Group to poll body: Disqualify B’non guv

By CONG B. CORRALES
Associate Editor

A GROUP of indigenes in Bukidnon is seeking the disqualification of Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. in the May elections even as they filed graft charges against the province’s leader before the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a packet of documents sent to the Gold Star Daily, the Pangantucan-based Unified Kirinteken Ilantongan Menuvu Tribal Council Inc. led by The Rev. Datu Intakdaw Lb. Anota, a Baptist pastor, asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify Zubiri for alleged “untruthful dislosure, non-disclosure, and non-submission” of Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth (SALN).

Received by the Comelec on Feb. 26, this year, Anota submitted to Elections Chairman Andres Bautista, through Comelec provincial chair Stalin Baguio, findings on Zubiri’s alleged violation of Section 8 of Republic Act 6713 or Statement and Disclosure, Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices.

The six-page document timelines Zubiri’s alleged non-disclosure of assets from 2006 to 2014. The document also attached cartographic maps of Zubiri’s landholdings that the governor allegedly failed to report in his SALN.

The lumad group contends, among others:

• Zubiri allegedly failed to disclose any real estate properties in Bukidnon (land and building) in 2006.
• “The Money Market of P84 million cannot be sourced from Liabilities or Income which means ‘unexplained wealth’ and cannot be determined in cash flow analysis.”
• In 2008, “Under ‘B’ of the SALN, declarant has nothing to declare and checked No. 2 as ‘not applicable,’ meaning there was no acquisition and disposal of vehicles. Yet, he (Zubiri) disclosed under ‘E’ that his Jaguar Style which was purchased in 2005 was ‘sold.’”
• The following year, 2009, “he said that he had business interests and financial connections but he did not disclose the amount of acquisition. Worst, he did not disclose his business interests and financial connection like being the leader-investor of Sugarcane Farmers of Bukidnon Multi-Purpose Cooperative with authorized capital of P160 million.”
• In 2010, “he did not disclose his Toyota Fortuner worth P1.8 million he acquired in 2007 and did not report it as ‘sold’ or ‘disposed.’”
• In 2011, “he did not disclose his BMW 730 series 2009 worth P6 million, though this was not sold as it was a newly acquired car in 2009.”

One Levi F. Caraman a.k.a. Datu Mantaraman signed a document attached to the letter sent to Bautista.

The packet Anota sent this paper also included a certification from the Office of the Ombudsman that its office is “on the process of pending preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication” on Anota’s complaint.

Anota’s complaint is docketed under Ref. Code nos. OMB-M-C-0026/OMB-M-A-0036: “COA X v. Zubiri, et al.” The certification was signed by Marco Anacleto Buena, deputy ombudsman.

This paper tried calling Zubiri to ask for his comment but failed to reach the governor. At presstime, the governor has yet to respond to a text message this paper sent to him to request for a phone interview.