Witness: There’s no space in SALN form for business acquisition costs

MANILA, Philippines — The form for the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) does not require public officials to list their acquisition costs for their business interests.

This detail was pointed out by a records officer from the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

Earlier, Atty. Karen S. Batu testified that although Duterte listed several business interests in which she was an incorporator or stockholder from 2007 to 2012 and from 2016 to 2025, the vice president did not declare any acquisition costs for them. 

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Batu is officer in charge of the Records Division of the Office of the Ombudsman.

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During the senator-judges’ interjection, Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero wanted to find out whether the SALN form asks for the cost of acquisitions.

“There is also no space, blank, table, part of the SALN to include the acquisition cost of business interest in any business,” Escudero observed.

READ: Escudero OKs showing of VP Duterte’s SALNs from 2007: For baseline only

In response, Batu agreed: “Yes. In the business interests and financial connections [section], there is no mention of acquisition costs.”

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Later, Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asked if the declarants must include acquisition costs of stocks if they are shareholders of companies.

“Do I need to declare the acquisition costs of those shares under personal properties, if I am a shareholder in the company?” she asked the parties.

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As an answer, counsel for the prosecution Atty. James Alih cited the Code of Conduct for government workers.

“I’ll just refer the members of this honorable court to Sec. 8 of Republic Act 6173, where it states that personal property and acquisition costs must be included in the SALN,” Alih said.

“It is clear there that the word used is “and acquisition costs,” he told Hontiveros.

Escudero then asked Alih that if the acquisition of stocks must be declared, where in the form must be indicated.

“Why isn’t it on the form? Where would I put it if I wanted to put it…? Even if the official wanted to, where and how will he put it when we’re supposed to fill out a prescribed form,” Escudero probed.

READ: VP Trial Day 25: Ombudsman, SEC execs to testify on SALNs, businesses

He further inquired that if the vice president and other vice presidents are not allowed to have business interests, then why does the section exist in their SALN forms.

“Why does this pro forma form not include a line or column for acquisition costs for businesses if that is the requirement of the law?” Escudero wanted to know.

Alih explained that, based on the prosecution’s position, stocks are considered personal property, reiterating what was stated in the RA 6173.

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In Duterte’s 2021 SALN, the vice president listed, among her other personal properties, Manases Carpio’s “shares in businesses and various items.” /apl