Manila, Philippines – Amid the controversy faced by the House of Representatives and of the Senate, tied with corruption allegations due to flood control anomalies, the calls for the transparency and accountability of government officials became stronger.
In response to this, Akbayan Partylist is now pushing a resolution seeking public access to all the assets and properties of all lawmakers.
Akbayan partylist representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag-ao filed House Resolution No.271, mandating that the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of all the members of the Lower Chamber be publicized.
Article XI, Section 17 of the 1987 Constitution mandates all public officials to submit their SALN declaration as soon as they took office, highlighting that it should be open for inspection.
Despite the constitutional mandate, the Office of the Ombudsman, through Memorandum Circular No.1 series of 2020, restricted public access of public officers’ SALNs.
The memorandum states that only authorized representatives, requester via court order, and the Ombudsman field Investigation Office are allowed to access the SALN declarations, for the purpose of investigation.
And amidst recent revelations and allegations on involvement of lawmakers in the controversy, Akbayan stepped up to have these SALN’s accessible to public scrutiny.
Diokno noted that the Lower Chamber should set as an example in securing transparency and Accountability in public offices.
“The Constitution is clear: public office is a public trust. If we truly want to weed out corruption, lawmakers must first open themselves to scrutiny,” Diokno said.
The said resolution is aligned with president Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive during his 2025 SONA to ensure transparent investigation on the flood control anomalies, as well as the 2026 budget process, including the lifestyle check order on all government officials.
The resolution directs the House Secretary General to publicize the SALN of all members of the House of Representatives, all while protecting their personal information like address, signatures, IDs, and others that may pose risks on their security.—Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News