Ombudsman indicts Maguindanao Mayor over failure to declare his cars

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman found probable cause to charge  Mayor Datu Ombra Sinsuat, Sr. of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, for three counts of violation of Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713  and five counts of Perjury.

This after, the Ombudsman Mindanao investigators who conducted a  in a lifestyle check found that Sinsuat failed to declare his Ford Expedition, Mitsubishi Pajero, Honda Civic, and Ford Ranger vehicles in his  2009, 2013, and 2014 Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs). Respondent also failed to declare his relatives working in the government.

Sinsuat in his Counter-Affidavit argued that he did not declare the vehicles as they were no longer usable or have already been sold.

He also  claimed difficulty in identifying relatives in government service as “the Sinsuat family is composed of many members.”

The Ombudsman Resolution set aside the respondent’s self-serving contentions and ruled that the same cannot be given any weight for lack of controverting evidence.

The Ombudsman cited Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code, stating that Perjury is the willful and corrupt assertion of a falsehood under oath or affirmation administered by authority of law on a material matter.

The anti-graft law, states that all 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 eighteen years of age living in their households.-Jiann A. Padillo/Newsline.ph