Newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s restoration of public access to the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of government officials received positive reactions from both opposition and administration lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
‘Ombudsman Remulla’s move is a long-overdue correction to a policy that weakened transparency and accountability by restricting public access to SALNs. The ombudsman must serve the people, not those in power,’ Akbayan party-list Rep. Chel Diokno said.
‘If only the SALNs are open to easy public access, then it would be harder for corrupt officials in government to cover their nefarious tracks. It’s about time for public officials to open their SALNs and restore the trust of the public to our officials,’ the opposition lawmaker added.
Speaker Faustino Dy III himself is open to giving out his own SALNs to whoever is interested.
‘In my view, it is necessary for us to show the SALNs of all our members here in the lower House. People really have to see it, and we have to be open about it. It should be accessible to everyone,’ he told reporters in a chance interview shortly after he made the rounds at the Batasan complex.
Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos, an administration lawmaker, called the move ‘a historic step toward ending secrecy, fighting corruption and restoring the people’s faith in government.’
‘Public office is a public trust. The people have the right to know how their officials manage their wealth and live up to the ethical standards set by law,’ he noted.
‘Transparency tools like the SALN system are essential in deterring corruption and rebuilding public trust in institutions. The government should not hide behind the excuse of data privacy when it comes to accountability,’ Santos said.
So far, only four House members from the Akbayan reform bloc have released copies of their SALNs to the public: Akbayan Reps. Diokno, Percival Cendaña and Dadah Ismula and Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene Bag-ao.
During the Duterte administration, then ombudsman Samuel Martires restricted access to public officials’ SALNs and stopped lifestyle checks. Then Vice President Leni Robredo ignored the restrictions and continued to make her SALN available to the public.
‘Expedite access’
Meanwhile, labor coalition NAGKAISA urged the ombudsman to expedite its commitment to give public access to government officials’ SALN.
NAGKAISA spokesman Rene Magtubo said the move to open the SALN is a refreshing break from the Duterte administration’s policy of secrecy.
‘During the Duterte years, SALNs were treated like state secrets. Now, we welcome transparency as the first light breaking through the fog of impunity,’ Magtubo stressed.
He said the Office of the Ombudsman must institutionalize the open access to SALNs of high-ranking officials and make transparency a pillar of good governance.
‘Workers pay their taxes down to the last centavo. We have the right to know how our leaders spend – or expand – theirs,’ he noted.
The coalition urged all workers and citizens to join another major anti-corruption rally on Nov. 30.