Manila official sacked for lying about assets and liabilities

A Manila city engineer lost his job for lying in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN). The Office of the Ombudsman, in a 10-page decision, found Engineer Saturnino Disu guilty of dishonesty and sought his dismissal from the service. Disu is assistant department head of the city government's Department of Engineering and Public Works, the Ombudsman said in a press release on its website. The Ombudsman directed Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to implement the decision and to submit promptly a compliance report within five days. It also ordered the filing of charges of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Officials and Employees and Perjury against Disu before the appropriate court. Records showed that Disu started his career in government as a laborer in the same office and rose from the ranks, becoming City Government Assistant Departnemnt Head III on March 11, 2003. The investigation showed that Disu failed to declare in his SALNs from 1999 to 2005 a 319-square meter residential land in Bolasi, San Fabian, Pangasinan that he bought on March 29, 1999. He declared under oath in the SALNs that a residential house and lot in Bacoor, Cavite, was his only real property. Disu, in his counter-affidavit, did not deny that he bought the said property. However, he claimed it was his honest belief that ownership over the property has not been consolidated in his name because the property is not yet titled under his name. However, the Ombudsman, in its decision, said the subject matter is a parcel of an unregistered land. “(Ownership) over the subject unregistered lot dates back to the date of purchase on March 29, 1999 when the Deed of Absolute Sale of Unregistered land was executed by the seller and the buyer – herein respondent and his spouse. Upon the execution of the contract, the buyer acquired ownership over the property purchased," it said. –VVP, GMANews.TV