President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is ready to release his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) to the proper authorities, including the Office of the Ombudsman, as long as the process follows the proper procedures set by the anti-corruption body.
In a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President has already made clear that he would adhere to the established guidelines regarding the release of SALNs of public officials.
“First of all, the President has already spoken and he is willing to submit and show his SALN to the proper authority,” Castro said.
“And we already have rules or procedures laid out by the Ombudsman, which state that all requests for SALNs will be granted, but subject to certain guidelines set by the Ombudsman. So, the executive branch will comply with these,” she added.
Castro echoed the statement of Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that SALNs should not be used “indiscriminately” as weapons for political attacks or to discredit government officials.
She confirmed that Cabinet officials held an informal discussion on the issue on Saturday, where they agreed to act in accordance with the Ombudsman’s procedures.
“Yesterday (Saturday), they only had an informal meeting where this matter was discussed… But still, the procedure laid out by the Ombudsman remains in place, and everyone is expected to respond to it,” Castro said.
