The Chief Justice on SALN

The statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo and the 14 associate justices of the Supreme Court (SC) will soon be accessible to the public.

- MARICHU A. VILLANUEVA

Thatis, upon official request in writing to the individual justices of the High Court. This was the assurance expressed in brief conversations with the Chief Justice last week.

The Chief Justice was a special guest speaker at the birthday cum anniversary reception of BizNewsAsia publisher Antonio “Tony” Lopez last Tuesday night at the New World Hotel in Makati City. Tony practically published the entire speech of the Chief Justice the very next day in his Virtual Reality column in The STAR.

Before he rendered his speech, Gesmundo told me they are ready to oblige the renewed clamor for public access to the SALNs of the SC justices. At the outset, Gesmundo clarified, he merely followed the precedent tradition at the SC when he took over as Chief Justice on April 5, 2021.

Gesmundo replaced former Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, who opted for early retirement in March 2021. He became the fourth Chief Justice appointed by former president Rodrigo Duterte after he joined the SC on ‘Aug. 14, 2017. The SALN issue has since then become a thorn on the side, so to speak, on Gesmundo's stewardship of the SC.

No less than ex-president Duterte imposed restrictions on public access to the SALNs. It has become a sort of protective umbrella applied to all officials in all three branches of government — the executive department, the legislature or Congress and the entire judiciary.