State prosecutors have withdrawn a case against former Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar over his alleged failure to declare a property—because it no longer belonged to him.
Andanar has been accused of failing to declare a Surigao City property in his 2004 and 2005 Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs), and charged with violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials.
But, as it turned out, the lot was actually passed on to Andanar’s five children through a 1999 court settlement. A clerical error contained in the agreement he had with his former wife misstated the title, however. Andanar is the father of Communications Secretary and Inquirer columnist Martin Andanar.
The case has already reached the Sandiganbayan, when the Office of the Ombudsman reconsidered its finding of probable cause after the court in August ordered it to review Andanar’s appeal.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales in a Nov. 2 order reversed her earlier indictment of Andanar.
She said the Surigao City lot covered by TCT No. T-9238 was no longer owned by him because of the court agreement, which inadvertently stated it as TCT No. T-9236.
Prosecutors have filed a motion to withdraw the cases before the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division.