The Office of the Ombudsman has found probable cause to indict Narra Mayor Gerandy Danao for perjury after allegedly making false declarations in a notarized affidavit submitted to secure authority to travel abroad.
In an eight-page resolution dated Dec. 1, 2025, the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon recommended the filing of an Information against Danao for violation of Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code.
“WHEREFORE, there being probable cause to indict respondent Gerandy Blanco Danao for violation of Article 183 of the Revised Penal Code, it is respectfully recommended that the attached Information be filed against him with the appropriate court,” the resolution stated.
The complaint was filed by Joel G. Pelayo, who alleged that Danao falsely declared in an Affidavit of No Pending Case that he had no pending criminal or administrative cases and had never been found guilty of any administrative offense or crime when he applied for authority to travel to Brunei Darussalam in January 2024.
According to the Ombudsman, Danao executed a sworn affidavit stating: “That I have no pending case, administrative and/or criminal before any court or administrative body and that I have never been found guilty/convicted of any administrative offense and/or crime.”
The resolution said records showed the mayor had pending cases before the Ombudsman and had previously been found administratively liable by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Palawan and by the Ombudsman.
“There is probable cause to indict respondent for violation of Article 183 of the RPC or Perjury,” the resolution said.
The Ombudsman rejected Danao’s defense that he signed the affidavit in good faith and considered it merely a pro forma document.
“Respondent willfully and deliberately asserted falsehood when he stated in the subject Affidavit that he has no pending case, administrative and/or criminal before any court or administrative body and that he has never been found guilty/convicted of any administrative offense and/or crime,” the resolution stated.
The investigating office also found unpersuasive Danao’s argument that the affidavit was simply a routine requirement for travel applications.
“This Office notes that an affidavit of no pending case is required in securing an authority to travel abroad. It serves as a legal document certifying that an individual has no pending criminal prosecutions or administrative cases currently undergoing adjudication,” the resolution said.
“It is not a mere pro-forma document as respondent claims it to be,” it added.
The Ombudsman noted that the affidavit was among the documentary requirements under Department of the Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2022-147 for local officials seeking authority to travel abroad.
The complaint stemmed from Danao’s application to travel to Brunei Darussalam from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, 2024 for what was described in the resolution as an exploratory visit on agricultural technologies.
