CMO worker, wife sued for P.3M GCs

THE CITY Hall employee and his wife allegedly engaged in pocketing P300,000 worth of gift certificate have been criminally charged, the City Information Office said yesterday.

City Information Officer Jeffrey Tupas said suspect Ronald Viernes

Manguera, a contractual worker of the City Mayor’s Office (CMO), was already terminated from the service,

Tupas said the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) filed formal complaints against Manguera and wife Frances Desiree before the City Prosecutor’s Office last month.

A barangay concerns team leader under the CMO initially reported the missing gift certificates last November.

In an inventory, it was found out that P300,000 worth of gift certificate were missing.

The CMO reported the matter to the DCPO and its Investigation and

Detective Management Branch (IDMB) immediately conducted an investigation.

During the investigation, a CMO staff found gift certificates hidden inside a drawer. The recovered certificates amounted to P170,000.

The investigation led to Manguera.

Based on the investigation, Manguera allegedly admitted that he took the certificates on Nov. 16, 2019. His wife reportedly used the gift certificates.

Tupas said the CMO is undertaking measures to avoid similar incidents in the future. The CMO also commits to vet applicants before hiring them.