SC orders all justices, judges to submit comments on issue of SALN disclosure

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court has ordered justices from the Court of Appeals, Court of Tax Appeals and the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, as well as lower-court judges and court personnel, to comment on the issue on the disclosure of their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth, or SALN.

“The Supreme Court opted to summon them to come up with a uniform policy on this matter,” High Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said.

Besides the justices, the High Court ordered the Philippine Judges Association, Metropolitan Trial Court Judges Association of the Philippines, Philippine Trial Judges League, Philippine Women Judges Association, and Association of Court Personnel of the Philippines to comment on the issue. They have all been given 15 days to prepare their comments.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) earlier sent two letters to the Supreme Court requesting the release of the SALNs of the Supreme Court justices and the Court of Appeals justices.

The alleged non-submission of his SALN is among the grounds cited by the House prosecution team in impeaching Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Since 1992, Marquez explained that disclosure of SALNs not only of High Court justices but also of justices from the Court of Appeals, Sandiganbayan, Court of Tax Appeals, lower-court judges and court personnel has been restricted to shield them from acts that may “endanger, diminish or destroy their independence and objectivity in the performance of their judicial functions.”

The 1992 ruling was a reiteration of an administrative matter issued by the Supreme Court in 1989 wherein the High Court “unanimously expressed its willingness to have the clerk of court furnish copies of the SALNs of the Chief Justice and the Associate Justices to any person upon request, provided there is a legitimate reason for the request, it being in fact unlawful for any person to obtain or use any statement filed under RA 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, for (a) any purpose contrary to morals or public policy, or (b) any commercial purpose other than by news and communications media for dissemination to the general public.”