THE Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the filing of multiple criminal charges against a former Sulu vice governor and his son, and another local official for failure to file their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
In a May 15 seven-page consolidated resolution released Wednesday, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales directed the Ombudsman’s Office of the Special Prosecutor to file five counts of violation of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees or Republic Act 6713 against former Sulu vice governor Abdusakur Tan for non-filing of SALNs in 2007 until 2011.
On the other hand, Tan’s son, Mayor Samier Tan of Maimbung town, was indicted for two counts of violation of RA 6713 for the non-SALN filing in 2010 and 2011.Mayor Al-Zhudurie Asmadun of Lugus municipality was charged with five counts for the same offense in 2010 to 2014.
“Wherefore, there exists probable cause to indict respondent Abdusakur M. Tan of five counts of violations of Section 8, RA 6713; respondent Samier Abubakar Tan of two counts of the same provision; and respondent Al Zhudurie L. Asmadun of five counts of violation of the said provision.
Let information for such crime be filed in the appropriate court,” the Ombudsman’s order read.
In the same ruling, Morales ordered the deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao to initiate a probe to allegations of ill-gotten wealth against Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan II for the “dramatic increase” in his declared cash in bank from P1,868,133 in 2013 to P31,866,366.33.
Despite the filing of “unverified SALNs in 2013 and 2014, the criminal complaints against the governor was dismissed for lack of probable cause.
The Ombudsman said such infraction could be considered a “mere administrative lapse.”
As far as the governor’s supposed ill-gotten wealth is concerned, Morales referred the case to the Ombudsman-Mindanao field investigators.
However, the Ombudsman dismissed the complaints against the former Sulu governor for the non-filing of SALNs in 2001 to 2008, saying the liability of the accused might no longer be pursued due to prescription of time.
The cases arose from complaints filed in 2015 by the governor’s political rival, Temogen Tulawie, who lost in the 2016 Sulu gubernatorial race.
On Oct. 25, 2016, the Ombudsman imposed a six-month suspension against the respondents based on the same complaints.