Romualdez’s SALN Filed and Open for Review
House Speaker Martin Romualdez has filed his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), making it available for public scrutiny, officials reported. This transparency stands in contrast to the SALNs of the Duterte family, which remain undisclosed despite years in government service.
Local leaders noted the irony when acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte called for a review of Romualdez’s SALN. According to sources, the Dutertes have a reputation for keeping their SALNs private, fueling questions about their commitment to transparency.
Accusations and Allegations of Hypocrisy
House of Representatives spokesperson Princess Abante condemned Duterte’s call as a baseless smear campaign. She stressed that the figures cited by Duterte are “absurd fabrications” and accused the Dutertes of spreading misinformation.
Abante emphasized, “What makes this even more ironic is that the Dutertes are known for keeping their own SALNs a closely guarded secret, refusing to make them public despite years in power. Now they dare lecture others about transparency? That is hypocrisy of the highest order.”
Calls for Dutertes to Release Their SALNs
Community members urged the Duterte family to demonstrate genuine accountability by publicly releasing their SALNs. They argued that instead of casting doubts on others, the Dutertes should set an example by disclosing their own financial documents.
“The speaker’s SALN, unlike theirs, is filed in accordance with law and open for proper scrutiny,” Abante noted. “If the Dutertes truly believe in accountability, they should start by releasing their own SALNs to the public, instead of inventing lies to cover up their own failures.”
Background on Duterte SALN Requests
Earlier, acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte had urged scrutiny of Romualdez’s SALN along with those of other lawmakers. However, former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sebastian’s father, has repeatedly declined to release his own SALN despite persistent public and legal requests.
In 2021, after two denied requests to obtain the former president’s SALN through freedom of information channels, a lawyer petitioned Malacañang to make the document public. This came after the Office of the Ombudsman also rejected similar requests from legal professionals.
Ombudsman’s Stance and Proposed Legislation
Ombudsman Samuel Martires stated in September 2021 that commentators on public officials’ SALNs should face imprisonment of up to five years. He revealed plans to propose amendments to Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, citing his own experience with media misinterpretations of his SALN.
Martires claimed that some media reports implied he earned P15 million in three months without verifying facts with him first. This context explains the office’s reluctance to release SALNs publicly.
Malacañang’s Position on Duterte’s SALN
Despite the refusals to disclose the former president’s SALN, Malacañang maintained in 2020 that Duterte was not hiding anything from the public. A former presidential spokesperson stated, “I do not know if that has not been made available but what I’m sure about is that it has been filed.”
He added, “I don’t think the president is keeping anything from the public.”
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