Padaca indicted for not filing SALNs

THE Office of the Ombudsman will charge former Isabela governor Grace Padaca before the Sandiganbayan for failure to file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from 2008 to 2010.

The Ombudsman said that Padaca faces four counts of violation of Section 8 of Republic Act 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

Based on the Commission on Appointment Profile and Investigation Report, and the certification issued by the Human Resource Department (HRD) of the Office of the Provincial Administrator of Isabela, Padaca failed to file her SALNs within the deadline set by the law.

Padaca denied the accusations and claimed that “she was surprised upon being informed by HRD that only her SALNs for 2004 and 2006 were on file.”

April 30 deadline

Under Section 8 of RA 6713, all government officials and employees are mandated to submit their SALNs stating the required information on or before April 30 of every year.

“It strains belief that from 2007 to 2010, respondent not once tried to obtain a receiving copy of the SALNs which she supposedly accomplished and transmitted to HRD as it is customary...to obtain a copy bearing the date and time of receipt cum acknowledgement of the receiving office/employee, for one’s own files of all vital public documents which public officials and employees are required to submit,” the resolution read.

“It is difficult to fathom how respondent would be unfamiliar with such a practice or that she has not altogether adopted this procedure given her lengthy stint in government service,” it added.