Progressive groups slam Marcos Jr. for rejecting disclosure of SALN

At least two progressive groups on Tuesday slammed presidential aspirant former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for rejecting the disclosure of statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) to the public.

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) chairperson Danilo Ramos said the recent pronouncement of Marcos only reflect “his greed for power.”

"Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the exemplification of a candidate that Filipinos should not vote for.  The recent statements and actions made by Marcos Jr. are devoid of public interest, and only reflect his greed for power," Ramos said in a statement.

He also asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disqualify the former senator for being a nuisance candidate, adding that Marcos’ track record and performance as a legislator allegedly showed “nothing to give for the country.”

"Marcos Jr. bears all the red flags. He is a candidate that is not worthy of the Filipino electorate's vote. He has nothing to show and nothing to give for the country. COMELEC should immediately disqualify him for being a nuisance," the KMP chairperson said.

"He is leading in the election and awareness surveys but even that has been manipulated by his campaign team to create a public clamor for his candidacy," he added.

Meanwhile, Akbayan party-list first nominee Perci Cendaña also echoed the same sentiments, saying that those politicians refusing to disclose SALNs are allegedly “plunderers.”

“Mga magnanakaw, korap, at swindler lamang, gaya ni Bongbong at ng kanyang pamilya, ang naduduwag sa SALN (Only thieves, corrupt, and swindlers, like Bongbong and his family, are the ones who are afraid to show their SALN). Only looters of the nation's coffers fear transparency and accountability. What the cross is to the vampire, the SALN is to the plunderer,” Cendaña said in a separate statement.

He underscored that Marcos treats the governance in the country as a “family business” after saying that “there was nothing wrong with political dynasties.”

In an interview on One PH, Marcos said political dynasties were not necessarily bad.

“We call on the voting public to reject Bongbong in the May election. The country has no future with junior,” Cendaña said.

“Huwag natin payagang patuloy tayo pagnakawan, pagsinungalingan, at ibudol-budol ni Bongbong. Kung galit tayo sa mga small-time scammers, mas lalo dapat sa mga big-time swindlers,” she added.

(Let us not allow Bongbong to continue to rob, lie, and bully us. If we hate small-time scammers, we should especially hate big-time swindlers.)

The GMA News Online sought the comment of the Marcos camp, but it has yet to respond.

In an interview on the YouTube channel Luminous, Marcos suggested that the time a SALN may be given would be when cases are filed "but maybe not to the public but certainly to the agents of the court or the court itself."

Asked if he would release his SALN when he is elected president and if he will ask the Ombudsman to recall its order prohibiting the release of the wealth declaration documents, Marcos said, "If the purpose is going to be political attack, then why do we want to do that?"

Under Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, 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 18 years of age living in their households.”

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier issued a policy restricting the public’s access to SALNs, including that of the President.—AOL, GMA News