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Senate bets flag Ombudsman-led push to 'defang' SALN law

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Senate aspirants Chel Diokno and Teddy Baguilat, who are both part of Vice President Leni Robredo" s="" criticize="" Ombudsman="" Samuel="" Martires="" for="" pushing="" amendments="" to="" the="" SALN="" law="" allegedly="" make="" it="" more="" restricted="" and="" less="" transparent.="" George="" Calvelo="" Jonathan="" ABS-CBN="" News="" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/life/10/22/chel-diokno-and-teddy-baguilat.jpg"/><figcaption>Senate aspirants Chel Diokno and Teddy Baguilat, who are both part of Vice President Leni Robredo&#x27;s slate, criticize Ombudsman Samuel Martires for pushing amendments to the SALN law to allegedly make it more restricted and less transparent. George Calvelo and Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>MANILA — Two senatorial aspirants on Friday raised concerns over Ombudsman Samuel Martires&#x27; proposed amendments to the law mandating wealth disclosure among government officials, which includes penalizing commentaries. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/10/18/21/ombudsmans-draft-bill-to-amend-saln-law-raises-more-red-flags">Ombudsman’s draft bill to amend SALN law raises more red flags</a></li></ul><p>In a statement, human rights lawyer and Senate bet Chel Diokno called out Martires for targeting not the corrupt officials but Filipinos who want transparency.</p><p>&quot;Imbis na mga kurakot sa gobyerno ang habulin, ang pinag-iinitan at gustong parusahan ng Ombudsman ay mga Pilipinong naghahanap lang ng katotohanan. Public document ang mga SALN,&quot; Diokno said.</p><p>(Instead of going after corrupt officials, the Ombudsman wants to penalize Filipinos seeking transparency. SALN is a public document.)</p><p>&quot;Dapat tumulong na lang ang Ombudsman sa pagbibigay ng dagdag na ngipin sa kampanya kontra katiwalian kaysa magpanukala ng mga ganyang klaseng pagkilos,&quot; he added.</p><p>(The Ombudsman&#x27;s mandate is to aid in giving more teeth to the campaign against corruption, not defang existing laws against it.)</p><p>Among Martires&#x27; controversial proposed amendments to Republic Act 6713—the law which requires public officials and employees to submit their Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN)—is to jail people who make public comments on the wealth declaration of officials.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/09/21/ombudsmans-proposal-jail-those-making-public-commentaries-on-salns">Ombudsman proposes imprisonment for those making commentaries on SALNs</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/10/21/palace-respects-ombudsman-jail-bid-for-saln-critics">Palace &#x27;respects&#x27; Ombudsman proposal SALN critics should be jailed</a></li></ul><p>Martires is also seeking the exclusion of transactions between members of a family from the public officials&#x27; SALN.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/21/21/ombudsman-proposal-exclude-family-transactions-from-saln">Ombudsman wants transactions between family members excluded from SALN</a></li></ul><p>For another senatorial aspirant Teddy Baguilat, Martires&#x27; proposals are a &quot;giant leap backwards to the Stone Age of transparency and accountability in government.&quot;</p><p>&quot;The amendments create loopholes for civil servants to conceal assets, including those anomalously acquired. The amendments also mandate the gagging of the people’s right to free speech,&quot; Baguilat said. </p><p>The former Ifugao lawmaker also called Martires&#x27; actions &quot;embarassing.&quot;</p><p>&quot;It is embarrassing that these proposals came from the Ombudsman, the very office entrusted by no less than the Constitution to protect the people against abuse, graft and corruption by public officers,&quot; he said.</p><p>Transparency advocates have rejected many of Martires&#x27; proposed amendments to the SALN law, based on a draft bill that his office had submitted to Congress and obtained by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1804752" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Senate aspirants Chel Diokno and Teddy Baguilat criticize Ombudsman Samuel Martires for pushing amendments to the SALN law.