Politics · Philippines Bureau
Duterte gun disclosure, not valuation, key issue in SALN case
The House prosecution panel's concern centers on whether Vice President Sara Duterte properly disclosed firearms in her sworn financial statement, rather than disputing their monetary value, according to the panel's adviser.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — The House prosecution panel is focused on compliance with disclosure requirements rather than the valuation of firearms owned by Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio, former Representative Robert Ace Barbers clarified.
Barbers, serving as adviser and spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, emphasized that the core issue involves whether the weapons were properly listed in Duterte's Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), the sworn financial declaration required of public officials.
The distinction is significant in the ongoing inquiry, as it shifts the focus from the assessed monetary worth of the firearms to procedural compliance with government transparency requirements. Public officials are obligated to comprehensively disclose their assets and liabilities in their SALNs as part of accountability measures.
The House panel has been examining whether all relevant items were appropriately reported in the Vice President's financial disclosures. Barbers' statement seeks to clarify the investigation's parameters for public understanding.