A political analyst has urged House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco to "lead by example" and make his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) accessible to the public.
(Lord Allan Velasco's Office / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Institute for Political and Electoral Reform (IPER) Executive Director Ramon Casiple made the call after SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta and Anakalusugan party-list Rep. Mike Defensor filed a resolution that seeks to compel government officials and employees to make their SALN accessible to the public.
The resolution was filed following a Supreme Court (SC) decision that junked a motion to compel Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to bare the details of his SALN. Leonen, an appointee of the previous Aquino administration is the subject of an impeachment complaint lodged in the House.
Marcoleta and Defensor contended that a congressional inquiry on existing SALN laws is needed to protect public’s right to information in line with the government’s pledge for transparency.
But Casiple asserted that the incumbent lawmakers led by Velasco himself should be the first to make their SALN accessible to the public without having to debate the move.
“The concept of SALN being accessible to the public means that all government officials must be accountable to the people” said Casiple, adding that “the issue of making SALN public should no longer be up for debate in House inquiry.”
“Government leaders who should be the first to make their SALN accessible to the public include President Duterte, Vice President Leni Robredo, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, and Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta,” he enumerated.
Elected officials as well as those in government agencies and employees are mandated to submit their SALN every year. However, SALN records, including those in the House of Representatives, are kept in highly secured vaults and keenly watched over by security cameras.
The resolution said that gaining SALN access would need the final approval of the House plenary. A deliberation is conducted by the House Committee on SALN Review and Compliance if a lawmaker is opposed to making his SALN public.
The requesting party will also have to submit a sworn statement to the Committee on SALN Review and Compliance on where the document will be used.
Since 2019, the Committee has not received any new application for a SALN copy of any member of the House of Representatives.