Malacañang says SC justices may issue SALNs willingly

Palace said on Thursday that Supreme Court justices could willingly reveal their statements of assets, liabilities and net worth similar to government officials advise to be transparent.

According to Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, the decision is up to Chief Justice Renato Corona's team if they would not let him bear witness in his impeachment trial in the Senate, which one of the allegations was that he did not disclose all his possessions in his SALNs and could have combined ill-gotten wealth.

Corona has issued his SALN for 2011 but this would not be revealed pursuant to an presented SC policy prohibiting the discharge to the public of the SALNs of justices.

However, Lacierda said that SC Associate Justices Antonio Carpio and Ma. Lourdes Sereno had voluntarily released outlines of their SALNs.

The presidential spokesman said it was obvious from the declaration of SC spokesman Midas Marquez that the SALNs of justices could be appealed.

On the other hand, Senate majority leader Vicente Sotto III together with his contemporaries on Thursday in asked Corona to be a witness before the Senate on Monday.

Sotto said that he believe that most of the members of the court would want Corona to testify not only the court, but also other sectors. But we leave it to the defense if they want CJ to clarify things or not.

He said that they wish that the impeachment trial would be done by the final week of May so that the impeachment court can issue a verdict before sine die adjournment on June 7. — ARA