CinemaBravo

Kapuso comedienne Pokwang has expressed her full support for Senator Bam Aquino’s position favoring the public disclosure of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of government officials.

Sen. Bam earlier commended the Office of the Ombudsman’s move to make SALNs accessible to the public, describing it as a vital step toward strengthening transparency and accountability in government.

“Magandang hakbang ito para masimulan na ang paglilinis ng ating gobyerno. Itong pagiging normal ng transparency, mahalaga ito. At sana nga, isa ito sa mga unang hakbang patungo sa hinahanap ng taong bayan na mas malinis na gobyerno sa ating bansa,” the senator said.

(This is a good step toward cleaning up our government. Making transparency the norm is important. Hopefully, this will be one of the first moves toward the cleaner government that the public has long been asking for.)

Pokwang echoed the senator’s sentiment, saying that making officials’ SALNs public would help promote transparency and regain public trust.

At the same time, she emphasized that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) should also release the proceedings of its hearings on flood control anomalies before anything else.

“Tama po sen. @bamaquino dapat talaga isapubliko ang SALN ng mga opisyal ng gobyerno, pero unahin muna na isa publiko ang pagdinig sa ICI para makuha ang tiwala ng tao na bugbog na,” Pokwang wrote in her Instagram stories.

(You’re right, Sen. @bamaquino—the SALNs of government officials should indeed be made public, but the ICI should first make its hearings public to regain the people’s already battered trust.)

The comedienne is known for being outspoken on issues of governance and public service that affect the everyday lives of Filipinos.

Sen. Bam is also pushing for the passage of his Senate Bill No. 1330, or the Philippine National Budget Blockchain Act, which he described as a powerful tool to fight corruption in the management and utilization of the national budget.

Sen. Bam’s measure seeks to place the national budget on blockchain to enhance transparency and accountability and allow citizens to see where their hard-earned taxes are going and how they are utilized.

He also intends to integrate Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo’s proposed measures on full disclosure into the bill to strengthen transparency as part of his government systems reform efforts.