Bongbong Marcos wants his wealth hidden from prying eyes

Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Should he become president, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will restrict access to his statement on assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as the document might be used by political enemies to create trouble.

This was in contrast to the position taken by four other presidential candidates—Vice President Leni Robredo, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Manny Pacquiao and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso—who said SALNs of government officials should be made public.

In an interview with ALC Media Group on Monday, Marcos was asked if he would release his SALN as president and if he would direct the Office of the Ombudsman to lift the restrictions it had imposed on making SALNs available to the public.

“Depends what the purposes are for making them public. If the purpose is going to be political attack, then why do we want to do that?” Marcos said in the interview streamed online.

If it would just be used for a political agenda, “then I don’t see a reason why the SALN should be given,” he added.

The SALN could be released to the court or its agents, not to the public, if it is needed in a case that has been filed, he said.

He also agrees with the Ombudsman’s SALN restrictions that apply to the media.

His enemies could use the SALN publicized by the media to manufacture an issue, he said.

“And it just gets in the way of everything. Then we have to go through all of these things, which is absolutely unnecessary,” he said.

All politicians have enemies, and “they will make up issues even if there is none,” he said.

He cited as primary example the case of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, who was impeached and ousted after being found guilty of failing to declare his assets in his SALN.

The verdict was a “political decision” and Corona’s prosecutors “made something out of nothing,” he said. INQ