Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday scrapped restrictions on public access to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of public officials.
The memorandum circular signed by Remulla covers the President, Vice President, the heads of Constitutional Offices, and local government officials, Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said.
It effectively reversed the 2020 memorandum of former Ombudsman Samuel Martires that previously restricted access to SALNs by requiring the consent of the public official for disclosure.
“This decision is guided by a simple principle: The public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth. Transparency in this area is not a slogan—it is a safeguard against corruption and a deterrent to abuse of power. As the Ombudsman has emphasized, transparency is the name of the game,” Clavano said.
“There is no need for consent on the part of the public officer whose SALN is being requested. The only thing that the requesting party needs to show is an ID and to make sure that he or she is not a fictitious person,” he added.
Clavano, however, clarified that certain details such as the permanent address and information on minor children will be redacted to ensure compliance with the Data Privacy Act.
Clavano added that SALNs dating back from 20 years ago are covered by the new memorandum since the prescriptive period for the filing of charges against those liable for graft is 20 years.
“Since the law provides for 20 years, then that will also be the period for which you can access SALNs. So, even SALNs filed during the previous Memorandum Circular in the past administration are now open for public viewing,” he said.
“At a time when trust in institutions is tested, the best way to rebuild confidence is through openness backed by concrete access to information. This step is not about politics; it is about accountability. The public deserves proof, not promises, that integrity still has a place in public service,” he added.
The Office of the Ombudsman also called on all agencies that keep official copies of SALNs—the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the President, Congress, the Judiciary, and local government units—to align their practices with the new policy.
Malacañang on Monday expressed support for the lifting of restrictions on public access to SALNs, saying the executive branch, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will comply with transparency measures.
“Whatever is proper, lawful, and helpful in fighting corruption will be followed by everyone in the Executive branch. Everyone in the Executive department is ready,” Presidential Communications Office and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said.
Last month, Speaker Faustino Dy III also backed efforts to make SALNs accessible.
“Not just those in the lower house, but in Congress as a whole. Everyone’s SALN should be transparent, so we can show our fellow citizens and restore their trust in us,” Dy said.
Meanwhile, the Palace also said the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is still conducting lifestyle checks on public officials as part of President Marcos’ anti-corruption directive amid the ongoing probe on alleged “ghost” flood control projects.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, Castro confirmed that Mr. Marcos specifically tasked the bureau to verify government officials’ assets as corruption continues to hound the current administration.
The Palace is still awaiting updates from the BIR on the progress of the probe, which covers the executives of the Department of Public Works and Highways, among other officials involved. —With Charles Dantes
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. Originally posted with the headline “Ombudsman reopens public access to govt officials’ SALNs.”
