A uniform rule with equal application.

Throw in also one clearinghouse for the filing and disclosure of documents. 

These should end all arguments and debates about statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth of ALL public officials

Why? Because enforcement and compliance would be automatic.

Wala nang palusot.  

Luckily, an administration lawmaker also had this in mind and so proposed the mandatory public disclosure of the SALN of public officials.

Camarines Sur Rep. Salvio Fortuno filed House Bill 5694, seeking to provide for the mandatory public disclosure of the SALN. The bill centralizes the filing of statements with the Office of the Ombudsman.

It also  seeks to plug the loopholes in Republic Act 6713, also known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

“If I can have my way, the SALN should be available for public scrutiny without any condition,” a major broadsheet quoted Fortuno as saying.

The policy, he said, aims to shield justices from any deceptive request for information that could lead to intimidation, harassment, and fishing expeditions.

“This arrogant display of power runs counter to the noble objectives of RA 6713 to promote transparency and high standard of ethics in public service and to uphold public interest over and above personal interest,” he said.

The provision of the law is clear, “the public has the right to know our assets, liabilities and net worth. Why is there a need for us to hide our assets if they come from sweat and hard toils?” Fortuno said.

The solon filed the bill following the continued refusal of Chief Justice Renato Corona to disclose his SALN, citing the Supreme Court’s non-disclosure policy.

Fortuno’s proposal was made more compelling and urgent by the fact that for nearly two hours Wednesday, senators and prosecutors engaged in a tug-of-war with defense lawyers and the clerk of court of the SC over the release of the asset declarations of Corona.

After an hour and 40 minutes, SC clerk of court Enriqueta Vidal finally relented, handing over a folder containing Corona’s SALN that she had clutched throughout most of her testimony.

She was grilled by the Impeachment Court for three hours and 40 minutes.

Vidal repeatedly cited her obligation to comply with a resolution of the SC governing requests for releases of the SALNs of court officials.

In initially refusing to hand over the SALN, Vidal invoked an order issued in 1989 when the SC was headed by Andres Narvasa, which rendered the asset declarations of SC justices among the most tightly guarded secrets in government.

The resolution was reaffirmed by a succession of chief justices, from Hilario Davide Jr. to Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno, Corona’s immediate predecessor.

The court resolution, passed on May 2, 1989, exempts the court from the legal requirement for all public officials to file their respective SALNs and make these available to the public.

Vidal explained that as a general rule, all requests for copies of the SALNs of court officials would have to be submitted to the SC for final decision.

The rule has apparently been respected through the years as Vidal herself noted before the Senate that less than 10 requests have been made for the release of SALNs of the justices since 1989.