MANILA, Philippines — The Palace on Tuesday brushed off as “ludicrous and ironic” former Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s call for President Duterte to explain his wealth. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo was reacting to Sereno’s statement on Monday that it was the duty of the President to explain the significant increases in his family’s earnings instead of merely saying it was nobody’s business. “The law does not require the filer to explain the increases in their income, if there are any. Any contrary argument is an undue expansion of the commands of the law pertaining to the transparency of a public official’s or employee’s property,” Panelo said. Sen. Risa Hontiveros, for her part, said the President’s businesses outside of public office were a matter of public interest.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer April 09, 2019 21:33 UTC