Akbayan Urges Marcos, Duterte, and Top Officials to Voluntarily Release SALNs
MANILA, Philippines — Even after formally submitting a request to the Office of the Ombudsman, Akbayan Party President Rafaela David is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, and other top government officials to voluntarily release their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) as a show of transparency.
David, joined by party-list members, civil society groups, and youth leaders, filed a request on Thursday for the SALNs of Marcos, Duterte, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, and 13 other high-ranking officials.
“They shouldn’t wait for the Ombudsman to release their SALNs. They should release their SALNs themselves,” David said in an ambush interview after submitting the letter.
“Our topmost officials should set an example and show that they are committed to transparency and accountability. They should lead the way,” she added.
The appeal follows the publication of Memorandum Circular No. 3, series of 2025, which took effect 15 days after its release on October 31. The circular lifts restrictions on public access to SALNs, marking a shift from the policy of Martires, who in 2020 had imposed strict conditions on releasing the documents. Under Martires, SALNs could be accessed only with notarized consent from the official, a court order related to a pending case, or by Ombudsman investigators for fact-finding purposes.
Under the new memorandum issued by Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla, journalists and the public need only present two valid IDs and pay a reproduction or certification fee to request an official’s SALN.
David said the voluntary release of SALNs by top officials would reinforce public trust and demonstrate their commitment to transparency even before formal requests are processed by the Ombudsman.
