43 govt employees face possible sanctions over non-submission of SALN

Over 2,000 government employees have not file their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) for 2012, with 43 of them already ordered to explain in writing why they should not be punished.

“If there is sufficient evidence of non-filing, the employee will be formally charged with an administrative offense of failure to file SALN,” the Civil Service Commission (CSC) said in a press statement Wednesday.

Show cause orders have already been filed against the 43, the CSC said.

It said based on the records of its Integrated Records Management Office (IRMO), there are 2,029 government employees who did not file their SALNs for 2012.

The CSC said some of these cases of non-filing of SALN “have already been referred to heads of agencies for appropriate disciplinary action as the latter have concurrent disciplinary jurisdiction with the CSC over their respective personnel.”

The CSC, on the other hand, said that 99 percent of the 204,055 personnel of 313 government agencies required to submit their SALN to the CSC had complied.

Under Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct of Public Officials and Employees, all state workers, whether regular or under temporary status, are required to file SALN on or before April 30 of every year, mandating them to declare their net worth as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year.

Failure to file SALN is punishable with suspension of one to six months for the first offense, and dismissal from service for the second offense, RA 6713 states.

Those who are specifically required to submit their SALN to the CSC are officials and employees of departments, bureaus, and agencies of the national government, judiciary, constitutional commissions, government-owned and controlled corporations and their subsidiaries; appointive officials and employees of the legislative branch; central officers below the rank of colonel/naval captain and civilian personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; and other uniformed and non-uniformed central officials and employees of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection. — Elizabeth Marcelo/KBK, GMA News