Malacañang hints it is not fully sold on new SALN form

Published February 26, 2012 2:38pm

While it said it will "study" the new design of the Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth for government officials, Malacañang on Sunday hinted it is not to keen on changes in the form's design. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said past experience shows the problem lies not so much in the form but in the government official filling up that form. “Siguro in the past we’ve seen in our experience hindi ang form ang problema, ang nagfi-fill out ang nagiging problema pagdating sa SALN,” she said on government-run dzRB radio.

Section 17, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution mandates that: “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."

On the other hand, Section 8 of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Public Officials and Employees states that: “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."

Valte said there had been cases where government employees were dismissed due to “dishonesty and failure to truthfully report assets,” and not necessarily because of the SALN form. Further study needed? On the other hand, she said the Palace will "study" the proposed changes to the SALN form, including supposed objectionable portions, noting that some lawmakers had already cited reservations about the new SALN form. Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, for one, has filed a resolution seeking an investigation into whether the new SALN form being prescribed by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) conforms to existing laws. The CSC is the government body that “implements the constitutional and statutory provisions on public disclosure, including the rule which requires state employees and officials to file annually their issued revised SALN forms.” “Kailangan pag-aralan natin... Tingnan natin ang requirements,” Valte said. SALN has risen to prominence in the nation's consciousness in recent days because of the ongoing impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona where the form was the subject matter of requests for subpoenas from the prosecution panel and were often mentioned during the testimony of some witnesses. Koko: New SALN form too complex Pimentel said the new SALN form might be "too complex" for public employees, many of whom cannot afford to get the services of a lawyer or accountant to assist them in the filing.

"Such a complex form might lead to useless or unjustified complaints for violation of the law requiring the filing of the SALN, which could be the product of inadvertence, confusion, or honest mistake or misapprehension of difficult legal concepts," he said.

The CSC approved the use of the new form starting from the year 2011. The deadline for the filing of the SALN using the new form is on April 30, 2012.

The new form includes new portions like the declaration of “personal and family expenditures,” “amount of taxes paid,” and “amount and sources of gross income,” which were not in the old SALN.

The new SALN also requires the additional declaration of the nature and classification of certain properties, like whether these are paraphernal, conjugal or community property.

Filers shall also required to distinguish which among their personal property and other assets are “tangible” and “intangible.” — KBK, GMA News

Tags: saln,