President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) will be made available to any requesting body, such as the Office of the Ombudsman and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) that is investigating irregularities in flood control projects.

Marcos said he was surprised that the policy allowing access to the SALNs of public officials was suspended under the previous administration.

“These old rules were suspended in the last administration where it was much easier to get a copy of the SALN and to examine it,” the President said following the oathtaking of the newly elected officers of media groups covering Malacanang.

“And I was quite surprised to find out when I first came into office that that was no longer the case. That it was almost impossible, in fact, to get a copy of people’s SALN. So we’re just going back to the old procedure,” Marcos added.

Newly appointed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has lifted the restrictions on public access to SALN, emphasizing that all government officials and employees should comply with and observe the reinstated policy.

The President said that his own SALN will be made available to the proper authorities when they request it.

“Again, my SALN… it will be available as available to whoever would like to ? kung bigyan ? hingin sa akin ng ICI, eh ‘di siyempre ibibigay ko. Kung hingiin sa akin ng Ombudsman, ibibigay namin,” President Marcos told the officers of the Malacanang Press Corps (MPC), Malacanang Cameramen Association (MCA), and Presidential Photojournalists Association (PPA).

The SALN is the disclosure of financial connections or business interests, as well as the identification of relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity.

Government officials and employees are mandated to submit their SALN on or before April 30 each year to promote transparency in the civil service and to establish a deterrent against government officials who are bent on enriching themselves through unlawful means. Presidential News Desk