Tancinco seeks reversal of Ombudsman decision

CEBU, Philippines — Former Land Transportation Office-7 officer-in-charge Arnel Tancinco will ask the Office of the Ombudsman to reconsider its decision finding him and two other officials guilty of grave misconduct over an alleged illegal solicitation.

The Ombudsman recently ordered Tancinco, LTO-7 acting finance officer Cecile Jinky Estrada, and acting administrative officer Aden Belza dismissed from the service by the anti-graft office over supposed illegal solicitations or indirect acceptance of money from LTO-7 clients amounting to up to P274,000.

Complainant Carmenia Caballes, evaluator of LTO-7’s Manufacturer, Assembler, Importer, Dealers System (MAIDS), narrated that she received money from clients upon instructions of Belza, and remitted to Estrada before being forwarded to Tancinco.

But Tancinco, who now works at the Cebu City government as executive assistant to the mayor, said the complainant, Carmenia Caballes, failed to provide substantial evidence for her complaint.

Tancinco said he will file a motion for reconsideration asking graft investigation and prosecution officer Philip Camiguing to look into the complaint once again and reverse the decision.

“Personally, I felt nga naa siguro’y nasayop because during the procedure sa investigation, complaint, counter-affidavit, supplemental affidavit, position paper, the complainant never filed or submitted any evidence,” he told The FREEMAN over the phone.

The former LTO official also believes the complainant have personal reasons for filing the case against them in 2012, although he did not elaborate further.

“We are trying to file some remedy with the prayer nga tan-awon sa investigator ang complaint on the basis sa merit sa mga statements, sa rules on investigation because we felt nga wala man siya'y gipresenta nga ebidensya,” Tancinco said.

On December 5 last year, Camiguing ruled in favor of Caballes saying there was sufficient evidence to hold respondents administratively and criminally liable.

Camiguing, in his decision, said the positive assertions of the complainant carried more weight as against respondents’ mere denial.

Since last Friday, February 9, Tancinco has not reported at the Cebu City Hall, apparently abiding the dismissal order from Ombudsman. —JMD (FREEMAN)