Ched Rick Gatchalian

Philippine Vice-President Sara Duterte attends the HOR Committee hearing on Good Governance and Public Accountability at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on November 25, 2024, tackling the Php 612.5 million confidential fund expenses of the OVP and the DepEd under the helm of VP Duterte.

Article (news)

OVP: Request for Sara Duterte's SALN must go through proper channels

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — While the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said it is open to a lifestyle check on its personnel, it explained that any request to access Vice President Sara Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) must go through proper channels.Public officials and employees are required by law to submit their wealth declarations and are expected to &quot;lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income.&quot;According to the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, state officials and employees &quot;shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/28/citizens-can-also-conduct-lifestyle-checks-on-lawmakers-ridon-2000">Citizens can also conduct &#x27;lifestyle checks&#x27; on lawmakers — Ridon </a></div>“On the SALN, if asked to produce the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Networth, meron naman pong procedure para diyan (there is a procedure for that),&quot; OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said in an interview after leading OVP’s tree-planting activity in Hermosa, Bataan Friday, August 28.&quot;We, civil servants, are just asked to submit it to the appropriate office. Doon po silang magre-request if they want (They can request it from there if they want),&quot; she also said.Castelo was referring to the Office of the Ombudsman where the President, the Vice President, Chairmen and commissioners of constitutional commissions are submit their SALNs.Samuel Martires, who recently retired as Ombudsman, has tightened access to SALNs, requiring, among other things, the SALN filer&#x27;s approval for release.House Committee on Public Accounts Chairperson and Bicol Saro Party List Representative Terry Ridon and House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno said the SALN policy of the Office of the Ombudsman under Martires should be changed.“Change the rules relating to SALN disclosure. And second, ‘yung deep dive on government officials, particularly high government officials. Kung talaga nga bang akma doon sa kanila pong buhay, lifestyle particularly, ‘yung kanila pong sinasahod mula po sa pamahalaan,” Ridon said.“I don&#x27;t think there is anything kasi in the law that prevents a SALN document from being given to the public. Kasi, you know, it should be a public record… The purpose of that is to ensure that there is no ill-gotten wealth on the part of anyone,” Puno added.SALNs had been a thorny issue during President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s term, with his officials saying filing them was enough to satisfy the requirement for transparency.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/27/marcos-orders-lifestyle-check-on-all-gov-t-officials-amid-flood-project-probe-1141">Marcos orders lifestyle check on all gov&#x27;t officials amid probe into flood projects</a></div><div>OVP SAYS MINDFUL OF NEED TO LIVE MODESTLY</div>Castelo said OVP has always been aware of their constitutional mandate “to live modest lives” with or without the president’ order.“We are all public servants, public office is a public trust, and we&#x27;re all supposed to live modest lives,” she stressed, adding this should be so even if no lifestyle checks are conducted.The OVP&#x27;s statements come as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a lifestyle check on all government officials amid investigations into anomalous flood control projects, a move Duterte earlier said she supports.Duterte said the lifestyle checks should be a &quot;deep dive&quot; into what is declared on the SALN and what officials actually own.Ridon agrees with Duterte, but said this must be undertaken by the Ombudsman.“Tama naman na hindi dapat SALN lang. Kasi siyempre, the SALN gives particular information relating to the current status of wealth of government officials,” Ridon said.“Pero that particular deep dive should be undertaken by the Ombudsman. Sila talaga ‘yung main agency to undertake this particular action. So hopefully, the new Ombudsman will do all of it,” he added. -- with a report from Vivienne Gulla, ABS-CBN News <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/28/-dapat-deep-dive-sara-duterte-backs-marcos-lifestyle-check-order-1018">‘Dapat deep dive’: Sara Duterte backs Marcos’ lifestyle check order</a></div>

While the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said it is open to a lifestyle check on its personnel, it explained that any request to access Vice President Sara Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) must go through proper channels.

While the Office of the Vice President (OVP) said it is open to a lifestyle check on its personnel, it explained that any request to access Vice President Sara Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) must go through proper channels.