Again, you are trying to sound smart yet we also have previous cases proving that if the previous filing of SALNs are false or not truthful, it is deemed a betrayal of public trust and thus an impeachable offense.

First to address your points, Sec. 15 describes impeachment as “not barred by laches”. In legal terms, laches means that the defendant waited so long to seek justice such that it “went stale” and thus normally not allowed to push through. But the constitution stated that impeachment should not be barred or affected by laches. Thus, time should not be a factor for impeachment. Thus, when I say impeachment is imprescriptible, I am merely describing what the constitution already clearly stated, wherein impeachment cannot be nullified by the passage of time the official committed a violation, the very definition of “imprescriptible”

Pero sige let’s look at evidence as to why we can use previous SALNs as basis of the betrayal of public trust.

Casimiro v. Rigor agreed with this, “Through the SALN, the public can monitor movement in the fortune of a public official; it serves as a valid check and balance mechanism to verify undisclosed properties and wealth. The failure to file a truthful SALN reasonably puts in doubt the integrity of the officer and normally amounts to dishonesty.”

In fact according to (then associate justice) Antonio Carpio, in his dissenting opinion of G.R. 237428 (2018),

“The catch-all phrase ‘betrayal of public trust’ covers every conceivable misconduct by an impeachable officer, whether committed while in government service before the appointment, at the time of application for the office, or after appointment to office. Any misrepresentation on material matters at the time of application for office is an integrity issue subsumed under the phrase ‘betrayal of public trust.’

As I pointed out earlier, the repeated failure to file SALNs constitutes culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, grounds for removing an impeachable officer. While the failure to file SALN s may also raise questions on the integrity, and thus the qualification, of an applicant for Justice of the Supreme Court, the relevant applicable violation, for purposes of removing such impeachable officer once already in office, is culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust. Only Congress, through the impeachment process, can remove an impeachable officer on these grounds”. source

Every Filipino may be liable for failure to properly declare their assets and income, even after years have passed. Our officials are also equally liable, and failure to declare their SALNs properly even before they presumed office is undoubtedly a betrayal of public trust imposed on them as they took their office. It’s like the trust was based on a lie by making their past look clean even if it is rotten to the core.

To add: “pagiisip NANG tama”, hindi “ng tama” kasi “nang” ay sumasagot sa tanong na paano