Senior public officials must lead by example by disclosing their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs). Motu proprio they must release, and on request, the Filipino people have a right to access SALNs.
The Constitution & Law on SALNs
The Constitution upholds public access to SALNs:
- Article XI, Section 17 (Accountability of Public Officers)
“A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth. In the case of the President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law.”
- Article II, Section 28 (Declaration of Principles and State Policies)
“Subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law, the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.”
- Article III, Section 7 (Bill of Rights – Right to Information)
“The right of the people to information on matters of public concern shall be recognized. Access to official records, and to documents, and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to limitations as may be provided by law.”
These provisions impose a duty on public officials to disclose, and affirm the right of the people to obtain records, especially SALNs of the most senior elective and appointive officials.
The framers of the 1987 Constitution were explicit about the mandate and the needed practice. Commissioner Blas F. Ople had stated that the Constitution places “the people’s right to know as the centerpiece” in the conduct of public affairs, and that public officials should make their SALNs “available for public scrutiny, not merely storing them in the archives.”
The Commissioners were also united in the purpose of the requirement for SALNs. First, it aims to deter conflicts of interest in government. Second, it seeks to prevent graft and corruption. Third, it provides the public with a mechanism to determine whether public officials are living within their means.
In short: The simple filing of SALNs is never enough. The declarations must be true and correct, and accessible in fact, not just on paper.
Jurisprudence and legislation have kept faith with that design. The right to information is self-executing, and requests must be granted except where specific, lawful limitations apply. Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees implements the constitutional commands by requiring SALN filing and making copies available under reasonable conditions. For the highest officials expressly named in Article XI, Section 17, the default should be proactive disclosure since leaders must set the standard of openness.
The SALN Dashboard
The Right to Know Right Now Coalition has rolled out an online public dashboard turns on SALN to track, report, and promote the citizens’ right to access SALN. The Dashboard aims to transform the principles of transparency and accountability into a living, verifiable community practice. It will feature:
- A list officials who received request letters from R2KRN for disclosure of their SALNs;
- Track responses to R2KRN’s formal request letters;
- Tag the status of requests, whether granted, pending, or denied;
- Provide links directly to primary sources of disclosed SALNs so the public, media, and oversight bodies can verify disclosures.
Periodic updates will show emerging patterns across branches of government and agencies, to allow citizens to check which of theme have opened or remain opaque in regard to SALN disclosure of their officials.
Why, How Disclose SALNs?
The massive and syndicated corruption in flood control projects has once seriously eroded public trust in government, public officials, the bureaucracy, and accountability institutions. Publishing SALNs promptly, proactively, and in full is a concrete step that public officials must take now. Transparency and accountability are non-negotiable values today.
A true and complete SALN must disclose cash on hand and in bank, real properties (when and where acquired), loans and other liabilities, relatives in government, and just as important, the business interests and financial connections of public officials.
A true and complete SALN will disclose or dispel cases of possible conflict of interest or unexplained wealth of public officials.
R2KRN has already sent official letters to the President, the Vice President, Cabinet secretaries, members of the Senate and House of Representatives, officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways, and those from other concerned agencies asking them to provide their latest SALNs and access links for inclusion. As responses come in, the dashboard will record the outcome of the requests.
A live, link-rich dashboard offers a verifiable channel that lowers transaction costs for both duty-bearers and the public.
With the disclosures, or refusal to disclose, visible in one place, the dashboard reduces the transaction costs of access and creates an auditable trail over time, making accountability not a one-day press release, but a continuous, measurable public record.