Palace: Only sensitive SALN info to be omitted

Malacañang on Tuesday pledged to avoid redaction of information in the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) of Cabinet members, unless it involves “sensitive information” that needs to be protected.

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said the public could expect that Cabinet officials appointed by President Rodrigo Duterte would no longer redact details from their SALNs.

“If you check again (the SALNs of Duterte’s Cabinet), they will give you the full (information),” Abella said in an interview with Palace reporters.

Abella gave the assurance after National Privacy Commission (NPC) deputy commissioner Ivy Patdu told the same press conference that only a “sensitive information,” which might jeopardize not only the lives of public officials but also their respective families, could not be disclosed in the SALN.

Patdu said information related to government officials’ wealth should not be redacted.

She said that under the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employ- ees or Republic Act 6713, it was clear that assets, liabilities and networth “should be disclosed without redactions.”

She added that the same law provided that information “that would put the life and safety of an individual to a danger or any unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” are the only exempt from disclosure in SALN.

“Assets, liabilities and networth, even if you look at these through the Data Privacy Act – these are not sensitive personal information. Therefore, there is no restriction, hindrance. There’s no need to redact this information,” she said.

“It is only when disclosing certain sensitive information, perhaps, that you should weigh it against the interests of privacy, especially if the privacy concerns are no longer limited to the government official but involves his family, who is not public service or involves children,” Patdu added.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism earlier reported “intense” redaction in the SALNs of Cabinet members.