Manila: Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III has taken significant steps to enhance transparency within the House of Representatives by reconstituting the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) Review and Compliance Committee. This action is in line with the provisions of Republic Act 6713 and follows Dy’s commitment to revisiting the House’s guidelines on SALN disclosure. Furthermore, Dy has fulfilled a previous promise by releasing his own SALN to the media.

According to Philippines News Agency, the reorganization of the committee was formalized through a memorandum order dated October 20. The order appointed Deputy Speaker and South Cotabato 2nd District Representative Ferdinand Hernandez as the chairperson, with Iloilo 3rd District Representative Lorenz Defensor and Marikina 2nd District Representative Romero Federico Quimbo as vice chairpersons. The committee also includes TGP Party-list Representative Jose ‘Bong’ Teves Jr., Tarlac 2nd District Representative Maria Cristina Angeles, Quezon 1st District Representative Wilfrido Mark Enverga, Ilocos Norte 2nd District Representative Angelo Barba, and Dinagat Islands Lone District Representative Arlene Bag-ao as members.

To ensure the smooth operation of the committee, a Secretariat comprising senior officials from various departments, such as Legal Affairs, Legislative Operations, and Administrative Departments, will provide technical and administrative support. Additionally, representatives from the Office of the Secretary General, the Committee on Rules, and the Records Management Service, along with one representative from the Office of the Speaker, will be involved in the process.

The decision to reconstitute the SALN Committee aligns with Dy’s previous statement that the House intends to review its rules on the public disclosure of members’ SALNs to promote transparency and accountability. In a radio interview on October 15, Dy indicated that House members generally support the idea of making their SALNs publicly accessible. He also mentioned that lawmakers’ SALNs were previously open to public inspection and suggested that Congress should consider returning to this practice.