City Hall worker found guilty of dishonesty

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has ordered the dismissal from service of a Cebu City Hall employee after she was found guilty of dishonesty.

The anti-graft office likewise ordered the filing of a criminal case for falsification of public documents against Concepcion Bartiquin, a utility worker at the city’s business permit section, as well as businessman Anson Uy.

Uy’s Banilad Auto Parts business permit was found by the city government to be fake prompting Mayor Tomas Osmeña to request the National Bureau of Investigation for an investigation.

NBI supervising agent Rennan Augustus Oliva found out that it was Bartiquin who printed the business permit despite the lack of requirements.

Bartiquin claimed she printed the business permit in good faith because the person who processed it allegedly pleaded to her that all the requirements are due to be released on that same day.

Bartiquin, in her counter-affidavit, said she did not have any knowledge of the alleged forgery of the signatures on the business permit.

Uy also claimed that he did not have a hand in the manufacture of the fake business permits. According to him, it was his father who actually managed the auto parts shop until the mayor closed it in 2005.

It was allegedly a certain Ramil Geniston who processed the business permit but the NBI was not able to locate Geniston.

However, anti-graft investigator Cynthia Sibi dismissed the claims of Bartiquin and Uy. Sibi recommended that the two should be prosecuted for violation of the Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code otherwise known as falsification of public documents.

Sibi also recommended the dismissal of Bartiquin from service for dishonesty with the cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits including perpetual disqualification for reemployment in the government service.

Sibi’s recommendations were all approved by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. — Fred P. Languido/BRP   (THE FREEMAN)