By Perfecto Raymundo, Jr.
MANILA -- Former Tawi-Tawi Vice Governor
Ruby Sahali Tan on Thursday pleaded guilty before the Sandiganbayan to six counts
of violation of Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713, or the “Code of Conduct and
Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees”.
Tan voluntarily pleaded guilty during
her re-arraignment with the assistance of her counsel, and after she was fully
apprised of the consequences of her plea.
With this development, Tan is deemed to
have admitted all the material facts alleged in the information filed against
her by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The anti-graft court ordered Tan to pay
a fine of PHP5,000 for each count, or a total of PHP30,000, and subsidiary
imprisonment in case of insolvency.
She was indicted after the Ombudsman
found that she failed to file her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net
Worth (SALN) under oath from 2007 to 2011, while her 2008 to 2012 SALNs were
not filed on time.
Under Section 8 of RA 6713, “public
officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit
declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets,
liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests, including those of
their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their
households.”
It also requires every government
official and employee to file the SALN within 30 days after assumption of
office, or on or before April 30 of every year thereafter, and within 30 days
after separation from the service. (PNA).
