Malacañang on Friday said it is ready to implement the dismissal of Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog after his alleged failure to properly account for the sources of his unexplained wealth as seen in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
“The Department of the Interior and Local Government would implement the dismissal order once it receives the official copy of the decision from the Office of the Ombudsman,” a statement said.
Through its official Twitter account, the Ombudsman did confirm Friday the dismissal of Mabilog for “serious dishonesty.”
The Ombudsman said Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang penned the order on Oct. 6, directing Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy to immediately enforce the dismissal order on the mayor.
Mabilog, who has been tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as a narco-politician, has been on leave since September, and left the country amid fears he might be the next public official linked to illegal drugs to die under the current administration.
The mayor has denied the President’s allegations, and his wife and children have also left the country. Mabilog has also yet to report back to work at the Iloilo City Hall.
The decision made by Ombudsman Prosecution Officer Rachel Cariaga-Favila, was issued on Aug. 29, but a copy of the decision only became available on Thursday.
Mabilog, Cariaga-Favila said, failed to prove that the ₱8.98-million increase in his net worth from 2012 to 2013 as indicated in his SALN was not questionable.
The evidence that Mabilog used to justify the increase—his business earnings and his wife’s tax returns from 2007 to 2012 as a comptroller in a company in Canada—was insufficient, she added.
“Respondent failed to present proof of his wife’s lawful source of income from her employment in Canada for 2013,” Cariaga-Favila said. “Moreover, it is also significant to note that respondent also failed to present proof of income from the business interests disclosed in his SALNs.”
“Simply, his failure to properly account or explain his sources of income establishes presence of malicious intent to conceal the truth, causing grave prejudice to the government in the amount of ₱8,981,082.52,” Cariaga-Favila added.