Mindoro town mayor cleared of SALN raps

MANILA, Philippines — A municipal mayor in Oriental Mindoro has been cleared of criminal charges in connection with her alleged failure to file her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth or SALNs.

In a ruling promulgated on Dec. 4, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Mayor Ma. Fe Brondial of Socorro town of 10 counts of violation of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The charges, filed by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2017, stemmed from Brondial’s alleged failure to file her SALNs from 1998 to 2007.

The prosecution presented two certificates dated Sept. 8, 2010 and May 4, 2015, stating the personal data sheet and SALNs of Brondial for the years 1998 to 2007 were not available in the municipal office’s personnel department, indicating the mayor did not submit any.

In her testimony, municipal general services officer Lowelyn Ylagan admitted the certificates were erroneously issued as Brondial’s SALNs from 2002 to 2006 were found in the file following an update of records in 2016.

Ylagan admitted that copies of Brondial’s SALN prior to 2002 might have been among those destroyed and burned due to termite infestation.

In clearing the mayor, the anti-graft court said that while the municipal government may not have a complete record of Brondial’s SALNs, the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro confirmed to have them in its file.

The court cited the testimony of provincial government’s human resource officer Elisa Paala, who identified during trial copies of Brondial’s SALNs from 1988 to 2007, which she said were furnished to her office by the municipal government of Socorro.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Bayani Jacinto and concurred in by Associate Justices Alex Quiroz and Lorifel Pahimna.