Ex-Marina engineer stays dismissed

A female engineer of the Maritime Industry Authrity (Marina) who was found to have acquired “ill-gotten wealth” has to face the music.

The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas affirmed its ruling that ordered the dismissal from service of Lilah Rodas.

Her motion for reconsideration on the ruling was dismissed for lack of merit.

Rodas was found guilty of serious dishonesty for her “willful concealment and nondeclaration of assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 1999 to 2003.

“The fact that the respondent failed to declare these ‘savings’ in all her SALNs shows that its nondeclaration is willful and intentional,” said graft investigation and prosecution officer Alfred Yann Oguis in his order.

The anti-graft office investigated why Rodas’ assets reached P900,000 in 2003 when her annual income was only P173,400. Her assets included a Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Surf worth P600,000 each.

Rodas also had personal properties valued at P300,000. The Ombudsman said Rodas didn’t declare any other source of income.

Oguis said Rodas’ acquisition of the properties constitute “ill-gotten wealth.”

Rodas earlier argued that “there must be at least a showing of deliberate intent to commit falsehood.”

But the anti-graft office stood firm in its earlier ruling, which found Rodas guilty of administrative charges filed against her./REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL