Baguio postmaster charged for malversation

MANILA, Philippines - For failure to account for P79,829 in government funds, the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday ordered for the filing of criminal charges against a postmaster in Baguio City.

Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni said a case for malversation of public funds should be filed against Elmo Tamog-Ong.

Allegedly on Oct. 23, 2007 when state auditor Rose Marilyn Dacanay of the Commission on Audit – Cordillera Administrative Region (COA-CAR) conducted a cash examination of his accounts, a shortage in the amount of P79,829 was discovered covering the period from Jan. 2, 2007 to April 2, 2007.

It was learned that Tamog-Ong’s cash shortage was already discovered by the Regional Internal Audit Service which eventually prompted him to deposit the missing amount.

However, the Office of the Ombudsman said that even though the respondent deposited the cash shortage a year after the discovery, it did not excuse him from his criminal liability.