The Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Quezon City convicted former Records Officer I Maybel Umpa of the Land Registration Authority (LRA) for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) and Article 315 (Estafa) of the Revised Penal Code. She was sentenced to suffer the penalty of imprisonment of six years to eight years for graft, and four years to ten years for Estafa.
The RTC found that on 15 October 2010, Umpa demanded and received the amount of P620,000.00 from private complainant, Lory Malibiran, in exchange for facilitating the Approved Plan, Tax Declaration and the titling of a real estate property located in Rodriguez, Rizal. After a couple of weeks, Umpa failed to fulfill and deliver her promise.
Witnesses testified that Umpa claimed “to possess the power and influence in producing and facilitating the titling of property.” Prosecutors also presented a document where Umpa agreed to settle the amount she received from Malibiran.
The Decision promulgated by Judge Juris Dilinila-Callanta stated that “[the] accused capitalized on her official function to commit the crimes charged. Without her position, accused could not have induced Malibiran to part with his money. In the same vein, accused could not have orchestrated a scheme of receiving money from Malibiran, who believed that she could facilitate the titling of the property, which thus, led him to part with his money in the amount of P620,000.00.”
Umpa was also ordered to pay Mabiliran the amount of P620,000.00 as actual damages. ###