20 workers in DOF agencies face raps

At least 20 government employees working in agencies supervised by the Department of Finance are facing administrative sanctions for anomalies in the filing of their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).

The DOF said its Revenue Integrity Protection Service (Rips) had obtained during the first nine months of 2017 orders that impose administrative sanctions against these 20 erring civil servants.

The orders, issued by the Office of the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), covered employees of the Bureaus of Internal Revenue, Customs and Local Government Finance.

According to the DOF, administrative cases filed by Rips at the Ombudsman resulted in the dismissal from service of two BIR employees.

Also, three BOC employees received penalties such as forfeiture of benefits and perpetual disqualification from public office.

“Judith G. Pacana, Chief Revenue Officer IV of BIR Iligan City, was found to have failed to declare in her SALN a parcel of land donated by her sister located in Misamis Oriental; an ancestral house located in Cagayan De Oro City; a land in Molugan, El Salvador City; a land located in Cagayan De Oro City; and a housing loan,” the DOF said in a statement.

“Likewise, in the case involving Ester Grafil Sese, an Administrative Aide at the BOC who was only earning P78,264 gross salary in 2012, the Ombudsman found that she failed to declare various motor vehicles in her 2000 to 2010 SALNs; falsely declared the acquisition cost of her assets; failed to declare various firearms in her 2012 to 2013 SALNs; and failed to declare a townhouse in her 2002 SALN,” the DOF said.

In another case, the DOF said Visitacion B. Difuntorum, Customs Operations Officer V, was found to have failed to declare in her SALNs various parcels of land in Quezon City and Catarman from 1995 to 2006.

Further, “BOC Special Agent Ramir Saunders Gomez was found to have failed to declare six real properties discovered by Rips located in Old Cabalan, Olongapo City in his SALN,” the DOF said.

At the CSC, the DOF said Rips won the case against Ma. Herminia A. Pabito, Revenue Officer IV of the BIR, “who was found to have failed to declare in her 2009 to 2011 SALNs a property registered in Pabito’s name and her sister.”

According to the DOF, other cases pursued by Rips resulted in orders of suspension that ranged from one month to one year, imposed on nine BOC employees, two BIR employees, and one City Treasurer.