MANILA – The Office of the Ombudsman hauled Aklan governor Florencio Miraflores to the Sandiganbayan for failing to declare some properties and investments in his statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
Miraflores’ wife Ma. Lourdes, mayor of Ibajay, Aklan, has been charged, too.
Miraflores was charged with four counts of violation of Section 8 of Republic Act (RA) 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
Ma. Lourdes, on the other hand, was charged with three counts of the same offense.
Section 8 of RA 6713 states, “Public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, 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.”
According to the Ombudsman, Miraflores failed to declare in his 2006 SALN his family’s cash investments worth P6.16 million in the Rural Bank of Ibajay, Inc., and their Isuzu Elf truck, Nissan Safari wagon, Mazda pickup, and Kawasaki motorcycle.
The same investments and properties were not declared in Ma. Lourdes’ 2007 SALN.
The couple also failed to include the investments and properties in their respective SALNs for 2008 and 2009.
The Ombudsman recommended bail bonds of P120,000 and P90,000 for Miraflores and Ma. Lourdes, respectively.
Panay News was still trying to reach Miraflores and his wife for comment as of this posting./PN
