SC clears ex-Mulanay mayor of graft

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC) has dismissed the graft charges filed against a former mayor of Mulanay town in Quezon and his wife in connection with their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

In a 26-page decision released recently, the SC said the non-declaration by former mayor Joselito Ojeda and his wife Dulce of their property was not done with “malicious or deliberate intent to conceal the truth.”

In the same ruling penned by Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, the SC denied a petition for certiorari filed against the Office of the Ombudsman by a certain Crispin Bariata, who sought to overturn the dismissal of criminal and administrative cases against the Ojedas.

Records showed that in 2015, Bariata filed criminal and administrative complaints before the Ombudsman against the Ojedas for alleged failure to declare their properties and net worth from 2010 to 2013.

The complainant questioned the Ojedas‘ parcels of land in Quezon province and Metro Manila, financial shares in two companies as well as their frequent trips abroad, noting the mayor was only earning P50,000 per month.

Ojeda denied the charges, saying they divested their shares in the companies in 2006 and their trips were financed by his wife, who have relatives in the United States.

He admitted that some of the parcels of land were still registered under his name, but were the subject of a levy on execution as early as 2005 and that he lost ownership of these assets.

The ombudsman dismissed the charges and Bariata appealed the ruling before the SC in 2017.