PNS — CHIEF Justice Renato Corona has filed his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth for 2011 but the document is not for public consumption as this cannot be disclosed in light of a Supreme Court policy.
Court Administrator Midas Marquez confirmed this, saying Corona filed his SALN last Monday.
Furthermore, Marquez revealed that the SALNs of the 14 other justices, including that of Corona are now with the office of the clerk of court.
“There is an existing court resolution that prevents disclosure (of the SALNs). Until and unless the court resolution is recalled, then it can’t be disclosed. It has been policy of the court,” he stressed.
Marquez was referring to the May 2, 1989 resolution of the High Court which laid down guidelines on requests for SALNs of the chief justice and the associate justices.
“The independence of the judiciary is constitutionally as important as the right to information which is subject to the limitations provided by law. Under specific circumstances, the need for the fair and just adjudication of litigations may require a court to be wary of deceptive requests for information, which shall otherwise be freely available,” the guidelines stated.
Earlier this year, the SC ordered appellate courts like Sandiganbayan and Court of Appeals and groups of judges nationwide to comment on the request to reveal the SALN of court personnel, including justices.
Marquez believes that since the SC resolution was directed to parties requesting SALNs from the High Court, individual justices may decide to disclose their SALNs.
“That’s their own decision and it’s up to the court if it would perhaps require them to explain if they do so,” he stressed.