The Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict former mayor Mohammadali Abboh Abinal of Marantao, Lanao del Sur, for six counts each of violation of Section 8 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act No. 6713) and Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for the misrepresentations in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs).
It was found that Abinal failed to declare five firearms and a vehicle in his SALNs from 2007 to 2012.
The Ombudsman Resolution stated that “respondent made a willful and deliberate assertion of a falsehood when he failed to declare the mentioned assets in his SALNs. It must be stressed that he certified in his SALNs that the contents thereof are true statements of his assets and liabilities, including those of his wife and unmarried children below 18 years of age.”
“His claims that his firearms were either confiscated or lost and that his truck was scrapped are matters of defense involving factual issues, hence, should be fully explained and threshed out not in a preliminary investigation but during trial,” it added.
Under Article 183 of the RPC, Perjury is committed by any person, who knowingly makes untruthful statements upon any material matter before a competent person authorized to administer an oath. Meantime, under Section 8 of R.A. No. 6713, all public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households. ###