Office of the Ombudsman. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
A Maguindanao vice mayor was suspended for his failure to truthfully declare his wealth in his statement of assets and liabilities networth (SALN).
In a statement on Thursday, the Office of the Ombudsman said it has ordered the suspension of Vice Mayor Bonnie Kali of General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao.
The Ombudsman found Kali guilty of simple neglect of duty and ordered him suspended for one month and one day.
Ombudsman investigators found that Kali failed to disclose his other sources of income in his SALN for the years 2004 to 2006 and 2009 to 2012.
Kali failed to declare in his SALN that he earned income from inherited farmlands and from a multi-million peso farming business covering 200 hectares with palm oil trees, rice, corn and coconuts.
The Ombudsman said Section 8 of the Republic Act 6713 or the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” states that all public officials are required to disclose all business interests and financial connections.
Meanwhile, municipal treasurer Jose Pastor from Talaingod, Davao Del Norte was found guilty of simple neglect of duty and ordered suspended without pay for three months.
The Commission on Audit found that two checks of the municipality were encashed without the necessary supporting documents.
Auditors said the checks issued on March 2008 and worth P311,400 were encashed by an accounting clerk who is at large.
This made the money still unaccounted for, the Ombudsman said.
Pastor admitted that he has a habit of pre-signing blank checks when he is on official business to attend seminars in Davao City.
“As municipal treasurer, Pastor has the responsibility to ensure that precautionary measures are in place to prevent unissued checks of the municipality from falling to the hands of another, especially if he had pre-signed them,” the Ombudsman said.
In case of separation from the service, the penalty is convertible to a fine equivalent to respondent’s salary for three months. RAM/rga
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