The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal from the service of Quezon City Assistant City Prosecutor Edgar Navales after he was found guilty of Grave Misconduct for accepting bribe money from a complainant. He was also meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, barred from taking the civil service examination with cancellation of eligibility. In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for one year.
The Ombudsman also ordered the filing of an Information for Direct Bribery against Navales before the Sandiganbayan.
Complainant Reynaldo De Leon narrated that in July 2014, he filed a carnapping case that was raffled to Navales’ office. In September 2014, Navales sent De Leon a text message requesting a meeting because respondent “had information that someone was trying to fix the carnapping case.”
The two met in a restaurant along Visayas Avenue where De Leon was informed that “he will have to produce [P100,000.00] and give money for the case to prosper.” In October 2014, Navales sent another text message to De Leon to buy two booklets of church raffle tickets worth P2,000 per booklet. A total of P103,000.00 was accepted and received by Navales.
According to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, “it is clear that respondent asked complainant to pay and accepted money in connection with a case pending before him.”
Ombudsman Morales added that “the deposit of these amounts is corroborated by printouts of text messages between complainant and respondent wherein the latter confirmed receipt of the cash deposited.” ###