Ombudsman Martires' policies on SALNs, lifestyle checks made graft easy, De Lima says

Ombudsman Samuel Martires' policy to restrict access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) of government officials signaled the open season for corruption in government, opposition Senator Leila De Lima said on Thursday.

"Binaliktad ni Martires ang mandato ng Ombudsman. Imbes na protektahan niya ang sambayanan mula sa pandarambong ng mga opisyales, nais pa niyang protektahan ang mga opisyales mula sa transparency at accountability," De Lima said in a statement.

"Sa buong kasaysayan ng Ombudsman, ngayon lang nangyari na ginawang napakadali ng Ombudsman ang pandarambong sa gobyerno... Para na ring idineklara ni Martires ang open season sa pagnakaw sa gobyerno," she added.

Last week, the Ombudsman said it would not grant requests for copies of SALNs without the public officials' consent.

"Sa Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, hindi namin kailangan ng SALN sa [pagpatunay ng] undue injury, undue advantage, even plunder. Saan ba gagamitin ang SALN? Ginagamit lang ang SALN para siraan ang opisyal ng pamahalaan," Martires said.

He also ordered a halt in the conduct of lifestyle checks among public officials, saying the law which provides for such needs amendments.

“Bakit ko pinatigil? What is living beyond your means? Iyong kumikita ng P50,000 a month, lives in a small house, nakaipon, bumili ng BMW na promo, zero interest, kayang-kaya niya hulugan, is he living beyond his means? I don’t think so. What he has are distorted values and distorted priorities,” Martires told House lawmakers during a budget hearing.

De Lima, a former justice secretary, said Martires was undermining his own office by implementing such "unbelievable" policies.

She said public officials must be ready to be scrutinized. Otherwise, they must not stay at the government at all.

"Kung hindi sila handang mabusisi ng publiko ang kanilang taglay na kayamanan, umalis sila sa gobyerno. If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen," De Lima said.

The Ombudsman later clarified that other government repositories of SALNs were not covered by the restriction it made.

Martires, a former associate justice of the Supreme Court, also said the Ombudsman might as well be abolished if witnesses would continue refusing to testify against corrupt officials.

De Lima said it was Martires who needs to get out: "Hindi ang pagbuwag sa Office of the Ombudsman ang kailangan, kundi ang pagbibitiw o pagpapatalsik sa Ombudsman mismo." -NB, GMA News