The Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Talitay, Maguindanao Mayor Montaser Sabal for five 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 Section 7 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019) for his untruthful statements in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) from 2011 to 2015.
Records showed that Sabal misrepresented the contents of his SALNs as he failed to disclose his ownership of 13 firearms; four vehicles including a Hummer, Ford Ranger Pick-Up, Toyota Land Cruiser, and Toyota Hilux; and four business interests located in Datu Odin Sinsuat and Talitay, Maguindanao. Respondent also failed to disclose the purchase price of each real property mentioned in his SALNs.
In his Counter-Affidavit, respondent claimed that the non-declaration of his firearms was inadvertently omitted by his staff member who filed his SALNs. He also asserted that the businesses are small ventures and that the vehicles were acquired thru a chattel mortgage, hence, unnecessary to be included in the SALNs.
The Ombudsman Resolution explained that “the law on SALN is clear that all assets of a public officer, including those of his or her spouse, must be declared. There is no mention that where the value of the property was insignificant or the mode of acquisition was by loan, the declarant has the option not to disclose.”
Under Section 8 of R.A. No. 6713, public officials and employees are duty-bound to declare under oath their assets, liabilities, net worth, business interests and financial connections including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households, while Section 7 of R.A. No. 3019 obligates every public officer to prepare and file a true, detailed, and sworn statement of his assets and liabilities. ###