From the PHILIPPINE STAR:
THE right of the people to information on matters of public concern is enshrined in the Constitution. Among the public documents covered by the right to know are the official Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth that executive officials and lawmakers are required to file every year. The SALN could give an indication of who might be enriching themselves while in office. Now the SALN is Rated R, with access restricted.
On June 16 this year, the Office of the Ombudsman issued Memorandum Circular No. 1, tightening requirements for access to officials’ SALN, including a declaration under oath by the requesting party that the documents will not be used for harassment. What constitutes harassment is hard to say. Yesterday, as the new restrictions came out in the media, Malacañang officials said members of the First Family were victims of harassment in the use of their SALN.
The statement was issued amid conflicting explanations given by President Arroyo’s eldest son, Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo, about a waterfront property he acquired in California after he joined Congress. Initially he said the property had been turned over to a private company where he is a shareholder. When reports came out that no such company was registered in the county where the property is located, and that the property in fact is under the name of his wife Angela, he said the money he used came from gifts at his wedding and campaign donations.
The property was not declared in his SALN, and no such donations were specified in his declaration of contributions to his campaign. After running out of explanations, he gave critics the standard advice of everyone accused of impropriety in this administration: sue him.
The SALN is not a matter of national security. The Office of the Ombudsman has given assurance that mass media will continue to enjoy access to the documents, and that the restrictions are not related to recent reports on undeclared assets of the First Family. This assurance waits to be tested.
Meanwhile, the Senate should be reminded that it has not yet passed its version of the Freedom of Information Act, which will give the public greater access to government records and promote transparency and accountability. In the Information Age, this democratic country is bucking the global trend, clamping down on the public’s right to know.