Cebu mayors

CEBU - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas is now probing mayors in the province and other government officials whose net worth has allegedly suddenly increased, Ombudsman director Virginia Santiago said.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ernest Weigel Jr. is the richest mayor in Metro Cebu with a net worth of P57.7 million, followed by Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano whose net worth is P56.6 million. Cebu City Mayor Alvin Garcia has assets totaling P12.1 million.

Weigel said he has had no liabilities since 1995.

"We have to verify their assets and if we find out that they have unexplained wealth, we will initiate the filing of a case," Santiago said.

Both Weigel and Ouano welcomed the investigation, saying they have nothing to hide regarding their assets and liabilities.

Meanwhile, Garcia had a ready explanation for the sudden increase of his net worth.

The mayor tasked Samuel Darza to distribute copies of documents justifying the increase of his assets.

A house and lot worth P5.6 million along Gorordo Avenue donated by Garcia's wife Ninette's aunt, Paz Neri, is the reason why the mayor's net worth jumped from P5.6 million last year to P12.1 this year, Darza said.

Darza presented the mayor's sworn statement of assets and liabilities and net worth, disclosure of business interests and financial connections, the deed of donation from his wife's aunt, and documents on the taxes he paid for the donated land.

"The mayor wants to clarify the drastic increase in his net worth which I understand has raised some eyebrows why in one year his net worth increased this much," Darza said.

Garcia's declared net worth during his first term as mayor in 1996 was only P2.1 million.