THE Makati City government has filed a graft complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against three Taguig City personnel, including its City Treasurer, over the alleged delay in release of tax clearance documents.
The complaint for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act as well as Grave Misconduct, Gross Neglect of Duty, and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service was filed against Taguig City Treasurer Voltaire Enriquez and personnel Jessie Garcia and Erika Macaligtas.
According to the Makati City government, the City Treasurer’s Office had been remiss in promptly releasing the tax clearance documents for three parcels of land that Makati purchased from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority for P146.5 million.
Makati said that after it had completed the transaction and paid the corresponding taxes to the national government, it obtained from the Bureau of Internal Revenue the Certificate Authorizing Registration for the Transfer Certificate of Titles.
To process the transfer of title to Makati, it had to submit to the Register of Deeds for Taguig City the tax declarations for the three parcels of land, the local tax clearances for Taguig City, and the proof of payment of local transfer taxes.
But it alleged there has been a delay in getting the tax clearance and assessment for the payment of local transfer taxes.
It said that whenever it would follow up the release of documents, it would only be told that its application for tax clearance is still pending with the Taguig City Treasurer’s Office. No reason was given for the delay, it alleged.
The Taguig City Treasurer’s Office also failed to respond to its May 5, 2023 letter on the matter, it added.
Makati alleged that these showed Taguig’s discrimination and bias against it.
It pointed out that under Taguig’s Citizen’s Charter, the release of tax clearances and assessments should only take three working days for individuals, and five working days for corporations.
It said the Taguig City officials had the obligation to serve the public with integrity, honesty, and competence, but supposedly failed to do so in this case.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay alleged that this was Taguig’s latest act of disregarding the law, saying that the latter had done the same thing when it supposedly tried to take over properties belonging to the Makati City government.
The filing of the criminal and administrative complaint against the Taguig employees is the latest clash between Makati and Taguig.
Tension has arisen between the two cities after the Supreme Court ruled that the EMBO barangays that had been under Makati should be transferred to the jurisdiction of Taguig.
