On Martires and Abante

Filipinos do not deserve an Ombudsman and a member of Congress who do not read and understand the Constitution and the laws

Last September 20, an online news platform revealed the Office of Ombudsman, headed by the elderly Samuel Martires, claims there is no law mandating the submission by government officials of their annual statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Manila Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. shares that view.

Martires and Abante are completely mistaken. There are laws mandating public officers and employees to submit their annual SALN.

Section 17, Article XI of the Constitution, the fundamental law of the land, expressly mandates the submission of the annual SALN.

When Martires and Abante assumed their respective offices, they took an oath to defend the Constitution. Maybe they forgot what the Constitution states, or they didn’t read the Constitution at all.

There is also Section 7 of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which likewise requires the submission of the annual SALN. This law took effect in 1960.

Finally, there is Section 8(a) of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officers and Employees. This law, which took effect in 1989, also requires the submission of the annual SALN.

The historical record further indicates that Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona and de facto Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno were ousted from office for, among others, their failure to comply with the SALN submission requirement under the applicable laws.

What then is the basis for Martires and Abante to say there is no law which requires the annual submission of the SALN of public officials and employees?

Ironically for Martires, Republic Acts 3019 and 6713 are officially posted on the website of the Office of the Ombudsman.

The 74-year old Martires has been in government service since 1976, and remains in government service today. Therefore, Martires was and continues to be covered by the laws requiring the annual submission of SALNs to the government.

Is Martires saying he did not submit any SALN during his entire stint in government?

If he did not, Martires has no legal