Bank secrecy waivers a personal matter, says police spokesman

MANILA, Philippines—Now that waivers of bank secrecy rights are all the rage, are police officers prepared to make their accounts public?

“It’s a personal decision,” the spokesperson of the Philippine National Police, Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., said on Wednesday.

Cerbo said the 140,000-strong police force would follow any law requiring them to divulge their income, such as the mandatory filing of their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, but signing waivers to their rights under the Bank Secrecy Law was up to the individual officer.

“It’s not just a question of transparency. There is also a question of privacy rights…. It’s not a simple matter of just asking all officers to waive their rights,” he said in a telephone interview. “If there’s a law requiring us to open our bank accounts to the public, then of course the PNP will follow.”

Cerbo said he was open to the idea of waiving his own rights under the secrecy law, “but what about my wife and children?”

Asked if this had been discussed in conferences with PNP Director General Nicanor Bartolome, he replied, “No, it’s the first time I was asked this question.”