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Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla takes his oath as the new Ombudsman before Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen in Manila on Wednesday, October 9, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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Kaxandra Salonga

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday released a memorandum setting new guidelines for public access to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials.In a statement read by newly installed Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, the office reopened the public access to SALNs to combat corruption and abuse of power.“The public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth. Transparency in this area is not a slogan,” Clavano said.The policy change reverses a 2020 circular under former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, which required prior written and notarized consent from officials before their SALNs could be released to a requesting party.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/13/all-officials-under-executive-branch-ready-to-bare-salns-malaca-ang-1813">All officials under executive branch ‘ready’ to bare SALNs: Malacañang</a></div>“As of today, and as the Memorandum Circular was written, there is no need for consent on the part of the public officer whose SALN is requested. The only thing that the requesting party needs to show is ID, and to make sure that he is not a fictitious person, that he is indeed the person that he purports to be, given the IDs,” said Clavano.Under the new guidelines, the public may now request the SALNs of those within the Ombudsman’s repository, including the president, vice president, local government officials, and officers of Constitutional Commissions.Clavano reminded the public that the judiciary and Congress maintain their own SALN repositories and urged these institutions to align their policies with the Ombudsman’s memorandum.“The Office also calls on all agencies that keep official copies of SALNs — the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the President, Congress, Judiciary, and local government units — to align their practices with this policy. Consistency across institutions is key. Selective transparency only breeds suspicion,” he said.According to the circular, requests for copies of SALNs will generally be granted, except in cases where: - The Office of the Ombudsman is not the official repository; - The requested SALN is not on file; - The request is for commercial or unauthorized purposes; - The requesting party has a record of misuse; - The request is related to a pending case intended to influence or harass; - There is evidence of extortion or threats to safety; - The identity of the requester is falsified; or - The request violates law, morals, or public policy.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/10/ombudsman-remulla-to-issue-memo-reversing-saln-restrictions-1324">Ombudsman Remulla to issue memo reversing SALN restrictions</a></div>To protect the privacy of officials and their families, certain details will be redacted before release, including the declarant’s full home address, names and birth details of minor children, signatures, and any government-issued identification.Clavano said the memorandum will take effect 15 days after its issuance on Oct. 14.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday released a memorandum setting new guidelines for public access to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials.

The Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday released a memorandum setting new guidelines for public access to the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials.

Ombudsman restores public access to SALNs of government officials

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Ombudsman restores public access to SALNs of government officials

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 14, 2025 05:39 PM PHT

|

Updated Oct 15, 2025 10:55 AM PHT

Read More:

Statements of Assets

Liabilities

and Net Worth

SALN

Office of the Ombudsman

Mico Clavano

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