3 gov't officials face probe for various graft charges

MANILA, Philippines - Three government officials are the subject of preliminary investigation before the Office of the Ombudsman on various graft and corruption-related charges, the Department of Finance yesterday said.

The complaints, filed by the Department of Finance’s anti-corruption unit, are due to falsification of official documents, perjury, grave misconduct, dishonesty and gross neglect of duty.

The Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) filed the criminal and administrative complaints against Antonio Veses, Supervising Customs Operations Officer and Assistant Chief, Informal Entry Division of the Bureau of Customs; Jessie J. Carlos, Tax Specialist I, of the Finance department’s “One-Stop Shop” Tax Credit and Duty Drawback Center (DOF-OSS Center); and Madelyn T. Sacluti, Revenue Officer IV of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The filing of the complaints followed separate investigations into the lifestyle and assets of the concerned individuals.

According to the complaint, Veses, despite his gross annual income of P395,676.00 was able to accumulate real estate properties.

He also allegedly has several business investments, such as townhouses and office spaces for rent and even a private resort in Batangas.

RIPS said that his sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALNs) showed that he also owns a number of vehicles.

Furthermore, RIPS alleged that Veses manipulated some entries in his 2001, 2003 and 2010 SALNs.

His net worth also allegedly jacked up to P13,789,000 from P4,286,000 from 2001 to 2010.

Similarly, Carlos SALN showed that he had accumulated wealth, which RIPS said was disproportionate to his legitimate means of income.

His SALNs disclosed that his property holdings include “a Toyota Innova SUV, a Hyundai Starex Van, a two-story house and lot along Felix Huertas St., Sta. Cruz, Manila for P3 million and two farm lots in Darasa, Tanauan City, Batangas worth P4 million in cash.”

Against this backdrop, RIPS said that Carlos’ yearly gross compensation for the years 2008 to 2010, when such assets and liabilities were acquired, ranged somewhere between P139,068 to P190,800.

The complaint against Sacluti, meanwhile, alleged that she had acquired “a number of real estate holdings situated in Quezon City and Laguna in spite of her modest salary of P380,532 per year.”

RIPS said that Sacluti failed to declare three real properties in her SALNs. These include a building and a residential lot in Tandang Sora, Quezon City and another residential land in Maulawin, Pagsanjan, Laguna.

In addition, RIPS said she did not specify the types of her three motor vehicles in her SALN. These are: a 1997 Toyota Corolla, a 2003 Toyota Revo and a 2009 Toyota Innova.

RIPS said that in the course of investigation, these respondents may undergo a six-month preventive suspension without pay.

“If criminally and administratively indicted, their dismissal from the government service is likewise inevitable. Consequently, the alleged properties that they unlawfully accumulated will be subject to forfeiture and reversion to the government in accordance with Section 2, Republic Act 1379,” RIPS also said.