Duterte need not explain any surge in his wealth - Panelo
Published Apr 9, 2019 05:27 pm
By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte is not required to explain any reported surge in his wealth, and that his critics should simply sue him over alleged ill-gotten wealth, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo (OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo challenged former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) to file a case against the President after questioning the alleged increase in his wealth while in public office.
"The law requires public officials to file their SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth). PRRD already did that. The law does not require the filer to explain the increases in their income, if there are," Panelo said.
He noted that any contrary argument would be "an undue expansion" of the commands of the law pertaining to the transparency of a public official or employee's property.
"If Atty. Sereno and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) believe that the increases relating to the President's assets are ill-gotten wealth, they should file the appropriate charges instead of nitpicking and using media to create intrigue and put the President and his family in a bad light,” Panelo said.
"After all, 'ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat' - the burden of proof lies upon him who affirms, not on him who denies,” he added.
Sereno recently called on Duterte to explain to the public the alleged increases in his family's wealth.
The PCIJ earlier reported the wealth of the President and his children Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte have soared while in public office, raising questions how they managed to earn such fortune. It also uncovered the Dutertes had alleged interests in several business entities but supposedly did not declare them in their SALNs as required by law.
Panelo, however, dismissed Sereno’s comment on the President’s wealth as “ludicrous and ironic” since her SC appointment was invalidated by quo warranto over her failure to submit her SALN.
He said while the President complied with the law on the submission of SALN, Sereno failed to faithfully file her SALNs while in the University of the Philippines (UP) when she applied for the top magistrate post at the High Court.
The PCIJ report claimed that the net worth of the President, a former mayor of Davao City, soared to P28.5 million in 2017 from P934,000 in 1998.
It also found that Mayor Sara's net worth increased to P44.8 million based on 2017 SALN from P13.8 million in 2007. Paolo's net worth also supposedly jumped to P27.7 million in 2017 from P11.7 million in 2007.
The President has slammed the PCIJ report on his family's wealth, saying whatever they earn outside of politics was nobody's business.
Duterte admitted that his assets included inheritance from his mother Soledad, a school teacher.
READ MORE: Palace: All of Duterte’s assets properly declared
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo (OPS / MANILA BULLETIN)
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo challenged former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) to file a case against the President after questioning the alleged increase in his wealth while in public office.
"The law requires public officials to file their SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth). PRRD already did that. The law does not require the filer to explain the increases in their income, if there are," Panelo said.
He noted that any contrary argument would be "an undue expansion" of the commands of the law pertaining to the transparency of a public official or employee's property.
"If Atty. Sereno and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) believe that the increases relating to the President's assets are ill-gotten wealth, they should file the appropriate charges instead of nitpicking and using media to create intrigue and put the President and his family in a bad light,” Panelo said.
"After all, 'ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat' - the burden of proof lies upon him who affirms, not on him who denies,” he added.
Sereno recently called on Duterte to explain to the public the alleged increases in his family's wealth.
The PCIJ earlier reported the wealth of the President and his children Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and former Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte have soared while in public office, raising questions how they managed to earn such fortune. It also uncovered the Dutertes had alleged interests in several business entities but supposedly did not declare them in their SALNs as required by law.
Panelo, however, dismissed Sereno’s comment on the President’s wealth as “ludicrous and ironic” since her SC appointment was invalidated by quo warranto over her failure to submit her SALN.
He said while the President complied with the law on the submission of SALN, Sereno failed to faithfully file her SALNs while in the University of the Philippines (UP) when she applied for the top magistrate post at the High Court.
The PCIJ report claimed that the net worth of the President, a former mayor of Davao City, soared to P28.5 million in 2017 from P934,000 in 1998.
It also found that Mayor Sara's net worth increased to P44.8 million based on 2017 SALN from P13.8 million in 2007. Paolo's net worth also supposedly jumped to P27.7 million in 2017 from P11.7 million in 2007.
The President has slammed the PCIJ report on his family's wealth, saying whatever they earn outside of politics was nobody's business.
Duterte admitted that his assets included inheritance from his mother Soledad, a school teacher.
READ MORE: Palace: All of Duterte’s assets properly declared