The Office of the Ombudsman placed Evelyn Rodriguez Ramirez under preventive suspension until the case the Department of Finance-Revenue Integrity Protection Service (DOF-RIPS) filed against her are terminated or for a period not exceeding six (6) months. Ramirez is a Revenue Officer III at the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Revenue District Office 59, Lipa City.
In an 11-page Order, the Anti-Graft Body found it warranted to preventively suspend Ramirez because of the evidence presented by the DOF-RIPS. Under Section 24 of RA 6770, “the Ombudsman or his Deputy may preventively suspend any officer or employee under his authority pending an investigation, if in his judgment the evidence of guilt is strong, and (a) the charge against such officer or employee involves dishonesty, oppression or grave misconduct or neglect in the performance of duty; (b) the charges would warrant removal from the service; or (c) the respondent’s continued stay in office may prejudice the case filed against him.”
According to the Ombudsman, the data obtained from government agencies show that respondent acquired wealth disproportionate to her lawful income. She also failed to declare some of her real properties, motor vehicles and business investments, liabilities, and business connections. She also made false and inconsistent declarations in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). And she also failed to obtain the necessary travel authorities for her travels abroad while she was employed with the BIR.
To demonstrate the disproportionate acquisition of respondent vis-à-vis her lawful income, the Ombudsman cited the years when she acquired more property than his lawful income. For instance, from 1993 to 1997, respondent’s aggregate salary during said period was P360,491.50 only while she spent P960,000.00 for the acquisition of seven parcels of land from years 1991 to 1997 –three lots in Sta. Rita, two San Jose Sico, Batangas City, and one each in Alangilan, Batangas City and in Sambat-Ibaba, Batangas City.
Aside from the alleged unexplained wealth, the Ombudsman noted undeclared real estate properties, which respondent allegedly failed to declare in her SALNs from years 2000 to 2013, located in Sambat-Ibaba, San Jose, Sico, Balagtas, Barangay Pallokan and Sampanga, all in Batangas City. She also did not declare a number of motor vehicles and her business investment in Angeline’s Piggery Farm, among others. She also failed to declare her liabilities, which is required under the law.
Finally, the Ombudsman took into consideration respondent’s alleged failure to secure travel authorities for her trips abroad. According to available records, Ramirez travelled to Hong Kong in October 2000, to the United States in 2001, 2008 and 2010, and to Dubai in 2011, but no records were found that she obtained the corresponding travel authorities.
This case arouse from an anonymous complaint allegedly for respondent’s extortion activities. Subsequently, a case for violation of R.A. Nos. 3019 and 6713; Articles 171 (4) and 183 of the Revised Penal Code and violation of Reasonable Office Rules and Regulations; for Grave Misconduct, Serious Dishonesty and for forfeiture were filed against Ramirez.
The Ombudsman stressed that issuance of the respondent’s preventive suspension is merely a preliminary step in an investigation and is not in any way a final determination of her guilt. The suspension is only to prevent an official from using his/her office to intimidate or influence witnesses or to tamper with records that might be vital to the prosecution of the case against him/her.
