Palace says Marcos Cabinet to discuss SALN matters

Malacañang on Friday said members of the Marcos Cabinet will discuss matters regarding the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro was asked if the Office of the President would publish the SALNs of Cabinet members similar to what was practiced by previous administrations. 

"Pag-uusapan po ito ng Cabinet members bukas po, magkakaroon po yata sila ng pagpupulong," Castro said. 

(The Cabinet members will talk about this tomorrow. I think they will have a meeting on this.)

When asked if the President would voluntarily release his SALNs similar to what some lawmakers are doing, Castro said, "Tingnan po natin kung ano po ang nararapat." 

(Let us see what's proper.) 

Speaking to reporters on October 15, Marcos said his SALN would be available to whoever would need it, including the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the body that is investigating anomalies in flood control projects.

He likewise said he would enjoin his Cabinet members to follow his lead regarding their SALNs.

READ | EXPLAINER: What is a SALN?

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had issued a memorandum circular lifting restrictions on public access to the SALN of public officials by doing away with the SALN owner's required consent for public disclosure, among others.

Remulla's memo, however, is not a case of free-for-all to ensure that public interest is served and the accountability of the SALN owners and requesters are established at the same time.

For one, the SALN that will be released by the Ombudsman based on a justified request will redact some personal information.

The new policy is a reversal of the 2020 memo issued by Remulla's predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, who restricted the access to SALN by requiring the consent of the SALN owner for disclosure, among other restrictions. — VDV, GMA Integrated News