We should be doing more of this. Kudos to William Todcor for breaking this story before the media picked it up. Susunod na tutukan yung mga taga-Highways hehe.
GMA News: BONTOC, Mountain Province – Josefino Ong, the revenue district officer of this province who is set to retire this year, could lose his retirement benefits should he be found guilty of bribery charges.
Ong was indicted by the Mountain Province prosecutor’s office this week for direct bribery with no bail recommended, a week after his arrest during an entrapment operation by the police on July 24.
Sr. Supt. Pedro Ganir, the provincial police director, ordered the entrapment operation following a complaint by businessman-contractor James Lingbanan that Ong demanded a P15,000 bribe in exchange for a tax clearance.
Lingbanan, who is from Bauko town, said he needed a Tax Clearance Certificate to qualify for the supply of materials and equipment at the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College.
The arrest of Ong, which was witnessed by local journalists, has reportedly encouraged his other alleged victims to speak up during a rally outside the Bureau of Internal Revenue district office in Bontoc.
Said veteran journalist Greg Taguiba, “some were seething in rage and waiting for Ong to be escorted out from the office for them to vent their anger.”
Taguiba said many of those who came have been insulted by Ong’s alleged flaunting of his illegal activities and making snide remarks against natives in the past.
Ong, a native of Iloilo who assumed his post in October 2006, is 64 and about to retire. Prosecutors and police said that his benefits from years of service in government could be forfeited if he is found guilty by the courts.
Sr. Supt. Ganir said other alleged victims are coming out to help teach Ong a lesson.
this is good, let’s see what happens. i really hope he’s going to pay for his crimes.
>>other alleged victims are coming out to help teach ONG a LESSON<<
Wouldn't this be the other way around? Think ONG taught them a lesson, hehe…..baka aso-aso ni Gluerilla daytoy, it will be swept under the carpet as usual. Worth following. Cheers!
funny 1 of the succesful businessman in Bontoc posted bail for Ong & gave him a free trip in his own bus line to Manila,
Kung ikompara sa “milyon” daw na hiningi ng isang DENR office sa isang road contactor….ay maliit ang 15K.
Good riddance Mr. businessman-contractor! You never give tolerance a chance in that matter.
this post reminds me of my work before as a lowly government clerk in a regional office in baguio city..one contractor tried to give me 500 when he saw me rushing his payment documents from table to table..when he saw me put in the cash section his papers for final preparation of payment, he secretly gave me 500 but i refused!! i felt ashamed for what he did but i can see from his face he must have been dismayed when i didn’t get his 500..one time again there was a contractor from ifugao who came to the office and he’s been waiting for hours because my workmates who were in charged were not there to process his papers, so i have to do the job of my workmates while they were on field that time..i pity the contractor because he is already “am ama” and he travelled all the way to ifugao just to check if his payments are done already ..once his papers were in the cash section again for check preparation, he followed me on my table trying to hand out 1,000 saying ” nay anak, alam dytoy ta pagmeryendam”!! but i politely refused again..even if there’s someone shouting at the back of my mind saying” ine alam ketdin jay kwarta!!..kekekekeke
is this some kind of bribery? of course no, i think it’s just their way of appreciating what i’ve done to them. for me i just want to show them that not all government employees are ‘mukhang pera”.. here in the country where i’m working right now, it is against their culture to refuse something that they give you..you have to receive it even if u don’t like what they are giving you otherwise if you refuse, they will misinterpret it as you being disrespectful and will never give presents to you again…
for this ONG who is not even an igolot, all i can say is “”MAAAAKKKKKEMMM ADI!!! SYA NAN MAGANAB MU SA!!!
igorotkayet!!!
good for him. but better if he gets convicted and punished for his corrupt acts…
aku_lawa, i agree that those instances you mentioned are not bribery. it’s a culture thing and i believe it works for “us” (the elderly gives something in appreciation for good work). but in manila, that may not work. many would give something for a favor and most people will take it. worst the employee will ask for it or just let your papers sit there til kingdom come. not just the government but even some locally managed companies.
What happened to Administrative Order No. 13 (or 31)issued by then Pres. Corazon C. Aquino which requires that priority in government service employment in the Cordillera shall be given to Cordillerans? Why did that man who, according to your report, has made snide remarks against Igorots in the past, become the revenue district officer there?
Ong’s arrest, I would say, is poetic justice.