The Akbayan Party, together with civil society and youth leaders, trooped to the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday to formally request the release of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of the country’s highest officials, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, and former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, among others.

The request came ahead of the effectivity of Memorandum Circular No. 3 on 15 November which will lift restrictions on public access to the SALNs of public officials — a measure widely seen as a major step toward restoring public accountability.

“For us, this is a test of the government’s seriousness in ensuring that transparency and accountability become the rule of the land, especially in the face of the massive corruption scandals,” said Akbayan national president Rafaela David, partly in Filipino.

David emphasized that public access to these documents is crucial for citizens to scrutinize the wealth of the top officials and ensure that their declared assets reflect their lawful incomes.

“It’s important that we see the SALN of our topmost officials to check if there’s any underdeclaration or unexplained wealth. These documents are essential for real public scrutiny,” she said.

Revisiting Ombudsman policy

Under former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, public access to SALNs was heavily restricted through Memorandum Circular No. 1 issued in September 2020, a move that critics decried as a blow to transparency.

Akbayan’s petition includes a request for Martires’ SALN, which David said is essential to assess whether his previous order limiting access to these documents was made “in good faith.”

“Part of our request is to release the SALN of former Ombudsman Martires. He’s the one who issued the memo that restricted access — maybe even he has something to hide,” David said in Filipino.

Clergy backs call for transparency

Echoing the group’s appeal, Fr. Robert Reyes of Clergy for Good Governance stressed the full disclosure of government officials’ SALNs is both a moral and civic responsibility.

“This is the call of the Church,” Reyes said. “The people we serve have nothing, while we survive on donations for the poor. And yet, some officials who don’t even declare their SALNs may be keeping what should’ve been for the people.”

Setting an example

Akbayan and the other groups urged top government officials to voluntarily make their SALNs public even before the new circular takes effect.

“We hope they don’t wait for the Ombudsman to release it. Our highest officials should set the example — to show that they are committed to transparency and accountability,” David said.

With the release of the new memorandum just days away, Akbayan and its partners said the move represents not just a legal shift, but a moral test for those in power — to prove that public service and integrity can go hand in hand.