THE Office of the Ombudsman has issued Memorandum Circular No. 3, reopening public access to the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of government officials after a five-year period of restrictions.
Under the new policy, all requests for SALNs will be granted, with sensitive personal information redacted before release. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s directive removes the previous requirement for consent from the officials whose wealth declarations were being requested.
How access was restricted
The SALN has been a long-standing requirement for public accountability in the Philippines. That transparency was halted in 2020 when former Ombudsman Samuel Martires issued a restrictive policy that required the consent of SALN owners before their documents could be released.
ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio described the Martires policy as “a deliberate attempt to shield corrupt officials from public scrutiny.” He added, “By requiring consent from the very officials whose wealth we wanted to examine, they essentially made SALNs secret documents. This was a betrayal of the Constitution and of the people’s right to information.”
How the new policy works
Under the new circular, a person requesting a SALN only needs to present identification. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano explained that consent from the public officer is no longer required. “Transparency is the name of the game... There is no need for consent on the part of the public officer whose SALN is being requested,” he said.
The policy covers SALNs of the President, Vice President, heads of constitutional offices and local government officials. Before release, certain personal information will be redacted, including the declarant’s home address, personal details of unmarried children under 18, signatures and government-issued ID numbers.
A request will be denied only under specific conditions, such as if the Ombudsman is not the official repository, the SALN is not on file, the request is for an unauthorized commercial purpose, the requesting party has a record of misusing SALNs, or the purpose is contrary to law or public policy.
The political divide
The policy change has been widely welcomed, though some emphasize that access is only the first step.
Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro expressed her support, saying, “Walay problema (No, problem).” She said that, like the lifestyle check ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., access to SALNs is not an issue for her.
Sen. Bam Aquino, for his part, called it a restoration of accountability. “This is a good step toward cleaning up government. Making transparency a norm is important, and I hope this becomes one of the first steps toward the cleaner government our people desire,” he said.
Opposition lawmakers stressed that transparency must be followed by action. Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Louise Co said the policy is a “crucial tool in our fight for good governance.” She added, “Ang SALN ay sandata ng mamamayan laban sa korapsyon (The SALN is a weapon of the people against corruption). But access is just the first step — we must use this information to demand investigations, prosecutions and justice.”
Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Jane Elago stated, “Access to SALNs is meaningless if there is no political will to go after corrupt officials.” She challenged authorities to investigate discrepancies the documents might reveal, asking, “How did these officials become billionaires with only limited salaries? Where did their mansions, luxury cars, and offshore accounts come from?”
What’s at stake
Restoring public access to the SALN brings back a fundamental tool for citizens, journalists and watchdog groups to monitor government accountability. It allows for scrutiny of whether officials are accumulating wealth that far exceeds their legitimate salaries, which can be a red flag for corruption. For officials, it re-establishes the expectation that public service comes with a higher standard of transparency.
What’s next
The circular will take effect 15 days after its publication, after which the public can begin requesting SALNs without needing an official’s consent. The House of Representatives is expected to develop its own formal procedures for SALN disclosure.
The true test will be whether requests are processed efficiently and whether the information revealed leads to genuine accountability and action against corruption. / TPM, CDF, PNA