Carolyn Tabora, former secretary of Barangay Kamuning, Quezon City, was found guilty of six counts of violation of section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and was sentenced to imprisonment ranging from one year to four years for each count. The Decision was penned by Presiding Judge Marilou Runes-Tamang of the Regional Trial Court (Branch 98) of Quezon City.
Ombudsman prosecutors proved that Tabora failed to exclude the name of Kagawad Raymond Allan Ronario from the monthly payrolls of July to December 2004 despite Ronario’s travel to Japan during this period. As a result, Ronario was able to collect his salaries totaling P56,749.80 despite not rendering any work.
The court junked Tabora’s defense that it is the liaison officer’s responsibility to drop Ronario’s name from the payroll.
The Decision stated, “she could have easily scratched the name of Rosario with one swoosh of her pen, but she culpably neglected to do so, for six months. Her mindless disregard of her duty to certify becomes a habit of gross inexcusable negligence.”
Section 3(e) of R.A. No. 3019 punishes a public officer who, in the discharge of official functions, act with manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence causing undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party unwarranted benefit, advantage, or preference. ###