ILOILO – The Office of the Ombudsman junked the forfeiture complaint filed by former provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada against the executive assistant of former governor Arthur Defensor Sr.
In 2019, Mejorada accused Ruel Von Superio of having unexplained wealth.
According to Mejorada, Superio reported a steady increase in his assets and net-worth ever though based on his salary as a government employee, the same income could hardly support such wealth build-up.
The forfeiture complaint covered Superio’s car and house and lot.
In its ruling, the Ombudsman pointed out that Republic Act 1379 or Law on Forfeiture excludes property legitimately acquired by a public officer, or property whose true/real owner belongs to other persons.
Superio’s car and house and lot were legitimately acquired through loans, it stressed.
Superio acquired the properties for his sisters who, at the time, were not qualified to avail themselves of loans from banks or other financing companies.
He, being single, accommodated his sisters in acquiring the car, and the house and lot.
The Ombudsman further noted that while there is nothing wrong accommodating his sister, Superio’s misstep had been declaring the property as his asset in his SALNs without any reservation.
“Thus, the subject property being legitimately acquired through loans payable in installments out of
respondent’s salary and its true owner being his sisters, the questioned properties could be outside the scope of the forfeiture proceedings under RA 1379,” read part of the Ombudsman decision dated Sept.23, 2021 penned by Jess Vincent A. Dela Peña./PN
