MEMBERS of the House of Representatives need not wait for official guidelines for the release of their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, according to a party-list representative.
This as Mamamayang Liberal party-List Rep. Leila De Lima said the Office of the Ombudsman should conduct serious lifestyle checks on public officials.
Meanwhile, Malacañang has said President Marcos was willing to disclose his own SALN based on the guidelines of the Ombudsman.
So far, only 15 of more than 300 lawmakers have publicly declared their SALNs. In contrast, all 24 senators have released theirs to the media.
Several House members were still awaiting the chamber’s policy on the public disclosure of the SALNs before releasing theirs, according to Bicol Saro party-List Rep. Terry Ridon, chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts.
“There is no need to wait for the guidelines. The Makabayan Bloc’s challenge to lawmakers, and to all public officials; it is easy to make our SALNs public,” Makabayan party-list Rep. Renee Co insisted.
She asserted that the SALNs could even be posted on social media to make them easier for the public to access.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Sarah Elago joined Co in the call for public declaration of the SALNs.
“What’s more important is the call of the times and that is the release of SALNs,” Elago said.
She said the people have been calling for the release of the SALNs, seen as a safeguard against the accumulation of unexplained wealth.
Elago said there is public clamor for concrete steps to ensure there is no room for corruption in public service.
Kamanggagawa party-List Rep. Eli San Fernando also called on his colleagues to make their SALNs public and challenged President Marcos and his Cabinet to do the same.
“How can the administration be transparent if they do not take the lead in disclosing their SALNs?” San Fernando noted.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said however, that the Executive department could not just allow the indiscriminate freedom to access the SALNs for security reasons.
Meanwhile, two more congressmen released their SALNs to the media on Thursday.
Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco declared total assets of P220.15 million as of June 30, 2025. With total liabilities of P6.2 million, Tiangco has a net worth of P213.9 million.
For his part, Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice declared total assets of P115.19 million as of July 1, 2025. His total liabilities stood at P45.19 million, bringing Erice’s net worth to P70 million.
Senior Citizens Party-List Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said he expects to release his by next week.
De Lima also suggested creating a committee that will scrutinize SALN filings for “red flags” that would suggest inaccurate declarations which could be a basis for further inquiry.
Speaker Faustino Dy III was among the 13, saying he hoped to set an example for his colleagues.
Last week, Dy reconstituted the SALN Review and Compliance Committee to revisit the House’s guidelines on the release of SALNs, after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla lifted the access restrictions imposed by his predecessor on SALNs filed with the Office of the Ombudsman.
