City taxpayers to pay extra for document security seal — ordinance

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has passed an ordinance adopting a document security seal to be used by all offices and departments of the city government that issue official documents to transacting public.

This means an additional expense of P75 for every transaction that needs official documents from the city government.

Section 5 of the “Document Security Seal Ordinance of the City of Cebu” has authorized the Office of the Mayor and the offices or departments of the city to charge an additional fee for each official form or document it issues to any transacting person or entity on top of the existing fees now being collected for the issuance of such forms, permits, licenses, certificates, certifications, and other similar legal documents.

“Provided that: no amount/s shall be collected by any city government employee, official, office or department without issuing requisite official receipt to the person/s who paid the amount. Provided further that: all amounts collected by the said offices and departments as a result of this ordinance shall be immediately remitted to the City Treasurer pursuant to prevailing government rules and regulations,” the ordinance authored by Councilor Donaldo Hontiveros stated.

 “Establishing a document security seal system would not only promote the integrity of the various official forms and documents being issued by selected frontline office/departments of the City Government but it would also discourage criminal elements from trying to counterfeit the said forms and documents and will potentially result in the successful collection of additional revenues by the City Government that would eventually lead to the betterment of the general public,” it explained.

“It is hereby necessary to adapt a document security seal system in order to confirm and guarantee the lawfulness and authenticity of the issuance of said legal document/paper, and by setting the technological threshold to a level that will discourage him for tampering the said document/paper,” it added.

Section 2 provides that the City Mayor shall have the discretion to determine and choose the features and/or design of the document security seal.

Provided, that such design shall take into consideration the unique security requirements of each office/department of the city government and that its formulation shall not necessitate the use of public funds.

The document security seal shall be used by all the offices of the city government, and it shall be affixed to the documents/papers issued by such offices or departments.

Further, the City Mayor shall have the sole discretion of identifying the various departments, forms, or permits being issued from the aforementioned units, departments, or offices to be included in the coverage of the ordinance.

Section 4 states the appropriations for the procurement of the document security seal and other related materials and equipment shall be taken from the funds of the City Mayor or from any available funds from the City Treasury.

All official documents not included in the listing of the City Mayor are deemed exempted from the application of the ordinance.

Any employee or city government official who fails to comply with any provision in the ordinance shall be penalized with a five day-suspension without pay for first offense; 10-day suspension without pay for second offense; and dismissal from service for third offense.

The Office of the Mayor has yet to prepare the implementing rules and regulations governing the implementation of the said ordinance.  — FPL (FREEMAN)