• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez on Monday, Sept. 22, expressed his support to the call of Speaker Faustino Dy III for all public officials, including members of the House of Representatives, to release the copies of their statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as part of the broader goal of restoring the public’s trust in lawmakers.
“For me, there is no problem,” Benitez said, noting that his SALN is available to the public ever since.
Dy said there is a need for the people to see the SALN of the members of Congress and all public officials so that they can earn back the trust of the people.
The Akbayan Reform bloc had earlier challenged solons to give the public access to their SALNs.
Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees expressly mandates that SALNs must be made available for inspection at reasonable hours and for copying after 10 working days from the time they are filed subject to prescribed regulations.
Dy said in a press conference that he is ready to show his SALN.
“This will really show our people that we are worthy of their trust,” the Speaker added.
In 2020, the Ombudsman restricted the public access to SALN by requiring the consent of the public official before granting a request for a copy of the document.
Benitez, who was reported as among the richest members of the House of Representatives, has declared a net worth value of more than P1 billion. | GB
