SOLAR NEWS, the newest news channel in the Philippines, airs tonight (January 11) the results of a collaborative investigation between Solar News TV and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism into the wealth of the justices of the Philippine Supreme Court.
The Justices and their Wealth is a one-hour special on the contents of the statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) of the SC Justices. As well, the special looks into the refusal of the high tribunal to make public the asset records of the officials of the judiciary. This, even as all other officials in the other branches of government are required to make full and public disclosures of their asset records as required by the Constitution and Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
The one-hour program is based in part on several months of investigating by the PCIJ on the SALNs of the justices, their fat allowances, and their many other perks. The print and online versions of the story came out beginning December 9, 2012, with SC justices among PH’s best paid, allowances, bonuses not in SALNs; Corona’s fat allowances not taxed: Same, same still at SC?; Rapidly rising net worth shared bliss of SC justices; and Transparency on ice: Judicial independence or impunity?
Solar TV’s special report will be aired at 8 p.m. Manila time on channel 21 for those with free TV; channel 16 for those using SkyCable; and channel 28 for those on Global Destiny.