Sensitive personal info in SALNs must not be publicized - NPC

The National Privacy Commission (NPC) on Tuesday reminded the public that sensitive personal information (SPI) found in the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials must not be publicized.

NPC Deputy Commissioner Jose Belarmino II said that requests for SALN must not be used to threaten government officials. 

“Pwede pong mag-request sa mga repository ng SALN, subalit kailangan po ang magre-request ay may purpose [...] Patungkol naman sa purpose, kapag nag-file sa ahensya ng may repository ng SALN, ay kailangan po ay may purpose, hindi pwede na yung purpose natin ay only to threat or para po ba kontra ito sa public law or morals yung basehan natin,” he said in a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing. 

(You can request [a copy] from the repositories of the SALN, however, the person making the request must have a purpose [...] Regarding the purpose, when filing with the agency that is the repository of the SALN, it must have a purpose; it cannot be that our purpose is only to threaten or that the basis [for the request] is against public law or morals.) 

The latest memorandum by the Office of the Ombudsman scrapped restrictions on public access to SALNs. It also covers the President, Vice President, the heads of Constitutional Offices, and local government officials. 

The NPC also advised repository offices for SALNs to redact sensitive personal information that are not covered by the request. 

“Kung hindi ito kailangan sa purpose, kailangan pong i-redact ‘yun. Kasi yung mga SPI po, pwede po yang magamit para sa iba’t-ibang  threat, cyberthreat po,” said Belarmino. 

(If it is not needed for the purpose, it needs to be redacted. Because that SPI can be used for various threats, cyberthreats.) 

But if the redacted information is being sought, the commission said that such information must not be disclosed to the public by the person or party who requested it. 

“Kung kinakailangan po ay yung naka-redact, halimbawa, kailangan i-compare kung ‘yung ginagamit na TIN ng isang public official ay similar dun sa declared TIN niya, pwede naman ilabas ‘yun para for purpose of comparing and filing of case kung may violation na nangyari. Subalit yung pagbibigyan dapat hindi niya na isapubliko,” said Belarmino.

(If the redacted information is necessary, for example, if one needs to compare if the Taxpayer Identification Number used by a public official is similar to their declared TIN, that can be released for the purpose of comparing and filing a case if a violation occurred. However, the recipient should no longer publicize it.) —RF, GMA Integrated News