Land registration employee convicted of graft, direct bribery

A Quezon City court has found an employee of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) guilty of graft and direct bribery after he demanded money from an individual to speed up the release of his property title.

Convicted for violation of Section 3(b) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and direct bribery by the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City was LRA examiner Giovanni Purungganan.

He was sentenced to two to three years in prison for direct bribery and six to eight years for graft. He was also slapped with a fine of P100,000 and a penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office.

In its decision, the court found that Purungganan demanded P300,000 from private complainant Albert Avecilla for the purpose of expediting the release of an order for the titling of a La Union property.

Purungganan messaged Avecilla several times to follow up the payment, adding that he would be willing to accept it on an installment basis.

Avecilla, however, was able to inform the LRA about the matter. An entrapment operation conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation ensued on August 23, 2011, during which Purungganan accepted marked money worth P50,000 from the complainant.

During the trial, Purungganan maintained his innocence, saying that he had no idea that the envelope contained bribe money.

But the court, in its decision, said "the accused miserably failed to adduce a credible story of non-culpability, and thus, his defense poses nil evidentiary value."

"Juxtaposed with the testimony of the prosecution witness, which was given in a clear, positive and convincing manner, has remained consistent on cross-examination, and thus worthy of full credence, the testimony of the accused loses probative worth and endangers nil doubt thereby," it added.

A public officer commits direct bribery when he or she directly or indirectly receives some gift, present, offer or promise in consideration of committing a crime or any other non-criminal act, or refrain from doing something he or she has the official duty to do so.

Meanwhile, Section 3(b) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act states that a public officer is prohibited from "directly or indirectly requesting or receiving any gift, present, share, percentage, or benefit, for himself or for any other person, in connection with any contract or transaction between the Government and any other party, wherein the public officer in his official capacity has to intervene under the law." — BM, GMA News