TALISAY CITY, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez on Sunday assured that his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) was accurate.Fernandez was responding to criticisms that he did not include a Mitsubishi Pajero sport utility vehicle (SUV) in his SALN. The mayor’s adopted son Joavan used the vehicle shortly before he was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas for charges of serious illegal detention and physical injuries. But Fernandez explained that the green Pajero was not owned by his family. He said it was lent to him by Vicenta Caballero, a friend of the family.
“She lent me that Pajero. But she can actually take that back anytime,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez showed Cebu Daily News the vehicle’s registry papers.
It indicated that the Pajero, with registry number GMG-357, was owned by Pablito and Aurora Obrial.
Fernandez explained that the Obrials sold the vehicle to Caballero’s son, who runs a used car dealership in Barangay (village) Bulacao, Talisay City.
“If the Pajero was mine, it would have reflected on the LTO (Land Transportation Office) records,” the mayor said.
Fernandez said his adopted son had been using the SUV, believing that vehicle belonged to his father.
“Joavan did not know that the Pajero was borrowed,” Fernandez said.
The mayor said he was willing to be investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas on allegations that he lied in his SALN.
Businessman Crisologo Saavedra raised the allegations against Fernandez, saying the mayor did not declare the Pajero among the items in his SALN.
Saavedra called on the Ombudsman to investigate Fernandez.
In his SALN, Fernandez declared a total net worth of P990,450.
Among the assets he stated were an Isuzu Bighorn worth P200,000 and a Yamaha motorcycle worth P55,000.
The mayor also acknowledged owning two parcels of land and a residential unit, all in Talisay City. |
