Customs exec faces probe for ill-gotten wealth

Antigraft investigators filed a complaint against another customs official before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to her income and for failing to declare her assets.

The Department of Finance’s (DOF) antigraft body, the Revenue Integrity Protection Service or RIPS, filed the complaint against customs operations officer Edita C. Yambao whose net worth is said to have increased by P2.7 million within a two-year period or from 2007 to 2009.

The jump in value was 10 times Yambao’s annual income of P276,876, the DOF-RIPS said.

The Ombudsman has already suspended three customs officials and recommended the dismissal of seven others based on complaints of RIPS.

In the new 17-page complaint, the DOF-RIPS asked the Ombudsman to issue a forfeiture order against what they said was Yambao’s “unlawfully accumulated” wealth and to suspend her from office while the case is still pending.

Compelling evidence

“(Based on our investigation), compelling evidence on record shows that during her tenure with [the Bureau of] Customs, respondent’s net worth grew at a rapid and astronomical rate… which far outpaced her legitimate earnings and disposable income,” it added.

Among others, RIPS cited three parcels of land and an apartment worth around P3 million, acquired in 2004 and 2008.

RIPS also listed pieces of jewelry amounting to P210,000; a vehicle worth P950,000; appliances worth P120,000, and cash worth P480,000—all acquired from 2004 to 2009.

Further, RIPS found that Yambao failed to file her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth from 2000 to 2003.

As of July, RIPS has already filed a total of 86 cases against 126 public officials, 51 of whom were suspended while 19 were dismissed from service.

Finance Undersecretary Carlo A. Carag, in charge of the DOF’s revenue operations and legal affairs group, ordered the BoC to implement various Ombudsman rulings on the suspension of three customs personnel and the dismissal of seven others

Ordered suspended were Edward O. Baltazar, Jose O. Guillermo and Reynaldo M. Ting. Ordered dismissed were Alfonso C. Abbariao, Benjamin S. Capacite, Marcelo O. Gaviola, Luis E. Patriana, Jessica L. Delagado, Vanessa M. de Madrazo and Ismael A. Abdulcadir.

The DOF also ordered the implementation of similar rulings from the Ombudsman regarding 13 municipal treasurers.