• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Saying he has nothing to hide, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said he is willing to make available his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) to the public.
“That’s okay with me. There’s really nothing to worry about. I really have no problem making it public,” Lacson said.
The governor’s statement came after newly- appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla issued a memorandum lifting the access restrictions on SALNs, reversing the policy of his predecessor.
In 2020, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires set strict conditions for the documents’ release, stressing that only if there’s a notarized consent from the officials concerned, if there’s a court order for its release in relation to a pending case, and if the Office of the Ombudsman’s field investigators need the records for a fact-finding probe.
Martires noted that SALNs had been weaponized to damage the reputation of a government official or a political rival.
Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he is also willing to do so, while Negros Occidental 1st District Rep. Julio Ledesma IV already released his SALN to the public.
In reversing the policy imposed by Martires, Remulla said his decision is guided by a simple principle: 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 – it is a safeguard against corruption and a deterrent to abuse of power,” the Office of the Ombudsman said in a statement. | GB
