Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella. TOTO LOZANO/Presidential Photo
Malaca帽ang on Wednesday said it would cooperate on the planned Senate probe on the redactions made by certain Cabinet officials on their December 2016 statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).
Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella made the statement two days after Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV filed Senate Resolution No. 514 to order the SALN redactions.
鈥淲e reiterate that there were no violations committed related to the release of SALNs of some Cabinet members.
鈥淭he Executive would cooperate and would attend the investigation on SALNs, if and once called by the Senate,鈥� Abella said.
READ: Senators question redaction聽of Duterte Cabinet鈥檚 SALNs
He said Malaca帽ang has already 鈥渞aised the SALN issue with the National Privacy Commission and we are waiting for their guidance.鈥�
The Philippines Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported on Friday that there was an 鈥渆pidemic鈥� of redaction on the SALNs of some Cabinet officials.
Malaca帽ang had earlier invoked the Data Privacy Act, even after some had questioned the redacted SALNs because of the Freedom of Information being implemented in the Executive branch.
鈥淚mplementation of FOI is a learning process, especially with the concurrent application of the Data Privacy Act,鈥� Abella said.
But in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Abella said there would be no more redaction on the SALNs of Cabinet officials in future requests.
READ: Palace: No more redaction on certain SALN details in the future
鈥淚f you check it again, they will give it in full,鈥� he said.
Communications Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan, who is also in charge of the Freedom of Information (FOI) implementation in the Executive branch, also assured the public that there would be no more redaction in future SALN requests.
鈥淵es, that will be disclosed,鈥� Ablan said.
Abella and Ablan鈥檚 statement came after Ivy Patdu of the National Privacy Commission said the redaction in the SALNs should not have been made.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 a question of assets, liabilities, and net worth, it should not be redacted,鈥� Patdu said.
鈥淭hey should not be redacted. They should be open to the public. They should be included in the SALN,鈥� she added. /je