Malacañang on Thursday assured the public that it will not stand in the way of releasing President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), following a formal request from various civil society groups.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President is leaving the issue entirely to the discretion of the Office of the Ombudsman, which has the authority to grant or deny public access to SALNs of top officials.
“Hintayin na lang po nila. Hindi naman po pipigilan ng Pangulo iyan. Hintayin po nila kung ano po ang magiging tugon ng Ombudsman,” Castro told reporters during a Palace briefing.
Groups including Akbayan and Tindig Pilipinas earlier appealed to the Ombudsman to release Marcos’ most recent SALN, citing the importance of transparency and accountability in government.
Under current regulations, only the Ombudsman can approve public requests for SALNs of high-ranking officials. While Marcos has submitted his SALN as required, Malacañang has not yet made any version available since he assumed office in 2022.
The appeal came after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla lifted restrictions on SALN access, a rule previously enforced by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.