Consolacion municipal employee faces charges

CEBU, Philippines – Criminal and administrative charges were filed yesterday against the Consolacion municipal employee who was arrested while taking money to facilitate a transaction.

The National Bureau of Investigation filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas two counts of estafa or violation of Article 315 of Revised Penal Code and another two counts for violations of Republic Act 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Grave Misconduct, against Arlene Alenton.“

Alenton, 50, administrative aide at the Consolacion Municipal Assessor’s Office, was caught by the NBI in the act of taking the P7,000 marked money from Henry Montebon.“

Montebon sought the help of the NBI after Alenton allegedly demanded additional amount from him to facilitate the transfer of the tax declaration of the property he bought from Romualda Reuyan of Polpogan, Consolacion.“

According to Montebon, he already gave P20,000 to Alenton last year to facilitate the release of the tax declaration. However, Alenton allegedly failed to deliver but despite of it she reportedly demanded additional P7,000.“

Montebon said after having made a down payment for the lot he purchased, he went to the municipal assessor’s office to verify its ownership and met Alenton.“

Alenton told him that the legal owner of the lot he bought is a certain Nicolas Padillo. She later vouched that the property is in deed owned by Reuyan but was part of the total property previously owned by Padillo.“

Alenton allegedly explained to him that Reuyan failed to secure a copy of the tax declaration of the property under her name because of financial constraint. “

It was then that Alenton allegedly told him that if he and Reuyan could agree to give her P20,000 as processing fee, which is to be deducted from the agreed selling price, she would facilitate the immediate release of the tax declaration.“

Montebon said he begged Alenton to give him more time as he did not have enough money during that time. On February 5, 2008, Montebon said, he went back to Alenton and gave P16,000 as part of the amount she demanded.“

Alenton received the amount without giving the official receipt but signed an acknowledgement receipt as proof that she got the money.

On March 28, 2008, Alenton reportedly called up Montebon to demand the P4,000 balance. Montebon said he gave the money three days later.“

Montebon said he believed that the tax declaration was already under his name. But to his surprise, when he claimed it at the provincial assessor’s office, it was still an old tax declaration issued in 2006.“

Despite the old tax declaration, Montebon said he continued paying Reuyan of the agreed selling price. Montebon said he made several follow-ups with the municipal assessor office for his new tax declaration.“

However, in the last week of May, Alenton demanded another P7,000 on top of the P20,000 she already received allegedly for the processing fee of the transfer of the tax declaration.

“Montebon then decided to seek the help of the NBI, which immediately conducted an entrapment operation to arrest Alenton. – Fred P. Languido/LPM (THE FREEMAN)