3 municipal collectors in Mlang face dismissal

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines --- An interim investigating team has recommended the dishonorable discharge of three senior municipal tax collectors in Mlang town in the province for having embezzled some P2 million worth of collections.

Mlang Mayor Joselito Piñol told The Star he is now reviewing the recommendation of the group, which investigated on the non-remittance of collections by Raymundo Papna, Marco Diel and Julius Magallosa, now suspended without pay.

Piñol said he suspended the three tax collectors last October 2013 immediately after state auditors found that the municipal officers could not account for huge amounts of revenues collected from the market, and business establishments in Mlang months before the audit was done.

Papna, Diel, and Magallosa failed to remit to the municipal treasurer P1.2 million, P752,000, and P140,000 worth of collected revenues, respectively.

The special team the Mlang local government unit organized to study the findings of the Commission on Audit and determine the extent of the culpability of each of the three collectors had ruled they can all be discharged from the service for pocketing taxes paid to the LGU.

The municipal treasurer had earlier filed graft charges against Papna, Diel and Magallosa at the office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao in Davao City.

Piñol said two of the three collectors have offered to return the amount they have pocketed.

“Even then, they will still be prosecuted,” he said.