With the asset and liability statements of government officials now open to the public, it is essential to know how to use these records to check for possible corruption.
A Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) is a document that also serves as a record of a public official’s wealth. It details assets, liabilities, and net worth through personal funds, real estate, and vehicles. When compared year after year, it can show if the person lived within their means or found creative ways to get rich while in public office.
That is why the Ombudsman’s decision to allow access to SALNs matters and should be taken advantage of not only by journalists but also by the public. For years, citizens and journalists faced tough barriers that limited access to the statements, making it nearly impossible to check if a public official’s wealth matched their salaries. Lifting the barriers brings transparency back and gives the public the power to check on those they elected.
But how does one read a SALN? One SALN by itself does not give a complete picture. It is in comparing SALNs over the years, perhaps from the time they entered government to their current term, that you can see a pattern. Did their assets grow gradually or did they surge at some point in their term or during election time? Did they suddenly report new businesses while in government?
One case involved former Chief Justice Renato Corona whose downfall in 2012 began with inconsistencies between his declared net worth and his actual bank deposits and properties. The impeachment trial revealed millions of pesos undeclared and several condominium units missing from his SALN.
In 2019, a Commission on Audit report said several officials in the Department of Public Works and Highways and Bureau of Customs showed steep increases in their net worths within short periods even if they did not have business activities to justify the growth. These included some junior employees showing assets exceeding what their salaries could have possibly supported.
There was also a city official whose net worth jumped by several million pesos between election periods. New vehicles and commercial properties appeared in the SALN, while the liabilities disappeared. No case was filed, unfortunately, because no one bothered to follow through on it.
This is why continuous comparison of SALNs through the years is key. The year-by-year accumulation of data tells the complete story. One SALN is not enough. A sudden spike in assets can coincide suspiciously with the award of contracts or the start of a new administration. If asset growth exceeds a person’s salary, allowances, or legitimate business, then something doesn’t add up.
Of course, the SALN is only as good as the data in it. Thus, there is need to verify whether what they declared in their statements made sense. The Ombudsman’s new policy brings back that opportunity to check on those in power.
Transparency works only when citizens care enough to see what has been revealed in the SALNs.