A Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) is an annual document that all government workers in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, whether regular or temporary, must complete and submit attesting under oath to their total

asset In financial accounting, an asset is any resource owned or controlled by a business or an economic entity. It is anything (tangible or intangible) that can be used to produce positive economic value. Assets represent value of ownership that c ...

s and liabilities, including businesses and financial interests, that make up their

net worth Net worth is the value of all the non-financial and financial assets owned by an individual or institution minus the value of all its outstanding liabilities. Since financial assets minus outstanding liabilities equal net financial assets, net ...

. The assets and liabilities of the official, his or her spouse, and any unmarried children under 18 who are living at home, must be included.

Real property In English common law, real property, real estate, immovable property or, solely in the US and Canada, realty, is land which is the property of some person and all structures (also called improvements or fixtures) integrated with or aff ...

must be listed with the "description, kind, location, year and mode of acquisition, assessed value, fair market value, acquisition cost of land, building, etc. including improvements thereon". Any "co-mingled" assets, such as a house co-owned by siblings, must also be listed. Any gifts, donations, inheritances, or other properties received at no cost must be listed at the fair market value and the assessed value. SALNs are required by law under Article XI Section 17 of the Philippine Constitution and Section 8 of Republic Act No. 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. It must be submitted upon assuming office and then every year thereafter on or before April 30. SALNs must be made available for inspection at reasonable hours and for copying by the public for a ten years after filing. SALNs are often used by officials or political opponents to determine if government officials have "unexplained wealth", i.e. wealth that cannot be attributed to a salary, investment, gift, inheritance, or other legal sources and therefore are likely to have come from

bribe Bribery is the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official, or other person, in charge of a public or legal duty. With regard to governmental operations, essentially, bribery is "Corru ...

s, kickbacks, grease money or other forms of

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...

. During the trial of Joseph Estrada, the 13th President of the Philippines, for

plunder Looting is the act of stealing, or the taking of goods by force, typically in the midst of a military, political, or other social crisis, such as war, natural disasters (where law and civil enforcement are temporarily ineffective), or rioting. ...

, his SALN played a key role.

References

{{reflist Government of the Philippines Politics of the Philippines