Cabinet members meet on voluntary SALN release

Cabinet members meet on voluntary SALN release | Daily Tribune

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is considering releasing his own Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) as his Cabinet prepares to discuss whether members of the administration should publicly disclose theirs amid growing calls for transparency.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that the Cabinet will meet to tackle the matter following the recent move of several lawmakers and officials to release their SALNs after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla eased access to the documents.

“I wasn’t given the agenda, but I know there is an issue about the SALN and we asked if there will be a time when they can voluntarily provide theirs. That is what they will discuss,” Castro said.

Marcos has said he is open to releasing his SALN if formally requested by the Ombudsman or by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, signaling a possible shift toward a more transparent governance policy.

During the administration of former President Benigno S. Aquino III, all Cabinet officials made their SALNs public “in the spirit of accountability.” The move, long considered a benchmark for transparency, has since fallen out of practice under succeeding administrations.

In Congress, several lawmakers have already made their SALNs public, including Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senators Robinhood Padilla and Risa Hontiveros, and House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III. Members of progressive blocs such as Akbayan, Gabriela and ACT Teachers Partylist also released theirs.

The push for renewed transparency has been echoed outside government, notably by the Liberal Party (LP), which recently launched a campaign to revive public trust through openness and accountability.

LP leaders Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Representative Leila de Lima led the public release of their SALNs.

“The public release of SALNs, once a norm but now a rarity, is our challenge to all public officials to restore people’s trust through openness,” the party said in a statement.

Pangilinan called for moral courage amid corruption controversies, particularly those linked to flood control projects. “Let’s make justice trending. Let’s make integrity and righteousness viral again,” he said. “Because in a time when thieves are brave, the honest and truthful must be braver.”

He said the release of his SALN was meant to “reaffirm that accountability begins with example.” The senator warned against selective justice, saying the law “has been applied only to the poor and the powerless,” while those in power often escape scrutiny.

Pangilinan also urged other LP officials to make their SALNs public and vowed that members proven to have profited from corruption “will be expelled from the party.”

The LP, now nearing its 80th anniversary, said the move is part of its broader campaign to restore faith in democratic institutions and inspire a new generation to demand integrity in leadership.