CHED official faces raps over SALN

A director of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is facing criminal charges over her alleged failure to declare the business interests of her husband in her sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALN from 2005 to 2010.

The Office of the Ombudsman lodged against Carmelita Yadao-Sison six counts of violation of Section 8 (a) of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The cases were filed before the Sandiganbayan on Feb. 9.

Based on the charge sheets prepared by assistant special prosecutor Jorge Espinal, Sison, “in utter disregard of her official obligation,” willfully failed to declare in her SALNs for years 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009 the business interest of her husband, lawyer Roberto Sison in the law firm Roberto M. Sison and Partners.

The ombudsman said Sison also failed to “file within the prescribed period” her SALNs for 2007 and 2010, in which she likewise did not declare her husband’s business interests in his law firm.

The anti-graft agency said Sison’s failure to declare the business interest of her spouse has caused “damage and prejudice” to the public interest.

The ombudsman recommended to the Sandiganbayan to set Sison’s bail bond at P10,000 for each count or a total of P60,000 for all the cases.

Set to testify against Sison are Apolonia Vivo, chief administrative officer of CHED Human Resource Management Division, Ursula Canovas of CHED Higher Education Development Center and Marissa Barba, chief personnel specialist of the Civil Service Commission, among others.