Ombudsman Samuel Martires, Dec. 9, 2019. Photo: Llanesca T. Panti

Ombudsman Samuel Martires has invoked his duty to protect the rights and welfare of government officials and employees amid calls for his office to release a copy of President Rodrigo Duterte's statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

The deadline for the filing of SALNs by government officials and employees lapsed months ago on April 30 but Duterte's sworn disclosure has yet to be made public.

“Hindi lingid sa aking kaalaman na may karapatan ang mamamayan na malaman ang SALN ng mga kawani ng pamahalaan," Martires said.

"Subalit may tungkulin rin ako na dapat gampanan at ito ang pangalagaan ang mga karapatan at kapakanan ng mga kawani at opisyal ng pamahalaan alinsunod sa nakasaad sa implementing rules and regulations ng RA 6713,” he added.

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Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees provides “all public officials and employees, except those who serve in an honorary capacity, laborers and casual or temporary workers, should file under oath their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and a Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections and those of their spouses and unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households.”

The same law also requires all public officials and employees to execute, within 30 days from the date of their assumption of office, “the necessary authority in favor of the Ombudsman to obtain from all appropriate government agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue, such documents as may show their assets, liabilities, net worth, and also their business interests and financial connections in previous years, including, if possible, the year when they first assumed any office in the Government.”

Martires’ predecessor, retired Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, in 2012 issued Memorandum Circular 03 to provide guidelines in the Office of the Ombudsman’s as regards the release of SALNs of public officials to the public.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism quoted Martires as saying that there was such a thing as a "dissenting opinion"

Martires was also a member of the high tribunal.

The PCIJ ran a report on the continued non-disclosure of Duterte's SALN.

In a statement on Wednesday, Martires accused the PCIJ of violating Anti-Wiretapping law, saying he never consented to an interview.

Martires was one of the eight Supreme Court justices who voted to oust Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno from her post as Chief Justice due to Sereno’s failure to submit all her SALN to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) when she was still applying for the Chief Justice post, thus rendering her 2012 appointment invalid.

Only six High Court justices voted against Sereno’s ouster on the basis of her not submitting her complete SALN records to JBC. —NB, GMA News

This article Ombudsman on Duterte’s SALN: I have duty to protect rights of gov’t execs, employees was originally published in GMA News Online.