OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla is set to release today (Tuesday) the rules that would give the public access to the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of public officials subject to certain conditions.
President Ferdinand Marcos is ready to release his SALN to the public if it will be allowed by the Ombudsman, according to Malacañang.
This, after newly installed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ C. Remulla said he will allow the ‘conditional’ release of the SALNs to the media.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President will comply with the decision of the Ombudsman, which has the authority over SALN releases.
The said compliance to the Ombudsman, she said, will not only extend to the President, but also other officials of the Executive branch.
‘Whatever is appropriate, whatever the law says, and whatever is best for fighting corruption, everyone in the executive department will obey,’ said in Filipino in a press briefing last Monday.
Remulla also said he would ask the Senate and the House of Representatives to also provide the Ombudsman copies of the SALNs of their members to be included in its files.
Remulla said copies of SALNs will be made available to requesting parties provided that they would sign an undertaking to prevent it from being weaponized.
‘As far as the rules of the SALNs are concerned, we will come up with it by tomorrow. By tomorrow you will get a handle on these rules and we will really make it available, that’s the best and we will start from the President down,’ Remulla said.
‘Our only request is for requesting parties to have an undertaking so all will be responsible from the information we get,’ the Ombudsman said.
During the term of his predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, public’s access to SALNs of elected officials was restricted through his Memorandum Circular No. 1.
Under the memo, SALNs were only to be released if the request was made by the government official concerned, or his or her representative; if it was legally ordered by the court in relation to a pending case; and if it was made through the Office of the Ombudsman’s field investigation office for the purpose of a fact-finding probe.
Earlier, former Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said Remulla should allow the public to have access to government officials’ SALN.
He suggested that private information like residence, the name of children and other details that do not pertain to assets or liabilities be redacted.
Carpio said this move would restore the public’s trust in government in light of various anomalies involving flood control projects.
Remulla, the former Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary, said he may allow the release of the SALNs to media entities, which conduct investigative reports and enter into data sharing arrangements with the Office of the Ombudsman.
When asked if a new DOJ chief was already appointed, Castro said she still has no information on the matter.
Currently, DOJ Undersecretary Frederick A. Vida was designated as the officer-in-charge of the agency.
She assured the President will pick a person of integrity, who is reliable, impartial and fair as his new DOJ chief.