Malubog brgy. treasurer guilty of falsification

CEBU, Philippines - The barangay treasurer of Malubog, Cebu City was found guilty for the crime of falsification of public documents.

Edwin Villarta was given the penalty of two years, four months and one day in jail as minimum, to a maximum of eight years and one day.

He was charged with three counts of falsifying public documents in relation to the barangay’s road and drainage maintenance cleaning in June 12, 2002 as well as two operations of the barangay’s Clean and Green Project dated June 17 and August 10, 2002.

Villarta had said he paid in cash to each person who worked for these projects. He affixed his signature on the time book and payroll, certifying that the laborers received their salary.

It was found, however, that the persons named in the time book and payroll were not able to receive any amount and did not render any service for these projects during the period stated.

Juliet Almeda, who was assigned at the City Auditor’s Office as the team leader of Team II barangays from March 1, 2001 until August 31, 2004, took charge in examining the accounts of the barangays to check the accuracy and authenticity of the documents. She is now state auditor III at the Office of the Provincial Auditor of Cebu.

She said that once a year, cash investigations of the barangays would be conducted, as well as complainants endorsed to them by their cluster director.

Last November 2002, the Office of Provincial Audit conducted an investigation in Barangay Malubog after their cluster director gave an endorsement for the alleged “ghost project” in the barangay.

The complaint was endorsed by the Office of the Ombudsman through their Legal and Adjudication Office.

They tried to trace the vouchers and other documents mentioned in the project. Almeda also talked to Villarta, along with Barangay Captain Federico Bontilao of Malubog, about the accusation.

Villarta admitted that he used a total of P108,150, covered by three vouchers in question, to solve his financial problem.

Bontilao confirmed that the project for which the money was disbursed was non-existent. Villarta was advised to return the money to the barangay and he deposited it to the barangay’s bank account.

During cross-examination, Almeda testified that there was no project undertaken. In the affidavit she submitted, she did not mention Villarta’s admission that he used the money for personal reasons, because the treasurer returned the amount.

She also confirmed the statement in her affidavit that the vouchers, payrolls and their supporting documents appeared to be in order, including the signatures.

According to Bontilao, he did not actually see the treasurer falsifying any documents, and that his testimony was based on documents secured from the City Hall.

Meanwhile, Villarta testified that he was the one who prepared the time book and payroll for the said project, upon the instructions of the barangay captain.

As barangay treasurer, he said, he just followed the orders of barangay captain. He stressed that the people who worked in connection with the clean and green projects really exist.

He added that the P108,000-budget for the said project was in his custody because the project put on hold because of the election ban in May 2002. He kept the money in his locker at the barangay hall, with the knowledge of the barangay captain.

They waited for the election but the barangay captain was defeated and the Clean and Green Project was never implemented.

He turned over the money to Bonifacio Jabadan Jr., who replaced him in his position and issued him an official receipt. He said he never profited from, nor used even a peso of that money.

The prosecution, in its memorandum, stated that it was clearly established that the projects involved in the case were not implemented contrary to what appeared in the time books and payrolls. — THE FREEMAN