained that it was Almendras and Lim who revoked their privilege to transact with BOC by attempting to bribe customs officials and employees.
She said that the ban against Almendras and Lim was pursuant to Section 2201 of the Tariff and Customs Code which provides that “no person other than those with legitimate business with, or employees of, the port of the Bureau of Customs shall be allowed to enter the customs premises without a written permission of the Collector.”
No basis
Mangaoang added that there was no basis for Almendras to say that the case filed against him is malicious and the evidence is fabricated because the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office has not yet terminated the investigation.
Dy Buco and Cortes also said that Almendras is guilty of forum shopping having filed similar complaints in the past; they said it’s impossible to conspire with del Villar because they don’t personally know him.
Del Villar, for his part, said that Almendras was not forced to resign but voluntarily tendered is resignation to the company president.
The resolution penned by Graft Investigator Sarah Jo Vergara stated that all the respondents have effectively shown that they are not blameworthy in the manner alleged by Almendras. (EOB)
