BACOLOD City – A top official of the city government’s Registry of Deeds has been ordered dismissed from the service by the Office of the Ombudsman.
Registrar of Deeds Romulo Gonzaga was accused of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The Ombudsman found Gonzaga guilty of grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the service, stated a news release posted on the anti-graft body’s website on Thursday.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Regional Office No. 12 filed the complaint against the Registry of Deeds official.
Gonzaga illegally issued a Transfer of Certificate of Title in favor of Florentino Perez without the required Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR) and Tax Clearance Certificate, the Ombudsman said.
According to the BIR, the anomalous transaction resulted in an aggregate tax deficiency of P86,231.33 to the prejudice of the government.
Gonzaga asserted his good faith, claiming he could not be faulted for not meticulously scrutinizing each and every document presented to him for action because of his heavy workload, said the Ombudsman.
But he “flagrantly violated pertinent rules and regulations governing land titling when he authorized the transfer of the property from [Segundina] Hulguin to Perez without the required CAR,” the anti-graft body said. He “acquiesced to their tax evasion, to the prejudice of the government.”
The Ombudsman said it has found probable cause to charge Gonzaga before a regional trial court.
Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente directed the Land Registration Authority to enforce the dismissal order.
Panay News was still trying to reach Gonzaga for comment as of this writing./PN
