Ombudsman grants over 1,600 SALN requests in a year
The Philippine Office of the Ombudsman has processed over 1,600 requests for Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) since lifting access restrictions. The move is part of an effort to increase transparency and public accountability for government officials.
Why it matters
This represents a significant shift in government transparency policy, allowing the public and media to scrutinize the wealth of public servants.
MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman has granted more than 1,600 requests for Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) a year after the anti-graft office lifted the restrictions on access to these documents by the media and the public.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 14, the Office of the Ombudsman said that it had granted 1,655 SALN requests.
"One of my first acts as Ombudsman was to tear down the barriers to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of public officials," Remulla said in a statement.
"For years, the public was told to ask the official's permission before seeing what that official owned. We ended that," he added.
Remulla also stressed that making government officials' financial disclosures accessible to the public is vital to maintaining transparency and accountability.
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