Sotto to make SALN public; other senators to follow

MANILA, Philippines — Three more senators have signified their intent to disclose their net worth, as part of the Senate’s support for the Office of the Ombudsman’s move to restore public access to government officials’ statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he has already released his SALN to the Office of the Senate Secretary, copies of which have yet to be released to the press.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson has yet to make a copy of his SALN public, but disclosed to reporters that his net worth ballooned to nearly P245 million in the three years he was not in government service from 2022 to 2025.

When he left the Senate on June 30, 2022, he said he had a net worth of nearly P59 million.

“When I left the Senate in 2022, along with two business partners, we engaged in some legitimate and successful real estate, trading business activities, hence the substantial spike in my net worth,” Lacson told reporters, saying he will provide further details of his 2025 SALN, including his income tax returns for 2023 and 2024.

Finance committee chairman Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he already told Sotto that he was open to make public his SALN, and that it would be provided once available for public release.

Earlier, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Robinhood Padilla made public their SALNs, declaring their 2024 net worth at P18.986 million and P244 million, respectively.