Pasay court convicts local tax exec for failure to file SALN

The Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 46 has convicted a local revenue collection officer of the Pasay City local government for failing to file his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

In a statement on Friday, the Office of the Ombudsman announced the conviction of Dennis Arenas, Local Revenue Collection Officer I of the Pasay City treasurer’s office.

Arenas was convicted for two counts of Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“Records show that Arenas failed to file his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2009 and 2010,” the Ombudsman disclosed.

The tax officer, the Ombudsman said, would be sentenced to a total of two years of imprisonment or a year in prison for each case of non-filing. He was also fined P10,000 and disqualified from holding public office.

The court, in its decision, said “it is imperative that every public official or government employee must make and submit a complete disclosure of his assets, liabilities and net worth in order to suppress any questionable accumulation of wealth.”  /muf