Remulla: All SALNs, Duterte's too

A new policy easing restrictions on public access to government officials’ Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) is already in the works, Ombudsman Boying Remulla announced Friday, confirming that those withheld in the previous administration, including that of former president Rodrigo Duterte, will be released.

The pronouncement follows Remulla’s first day in office as the country’s top graft buster, scrapping an old policy enforced by his predecessor, retired Samuel Martires.

Remulla said his office is expected to receive requests for SALN early next week once the guidelines for the memorandum are crafted. The approval and the publication will follow subsequently.

“The earliest is next week,” he said in a briefing. “But of course, we need the requesting parties to ask for information, but not blanket, because they can be weaponized. What we need is for us to have an undertaking to ensure public interest.”

Remulla pointed out that this is part of intensified efforts to promote transparency and to purge the crooks in the government amid the rampant corruption, as made evident by the multi-billion-peso flood control scandal.

Remulla said the policy will also apply to SALNs withheld from 2016, in addition to those implicated in the alleged kickback scheme, including members of Congress, DPWH officials, and private contractors.

This includes the SALN of ex-president Duterte, whose assets remained away from public scrutiny until his term ended in June 2022.

“We talk about transparency, let’s go all the way…All, including us, were subject to it, too,” he said, referring to incumbent officials such as President Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, among others.

Access to government officials’ SALN has been restricted since 2020, following the issuance of Memo Circular No. 1, signed by Martires, notwithstanding Section 8(d) of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713).

The provision allows access to government SALN as long as for “news and communications media for dissemination to the general public.”

Martires’ memorandum, however, requires that an SALN be released only if the official who submitted it provides a notarized letter authorizing its disclosure.

In enforcing the memorandum in September 2020, Martires explained that critics were weaponizing the SALNs to discredit public officials, leading to unfair and wrongful accusations.

Remulla, however, plans to rescind his predecessor's orders and vows to enforce broad reforms, including making the institution closer to the public.

The newly installed ombudsman highlighted the importance of ordinary citizens' complaints in assisting the anti-graft body in conducting lifestyle checks, instead of heavily relying on its fact-finding team.

“We want to open this office to the public because this is their grievance platform…We will ask the public to contribute to us,” he said.

Following his appointment by former president Duterte in 2018, Martires also discontinued lifestyle checks on government officials, arguing that the RA 6713, which mandates such checks, was illogical.

Shortly before stepping down as ombudsman, Martires told Daily Tribune that only a complaint of ill-gotten wealth filed with the body can trigger a review of the lifestyles of public officials, particularly the personalities tagged in the flood control kickback scheme. Unless President Marcos Jr. explicitly identifies the legislators and DPWH officials involved in the anomalies.

Marites’ policies had drawn public backlash over the years, with critics saying they have created a loophole that allows corrupt officials to operate unchecked.

Martires retired in late July after completing a seven-year tenure. He was succeeded by Remulla on Tuesday, who relinquished his post as secretary of the Department of Justice.