Palace: Marcos willing to disclose SALN ‘if necessary’
In line with the government’s investigation of irregularities in the multibillion-peso flood control projects, a Malacañang official on Friday said President Marcos would be open to disclosing his assets and net worth, but only “if it is necessary.”
Palace press officer Claire Castro also said at a press briefing that the focus of the government’s efforts should remain on the crackdown on officials involved in these projects and not on politicking.
Castro’s remarks were in response to a call by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on the President to disclose his statement of assets liabilities and net worth (SALN) as part of the lifestyle checks he had ordered for all government officials.
Hontiveros said the President’s directive would carry more weight if he himself released his SALN to demonstrate “good leadership.”
Castro said the President and other members of the executive branch were willing to undergo a lifestyle check in connection with the ongoing investigation of the irregularities in the flood control projects.
Stick to projects probe
When she was first asked about the senator’s call, Castro did not directly respond, saying that this was leading away from the “issue” of holding those involved in the questionable flood control projects accountable.
“So, let us not change and let us not kind of put politics into this,” she said.
But the reporters insisted that Castro respond to the call for the disclosure of the President’s SALN as a necessary part of the lifestyle checks.
Relenting, she said: “That is part of the lifestyle check. If there is a lifestyle check, whether the President will be the first or the last, that’s included.”
Pressed further on whether Mr. Marcos was willing to show his SALN, she replied: “If it is necessary, as we have stated. We repeat: All the members of the executive (branch) are ready for a lifestyle check.”
On Thursday, Hontiveros said she supported the President’s directive but challenged him to include himself.
She said that she was willing to also disclose her own SALN to reveal her middle class status.
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives earlier said that a refusal by Mr. Marcos to undergo a lifestyle check would suggest a lack of transparency in the ongoing probe.
Averse to disclosure
Mr. Marcos has long been averse to disclosing his SALN.
In one interview in January 2022 during the campaign for the presidency, he said disclosing SALNs would depend on the purpose of making them public.
“If the purpose is going to be political attack, then why do we want to do that?” he said.
“All politicians have enemies. They can find an issue and they can make an issue out of that, even if there is no issue.”
Mr. Marcos said his “prime example” was the impeached late Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Majority of the senators acting as the impeachment court convicted Corona and removed him from office in 2012 for not fully disclosing all his assets in his SALN. Mr. Marcos, then a senator, voted to acquit him.
“I think we have to be more protective. If it is going to be used to victimize the person through their SALN, then I don’t see why you would do that,” he said.
With a SALN showing a net worth of P437.24 million, Mr. Marcos in 2012 was the third richest senator after Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar (net worth: P1.4 billion) and Sen. Ralph Recto (net worth: P468.47 million).
Must apply to all
Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said on Friday that all officials in the government, including senators, should undergo a lifestyle check.
“Lifestyle checks should be for everyone, both appointed and elected, because we are not exempt from these lifestyle checks,” Zubiri told reporters in an online interview.
“There are politicians who have no income, other than their income from being a politician, yet you see them driving a Rolls-Royce, a Ferrari. Where could they have gotten those expensive cars?” he added.
The senator pointed out that politicians’ assets should match their tax payments to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and income generated from other sources.
Third-party checker
He added that those who work for the BIR and the Bureau of Customs, agencies which he said were “notorious” for such lifestyles, should also undergo checks.
Zubiri sees the need for a “third-party” agency, which would include civil society, to oversee government officials.
“I think these are things that we have to take into consideration because, what if you have a colleague there who will be hit (by the investigation)?” he said.
Zubiri said civil society participation was needed to “watch over the watchdogs.” —WITH REPORTS FROM MARY JOY SALCEDO, INQUIRER RESEARCH
