Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Wednesday he will call a caucus to discuss granting public access to senators’ Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) following the Ombudsman’s decision to relax restrictions on their release.
Sotto said the move aims to align the Senate’s policy with the new rules issued by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, which reverse a Duterte-era policy that limited public access to wealth declarations.
He noted that during his leadership in the 18th Congress, the Senate allowed the release of SALNs but only with the consent of each lawmaker.
Sotto said senators’ property addresses are typically redacted to protect their safety and privacy.
The Office of the Ombudsman announced this week that the public may now directly request SALNs of officials under its custody, including those in the executive branch and constitutional commissions.
Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said consent from the official concerned is no longer required, and only a valid identification from the requester is needed to confirm their identity.
He added that the judiciary and legislative branches should consider adopting the same transparency measures.
Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said the senators’ SALNs are filed with the Office of the Senate Secretary, which serves as their official repository. He confirmed that any requests for copies must go through his office, in accordance with Senate rules.
Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said that publishing SALNs could help restore public trust in government, particularly amid ongoing corruption investigations.
“I don’t see anyone opposing that idea. Everyone is ready to show their SALN. I’m very open to this,” he said.
Senator JV Ejercito also backed the move, saying transparency is needed amid reports of anomalies in flood control projects.
“This is timely as the public is longing for transparency in the wake of the floodgate scandals that rocked the government,” he said.
Senator Francis Pangilinan said releasing SALNs is required by law and serves as a cornerstone of accountability in public service. He challenged the incumbent Ombudsman to consider releasing the SALN of his predecessor as well.
“He (Remulla) should start by releasing the SALN of former Ombudsman (Samuel) Martires, from his time as a Supreme Court justice until he stepped down. Maybe then we’ll finally understand why he was against making SALNs public,” Pangilinan said on social media.
Senator Risa Hontiveros also expressed full support for the lifting of restrictions on public access to the SALNs, describing it as a victory for transparency and accountability in government.
The decision to remove barriers to SALN disclosure, according to the lawmaker, corrects what she called unjust and unconstitutional limitations that have long shielded public officials from scrutiny.
“The public has the right to monitor the actions of government leaders, especially when it comes to corruption and hidden wealth,” Hontiveros added.
She called on all branches and levels of government to abide by the new rules without exception, stressing that accountability should apply to every official regardless of rank or tenure.
“The new rules should be applied equally on all public officials, from the highest to the lowest, past or present – even with reasonable limitations related to personal or sensitive information and security,” Hontiveros said.
