NLRC exec faces graft charge, ax

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman, finding probable cause, ordered the filing of charges yesterday against a National Labor Relations Commission commissioner for unlawfully soliciting P100,000 from a lawyer handling cases pending before the NLRC’s 4th Division.

Commissioner Angelo Palaña should be indicted for graft and violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said.

He is also being held administratively liable for grave misconduct and was ordered dismissed from the service with the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and disqualification for reemployment in the government service.

Graft probers found that lawyer Rebene Carrera filed a complaint alleging that in December 2011, he received an urgent call from Palaña asking him for a loan because “he was very badly in need of money” and said the loan would be considered as “goodwill money.”

Records from the NLRC show that Carrera was the counsel of record in 16 cases pending before the NLRC’s 4th Division, of which Palaña is a member.

Fearing that his cases might be prejudiced, Carrera said he gave in to Palaña’s demand and deposited P100,000 in Palaña’s bank account, as evidenced by a cash deposit slip dated Dec. 21, 2011.

Despite Carrera’s demands, Palaña allegedly refused to return the money and instead sent the lawyer a handwritten note showing the cases he had resolved favorably from 2010 to 2012.

The Office of the Ombudsman, in its ruling, stated that Palaña “acted with evident bad faith” and “he never refuted nor denied that the said amount was deposited to his account, nor did he refute ownership of said account.”