Speaker forms panel to review asset disclosures amid flood control mess

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

SPEAKER Faustino “Bojie” Dy III on Wednesday formed a House of Representatives committee aimed at reviewing the chamber’s guidelines on releasing net worth statements, amid calls for greater government transparency.

In a statement, Mr. Dy said he formed the committee to fulfill his commitment to review the House’s policy on releasing lawmakers’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

The memorandum, which takes effect immediately, directs the committee to begin reviewing the House’s rules on publicizing lawmakers’ net worth disclosures.

The panel will be chaired by Deputy Speaker and Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand L. Hernandez, with Iloilo Rep. Lorenz R. Defensor and Marikina Rep. Romero Federico S. Quimbo as deputies.

The Speaker last week said that congressmen are open to the idea of releasing their SALNs, following Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla’s reversal of a restrictive policy that has limited public access to government officials’ net worth disclosures since the Duterte administration.

Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, assigns multiple custodians for SALNs across government branches and regions. The Ombudsman is the repository of net worth statements of the President, Vice-President and heads of Constitutional offices.

The Office of the President holds those of the Cabinet, presidential appointees and high-ranking military officials.

Senators and congressmen file their SALNs with their respective chambers, while judges and justices submit theirs to the Office of the Court Administrator and the Supreme Court’s Clerk of Court, respectively.

EASIER WITH FOI
The House SALN release policy should not be too complicated and be bogged down with bureaucratic processes, Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

“As long as it is consistent with lobbied standards for Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, and as long as it provides the relevant information, we should not complicate the process and we should not involve too many politicians,” he said.

But he said it would be easier for the House to just pass an FOI law to ease government requests, like SALN releases. “They’d garner more with that legislation.”

Also on Wednesday, Mr. Dy released his SALN, declaring a net worth of P74 million that includes 11 agricultural lots, two residential lots and three house properties.

His declared assets include P25.18 million in cash, P29.6 million in investments and P12 million worth of jewelry and other personal items.

Mr. Dy’s SALN also listed 16 relatives in government service, including a nephew serving as Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland. His son, daughter-in-law and another nephew currently hold mayoral posts in cities and municipalities across Isabela province, where his family maintains political influence.

Three of his relatives are also district representatives of Isabela, occupying half of the legislative seats in the lower house allocated to the northern province.