Makati files graft raps vs 3 Taguig employees

April 2, 2024 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Makati yesterday filed graft cases against three Taguig City Hall employees before the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a 10-page complaint, Makati charged Taguig treasurer Voltaire Enriquez as well as employees Jessie Garcia and Erika Macaligtas for allegedly violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

They were also charged with grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the interest of public service.

In a statement yesterday, Makati said the cases stemmed from the inordinate delay by the Taguig City treasurer’s office in releasing tax clearance documents.

This is in connection with the three parcels of land purchased by Makati from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority for P146 million.

“While the tax declaration documents were easily obtained, there was delay in securing the tax clearance and assessment for the payment of local transfer taxes,” Makati said.

During follow-ups, the respondents said the application for tax clearance is still pending with the treasurer’s office of Taguig, according to Makati.

Under Taguig’s Citizen’s Charter, the treasurer’s office should take only three working days for persons and five working days for corporations to release tax clearance documents.

Makati said it repeatedly followed up on the matter and sent a request letter dated May 5, 2023.

“(The) failure to process the tax clearance is unlawful, neglectful and unwarranted,” the city government said.

Makati Mayor Abby Binay criticized the delay, saying Taguig has shown “on many occasions a contemptuous disregard for the law.”

“Aside from the unjustifiable delay in the release of tax clearance documents, they harassed our employees and are now facing charges of illegal detention and grave coercion,” Binay said.

“Their obsession to grab properties owned by Makati seems to have compromised their judgment, public conduct and sense of decency,” she added.

In response, the Taguig Public Information Office (PIO) described Makati’s move as “another baseless complaint meant to harass Taguig.”

“The cases filed against the employees of Taguig will not detract them from giving the ‘embo’ residents transformative programs that they deserve,” the PIO said in a text message to reporters.