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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Court finds security agency owner guilty of estafa for non-remittance of SSS contributions

Court finds security agency owner guilty of estafa for non-remittance of SSS contributions

Published Feb 16, 2025 02:51 am

CEBU CITY – An owner of a security agency was found guilty of estafa after failing to remit the Social Security System (SSS) contributions of one of her former workers.

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The Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 1 in Mandaue City, Cebu found Arne Sarsalejo, owner of Sarsalejo Security Agency, guilty of violating Article 315, Paragraph 1(b), of the Revised Penal Code.

“This decision serves as a reminder that employers have a duty to act with integrity and transparency in their financial dealings,” MTCC Presiding Judge Jennifer Pepito-Maniwang said in her Jan. 9, 2025 decision.

In a document obtained by Manila Bulletin, Sarsalejo was sued by her former worker Rodel Paburada, who complained that his SSS contributions were not remitted despite deductions in his salary.

Paburada said non-remittance of his SSS contributions amounting to P4,525 covered the periods March-August 2019, November-December 2020, January 2021, April 2021, October 2021, March 2022, and April 2022.

In finding the accused guilty, the court emphasized that employers are mandated to remit their workers’ SSS contributions within the prescribed period.

Failing to remit after 30 days after the deduction was made can be considered "misappropriation" under the SSS Law (Republic Act 11199).

"In failing to remit the contributions despite deducting the same from the salary, the employer is presumed to have misappropriated the sum deducted from the employee to the damage and prejudice of the latter,” the judge said in her decision.

The accused was sentenced to imprisonment of three months and 11 days.

Sought for comment, the lawyer of Sarsalejo, Vince Roel Tabuñag, said they would appeal the MTCC decision before the Regional Trial Court.

Tabuñag expressed confidence that the MTCC decision would be overturned similar to the previous 20 cases that had been filed against her client.

In previous cases, Tabuñag said the RTC decided to just impose a fine against his client as a penalty.

Related Tags

Social Security System (SSS) Cebu province Mandaue City
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