Kamanggagawa party-list's San Fernando: Why not post SALNs online?

Kamanggagawa Party-list Representative Eli San Fernando is suggesting the uploading of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of members of the House of Representatives online to make these more accessible to the public.

"Kung puwedeng i-post na lang sa House website. Kung maaari, meron din naman Facebook page ang House of Representatives. Puwede rin gamitin yun na easily accessible sa mga gustong maka-access ng SALN. Again, ang gusto natin, sa pinakamadali at pinakamabilis na paraan na ma-access ng mga tao yung SALN, mas maganda. Wala na masyado dapat burukrasya, subject siyempre sa mga existing na mga batas natin such as Data Privacy," San Fernando said in an ambush interview Thursday morning.

(Why not post it on the House website? If possible, there is a Facebook page of the House of Representatives. It can be used for easy access to the SALN. Again, what we want is the easiest and fastest way for the public to access the SALNs. There should be no more bureaucracy, but of course, subject to the pertinent laws like the Data Privacy.)

Earlier, House Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III released his SALN to the public and reconstituted the House SALN Review and Compliance Committee to review guidelines on the release of SALNs of members of the House to the public.

"Maganda na yung hakbang na ginawa ni Speaker Bojie Dy. Dapat pamarisan ito ng mga members of the House of Representatives. Kung wala pong tinatago ang ating mga kabaro, mga kasama dito sa House of Representatives patungkol sa kanilang yaman at sa kanilang assets, liabilities, and net worth, ilabas na po natin yung SALN natin," San Fernando said.

(The move by Speaker Bojie Dy is good. This should be emulated by members of the House of Representatives. If we are not hiding anything with regards to wealth, assets, liabilities and net worth, let us release (publicly) our SALNs.)

"Pagpapakita ito na gusto ng Speaker of the House na maging transparent and accountable sa mga mamamayan, sa mga manggagawa, at ordinaryong Pilipino," he added.

(This shows that the Speaker wants (House members) to be transparent and accountable to the public.) 

San Fernando also called on his colleagues to make public their SALNs especially now that has released his SALN to the public.

"Yung SALN, automatically dapat nga naa-access na yan ng mga ordinaryong Pilipino na gustong makakuha ng copy ng SALN ng mga public officials natin. After all, sino bang nagluklok sa mga public officials, sa mga congressmen, sa mga senador, at iba't ibang mga public officials natin? Di ba mga mamamayan? So may karapatan yung mga manggagawa at ordinaryong Pilipino na malaman kung ano yung nilalaman ng SALN ng mga public officials," San Fernando stressed.

(The public should automatically have access to the SALNs of all public officials. After all, who installed our senators, congressmen and other public officials, wasn't it the public? So they have the right to know the contents of the SALNs of public officials.)

He said security concerns of House members relating to the release of their SALNs to the public are valid but, "Kung wala naman tinatago yung ating mga kasamahan dito sa House of Representatives, ilabas na po natin yung SALN (if we are not hiding anything, make public our SALNs)."

"When we entered public service, nag-decide din tayo na yung private life natin ay sinasakripisyo na natin at ibinukas natin yung buhay natin sa mapang-usisang mata ng mga tao," he added.

(When we entered public service, we decided to sacrifice our public lives and we opened our lives to the scrutinizing eyes of the public.)

Representative San Fernando, a member of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives, earlier released his SALN to the public, declaring a net worth of P2.2 million.

So far, a total of 10 members of the House of Representatives have mad public their SALNs, majority of whom are members of the minority bloc.

Speaker Dy is, so far, the only member of the majority to do so. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News