Monday, June 23, 2008 Seares: ‘Hiding’ the SAL By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
THE SAL is far from perfect as evidence. No statement of assets and liabilities has pinned down a notable public official who lied about what he owns and what he owes.
Former president Joseph Estrada was convicted of plunder but got away with the charge of falsifying his SAL. It appears to be a mechanism not working well.
SAL often collapses on defenses raised by the accused: A clerk prepared the form and the official didn’t read it or the false entry was an “honest mistake.”
The state looks pretty dumb when a crooked official gets off the hook by claiming someone else prepared the SAL or he was stupid enough to sign it without reading.
Yet, for its inadequacy, SAL is useful. It puts in writing and under oath the official’s claimed wealth or poverty.
It’s not only government lifestyle-check investigators who have use for SAL. Nosey neighbors, valuable allies in the campaign against graft, can compare an official’s SAL with what he actually has: an BMW car or condo unit not listed but he or a family member is using.
Tool, aid
SAL is tool and aid in the anti-corruption fight.
Thus, it’s confusing why the region’s ombudsman office has been sitting on SALs and withholding them from media. And
the pretext? It’s waiting to be told that the central office hasn’t changed existing rules.
RTC Judge Meinrado Paredes, a resource person at the Cebu Citizens-Press Council (CCPC) meeting last Thursday, gave a brief but stirring insight: Whatever motive of the SAL user, it helps uncover graft.
Odd indeed to see the ombudsman’s office, whose work benefits hugely from SAL, is playing the spoiler by barring public access to the documents.
