No secrecy for public servants

Painful memories accompany the call for transparency among public officials, which involves the relaxation of secrecy regarding their bank deposits.

It was the centerpiece during the impeachment trial of the late Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was a victim of political persecution during the term of former President Noynoy Aquino, who has also passed away.

Corona was removed from office after a vote of 20-3 on his guilt in the second impeachment article, which was his failure to truthfully declare his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

The Senate vote was later proven to have been influenced by the Palace after it was revealed that senator-judges of the impeachment court who voted to convict Corona received P50 million or more in “incentives” in the form of a pork barrel.

It was found that P1.07 billion was distributed to the senators who voted to convict Corona. In contrast, two of three senators who voted to acquit him — Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Miriam Defensor Santiago — did not receive any funds.

A pivotal moment in the impeachment trial was Corona’s signing of a waiver regarding the secrecy of his bank accounts, while simultaneously challenging members of Congress to follow suit.

Corona’s waiver then triggered a public demand that government officials also sign a waiver on their bank accounts.

On 22 May 2012, during the impeachment trial, Corona said: “I will submit my waiver to the authorities until all 189 (congressmen) have submitted waivers. If they don’t, I will ask my lawyers to rest my defense since nothing has been proven against me .... I am no thief, I am no criminal, I have done no wrong. But dear senators, I am also no fool.”

Later, he relented and granted the Senate an unconditional waiver.

“I will not wait for the waiver of the 189. I’m submitting this without any conditions whatsoever,” Corona said in the 25 May hearing.

The emotional moment is being relived as one of the three senators who acquitted him, now President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is pushing for a bill that would require public officials to open their bank records to scrutiny.

The measure would mandate all government officials and employees to waive their rights under Republic Act 1405, the Law on the Secrecy of Bank Deposits, and Republic Act 6426, the Foreign Currency Deposit Act.

It has been more than a decade since the heartbreaking incident where Corona, who was in office at the time, was made to suffer — after the Supreme Court had ruled the 4,916-hectare Hacienda Luisita must be distributed to some 6,000 farmer-beneficiaries.

The court voted 8-6 to compensate Hacienda Luisita based on the 21 November 1989 valuation of around P200 million.

Last 19 June, the Court of Appeals appeared to have overturned the SC by ordering the government to pay Hacienda Luisita a mind-boggling P28.49 billion as just compensation for the distributed land.

Such events as a background should prompt widespread support for the accountability bill.

Legislators, nonetheless, refuse to learn lessons of the past, as these conflict with their self-interest.