Ombudsman Remulla reopens public access to SALNs

Memorandum Circular No. 3 was signed by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, directing that the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials be made available for public access 15 days from now.

“This decision is guided by a simple principle: the public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth. Transparency in this area is not a slogan—it is a safeguard against corruption and a deterrent to abuse of power,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in a public statement through Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano.

Under the new circular, the public may now request access to the SALNs of the President, Vice President, heads of constitutional commissions, and officials of local government units (LGUs).

However, under Republic Act 6713, members of Congress and the Senate are required to file their SALNs with their respective secretariats, while members of the judiciary file theirs with the Supreme Court.

“They have their own policies within their institutions. However, historically, when the Ombudsman makes the SALN public to any requesting party, these institutions usually follow suit,” Clavano explained.

“We are hoping that now that we have released this memorandum circular, other agencies, including Congress and the Senate, will do the same,” he added.

Before Remulla’s appointment as Ombudsman, his predecessor Samuel Martires imposed strict restrictions on SALN access. Under Martires’ Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2020, SALNs could only be released if requested by the official concerned or their representative, ordered by the court for a pending case, or required by the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office for a fact-finding probe.

Clavano confirmed that the new memorandum also lifts restrictions on previously inaccessible SALNs.

“Even those SALNs covered by the previous memorandum circular from the past administration are now open to the public,” he said.

According to Clavano, public access to SALNs will strengthen transparency and accountability by enabling citizens to perform informal “lifestyle checks” on government officials.

“When we have documents or evidence showing that the lifestyle of a person exceeds or is disproportionate to what’s declared in the SALN, then it can be used in any investigation of public officers for violations under Republic Act 3019,” he explained.

Under the new policy, SALNs may be requested without the consent of the public official concerned. Requesters need only present a valid ID. However, sensitive information such as the permanent address of the official and details of minor children will be redacted to prevent security risks.