Latest news with #SALN
Filipino Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Sotto files bill mandating full public disclosure of key government records
Senate Minority Leader Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III has filed a bill seeking to establish a policy for full public disclosure of government records and transactions involving matters of public interest. Under the proposed 'People's Freedom of Information Act of 2025,' the public will have the right to access information on issues of public concern, in line with promoting transparency, accountability, and citizen participation. 'Transparency is the cornerstone of good governance. To foster accountability, trust, and citizen participation, our Government shall provide ready and complete access to key information to the discerning public,' Sotto said in a statement. The bill requires the release of specific information, including the annual Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of the following officials: • President • Vice President • Cabinet members • Members of Congress • Supreme Court justices • Members of constitutional commissions and other constitutional offices • Armed Forces officers with general or flag ranks Government agencies will also be required to upload certain records on their official websites, with monthly updates. These include registers of transactions, annual budgets, monthly collections and disbursements, summaries of income and expenditures, procurement plans, bid invitations, and procurement contracts. However, sensitive personal details such as race, ethnicity, origin, health records, religion, political affiliation, education, and tax returns will remain classified. Requests may also be denied if releasing the information would endanger national security or harm foreign relations. Agencies will have six months from the law's effectivity to craft their Freedom of Information Manual. Officials who conceal, destroy, alter, or tamper with requested information face penalties of one to six months in prison and fines of ₱10,000 to ₱100,000. 'In this modern world where data is readily available online, information about government transactions, processes and actions shall likewise be accessible to our countrymen as a matter of right,' Sotto said. Members of the Liberal Party in the House of Representatives have also refiled their version of the FOI bill, which similarly mandates the disclosure of SALNs of the president, vice president, and other high-ranking officials.
GMA Network
6 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
House bill eyes mandatory SALN disclosure for President, VP
Members of the Liberal Party (LP) in the House of Representatives refiled the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill which mandates the disclosure of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of the country's President, Vice President, and other high-ranking government officials. The proposal was made under House Bill 2897, or the People's Freedom of Information Act of 2025, which also requires disclosure of all information pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as government research data used as a basis for policy development. 'Current inconsistencies and lack of mandatory disclosure highlight the need for a legislated FOI policy. Ang panukalang ito ay isang makapangyarihang sandata laban sa katiwalian, disimpormasyon, at kawalan ng katapatan at pananagutan sa pamahalaan,' House Deputy Minority Leader ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who is one of the bill's authors. (This measure is a powerful weapon against corruption, disinformation, and lack of honesty and accountability in government.) Aside from the mandatory disclosure of SALN of the President and Vice President, House Bill 2897 also mandates SALN disclosure of the following officials: Members of the Cabinet Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives Justices of the Supreme Court; the Commissioners of the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutional offices Officers of the Armed Forces with the rank of general or the equivalent flag rank. In addition, House Bill 2897 states that Filipino citizens, upon request, have a right to and will be given access to any record under the control of government agencies. The proposed bill also mandates websites of government agencies to contain a matrix of requests made, their status, and the decision regarding the request. Once the information is released to one party, the information must be accessible to all. 'Katapatan at pananagutan ang dapat maging SOP sa gobyerno. Public office is a public trust. Wala dapat itinatago sa taumbayan na siyang dapat pinanggagalingan ng kapangyarihan sa pamahalaan," de Lima added. (Honesty and accountability should be the standing operating procedure of the government. The government should not hide in the shadows because all government authority emanates from the people.) Lawmakers from the Liberal Party bloc in the House pose after filing the People's Freedom of Information Act of 2025 at the House of Representatives on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. The bill, which covers the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, as well as GOCCs, constitutional commissions, LGUs, SUCs, AFP, and other bodies, aims 'to push for more transparency and accountability sa gobyerno natin,' said ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima. Tina Panganiban-Perez/GMA Integrated News Exemptions The mandated proposed bill, however, does not include sensitive personal information contained in the SALN such as: Home address of the SALN declarant Details of any unmarried children below 18 years of age living in the SALN declarant's household, if any, particularly their names, dates of birth, and ages Signatures of the SALN declarant and SALN co-declarant. Likewise, government-issued ID numbers of the SALN declarant and SALN co-declarant will be redacted to protect the dignity, safety, and security of the public officer, provided that all SALNs for previous years shall be archived and kept available to the websites. House Bill 2897 also limits access to information if it involves sensitive information such as: Information relating to national security, foreign affairs, internal/external defense, law enforcement procedures, and trade secrets; Records or minutes of advice given and of opinions expressed during decision-making or policy formulation of the Chief Executive; Assistance to OFWs, including but not limited to their cases and records on criminal and family cases The information requested involves records of foreign diplomats on diplomatic and consular missions, their arrival and departure, and other information that could compromise their safety. The information requested is exempted under a treaty or bilateral agreement to which the Philippines is a party. The information requested is obtained by either House of Congress, or any committee thereof, in executive session. Information requested is premature and/or is a mere draft Matters of privileged communication – as defined in the Rules of Court, and Information pertaining to personal privacy, and other constitutionally or legally protected information, among other sensitive details and information. Those protected under or the 'Data Privacy Act of 2012.' The first FOI bill was filed way back in the 8th Congress by then Camarines Sur Rep. Raul Roco. Several versions of the FOI bill have since been refiled every Congress, but it has never gained significant support in the House and the Senate. Then President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order (EO) No. 2 in 2016 on FOI, but the EO's coverage only included the executive branch and did not carry sanctions for non-compliance on the part of the government. But under House Bill 2897, failure to comply will be punished with imprisonment of one to six years and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P1 million. Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Adrian Michael Amatong, Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene 'Kaka' Bag-ao, Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi, Albay Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman, and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Alfonso Umali Jr. are the other lawmakers who filed House Bill 2897. —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
18-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
VP Sara's bank records, SALN can be legally disclosed during trial —solon
The bank records and the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of Vice President Sara Duterte can be legally disclosed during her impeachment trial, Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon said. Ridon said the disclosure is relevant to the fourth article of impeachment relating to the culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, particularly the allegations of amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN. "The bank records will be examined to determine whether there exists a direct correspondence between her family's typical income and her bank deposits and other investments. It should be noted that former Chief Justice Renato Corona had been convicted on the basis of non-disclosure of several assets in his SALN," he explained. The lawmaker said such disclosure is provided under the 2006 Supreme Court decision in the Ejercito v. Sandiganbayan case wherein the High Court ruled that the bank records of then President Joseph Ejercito can be disclosed during his Sandiganbayan plunder trial because of two exemptions provided under the Bank Secrecy Law. These exemptions are that the examination of bank accounts is upon the order of a competent court in cases of bribery or dereliction of duty of public officials, and that the money deposited or invested is the subject matter of the litigation. 'That [Ejercito v. Sandiganbayan] is the right jurisprudence. Lahat po yan pwedeng buksan kapag nasa impeachment trial na po. The prosecution can request the SALN from the Ombudsman, the Vice President, and even the bank can be asked from the banks,' Ridon said in a news forum. 'In fact, we can also ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council para sa record ng pagpasok at paglabas na pera,' he added. However, the disclosure of these bank deposits and the SALN ultimately rests on the Senate impeachment court, which will vote once a motion for disclosure is put forward by the prosecutors. 'To be very clear, the motions will be subject to a vote by the Senate, so we'd like to manage expectations. The Senate can approve or deny requests for further information on bank accounts,' Ridon said. Asked if the Senate would risk getting the ire of the public in the event it denies such requests for further information, Ridon said it is too early to say. 'We can't preempt how the public would react. But as an impeachment court, it is really the Senate that has the authority on that,' he added. The Vice President's spokesperson, Ruth Castelo, earlier said that her boss is "ready" if the impeachment proceeds. 'The Vice President is ready, she's been saying that. And she's eager to be able to present her case or her evidence in the impeachment court so that once and for all, all doubts cast on her will go away. And that's what she wants,' Castelo said. The impeachment case put forward by the House accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly due to alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and for threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza, and his cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez of Leyte. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
11-06-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Senate sergeant-at-arms to serve summons for Sara Duterte
The Senate sergeant-at-arms is set to serve on Wednesday morning the writ of summons for Vice President Sara Duterte at her office in Mandaluyong City. Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Roberto Ancan will be the one to serve the summons at the Office of the Vice President (OVP), based on a Super Radyo dzBB report of Nimfa Ravelo. Once received, Duterte will be given a non-extendible period of 10 days to answer to the articles of impeachment against her. The Vice President is currently in Malaysia for a personal trip with her family. The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, on Tuesday night voted to return to the House of Representatives the articles of impeachment against Duterte without dismissing or terminating them. The motion was approved with a vote of 18 affirmative, five negative, and no abstentions. The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The seven Articles of Impeachment against Duterte include: Conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez; Malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds with questionable liquidation documents; Bribery and corruption in the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte's tenure as Education Secretary, involving former DepEd officials; Unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), with her wealth reportedly increasing fourfold from 2007 to 2017; Involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City; Destabilization and public disorder efforts, including boycotting the State of the Nation Address (SONA) while declaring herself "designated survivor," leading rallies calling for Marcos Jr.'s resignation, obstructing congressional investigations, and issuing threats against top officials; and The totality of her conduct as Vice President. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
