Bersamin: We cannot allow 'indiscriminate freedom' to access SALNs

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Saturday said the release of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of the President and Cabinet members should be for "legitimate" purposes only, stressing that the document can be weaponized against public officials.

Bersamin said that although the 1987 Constitution states that SALN is a public document and could be presumed that it "should always be accessible to the public," he stressed that, "We cannot just allow the indiscriminate freedom to access these SALNs."

"You must all take note that SALN contains details that may compromise the security, safety of the public officials concerned," Bersamin said in an interview with reporters following President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s departure to Malaysia.

Bersamin, a former Supreme Court chief justice and the most senior member of the Marcos Cabinet, said requests for SALNs of certain public officials should be "legitimate," such as those in relation to court proceedings.

"We will not deny access but we must control the access… There should always be a request," Bersamin said, adding that "the purpose must be legitimate because we do not want the SALN to be a weapon because that will deter the service to the public sector."

"You must not ever forget that Cabinet secretaries are the alter-egos of the President. They are entitled to a level of security and privacy," Bersamin said.

Speaking to reporters on October 15, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. 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.

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

Earlier, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said members of the Marcos Cabinet will discuss matters regarding the SALN, possibly on Saturday.

GMA News Online reached out to Bersamin on Saturday to ask if the meeting would push through. He replied that there would an "informal meeting," wherein only the SALN release would be discussed.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had issued a memorandum circular lifting restrictions on public access to the SALNs 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