Sandiganbayan orders arrest of ex-Naga mayor

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan yesterday issued a warrant of arrest against a former mayor of Naga whose 2005 conviction for eight counts of falsification of public documents has been affirmed by the Supreme Court.

Prosecution Bureau VI director Diosdado Calonge of the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) said Paulino Ong and a relative identified as Rosaho Galeos are facing jail terms of 64 years and 32 years, respectively.

Records show that Ong, Galeos and one Federico Rivera were found guilty of falsifying their Statements of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) and Personal Data Sheets (PDS) six years ago.

Ong hired Galeos, a cousin, as a construction and maintenance worker and Rivera, also a relative who died before their conviction in 2005, as a plumber.

During the trial, government lawyers led by Calonge were able to prove that Ong, Galeos and Rivera failed to identify each other as close relatives in their SALNs and PDS.