Fake biz permits: NBI files charges vs. trader, CH employee

The National Bureau of Investigation charged yesterday a businessman and a city government employee for falsification of public documents and graft for their alleged involvement in the issuance of fake City Hall business permit.

NBI regional director Medardo de Lemos filed the case against Concepcion Bartiquin, a utility worker at the City Hall, and Anson Uy, owner of Banilad Auto Parts, before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

Banilad Auto Parts was ordered closed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña last October 6 after it was found to have been operating with fake business permit.

The mayor earlier requested the NBI to look into the proliferation of fake business permits in the city.

Based on the investigation conducted by NBI agent Renan Oliva, the signatures of authorized city officials were forged in the issuance of the business permit to Banilad Auto Parts last September 2, 2005 as certified by document examiner Romeo Varona of the PNP Crime Laboratory.

The investigation showed the permit was actually printed without authority from the city government because it did not have the required supporting documents before its issuance.

Uy also did not have a duplicate of the permit and other supporting documents to prove that it was genuine.

The Cebu City Management Information and Computer Services Incorporated issued a certification last October 7 that Bartiquin printed the business permit issued to Uy.

The NBI found out that Uy also fabricated the tax payment certificate he displayed showing the "cleared/inspected/examined" stamp because the establishment was not registered with the Social Security System.

Uy claimed that a certain Ramil Geniston processed the permit but based on the investigation of the NBI, the person is not known at the address given by Uy. The NBI ordered Uy to produce Geniston but the respondent refused to receive the subpoena.

"Well settled is the doctrine that if a person had in his possession a falsified documents and he made use of it taking advantage of it and profiting thereby, the presumption is that he is the material author of the falsification," the NBI complaint reads. - Fred P. Languido