Rod processing delays prompt arta probe
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) is investigating the Registry of Deeds (RoD) of cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) following complaints over delays in its processing. According to the anti-red tape watchdog, it has also filed a case with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) against a RoD official “for not providing government service within official working hours.” Officials found violating Delivery Act of 2018 (EODB) law will be slapped with a six-month suspension on the first offense.
Meanwhile, one to six years of imprisonment, a fine amounting between P500,000 up to P2 million, as well as the possible termination of retirement benefits face those who commit a second offense.
Following an evaluation of the complaints, ARTA is mandated to file the appropriate case motu proprio or assist the complainant in doing so to the concerned disciplining authority. This would include the Office of the President, the CSC, the Office of the Ombudsman or the appropriate court.
“ARTA is currently working to rationalize the system of RoD by getting inputs from the affected parties. Just yesterday, director general Jeremiah Belgica talked with stakeholders from the real estate and housing development industry to know their concerns and issues,” ARTA said in a statement.
The agency said ARTA officials met with the heads of the RoD of Metro Manila cities on Friday afternoon
to come up with streamlined procedures following the processing time prescribed by the EODB law.
The law seeks to cut down government processes to three working days for simple transactions, seven working days for complex transactions. and 20 working days for transactions that would require a highly technical assessment.
Earlier on, ARTA also conducted inspections on the RoD of Davao City and Manila due to complaints over the offices’ slow processing time and other violations, including the “no-noontime break.” It learned that processing time for some applications could take up to 90 days, well beyond the period required by the EODB law.
“We will be looking into the RoD of highly urbanized cities. Because, supposed to be, those are ministerial transactions, so they have to rethink (the process),” Belgica said in an earlier briefing.
“One problem of the Land Registration Authority now is they only have a supervisory function on RoD. Normally, the RoD have their own citizen’s charter (and) processing time; that’s hard and susceptible to corruption,” he added.
ARTA also conducted inspections on the RoD of Davao City and Manila due to complaints over the offices’ slow processing time and other violations, including the “no-noontime break”