Those who want to obtain a copy of President Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) may secure it from the Office of the Ombudsman, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Monday.
Roque made this statement in response to an earlier call of Vice President Leni Robredo for Duterte to release his SALN to prove that he is transparent and to show he is not corrupt.
“The stance of the Office of the President has been clear and consistent: We leave it to the Office of the Ombudsman, an independent constitutional body, to release to the public President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN),” Roque said in a message sent to Malacañang reporters.
The Palace spokesman maintained that the President has already complied with his constitutional duty to submit or file his SALN with the Ombudsman.
Roque further said that interested parties who wish to write a formal communication to the Ombudsman and ask for a copy of the President’s SALN. As a constitutional mandate, all public officials are required to submit their SALN to the anti-graft body.
In September last year, however, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a memorandum stating that it would no longer grant public access to SALNs without the concerned party’s consent.
In her radio program last Sunday, Robredo said the President should set an example by releasing his SALN if he is really serious about fighting corruption in government.
“There are so many other ways to show you are anti-corruption,” the Vice President said, adding that the SALN is just one of the many ways.