Malacanang: No need for PNoy to sign waiver

MANILA, Philippines – Malacanang stressed that President Benigno Aquino III does not have to sign a waiver similar to what is being asked of politicians involved in the Corona impeachment just to promote transparency in his government.

Senator Pia Cayetano made a petition earlier that the president should encourage his Cabinet officials to sign a waiver on their bank accounts as part of his efforts towards transparency in his government. Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte revealed on a radio interview on Sunday, May 27, that aside from the Cabinet members, there are also suggestions that Aquino should also sign a similar waiver.

She said that wealth of the president since his stint as congressman of Tarlac has always been open to the public, as he reports them all in his statements of assets, liabilities, and networth (SALNs). “His SALNs have always been made public, and included in those SALNs is the mandatory waiver in favor of the Office of the Ombudsman,” she said.

Corona’s failure to make public his SALN was one of the grounds on his impeachment case signed in 2011 by 188 members of the House of Representatives.

Valte added that it is not necessary for Aquino to sign as of the moment since his wealth is not being questioned. “The President is not the one standing trial. The President has never been accused of concealing any properties or even not disclosing his true assets and his net worth,” Valte said.

The spokesperson also stressed that the president does not share the same fate as the chief justice, hence there’s no need for the waiver. “If you ask the President to sign a waiver, you’re lumping the President in the same category as the Chief Justice which is not the case,” she said.

As for the Cabinet members, Valte said that the President does not have to require them to sign a waiver. “It will be the personal decision of the Cabinet members if they want to sign a waiver under the Bank Secrecy Law and under the FCD Law if applicable,” she said. – Rappler.com