‘Privacy’ issue on P-Noy’s bank waiver
President Aquino must have been ill-advised on the bank account waiver issue that cropped up as an offshoot from the Corona impeachment trial. His claim that he had already signed a waiver when he filed his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) doesn’t really hold water: The built-in waiver in the SALN authorizes the Ombudsman or his/her duly authorized representative to secure, only from all appropriate government agencies (exclusive of private banks and institutions), information with regard to the filer’s assets, liabilities and net worth, among others.
What is actually being asked of the President and other high-ranking public officials is for them to sign a separate waiver authorizing private banks/institutions to disclose their cash assets to support the accuracy of their SALNs. Thus, the President has yet to fulfill his campaign promise to sign a bank waiver if and when he becomes president.
Yes, former Chief Justice Renato Corona was successfully removed from office. But if the challenge to our high public officials for them to sign bank waivers continues to fall on deaf ears, how many more Coronas will there be in the high echelons of government?
Sen. Sergio Osmena III even had the gall to argue that “political promises are made to be broken once in a while” (Inquirer, 6/2/12). The Inquirer was right in describing Osmena’s statement as “disingenuous.” Here’s an elected senator of the republic virtually saying that there’s nothing wrong with the President breaking a promise—a campaign promise at that! Of course, I can agree with the senator that political promises are made to be broken, but only by disingenuous politicians.
The “distinguished” gentleman from Cebu even suggested that P-Noy “wants to be private.” Goodness gracious! The guy is the president of the Philippines and he wants to be private? My message to Senator Osmena: You won’t have my vote the next time around.
—PAZ O. TORRES,
