Makati files graft case vs Taguig treasurer

THE Makati City government has filed a graft complaint against three Taguig City government employees, including the city treasurer, before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Charged were City Treasurer Voltaire Enriquez and employees Jessie Garcia and Erika Macaligtas for graft, grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The case is the most recent manifestation of the bitter land dispute between Taguig and Makati.

The complaint stems from the 11-month delay in the release of tax clearance documents by the City Treasurer's Office for three parcels of land purchased by Makati City from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) for P146,503,273.

Makati Mayor Mar-Len Abigail «Abby» Binay said «the Taguig city government „has shown on many occasions a contemptuous disregard for the law. Aside from the unjustifiable delay in the release of tax clearance documents, they have harassed our employees and are now facing charges of illegal detention and grave coercion. Their obsession to grab properties owned by Makati seems to have compromised their judgment, public conduct, and sense of decency.“

In the complaint, Makati said that after completing the transaction and paying the taxes due, it obtained from the Bureau of Internal Revenue the Certificate Authorizing Registration for the Transfer Certificate of Titles.

But in order to process the transfer of the title to the city government of Makati, Taguig City's Register of Deeds required the submission of the tax declarations for the three parcels of land, local tax clearances for Taguig City and proof of payment of local transfer taxes.

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

During the series of follow-ups, the respondents said the tax clearance application is still pending with the City Treasurer's Office but offered no acceptable reason for the delay.

»Despite having certified true copies of the tax declarations, we have yet to obtain the tax clearance documents or a tax assessment of possible taxes due