HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima on Sunday urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to make his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) public, and instruct his Cabinet members to do the same.
De Lima said that if the Marcos administration is serious about combating corruption, it must begin with full transparency within its own ranks.
“All-out means no cover-ups, no sacred cows, and no stone left unturned. And the administration should not exempt itself from scrutiny,” De Lima said in a statement.
The lawmaker added that Marcos should prove his commitment to transparency by releasing his SALN and encouraging his officials to follow suit, noting this aligns with his prioritization of the Freedom of Information Act in the 20th Congress.
De Lima stressed that such action would distinguish Marcos from his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who never made his SALN public despite his anti-corruption rhetoric, and was even shielded by the Ombudsman at the time.
“Hindi pwedeng hanggang salita lang ang paglaban sa korupsyon, yung biglang kambyo at ang dami pang kuskos-balungos sa simpleng paglalabas ng SALN,” she pointed out.
Earlier, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that while the Palace says it isn’t blocking transparency altogether, indiscriminate access to SALN should not be allowed, stressing that family information must remain protected.
