The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday, Sept. 25, has been asked to allow the release of the copies of the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.
In a letter addressed to SC Clerk of Court Edgardo Aricheta, lawyer Lorenzo “Larry” Gadon said “the right of any citizen for access on SALNs is clearly provided under the law.”
Gadon sent the letter as “an appeal for reconsideration” after learning that the SC decided last Sept. 15 to deny his and the request of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for copies of Leonen’s SALNs.
“With due respect to the Supreme Court, the denial only invites suspicion among the public that the Supreme Court is hiding something in so far as the SALNs of AJ Marivic Leonen are concerned and that it can not also escape public suspicion that the Supreme Court is giving AJ Marivic Leonen a special treatment and protection which I hope is not true,” the lawyer warned.
Gadon pointed out “there is no lawful nor valid reason why my request for the certified copies of the SALNs of AJ MArivic Leonen can not be granted.”
“The Supreme Court granted the same request in the case of Atty. Maria Lourdes Sereno hence it should be granted in the instant request for SALNs of AJ Marivic Leonen,” he reminded.
Prior her Sereno’s ouster in 2018 as SC chief justice, Gadon was able to secure from the high tribunal copies of her SALNs.
Sereno was ousted as chief justice in 2018 after the SC granted the quo warranto petition of the OSG which sought to invalidate her appointment at the high tribunal over violations in skipping the filing of her SALNs when she was still a law professor at the University of the Philippines (UP).
“If Atty. Lourdes Sereno was ousted from the Supreme Court due to lack of integrity as exemplified by her non-filing of SALNs in UP for many years, then there is no reason why the same standard should not be applied to Associate Justice Marivic Leonen,” said Gadon who also alleged that Leonen had skipped in the filing of SALNs when he was still a UP law professor.