Gov't officials, staff now required to submit e-SALN

GOVERNMENT officials and employees are now required to submit a copy of their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN) in electronic form apart from original hard copies.

This was after Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales signed Memorandum Circular 2 directing all heads of departments, bureaus, offices and agencies of the national and local governments, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, government-owned and controlled corporations and their subsidiaries and all other concerned offices, to submit to the Ombudsman all original hard copies of the SALN of officials and employees together with the corresponding electronic copies on or before June 30 of every year.

The electronic SALN is a "key institutional mechanism to combat corruption and promote accountability and ethical standards in public service," the Ombudsman said in a statement.

Morales said the e-SALN must be in PDF format and individually saved per declarant in compact discs or flash drives.

The circular also requires the submission of a certification stating that the electronically submitted SALNs are faithful reproductions of the original copies.

It will be recalled that in May 2013, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Work Bank signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the project dubbed as the "Enhancing the Income and Asset Declaration System" aimed at developing a digital-based online system for the bureaucracy-wide filing of SALNs beginning 2018.

In May 2016, the Ombudsman launched the eSALN16 system with the Ombudsman and the Civil Service Commission as pilot agencies under phase I, followed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council, Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Internal Audit and Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs under Phase 2.

Under the new system, any official or employee of the government may access, fill-up and file the SALN over the internet using a web browser.

Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees mandates all government officials and employees to file their SALNs within thirty days after assumption of office, or on or before April 30 of every year thereafter, and within thirty days after separation from the service.

The circular took effect on September 27, 2017. (SDR/SunStar Philippines)