President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not interfere in the dispute raised by the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the alleged difficulty in obtaining copies of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of several lawmakers under investigation in the flood control scam, Malacañang said on Tuesday, according to a report by RH Leth Narciso.

During a press conference, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President respects whatever policies Congress has in place regarding the release of SALNs, emphasizing that this approach is meant to prevent 'executive overreach' or the undue exercise of executive power beyond constitutional limits.

“Iniiwasan po ng Pangulo na magkaroon ng executive overreach,” Castro said.

Castro explained that every government department and branch operates under its own set of rules, which the President fully respects.

“Maliwanag po na ang gusto po ng Pangulo ay transparency and accountability. Pero may kanya-kanya pong rules na sinusunod ang bawat departamento. Meron po tayong separation of powers na tinatawag at kung ano man po ang rules ng House of Representatives or Kongreso patungkol po dyan, ‘yan po ay ginagalang ng Pangulo,” Castro said.

She stressed that the executive, legislative, and judicial branches each have distinct and independent powers under the Constitution, and Marcos is careful not to encroach on the authority of other branches.

Despite this, the Palace reiterated that Marcos remains committed to transparency and accountability in government.

The issue arose after Ombudsman Crispin “Boying” Remulla complained that his office has been having difficulty obtaining SALNs of certain congressmen allegedly involved in anomalous flood control projects.

Remulla said the Office of the Ombudsman was informed that the House Secretary General requires plenary approval before releasing the SALNs of lawmakers under investigation, a requirement that has reportedly slowed down their probe.