MANILA- President Rodrigo Duterte complied with the constitutional requirement to declare his net worth, Malacañang said Friday, in response to a report that the chief executive has yet to release a copy of his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in its new report stated that Duterte's SALN for 2018 has yet to be disclosed to the public since the April 30 deadline for filing.

Duterte's spokesman Salvador Panelo clarified that the President submitted his SALN but noted that the chief executive is not required to give out copies to "whomever wants it."

"The President has complied with what the Constitution or law requires - the timely submission of a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth," he said.

"Neither instrument requires the President to personally and directly furnish a copy thereof to the media or to whomever wants it. There is a mandated procedure under the law to access the same," he added.

Under the country's charter, all public officials and employees, whether regular or under temporary status, are required to file a SALN.

Panelo also noted that Malacañang is not the keeper of Duterte's SALN but rather the Office of the Ombudsman.

"The Office of the President, cannot dictate upon the Office of the Ombudsman the course of action it wishes to undertake relative to such request given that the latter is a separate and independent institution that we have no control of," Panelo said.

In 2017, President Duterte's net worth increased by P1.11 million.

• Duterte's SALN: How wealthy is the country's chief executive?