Reveal your SALNs, or else leave gov’t

“If you’re afraid of the public, then quit politics.” That’s what then-Comelec chairman Christian Monsod told Election 1992 candidates who pestered him for permits to have bodyguards.

In the same vein they should be told, “If you’re afraid of transparency, then quit government.”

Politicos have a common lame excuse to hide their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth. Publicizing SALNs supposedly exposes them to harassment by opponents.

Phooey! Harassment is a crime, so sue that opponent.

The Constitution is clear. Article XI, Accountability of Public Officers, Section 17 states:

“A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities and net worth. In the case of the President, Vice President, Members of the Cabinet, Congress, Supreme Court, Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the Armed Forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law.”

The enabling law is RA 6713, Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Section 8, Statements and Disclosure, says:

“Public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their households.

“(A) Statements of Assets and Liabilities and Financial Disclosure.

“All public officials and employees, except those who serve in an honorary capacity, laborers and casual or temporary workers, shall file under oath their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and a Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections and those of their spouses and unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their households.

“The two documents shall contain information on the following: (a) real property, its improvements, acquisition costs, assessed value and current fair market value; (b) personal property and acquisition cost; (c) all other assets such as investments, cash on hand or in banks, stocks, bonds and the like; (d) liabilities and (e) all business interests and financial connections.

“The documents must be filed: (a) within thirty (30) days after assumption of office; (b) on or before April 30, of every year thereafter; and (c) within thirty (30) days after separation from the service.

“All public officials and employees required under this section to file the aforestated documents shall also execute, within thirty (30) days from the date of their assumption of office, the necessary authority in favor of the ombudsman to obtain from all appropriate government agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue, such documents as may show their assets, liabilities, net worth and also their business interests and financial connections in previous years, including, if possible, the year when they first assumed any office in the Government.

“Husband and wife who are both public officials or employees may file the required statements jointly or separately.

“The Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and the Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections shall be filed by:

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“(1) Constitutional and national elective officials, with the national Office of the Ombudsman;

“(2) Senators and Congressmen, with the Secretaries of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively; Justices, with the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court; Judges, with the Court Administrator and all national executive officials with the Office of the President;

“(3) Regional and local officials and employees, with the Deputy Ombudsman in their respective regions;

“(4) Officers of the armed forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain, with the Office of the President, and those below said ranks, with the Deputy Ombudsman in their respective regions; and

“(5) All other public officials and employees, defined in Republic Act No. 3019, as amended, with the Civil Service Commission.

“(B) Identification and disclosure of relatives.

“It shall be the duty of every public official or employee to identify and disclose, to the best of his knowledge and information, his relatives in the Government in the form, manner and frequency prescribed by the Civil Service Commission.

“(C) Accessibility of documents.

“(1) Any and all statements filed under this Act, shall be made available for inspection at reasonable hours.

“(2) Such statements shall be made available for copying or reproduction after ten (10) working days from the time they are filed as required by law.

“(3) Any person requesting a copy of a statement shall be required to pay a reasonable fee to cover the cost of reproduction and mailing of such statement, as well as the cost of certification.

“(4) Any statement filed under this Act shall be available to the public for a period of ten (10) years after receipt of the statement. After such period, the statement may be destroyed unless needed in an ongoing investigation.

“(D) Prohibited acts.

“It shall be unlawful for any person to obtain or use any statement filed under this Act for: (a) any purpose contrary to morals or public policy; or (b) any commercial purpose other than by news and communications media for dissemination to the general public.”

For six years as president, Rody Duterte hid his SALN. He appointed ombudsman Samuel Martires to a seven-year term, 2018-2025. Martires’s first act was to hide SALNs of other high officials.

Constitutionalists complained. The Supreme Court in 2021 affirmed Martires.

Meantime, politicos, DPWH officials and contractors plundered P1.7 trillion in flood control funds.

Time to undo opacity and disclose SALNs.