MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman on Monday found probable cause to indict the former town mayor and treasurer of Sumisip, Basilan for failing to remit contributions to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) and taxes on compensation.
The Ombudsman learned in its probe that former Mayor Haber Amin Asarul and Treasurer Camlian Borjal were not paying or delaying contributions despite monthly deductions from the salaries of the municipal employees.
The investigation revealed that Sumisip municipality was not able to remit GSIS contributions from October 2007 to May 2008, while the Pag-IBIG contributions for June 2008 to May 2009 were remitted late from October 2007 to January 2009, and from March to May 2009. The remittance of taxes withheld from July 2007 to May 2009 was also late.
Employers are mandated to remit GSIS contributions on or before the 10th day of the ensuing month according to Repubic Act 8291 or the “GSIS Act of 1997” while under Presidential Decree 1752 or the “Home Development Mutual Fund Law,” employers must remit contributions within 15 days from the date the contributions were collected.
Asarul and Borjal now face multiple charges before the Sandiganbayan. They are accused of 20 counts of violation of R.A. 8291, 19 counts of violation of Presidential Decree 1752 and 23 counts of violation of the National Internal Revenue Code.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales also ordered the Commission on Audit-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to conduct a special audit on the cash accounts of the municipality of Sumisip from July 2007 to July 2009 following the result of the probe.