Ex-Basilan mayor, treasurer face raps over late remittances

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman yesterday ordered the filing of criminal cases against a former Basilan town mayor and a municipal treasurer over the delay or failure to remit taxes and other employees’ contributions.

In a nine-page resolution, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved the filing of 20 counts of violation of Section 6 (b) of the Government Service Insurance System Act; 19 counts of violation of Section 5, Rule VI of the Home Development Mutual Fund Act; and 23 counts of violation of the National Internal Revenue Code against former Sumisip mayor Haber Amin Asarul and Camlian Borjal.

Documents show that the municipal government failed to remit GSIS contributions from October 2007 to May 2008 while delayed remittances were reported from June 2008 to May 2009.

The remittances of Pag-IBIG contributions and taxes  were also delayed from October 2007 to May 2009 and July 2007 to May 2009, respectively.

Asarul and Borjal were found guilty of simple misconduct and suspended for three months.

“They clearly violated the law when they failed to make sure that the GSIS and Pag-IBIG contributions as well as the income tax withheld of the employees are remitted on time,” Morales said in her ruling.

Morales ordered the Commission on Audit to conduct a special audit of the salaries, benefits and remittance of PhilHealth contributions of municipal employees from July 2007 to June 2009.