NBI also nabs two ‘associates’: Village chief falls over ‘falsified’ docs

CEBU, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation Central Visayas Regional Office (NBI-CEVRO), in coordination with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), yesterday filed complaints against a barangay captain for allegedly falsifying an Electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration (E-CAR) and a Deed of Absolute Sale in an attempt to transfer a land title.

Edden Gera Nocon, 42, of Tinaan, Naga City, Cebu was apprehended in his home after a hot pursuit operation at around 11:30 a.m. last August 23.

According to the NBI, Nocon falsified the BIR E-CAR documents and Deeds of Absolute Sale presented to the Register of Deeds Office (RDO) to transfer a 28,626-square-meter property in Moalboal, Cebu under the name of his deceased mother.

Upon further investigation, it was revealed that the E-CAR presented by the representatives of Nocon was fake and that the QR code on the document was linked to a different property with a smaller area of 8,626 square meters.

Initially, two of the Nocon’s representatives involved in processing the documents were caught in the entrapment, leading to the arrest of Nocon after a hot pursuit.

Prior to the arrest of Nocon, operatives have also noted that he has pending cases, including the falsification of a Motor Vehicle Certificate of Registration.

Another case was about the two certificates of land titles involving the same property that were registered under his name. The Department of Justice (DOJ) is currently investigating concerns about the integrity of the Torrens system, as both land certificates were allegedly printed on official Land Registration Authority paper.

Nocon has also a pending case before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 11 Cebu City for Falsification of Public Documents.

Yesterday, the NBI-CEVRO conducted inquest proceedings against Nocon for two counts of violation of Section 257 of the National Internal Revenue Code, which carries a penalty of two to six years imprisonment and a fine of P50,000 to P100,000.

Nocon was charged with falsifying public documents under Article 172 and Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Section 6 of Republic Act 10175 (Anti-Cybercrime Law), which has a prison sentence ranging from six years and one day to 12 years.

Additionally, Nocon may face administrative complaints for grave misconduct and violations of ethical standards under RA 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).

Atty. Renan Augustus Oliva, NBI-CEVRO regional director, said fraudsters exploiting their agency for illegal activities, such as document falsification would not get away for their deeds.

He encouraged anyone with similar concerns to report to the NBI for they possess the technical expertise to verify the authenticity of documents.

“We urge the public, if you are similarly situated, if you have complaints regarding this kind of criminal activity, to come to the office, the NBI, the BIR, or the Registry of Deeds… We will assist you in your complaints, we will investigate, and if found out, the perpetrators will be charged in court for their criminal activity,” he said.

Atty. Jay Rozen Bartazan of BIR-7 legal division said documents could be verified as fake or not using black light—an ultraviolet light which helps to reveal the security features present in original documents.

He said that to the naked eye, fake and real documents can look very similar because the bar codes and logos have been copied. However, under black light, the real document would reveal security details.

“They can easily copy the barcode; however, what they cannot copy are those security features which would be seen under a black light…. Put it under the black light, you would see those threads, the word TUNAY, the signatures in there which cannot be falsified,” Bartazan said.

With regards to the counterfeited Deeds of Absolute Sale, Nocon’s paper had a fake stamp from RDO 83 in Talisay City, which was why they concluded that it is fake.

He said that Nocon's fake documents also included two Deeds of Absolute Sale, which, according to a ruling by the Supreme Court, are automatically considered null and void if the two exist for the same transaction. In this case, both parties involved in the deeds of sale are deceased.

Bartazan said that before the E-CARS are issued, the RDO stamps the back of the Deed of Absolute Sale to authorize, authenticate, and further validate the document.

“What is more alarming here is (that) going back to the Deed of Sale, both parties of the deed of sale are both dead. Aside from the fact that the accused is a barangay chairman, both the buyer and seller are also dead, so how can that happen?” he said.

Oliva said the NBI will carry out a comprehensive investigation to explore the potential conspiracy among government agencies with Nocon, who declined to answer when The Freeman sought for his comment. — /RHM (FREEMAN)