Talisay City teller caught tampering with tax receipt

After an employee of the Talisay City budget office was recently caught tampering her daily time record to collect overtime, another city employee was yesterday exposed at the city council for allegedly tampering a receipt issued for a professional tax payment.

The employee (name withheld pending investigation), a teller of the city treasurer's office, allegedly indicated on the original copy of the receipt for a police clearance payment the correct amount of P250 he received for the tax but stated only P10 in the carbon copy.

Councilor Allan Bucao made the expose through a privilege speech in yesterday's session, and called on the committee on public ethics and good governance, headed by councilor Serrie Restauro, to investigate the matter.

"I believe that what the teller did is one shameful act to the city and its constituents and that it deserves to be acted upon," Bucao said as he lambasted the city government's seeming failure to detect misdeeds of employees.

The taxpayer reported the matter to Bucao who, in turn, checked on the duplicate copy at the city treasurer's office and confirmed the discrepancy.

The session's presiding officer, Shirley Belleza, referred the matter to Restauro, who initially refused to take it up unless Bucao files a "formal complaint" first.

Bucao reacted saying his speech contained everything a complaint must have so he asked the council to act on the matter to prevent other employees from committing similar violation.

He cited the budget office employee who was earlier caught tampering her time card but was merely recommended for retraining. "It was tantamount to dishonesty and should have been recommended for termination from service," the councilor said.

Bucao insisted in his speech: "This matter should not be differed or shelved indefinitely, for this has been an existing problem not only in the treasurer's office but also recently in the budget office."

Belleza butted in saying the council should take action on the issue without favoritism because if the council gives commendation to exemplary work it should have a stand against misdeeds also.

Restauro eventually declared that his committee will investigate the errant employee, who will be penalized under the civil service law if found guilty.

City treasurer Emma Macuto, for her part, said she immediately reassigned the employee and confiscated his receipts upon learning of the incident last week.

Macuto said the employee admitted to her the illegal action but said he did it because he was in dire need of money at the time. The city treasurer clarified though that she would not protect her employee from misdeeds and will impose any penalty recommended against him. - Liv G. Campo