Ex-justice Carpio urges incoming Ombudsman Remulla: Make SALNs public

Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio on Wednesday urged incoming Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to make Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of government officials accessible to the public, with only their private information redacted.

"He should now open again the SALN to the public. But you have to redact private information like the residence, the name of children, that which do not involve assets or liabilities," he told Super Radyo dzBB.

According to Carpio, making SALNs public will restore public trust in government, which he said has taken a hit amid the anomalies involving flood control projects.

"The people have lost faith in all institutions of government. They have lost faith in the Executive, Legislative, and even in the Judiciary," Carpio said.  

"The Office of the Ombudsman, I call it the second most powerful office of government, could turn the tide," he added.

The retired justice advised Remulla to follow the evidence, saying that the Ombudsman must be fair and must not engage in selective prosecution.

"He should not focus on the Duterte people or the Marcos people… dapat lahat (it should be everybody). Cases filed before him, if the evidence warrants, he should prosecute," he said.

Remulla previously said he is also open to making the disclosure of SALNs more accessible, but with safeguards.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday appointed Remulla as the next Ombudsman, a day after the shortlist for the position was released.

Carpio, meanwhile, welcomed Remulla's appointment to the post, saying he is "very hardworking." 

"He was my student in law school and he came to class always prepared. And that has been shown also in his investigation of the e-sabungero and the flood control project. Focused siya (He's focused)," he said.

"I hope he carries that work ethic (at the) Ombudsman," he added. — VDV, GMA Integrated News