SALN, lifestyle checks used by politicians, media practitioners for extortion —Martires

Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Saturday defended his order to stop the conduct of lifestyle checks on public officials and restricting public access to their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as such are being used by politicians and media practitioners for extortion.

“Ang lifestyle check is fishing expedition. Naghahanap tayo ng ebidensiya laban doon sa taong nila-lifestyle check natin,” Martires said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV.

“Ayon sa report ng aming mga imbestigador sa Ombudsman, nagiging source ito ng extortion,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Ombudsman announced he stopped the conduct of lifestyle checks on public officials, saying failure in such does not prove than an official is corrupt. 

Martires' statement came three weeks after he restricted public access to the SALN of public officials filed before the Office of the Ombudsman. 

Republic Act 6713 is the law on Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public officials, which provides that “[P]ublic officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income” and that “they should not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form.”

Section 8C of RA 6713, meanwhile, mandates disclosure of SALNs to the public at a certain period of time and as long as the one making the request shoulders the cost of reproduction and mailing of the SALN copies.

“Mayroong mga kasamahan tayo sa industriya sa media na ginagamit din ito. Merong mga taong kumukuha ng SALN. Ginagamit niyang panakot sa opisyal,” Martires said.

“Maraming nabiktima nitong lifestyle check at SALN ng mga pulitiko at sana lumabas itong mga pulitiko. Ayoko magbanggit ng mga pangalan eh. Alam nila kung sino silang tinutukoy ko pati ‘yung media practitioner ginamit ito,” he added.

The Ombudsman stressed that he is not protecting anyone with his orders.

“Wala akong pinoprotektahang opisyal ng pamahalaan. Wala akong pinoprotektahan na kahit sino,” Martires said.

No basis

The Ombudsman said the conduct of lifestyle checks is just a practice copied from Hong Kong.

“Wala tayong batas, wala tayong batayan sa lifestyle check,” Martires said.

He also said there is no criteria to determine whether a person has unexplained wealth since lifestyle checks are “purely” based on estimates.

“Wala talagang eksaktong figures, walang eksaktong basehan kaya sinasabi nating unexplained wealth. Pero ano ba ang basehan para sabihin na unexplained wealth when these are all estimates?” Martires noted.

“We estimate the cost of living. We estimate the cost of travel and accommodation expenses. We estimate the expenses for food, daily maintenance or drugs,” he said.

The Ombudsman said that his office should be given a chance to recommend to Congress a law on the conduct of lifestyle check.

“The lifestyle check is not the only way. Marami naman kaming ibang paraan para maimbestigahan ang corruption,” he said.

On the issue of restricting public access to SALNs filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, Martires said agencies or departments of a government official or employee also have a copy of the document.

“Nakasaad sa IRR na hindi lamang Ombudsman ang may hawak ng SALN. Hindi namin pinapakialaman ang SALN na hindi naka-deposit sa amin,” he said.

“Mga opisina ng opisyal ng pamahalaan, may hawak din na kopya ng SALN,” he added.

Martires said SALN is not meant to be a penal law.

“You are only allowed to publish a SALN pero bawal ang interpretation,” he said.

“We are aware of our rights but we are not aware of our obligations. Alam natin na maaari tayong kumuha ng kopya ng SALN pero hindi tayo aware na hindi ito maaaring gamitin sa masama,” Martires added. —KG, GMA News