Capitol execs 'face-off' in SP over graft raps
Two senior officials of the Iloilo Provincial Government officially faced off in a Legislative inquiry over charges of graft.
In what stands to be the start of a tedious process in the Iloilo Sanggunian Panlalawigan's (SP) administrative complaint-hearings, the accuser cum complainant is longtime Capitol official, Laurie Quimba-Gudes. Gudes is the Local Assessment Operations Officer II who was present alongside the subject of her complaint and accusation, her direct superior, Provincial Assessor Francisco Habana Jr.
Lead committee investigating the matter is the Committee on Justice, Good Government and Human Rights chaired by Vice Governor Rolex Suplico.
The duo met in the SP session hall, apprised of the probe and given the ten-day reply period primarily to establish or debunk the validity of graft charges.
Documents obtained by TNT showed results of a comprehensive report that established alleged irregularities in the application of assessment laws on one particular transaction of the Provincial Assessors Office.
The property in question – Tax Declaration (TD) 0142 - appears to have declared the Provincial Assessor as the owner. The problem as now brought by the complainant to the SP body supposedly incriminate the Provincial Assessor to a highly-irregular and illegal act.
"TD No. 0142 cancels TD No. 0135 both TDs made effective for calendar year 2005 and 2004 respectively," the report began. During the processing period in August 15, 2005, TD 0142 was returned following the discovery that taxes paid was only in 2003. Later that day however, two other assessors, Pedro Nolasco Sazon and Philen Patriarca went ahead to give the go-signal on the questioned TD "after they were called by the Provincial Assessor because it was he, the Provincial Assessor, was the owner of the said tax declaration."
Worse, Gudes wrote, "as of this date, TD # 0142 (R9) and previous revisions exist in the Records Management Division of the Iloilo Provincial Assessor's Office despite the fact that it exhibits a clear violation of Section 220 of R.A. 7160 Section 4 (2)of Local Assessment Regulations No. 1-92 and Memo # 007, S. 2005..."
Also noted in the report were notations found on the questioned document declaring Habana as owner.
"On the face of said tax declaration, provided was a space for noted annotations etc. was boldly written the phrase, "With the authority of the Provincial Assessor" and underneath was Mr. Habana's signature. Guess what you see on the said TD "APPROVED" (signed) Provincial Assessor," Gudes wrote.
In concluding the report, Gudes stated, "With all these, I hope you can therefore decipher my statement and as promise, logic is definitely not of a worry that is if we are aware of the existing assessment laws and regulations."
Habana in an office memorandum back in July 2006 answered Gudes' charges saying reassessment "were made in accordance with the existing guidelines and provisions" of the law.