September 23, 2014

The Civil Service Commission denounced yesterday claims made by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption that the Commission is “covering up” for Philippine National Police Director General Alan La Madrid Purisima when the government agency allegedly withheld initially issuance of the police officer’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN).

The Commission clarified that as provided under Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, the SALN of the PNP Chief is submitted to the Office of the President. Thus, when a request was made with the Commission for the PNP chief’s SALN, it was referred to the Office of the President. R. A. No. 6713 provides that “National Executive Officials, heads of government owned-and-controlled corporation with original charters and their subsidiaries, and state colleges and universities; and officers of the Armed Forces from the rank of colonel or naval captain” should file and submit their SALN to the Office of the President.

“The law also explicitly states that what is submitted to the CSC are the SALN of all other central officials and employees of departments bureaus and agencies of the National Government, including the Judiciary and Constitutional Commission and Offices, as well as Government-owned and Controlled Corporations and their subsidiaries; appointive officials and employees of the legislature; all other central officers below the rank of Colonel or Naval Captain as well as civilian personnel of the AFP; and all other uniformed and non-uniformed central officials and employees of the PNP, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Bureau of Fire Protection,” the Commission said.

The CSC stressed that in the interest of transparency and aware of public interest on the lifestyle check of policemen, the Commission went over 21,595 and 22,448 SALN submitted by the PNP central office in 2012 and 2013, respectively, and found that Director General Purisima’s SALN was inadvertently included in the bulk transmittal. As soon as it retrieved the said SALN, the CSC furnished the requesting party a copy.

“The SALN is a public document and the Commission has no intention of obstructing any legitimate investigation that requires its release or issuance,” it stressed, adding that the CSC itself promotes integrity and transparency in public service as it has filed cases on violation of SALN rules against a number of public officials and employees, in coordination with the Department of Finance through its Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS).

“If a document is available and set procedures in requesting for it are followed, the Commission has no reason for withholding its release”, CSC pointed out. “It is disheartening to note that some sectors cloak with doubt and suspicion our move of observing the law and of going the extra mile in attending to requests.”