MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman has charged Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores and wife, former Ibajay, Aklan mayor Ma. Lourdes, before the Sandiganbayan with violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (Republic Act 6713).
According to the Ombudsman, the Mirafloreses failed to declare some of their investments and properties in their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
Governor Miraflores was charged with four counts of violation of Section 8 of Republic Act 6713 while Ma. Lourdes, three counts.
The Ombudsman said the governor failed to declare in his SALN for the year 2006 his family’s cash investments worth P6.16 million in the Rural Bank of Ibajay Inc., and their Isuzu Elf truck, a Nissan Safari Wagon, a Mazda pickup, and a Kawasaki motorcycle.
The same investments and properties were also not disclosed by Ma. Lourdes in her 2007 SALN, according to the Ombudsman.
In their respective SALNs for 2008 and 2009 the couple also failed to disclose the motor vehicles, added the Ombudsman.
The Miraflores couple could not be reached for comment as of this writing.
Under Section 8 of Republic Act 6713, public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households.
The SALN shall contain information on the following:
(a) real property, its improvements, acquisition costs, assessed value and current fair market value;
(b) personal property and acquisition cost;
(c) all other assets such as investments, cash on hand or in banks, stocks, bonds, and the like;
(d) liabilities;
(e) all business interests and financial connections./PN
