Palace wants gov’t execs to account for SALNs

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang wants government officials accused of corruption to account for their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Speaking to reporters yesterday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said everything would boil down to whether the accused official has been truthful in his or her SALN in declaring assets and that the value is reasonable.

“That would be the basis whether he followed the law,” he said in Filipino.

“The process must be allowed to take its course when making officials accountable for their assets and  liabilities.” 

Coloma said Malacañang has nothing to do with corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay, although his principal accuser, former Makati vice mayor Ernesto Mercado, who is under the Witness Protection Program (WPP), could be using government resources in gathering evidence against him.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is following the law in protecting a witness and it has nothing to do with the Senate investigation, an independent and separate activity of a co-equal branch of government, he added.

Malacañang acknowledges the Senate’s power to hold an investigation in aid of legislation and in the performance of its oversight function, Coloma said.

Mercado presented before the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee photographs and aerial footage of a 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas allegedly belonging to Binay.

In a statement, Binay’s media affairs chief Joey Salgado said the Vice President never denied owning JCB Farms and had included it in his SALN.

“The facilities and amenities mentioned by Mr. Mercado like the mansion, pool and garden are not owned by the Binays or JCB Farms,” he said. “These were facilities and amenities constructed by the original owner, Mr. Laureano Gregorio, in the area where the farm is a lessee.”

Fight vs corruption and Binay

Malacañang presented yesterday the significant drop in Binay’s ratings as a manifestation that the administration’s fight against corruption in government has been bearing fruit.

Coloma told reporters the Senate investigation on Binay’s alleged ill-gotten wealth has heightened public awareness about corruption in government.

“Maybe people are seeing that President Aquino’s campaign against corruption is bearing fruit,” he said in Filipino.

Coloma said stories about misfeasance or malfeasance in government have not been limited to anecdotes or extracts from congressional hearings.

“Indictments have already been made, not to mention incarceration of top officials,” he said. “Actual prosecution has been made like charges on corruption, plunder, malversation and related issues.”

Coloma said people are now seeing that prosecution has started, and the Office of the Ombudsman has filed charges before the Sandiganbayan.

“I believe all these elements have heightened awareness and consciousness among the people to make them confident that the government would do what’s necessary to make public officials accountable to the law,” he said.

“Since 2010, people have seen that the government is determined to push reforms and to make accountable those who are accountable.

“Probably they became confident that all these would not end up in hearings without any prosecution being made just like in the past.”