Senator Lito Lapid drew attention during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte by discussing the filing and accuracy of Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of public officials.
During Day 25 of the proceedings, Lapid asked Ombudsman records officer Karen Batu about the legal consequences of failing to file or misdeclaring information in a SALN.
Batu said non-filing violates Republic Act 6713, while explaining that public officials may correct errors in previous SALNs through subsequent filings under existing guidelines.
She also clarified that her office primarily receives and keeps SALNs and checks compliance with filing requirements rather than verifying the accuracy of their contents.
The discussion came as the impeachment trial examined allegations involving Duterte’s declared wealth and possible unexplained assets since 2007.
Source: PhilNews24 | September 16, 2026
