Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that his office will soon lift the restrictions on public access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of government officials, a move aimed at promoting greater transparency and accountability.
In a press briefing, Remulla said a memorandum formalizing the policy change will be issued next week, possibly by Wednesday next week.
“We’re just preparing the mechanics, but next week, maybe it’ll be okay if we start releasing this. The earliest is next week,” he said.
The Ombudsman clarified, however, that while access will be restored, it will not be unrestricted. Requests must still be anchored on legitimate public interest to prevent potential misuse of information.
“I will ask them to make this information available. But of course, we need the requesting parties to ask for information, but not blanket, because they can be weaponized. What we need is for us to have an undertaking to ensure public interest,” Remulla explained.
He also revealed plans to crowdsource information for lifestyle checks and complaints, noting that investigations will no longer rely solely on fact-finding teams but will also involve direct citizen participation through an open communication line.
The move reverses the policy set by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires under Memorandum Circular No. 1, Series of 2020, which required a notarized letter of authority from the declarant before anyone could access a SALN, effectively limiting public and media access.
Remulla said the forthcoming memorandum aligns with his office’s commitment to strengthen public trust and empower citizens to help identify officials who should be investigated for possible corruption or unexplained wealth.
