Marina engineer seeks dismissal of graft case

CEBU, Philippines - A government engineer who is accused of having amassed ill-gotten wealth by the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas is asking the court to dismiss her case for lack of merit.

Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) 7 engineer Lilah Rodas denied the case and moved for its dismissal.

She asked Regional Trial Court Judge Macaundas Hadjirasul that the indictment issued against her by graft investigator Alfred Yann Oguis was “merely conjectural, speculative, conclusions of facts and or of law.”

Rodas was earlier indicted for allegedly falsifying her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.

The anti-graft office questioned how her net worth ballooned by P900,000 in one year with only P13,338 monthly income. According to the Ombudsman, Rodas has acquired properties out of proportion to her salary and other lawful income.

Among the properties questioned by the Ombudsman were her two vehicles worth P600,000, jewelry and books.

But, Rodas said she acquired her assets long before she joined government service. According to her, she was employed as marine engineer and naval architect with two large firms before accepting her government post.

Rodas said she was allowed to retire and received separation pay twice in the private sector.

She added that the vehicles questioned by the anti-graft office were acquired by her from her former employer.

“The reason for the acquisition is quite simple. From 1981 up to 1999, I was employed in private corporations which included in our employee benefits car plans which I took full advantage of,” she said. — (FREEMAN)