21 local treasurers, revenue execs face sanctions

The Office of the Ombudsman has slapped administrative sanctions – suspension or dismissal from the service – or ordered the filing of charges against 21 local treasurers and revenue officers for different offenses, including “unexplained shortages in their accounts.”

In a statement, the Ombudsman identified those ordered dismissed from the service as Demetria Pagaran, municipal treasurer of Gattaran, Cagayan; Roger Velasco, local revenue collection officer II of Masbate City; Erna Elizan, treasurer of Barangay Poblacion in Nabunturan, Compostela Valley; and Felicitas Bertiz, acting municipal treasurer of Milaor, Camarines Sur.

Those ordered suspended were barangay chairman Domingo Minguez (nine months); and Adoracion Fedelin, OIC-treasurer of Concepcion, Romblon (six months).

Edgar Villanueva, municipal treasurer of Cainta, Rizal, was reprimanded for failing to act on two letter-requests from a complainant.

Pagaran, Velasco and Eliza were dismissed for shortages in their accounts amounting to P2,214,477.41, P403,911.09, and P523,315.17, respectively. Bertiz, for her part, was dismissed for unaccounted collections worth P490,376.96.

The Ombudsman suspended Fedelin for incurring undeposited cash shortages amounting to P853,482.33.

Meanwhile, the Ombudsman ordered the filing of charges of malversation against Edna Jamisola, revenue collection clerk II of Pagadian City; Roosevelt Castrence Jr., local treasury operation officer II of the Quezon City treasurer’s office; Christine Reyes, machine operator and designated parking fee collector of Pasig City; Jesusa de Ocampo, revenue collection clerk II of the municipal treasury office of Tabuk, Kalinga; Rossana Ugali, former municipal treasurer of Itbayat, Batanes; Mercedita Opeña, OIC-municipal treasurer of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte; Marife Espinosa, secretary, and Gilbert Alterado, cashier, both of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority; and Brigido Barjose, treasurer of Barangay Poblacion, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur.

Jamisola allegedly incurred a shortage of P278,032.10, according to the Ombudsman.

Castrence, on the other hand, was found to have allegedly misappropriated P422,316.59 representing the payment of real property tax by a private corporation.

Reyes and De Ocampo were ordered charged for her failure to account for about P691,750 and P256,967.24, respectively.