BAGUIO CITY – The City Council strongly requested Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and Land Registration Authority (LRA) Administrator Renato D. Bermejo to cause the immediate transfer of the incumbent Register of Deeds and several personnel of the city’s Registry of Deeds pending the investigation to be conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation – Cordillera Administrative Region (NBI-CAR) in relation to alleged irregularities in the said office.
Further, the local legislative body passed a separate resolution requesting the NBI-CAR to investigate the alleged irregularities at the Registry of Deeds in the city following numerous written and verbal complaints from individuals who transacted business with the incumbent Register of Deeds, lawyer Rodil Rivera, and some personnel of the said office and who encountered alleged corrupt practices in the said office.
The local legislators were compelled to pass the two resolutions after Rivera failed to appear before the regular session of the council last Monday, May 21, 2018 for the third consecutive time for him to answer queries by the members on the alleged corrupt practices being committed in the said government office.
The resolution asserted that ‘it would be more prudent upon the justice department and the LRA to transfer the concerned officials and employees that were identified by several clients involving the alleged irregularities at the Registry of Deeds not only for the protection of documents but also for those transacting with the office who reported the alleged irregularities.’
On April 23, 2018, the local legislative body requested the presence of Rivera during its regular session on April 30, 2018 to shed light, in aid of legislation, on various complaints with regard to the release of titles at the Registry of Deeds, however, Rivera was not able to attend the session considering that he was not available during that time.
Earlier, the office of the Vice Mayor and members of the local legislative body were informed of alleged irregularities in the Registry of Deeds in the city involving several officials and employees in the release of land titles.
Based on an approved separate resolution, the local legislators claimed there is a need to investigate the allegations of irregularities in the Registry of Deeds involving some officials and employees so as to put the matter in the minds of the residents of the city to rest whether such allegations is indeed true or not and most importantly to clear the name of the office tasked to ‘provide, secure, stable, and trustworthy of land ownership and recorded interests.’
During the council’s regular session last April 30, 2018, several residents intimated alleged irregularities in the Registry of Deeds regarding the issuance and release of titles confirming earlier allegations that were made by some citizens during the council’s previous session.
The resolutions were transmitted by the local legislative body to the NBI-CAR, Secretary of Justice and LRA Administrator for their information and appropriate action.
Rivera was not available for comment on the latest decision of the local legislative body regarding the complaints against him.
By Dexter A. See
