Bill filed for easier access to officials’ net worth documents

MANILA, Philippines—With corruption scandals still fresh in people’s minds, Akbayan lawmakers are pushing for greater transparency when it comes to the personal accounts of public officials, and have filed a bill that would make it easier for people to access officials’ statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth.

The bill, filed by Akbayan representatives Ibarra Gutierrez and Walden Bello, provides, among others, that the SALN copies be uploaded on the official websites of those that have custody of these documents.

These must be posted on the official websites within 30 calendar days from the time they are filed.

The bill also details additional rules for the prompt release of SALNs upon an official request.

It states that any person has the right to inspect SALNs, and that the right is absolute and may not be denied or restricted by the persons having custody of these documents.

It also provides that after an official request for the records are made, copies must be provided within five working days from receipt of the request.

In pitching for their bill, the Akbayan lawmakers said recent controversies highlighted the need for clearer rules on how people could access the data about public officials’ financial standing.

“The need to clarify the rules on disclosures of the contents of a SALN and the corresponding right of the people to access it has come to fore in light of the recent exposes on corruption issues,” the Akbayan lawmakers said in their explanatory note.

“The plunder of public funds by unscrupulous public officers and employees underscores the importance of open and public scrutiny in order to promote honesty and integrity,” they added.

The country has been rocked by allegations that the billions of pesos worth of lawmakers’ pork barrel were coursed through fake non-government organizations for non-existent projects, and the money divided among co-conspirators. Plunder complaints have been filed against several officials.

The SALN had also figured prominently an earlier controversy, the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. Corona was found guilty of failing to declare certain assets in the official document.

While SALNS are supposed to be of public record, it is not always easy to get access to these. Many officials, including members of the House of Representatives, are reluctant to disclose the full details of their SALNs.