High court casts aside bid to access SALNs

The Supreme Court has ruled that access to a public official’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth is “not an absolute vested right” as it junked a petition seeking to nullify the restrictions set by the Ombudsman on the release of the said public documents.

“While the right of access and information to a public official’s SALN is provided under the Constitution and Republic Act No. 6713, the same is not an absolute vested right,” the SC said in a resolution released on Wednesday.

“The Court has declared in the past that while no prohibition could stand against access to official records such as the SALN, the same is undoubtedly subject to regulation,” it added.

The decision stemmed from a petition filed by taxpayer Louis Biraogo in December after the Office of the Ombudsman rejected his request for a copy of the SALN of Vice President Leni Robredo.

Ombudsman Samuel Martires earlier ruled that SALNs may not be accessed without the consent of the concerned public official.

The High Court said the custodian of SALNs, such as the Office of the Ombudsman, “is not bound under every circumstance to allow or to grant the request of disclosure of a public official’s SALN to the public.”