Tax receipt syndicate in QC hall busted

Criminal and administrative charges have been filed by the police with the Ombudsman against three employees of the Quezon City Treasurer’s Office in connection with the issuance of fake tax receipts last month.

The City Hall Complex Office of the Central Police District (CPD) filed charges against Emelyn Visperas, collection officer, of lot 2-B Dhalia Road Novaliches, Quezon City; Salve Ballo-Cruz, 43, operation officer, of 640 E. Rodriguez Avenue, Libis, Quezon City, and Nestor Rostata, 49, utility man, of 865 Geronimo Street, Sampaloc, Manila, all assigned with the Real Estate Division of the QC Treasurer’s Office.

Superintendent Elmo San Diego, detachment commander, said the case stemmed from a complaint filed by Melquiades Labarde, 43, businessman, of No. 110 Kamuning, Quezon City, after he discovered that the 55 pieces of real property tax receipts the accused issued to him for the tax payment of his real properties were fake.

Casiano Cristobal, Real Estate Division officer-in-charge, certified that the tax receipts issued to the complainant have not been machine-validated nor the payment received by the office.

The accused denied knowledge and participation of the issuance of fake real property tax receipts when police conducted an investigation after the complaint was filed against the three employees.