THE PHILIPPINE STAR

THE PHILIPPINE STAR

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WEDNESDAY I FEBRUARY 6,2OI9 :.

Andayat House following Sc on strict SALN access

By JESS DlAz committee chairman, had a leader could explain it better," making available to the media If a request is approved, He said a summary of thr
hard time defending the strin- he said. and the public the SALNs of certain information on the nit wortt
assets, liabilities and
Congressmen want to fol- gent requirements an inter- He was referring to Capiz bureaucrats. SALN filer, his wealih" chil- of House members would br
low the footsteps of Supreme ested media practitioner or Rep. Fredenil Castro, who Opposiiion congressmen dren and financial and busi- released to the media earlier
Court iustices and members citizen has to comply with claimed that the stringent have criticized the rules as ness interest would be redact- than in previous years.
of constitutional commissions before the SALN of even iust rules actually made media repressive and a shield for cor- ed, blackened and crossed out "Within 20 diys after rhe
in limiting access to their state- one Flouse member can be and public access to the wealth rupt lawmakers. in a way that these would not last day of filing df SaLN 1or
ments of assets, liabiliiies and obtained. statements of House mernbers They said the requirements be read'able. April 30), the media will have
net worth (SALNs), according He said once the requesting easier and not more difficult would make it nearly imoos- In claiming the rules made to be given copies of the sum-
to Camarines Sur Reo. Rolando party submits allrequired data and nearly impossible as as- sible for one to obtairi a sALN access easiet Castro said, "The rnary" he said.
Andaya Jr and papers, his request goes to serted by opposition congress- copy. days of tedious and expensive He added that the resolu"
"The House of Representa- the SALN review committee, men. Aside from plenary ap- way of seeking copies of SALN
tives is trying to be at par with
tion containing the rules "re-
then to the committee on rules Andaya added that he proval of a request. the re- of lawmakers are over. Re- mains faithful to the prirrcipl€
constitutional offices on access. and the House proper has to would not dare say that ob- questing party has to pay a fee questing parties no longer of transparency."
to SALNs," he told The Chiefs aoorove it in olenarv. taining a SALN copy is easier of P300 for every copy. He has have to ask the courts to issue a
show on One Nears Cignal TV 'tThat is the prdcess and under the approved'rules. to shell out P90,000 to access
Castro pointed out that th€
subpoena. They merely follow House-approved procedure is
on Monday night. tlris was the deiision of the He also said he hasno prob- the wealth statements of neadv simple procedure provided similar to that adopted by the
Andaya, appropriations jmajority. I hope the maiority lem if Congress passes a law 300 House mernbers. under Resolution No. 2467." Supreme Court.
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