Medialdea: Duterte critics only ‘nitpicking’ on his SALN

MANILA, Philippines — Critics of President Rodrigo Duterte were only “nitpicking” about the chief executive’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea said Monday.

Medialdea issued this statement as he downplayed a series of reports from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), raising questions about his family’s increasing wealth.

The PCIJ three-part series also raised questions about the family’s law firm and failure to disclose some business interests in their SALN.

READ: Duterte slams PCIJ for wealth series 

“It must be made of record that the President’s critics and detractors had been nitpicking on the President’s SALN,” he said in a statement sent to reporters.

“They have tried to make an issue out of even the minutest detail in hopes to pin the President for some wrongdoing but to their dismay, their efforts had all failed,” he added.

The Palace official said the SALNs covered by PCIJ’s request “have been submitted years before [Duterte] became President and were not in the possession of OP (Office of the President).”

In a speech at the Iloilo Convention Center on Saturday, Duterte slammed the PCIJ, saying what his family earns out of government service is nobody’s business.

READ: PCIJ to Duterte: Nix blame game, address wealth issues

The PCIJ reports have angered Duterte accusing them of being bribed for releasing their three-part series against his family.

Despite questions about Duterte and his family’s increasing wealth, Mediadea said: “The President remains committed to his cause to eradicate corruption and rid of the govt of corrupt officials.”

“We have seen heads roll from lowly rank and file employees to heads of departments and agencies. He can look these people he fired in the eye kasi wala siyang bahid ng corruption,” he said./ac