New SALN form fixes loopholes found during Corona trial

The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has released a "simpler and user-friendly" version of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), with provisions that address the loopholes found during last year's impeachment trial of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona. Under the new SALN form, civil servants are required to convert and declare into peso their dollar account — a provision that CSC chairperson Francisco Duque III admitted stemmed from the loopholes discovered during the Corona trial. He said the acquisiton cost of a property should also be declared. "Hindi ba nung trial nakita na ang dineclare lang ay fair market value? Acquisition cost ang batayan ng pag-compute ng net worth," Duque told reporters during the presentation of the newly improved SALN form on Friday. The new SALN version no longer includes the provision that requires civil servants to declare the estimated amounts of their personal and family expenses such as groceries, water and electricity bills, allowances for mobile phone plans, clothing and travel and even toiletries. Duque said the new version "is simpler, user-friendly and at the same time promotes and advocates transparency on the part of employees and officials." The new form will be the one to be filled out by 1.4 million government officials and personnel, including President Benigno Aquino III, and submitted before the April 30 deadline. Alarm indicators Duque said although they had made filling out the form much easier, the alarm indicators to determine illegally acquired wealth of public officals and employees are still in place. Also excluded in the new form is the disclosure of the amount and sources of the gross income of the government official and worker, aside from their salaries, if any. "Mahihirapan ang 1.4 million government employees na mag-comply dahil kakailanganin pa nila ng accountant," Commissioner Robert Martinez said during the press conference. Martinez added that the 1987 Constitution only requires declaration of assets, consisting of real, personal and other properties; liabilities, such as loans or mortgages; business interests and financial connections  and relatives in government service. "We cannot go beyond what the law requires," Duque said. Duque also said that there will now be a compliance committee that will check the SALN of the government personnel. Failure of the compliance committee, headed by agency heads, to do its duty will result to punishment of suspension of one month to six months for first offense and dismissal from service for second offense. — KBK, GMA News