Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No.___ 5694

Introduced by: HON. SALVIO B. FORTUNO

EXPLANATORY NOTE

Republic Act No. 6713 otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical
Standards for Public Officials and Employees was enacted on February 20, 1989
primarily to promote a high standard of ethics in public service. This landmark legislation
specially mandates that “Public officials and employees have an obligation to accomplish
and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has right to know, their assets,
liabilities, net worth (SALN) and financial and business interests including those of their
spouses and of unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living in their
households”. (Underscoring supplied)

Notwithstanding this explicit mandate, the Supreme Court came up with a
directive that any request for a copy of SALN of any Justice may be denied to shield
them allegedly from “deceptive request” for information that could lead to intimidation,
harassments and “fishing expeditions”. This directive therefore clearly defeats the noble
objectives of the law that the State shall promote a high standard of ethics in public
service, that the public has right to know and that public officials shall uphold public
interest over and above personal interest,

Itis therefore the paramount objective of this bill is to plug whatever loopholes in
the law by providing for the centralization of filing the SALN with the Office of the
Ombudsman thru the respective offices as mentioned in the law and to authorize its
disclosure to the public without any condition. The controversy generated by the refusal
of the Supreme Court to disclose to the public the SALN of the Chief Justice will not be
repeated as the Office of the Ombudsman will now be the repository of the SALN of
public officials beyond the control of the heads of offices

The foregoing reasons warrant the immediate approval of this bill

Fifth Digtrict, Camarines Sur


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL No. 5694

Introduced by. Introduced by HON. SALVIO B. FORTUNO

AN ACT

PROVIDING FOR THE CENTRALIZATION OF FILING OF STATEMENT OF
ASSETS, LIABILITIES AND NET WORTH (SALN) OF PUBLIC OFFICIALS
AND ITS MANDATORY DISCLOSURE TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY AND
ACCOUNTABILITY IN PUBLIC SERVICE, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE
SECTION 8 (A) OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 6713 OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE
CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICAL STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS
AND EMPLOYEES

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives
of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1, Section 8 (A) of Republic Act No. 6713 otherwise known as the
Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees is hereby
amended to read as follows:

“Section 8, Statements and Disclosure. — Public officials and
employees have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations
under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities,
net worth and financial and business interests including those of their
spouses and of unmarried children under eighteen (18) years of age living
in their households

7x xx XXX

The Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and the
Disclosure of Business Interests and Financial Connections shall be filed
by PUBLIC OFFICIALS WITH THE NATIONAL OFFICE OF THE
OMBUDSMAN THRU THE FOLLOWING OFFICES:

(1) Constitutional and local officials, with the national office of the
Ombudsman;
(2) Senators and Congressmen, [with] THRU the Secretaries of the

Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, Justices [with]


THRU the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court; Judges, [with] THRU the
Court Administrator, and all national executive officials [with] THRU the
Office of the President

(3) __ Regional and local officials and employees, [with] THRU the Deputy
Ombudsman in their respective regions;

(4) Officers of the armed forces from the rank of colonel or naval
captain, [with] THRU the Office of the President, and those below said
ranks, [with] THRU the Deputy Ombudsman in their respective regions,
and

(5) All other public officials and employees defined in Republic Act No.
3019, as amended, with the Civil Service Commission.”

2. The Ombudsman shall cause the publication of summary of SALN of
public officials in any newspaper of general circulation

SEC. 3. The Civil Service Commission (CSC), in consultation with the
Ombudsman, shall promulgate the necessary rules and regulations to implement this Act

SEC. 4. This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in any
newspaper of general circulation

Approved,