Malacañang bows to data privacy law; no redacted info in Cabinet officials’ SALNs
Malacañang is no longer redacting or obscuring the wealth information of Cabinet members in future public requests for their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella assured there will be full public disclosure on the assets of the Cabinet after the National Privacy Commission (NPC) clarified that data privacy law does not protect public servants from inquiries on matters of public concern.
“If you check again, they will give you the full,” Abella said during a Palace press briefing, when asked if there will be no more redactions of acquisition costs of properties and other wealth details in the Cabinet’s SALN.
The Palace earlier defended the redaction of some details of the Cabinet’s SALNs was in line with the country’s law on data privacy. It claimed that while the government holds transparency and accountability in government, public servants still have the right to privacy.
NPC Deputy Commissioner Ivy Patdu, however, explained that the wealth data of a public servant should not be redacted in the SALN.
Patdu, in the same Palace news conference, said real property and other assets, liabilities and net worth are “not sensitive personal information” but are actual data required by law to be produced.
“If it’s a question of assets, liabilities, and net worth, then of course, that should not be redacted. That is part of what is mandated to be included in any disclosure of the SALN form,” he said.
Exemptions from public release however are made when it comes to the public servants’ home address and children for safety, according to Patdu.
Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Kristian Ablan, for his part, assured the Palace would comply with the guidelines on the SALN release.
“If a request is made because of the guidance from the National Privacy Commission… the acquisition cost and the total net worth, the total assets and the total liabilities will be disclosed,” he said
He admitted that they are still in the “learning process” in terms of implementing the executive branch’s freedom of information program and the data privacy law.
Malacañang’s action came last night, at the heels of an announcement that senators had called for a review of the SALN law after learning of Malacañang’s move to redact information provided by Cabinet officials in their SALNs.
Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon pointed out that lawmakers are not exempted from the SALN law and thus Congress should clarify the salient provisions of the law which was enacted to uphold accountability and transparency of all government officials.
“We must revisit the SALN law to clarify what is indeed the right thing to do because they have been citing rights to privacy. So this should prompt us to revisit and review the present SALN law,” Drilon stressed.(With a report from Hannah L. Torregoza).