Let Those Lifestyle Checks Begin: SALN Records Are Open to the Public Again

(SPOT.ph) These past few months have made it impossible to ignore government officials’ lavish displays of wealth amid mounting corruption scandals—and now, the public can finally follow taxpayer money to see where it goes. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla has just lifted restrictions on the public release of Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs), allowing anyone to request copies once they’ve been processed.

In a statement, the Office of the Ombudsman said the move was made “to uphold the public’s legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth.” Under Memorandum Circular 3, SALNs filed with the Ombudsman will be available for inspection and reproduction at least 10 working days after all agencies have submitted their reports.

It also expands on which years of SALNs are covered, with SALNs up to 20 years back being included.

A SALN is a document that public officials in the Philippines are required to file every year to declare everything they own, owe, and earn. It lists their properties, businesses, investments, debts, and sources of income, along with those of their spouse and unmarried children living in their household.

“The public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth. Transparency in this area is not a slogan,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said in a press briefing.

This reverses the policy set in 2020, when then-Ombudsman Samuel Martires issued Memorandum Circular No. 1, imposing strict limits on who could access SALNs. Under his rules, a SALN could only be released for official investigations, by court order, or with the written consent of the public officer involved.

At that time, Martires defended the move by claiming that lifestyle checks were sometimes being used as a means of "extortion" to harass public officials.

That restriction drew criticism from journalists, transparency advocates, and civil society, who argued it went beyond what the law allows. After all, Republic Act 6713 states that “public officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income” and that “they should not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form.”

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To get a copy, you’ll need to file a request with the Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Office (PACPO) at the Ombudsman’s central office, or at any regional Public Assistance and Corruption Prevention Bureau (PACPB). Just fill out the SALN Request Form, have it signed and sworn before an authorized officer, and present a valid government ID.

Clavano said the process is meant to be simple: "The only thing that the requesting party needs to show is ID, and to make sure that he is not a fictitious person, that he is indeed the person that he purports to be, given the IDs"

If you have proof that a government official’s assets don’t match their income, you can also file a lifestyle check complaint with the Field Investigation Office.

Not all requests will be approved, though. The Ombudsman can deny them if the SALN isn’t on file, if the requester has a record of misuse, or if the request is linked to a harassment case or unauthorized commercial purpose. SALNs released to the public will also have sensitive information removed, such as the official’s home address, signature, ID numbers, and details about their children.

Those granted access must agree to share or link a copy to the Ombudsman within five days of release. The office said this is to track how SALN information is used, making sure it aligns with the stated purpose of the request.

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