The Office of the Ombudsman has lifted restrictions on public access to the statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) of government officials, effectively reversing the policy imposed by its former chief, Samuel Martires.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla implemented the policy shift by releasing a memorandum lifting the access restrictions on SALNs, which Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano presented before the media during a press briefing on Tuesday afternoon.
‘This decision is guided by a simple principle. The public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth,’ Clavano announced.
The ombudsman likewise called on all agencies, particularly the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the President, Congress, and the judiciary, ‘to align their practices with this policy.’
‘So I have with me today the signed memorandum of the Ombudsman reopening the public access of SALNs,’ he said while presenting a copy of the memorandum circular no. 3 signed by Remulla.
According to Clavano, the memorandum will take effect 15 days after its publication (October 14), and only then will the Office of the Ombudsman begin entertaining requests for copies of SALNs.
Earlier, Remulla said he aimed to open the Ombudsman’s doors to the public and make it a true ‘sumbungan ng bayan’ (the people’s grievance platform).
He added that his office was planning to crowdsource information for lifestyle checks and complaints, noting that investigations would no longer rely solely on fact-finding teams but would also gather input directly from citizens through an open communication line.
The former justice secretary said the SALNs of former President Rodrigo Duterte, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte would be among those accessible following the memorandum’s release.
Remulla also said he was ‘open’ to allowing public access to SALNs dating back to 2016.
Access to SALNs was previously restricted under Martires through Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2020.
The memorandum required anyone requesting a copy of a SALN to present a notarized letter of authority from the declarant, effectively barring the public and the media from obtaining the documents unless permitted by the official concerned.
New memo
The new circular contained the guidelines on public access to SALNs filed by public officials and employees. Under Section 3, agency heads were required to collect and submit SALNs of their personnel to the Ombudsman, along with a summary report, by May 31 every year.
It added that late submissions would only be allowed in cases of force majeure or other meritorious grounds, subject to formal approval by the Ombudsman.
Moreover, the circular mandated that all SALNs received by the anti-graft body be preserved and digitally stored, taking into account the 20-year regulatory period for filing graft-related complaints under Republic Act No. 10910.
Once processed and officially recorded, the ombudsman disclosed that SALNs would be made available for public inspection and reproduction, but not earlier than 10 working days after the final deadline for submission from all government agencies.
How and where to file
Based on the document, SALNs must be filed with any public assistance and corruption prevention office of the anti-graft body’s central office, any public assistance corruption prevention bureau, or sectoral offices.
Those who would like to make a request must do so by filing a form issued by the office, present two valid IDs, pay the reproduction or certification fee, and wait for the respective offices to review the request.
‘All requests shall be acted upon within a reasonable period,’ the circular reads.
Clavano explained that all SALNs will be granted access to, except if the Office of the Ombudsman is not the official repository; the SALN is not on file, the request is for an unauthorized commercial purpose; the requesting party has a derogatory record of misuse, the request is linked to a pending case to influence or harass; there is evidence of extortion or safety threats; the identity of the requesting party is fictitious; or the purpose is contrary to law, morals, or public policy.
He explained that constitutional offices, local government units, and executive offices are required to submit their SALNs to the Office of the Ombudsman, while members of Congress and the judiciary are required to file them with the Supreme Court.
‘But the general rule is that all SALNs are made public. And any person, as long as they are able to submit their proper documentation and IDs, can be given a copy of the SALN,’ Clavano said.
‘As of today, and as the memorandum circular is written, there is no need for consent on the part of the public officer whose SALN is requested. The only thing that the requesting party needs to show is ID and to make sure that he is not a fictitious person, that he is indeed the person that he purports to be given the IDs. That’s it, and it will be granted,’ he added.
What will be omitted
Under the new guidelines, the Ombudsman will redact or omit sensitive personal details from any SALN copy released to the public to protect the privacy of the declarant and their family.
This means that the complete home address, names, and birth details of minor children, signatures, and government-issued identification numbers of the declarant and their spouse will no longer appear in the copies issued to requesting parties.
Each released copy will instead bear a visible watermark, control number, and disclaimer identifying the requester to ensure accountability and prevent misuse. Requesters will also have to shoulder reproduction or certification costs.
Those who use SALNs for media, academic, or public dissemination are required to submit a copy or link of their published work to the Ombudsman within five days of publication – a safeguard meant to help the office monitor and prevent misuse of the information. /mcm /atm /gsg