New Ombudsman opens SALNs, reversing previous policy 

IN a move aimed at rebuilding public trust, the Office of the Ombudsman, under the leadership of Jesus Crispin Remulla, has issued a new memorandum reopening public access to Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) after years of restricted access under the previous Ombudsman, Samuel Martires.

The new policy overturns the hurdles imposed by Martires, making it easier for the public to obtain copies of SALNs. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, the agency’s spokesperson, explained that the general rule is that access to all SALNs will be granted, with limited exceptions.

These exceptions include situations where the Ombudsman is not the official repository, the SALN is not on file, the request is for unauthorized commercial purposes, or there are concerns about misuse, harassment, or safety threats.

Clavano emphasized that the requesting party only needs to provide identification to prove their identity, and the consent of the public officer whose SALN is requested is not required.

This marks a significant departure from Martires’ policy, which required a notarized letter of authority from the declarant in most cases. Martires had defended the restrictions as necessary to prevent the SALN from being weaponized. The public can now request SALNs of officials from the last 20 years, including those filed during Martires’ tenure.