For allegedly conspiring to under declare the real property tax of a mall, four Cebu City Hall employees were placed under a 60-day preventive suspension by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
This after the Cebu City Employee Management Committee on Inquiry (EMCOI) found probable cause against Liezl Gonzaga, Hilario Alicante, Sybil Ann Reambonanza, and Victoriano Saban for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty, gross dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.
Also, administrative charges are set to be filed against three of the four employees.
Based on the resolution of EMCOI obtained by Cebu Daily News, Gonzaga, Alicante, Reambonanza, and Saban conspired to under declare the mall’s fair market value in its Real Property Tax Declaration.
“The under-declaration allegedly resulted to the substantial deficiency in the real property taxes assessed and collected for calendar year 2016,” stated the EMCOI resolution.
Gonzaga was the former officer-in-charge of the City Assessor’s Office, Reambonanza was the former head of Building and Machinery, Alicante is the predecessor of Reambonanza while Saban is also with the City Assessor’s office.
Although the four employees denied the allegation, the EMCOI said their contention were “illogical.”
“Their (four employees) defense that the city ‘gained, not prejudiced’ is utterly illogical and misguided,” the EMCOI resolution said.
According to the committee, the city lost an estimated P23.5 million due to the under declaration.
However, the EMCOI Committee only recommended the filing of administrative complaint against Gonzaga, Reambonanza and Alicante since Saban did not sign the declaration.
He however, would still be included in the investigation to be conducted by the Cebu City Legal Office.