Education official facing estafa raps

AN official of the Department of Education (Dep Ed) in Cebu City is facing trial  for allegedly forging the signature of a public school teacher in order to gain P1,710.29.

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has indicted Elbert Ybanez on charges of estafa through falsification of a public document. Bail was recommended at P24,000.

The issue stemmed from a complaint filed by Lelen Catarig who had retired as teacher of the Medellin Elementary School.

On Aug. 17, 2007, Catarig went to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) office in Cebu City to aplly for her Cash Surrender or Termination Value.

She was surprised when she discovered that another person had applied for her Cash Surrender by forging her signatures.

Catarig said she never applied for it nor visited the GSIS office.

She later found out that it was the respondent who applied for it in March 2007. The respondent allegedly got P1,710.29.

Ybanez, a liaison officer of the Dep Ed Cebu City, was required to submit his counter-affidavit to refute the allegations.

However, the anti-graft office said he refused to comply with the order. /Ador Vincent S. Mayol