Ombud sacks Samboan assessor

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has dismissed from the service the municipal assessor of Samboan after he was found guilty of grave misconduct.

Graft investigator Irish Amores found sufficient evidence to dismiss municipal assessor Rosalito Dinauanao from the government service because of the complaint filed by Efipania Intes.

 â€œIt was obvious that respondent voluntarily offered his services to the complainant with the purpose of obtaining monetary benefit,” the decision reads.

Intes said that Dinauanao offered to help in the processing of the documents to transfer under her name the tax declaration of the property she bought in 2009.

Dinauanao allegedly processed the deed of absolute sale and computed the expenses for the supposed payment of the transfer of tax declaration, capital gain tax and other fees. Intes said she gave the respondent P51,729.50 as payment.

Dinauanao gave the deed of absolute sale and the new tax declaration to the complainant in January 2010. However, Intes said she found out that no payment for capital gain tax was made before the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Intes said she demanded the return of her payment but Dinauanao failed. The graft investigator directed the respondent to submit counter-affidavit but failed prompting the anti-graft office to resolve the complaint based on the evidence at hand.

“Obviously, the money went to his pocket…. It appeared that respondent exercised his function as public official with some color of corruption,” the decision reads.— (FREEMAN)