Vice-Mayor Diarangan Dipatuan and Treasurer Rasad Dumarpa of Bacolod-Kalawi, Lanao Del Sur, were found guilty of Grave Misconduct and were ordered dismissed from the service. They were also meted the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification for re-employment in the government service.
Complainant Habib Tarosan narrated that in December 2015, he went to the GSIS office in Iligan City to secure a record of his contributions. Based on the records, his supposed contributions were under-remitted. Instead of declaring his actual salary, respondents under declared his salary resulting into lower monthly premium contributions. Based on the record of 2012 remittances, his declared salary was only P14,179.00 per month instead of his actual received salary of P20,367.00 per month. A check with the PAG-IBIG Fund in Iligan City also reveal that Bacolod-Kalawi failed to remit the municipality’s contributions.
“As a result, the monthly premium computed was lower because of the incorrect salary factor. This only proves that there was a failure, refusal, or delay in the payment, turnover, remittance or delivery of the correct premium contributions to the GSIS using the formula provided in the GSIS Act,” stated the Ombudsman.
According to the Ombudsman, respondents “are the accountable officers for the collection and remittance of the correct premiums to the GSIS. Clearly, they must be held liable for the manifest under-remittance of complainant’s GSIS contributions for January to December 2012.”
In the event of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondents’ salary for one year.
The Ombudsman also directed the Commission on Audit’s Fraud Audit Office to conduct an investigation “due to the enormity of the accusation of under-remittance of GSIS contributions and non-remittance of PAG-IBIG contributions by the municipality.” ###