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Claim: Speaking on behalf of the Office of the Ombudsman, Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. said there is no law requiring government officials to submit their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The Manila lawmaker made the statement on September 20 during plenary debates at the House of Representatives for the Office of the Ombudsman’s 2024 budget.
Abante, sponsor of the Ombudsman’s budget, said at the 44:48 timestamp: “[The Ombudsman said] there is actually no law that we should submit the SALN.”
Required by law: Government officials are required by law to submit their SALN, as stated under the 1987 Philippine Constitution and Republic Acts 6713 and 3019. (READ: How true? Ombudsman claims there’s no law mandating SALN submission)
Article XI, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution states: “A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth. In the case of the President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Cabinet, the Congress, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices, and officers of the armed forces with general or flag rank, the declaration shall be disclosed to the public in the manner provided by law.”
Section 8(a) of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees explicitly requires all public officials and employees – except laborers and those working in honorary and temporary capacities – to file their SALN under oath within the following timeframes:
- within 30 days after assumption of office
- on or before April 30 of every year thereafter
- within 30 days after separation from the service
The filing of SALNs and a Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections is also required for public officials’ spouses and unmarried children below 18 years old living in their households.
The law said that the public has the right to know government officials’ and employees’ assets, liabilities, net worth, and financial and business interests. Section 8(c) specifies conditions for public access to the documents, including allowing statements to be obtained or used for “news and communications media for dissemination to the general public.” (READ: Why the Philippines needs a freedom of information law)
Section 7 of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act requires “every public officer” to prepare and file his or her SALN. Enacted in 1960, it was the law that required the Marcoses to file disclosure statements that were eventually used in the Philippine government’s case to recover the family’s ill-gotten wealth. – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com
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1 comment
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Thanks to Rappler for this Fact Check. In the first place, the lawmaker who made the contrary statement should have known the Law. And, at that moment, there was nobody from the Ombudsman to correct him? It would be very interesting to know what Ombudsman Samuel Martires will say about this. Just watch out for a delaying tactic and/or fallacious statement from him. This is because he is known of holding opinions which favor less transparency and accountability in government service.
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