Ex-colonel gets one year for SALN violation

MANILA, Philippines - A retired Army colonel was sentenced by the Sandiganbayan to one year’s imprisonment for not declaring his business and financial connections to a security agency in 1996.

The anti-graft court also ordered Ceferino Layao to pay a P5,000 fine and barred him from holding public office for omitting the information in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

In a 39-page ruling, the Sandiganbayan’s Fourth Division – chaired by Associate Justice Gregory Ong – said the former military official violated Republic Act 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The ruling was announced yesterday by the Office of the Ombudsman.

While Layao was commissioned as a military officer, the Office of the Ombudsman found out that he also acted as vice president of Holy Spirit Security Corp. from August to December 1996, for which he earned a monthly income of P9,000.

The Ombudsman’s prosecutors said Layao’s Social Security System number matched the number in the remittances made by the security agency for him.