The Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday maintained the issuance of Memorandum Circular No. 1 of 2020 was in accordance with prevailing rules and regulations on the disclosure of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of public officials and employees.
In an official statement sent to the media, the Ombudsman said the memorandum circular was applicable solely to the SALNs of the following enumerated officials and employees where the Office of the Ombudsman is the official repository before the national Office of the Ombudsman:
—the President; Vice President; constitutional officials, such as the chairpersons and commissioners of the Commission on Audit, Commission on Elections and Civil Service Commission;
—Ombudsman and the Deputies before the Deputy Ombudsman in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao, and the regional officials and employees of the Departments, bureaus and agencies of the national government judiciary and constitutional commissions and offices, government-owned and/or controlled corporations with and without original charter and their subsidiaries in the regions, and state colleges and universities.
—provincial elective officials and employees, including governors, vice governors and Sangguniang Panlalawigan members; city and municipal elective officials and employees, including mayors, vice mayors, Sangguniang Bayan/Panlungsod members and barangay officials.
—officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines below the rank of colonel or naval captain, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, 1st lieutenant and 2nd lieutenant (Army and Air Force); commander, lieutenant commander, lieutenant senior grade, lieutenant junior grade and ensign (Navy) and other enlisted officers;
—officers of the Philippine National Police below the rank of senior superintendent, superintendent, chief inspector, senior inspector and inspector and other police officers as well as the officers of the Philippine Coast Guard below the rank of commodore, captain, commander, lieutenant commander, lieutenant, lieutenant junior grade and ensign.
“It must be emphasized that this memorandum circular does not apply to other SALN repositories, i.e., the Office of the President, Secretary of the Senate, Secretary of the House of Representatives, Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court, Court Administrator, and the Civil Service Commission, for government officials and employees not mentioned above,” the Ombudsman emphasized.