President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered lifestyle checks on all government officials, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said Wednesday.
The directive comes amid the government’s ongoing investigation into anomalous multi-billion-peso flood control projects across the country.
In a press briefing, Castro said government agencies with the authority to conduct lifestyle checks can begin their investigations.
“In each agency, there are those who can have a lifestyle check. The Ombudsman can initiate, the BIR can inspect, have a lifestyle check, in each agency under their jurisdiction; DPWH can do it, too,” Castro said.
She clarified the investigation should begin with those involved in flood control projects.
“We cannot deny there are DPWH officials who are said to be involved and they will probably start there,” she said.
While the probe will be carried out by government agencies, Malacañang acknowledged the risks of tampering or interference and assured that the process will be independent.
Castro urged the public to trust the agencies leading the investigation, adding that if gaps are found in their inquiries, the agencies themselves will also be scrutinized.
“The President has already spoken, so each agency should fulfill its duty. We should expect and give them the necessary trust, and if we also see anomalies in their investigation, their work will also be questioned and they will be included in the investigation,” she said.
There is no specific time frame for the lifestyle checks, but Castro said relevant agencies such as the Commission on Audit, Bureau of Internal Revenue, and Bureau of Customs (BoC) might know where to begin.
“We see a lot of people owning luxury cars. The BoC should probably also look into whether the required taxes were paid,” she said.
She also urged local government units to check their own records to determine if contractors registered in their areas are paying the necessary business permits.
“If we see that these contractors have very large projects and are earning a lot of money, let them check if this is in accordance with the mayor’s permits or business permits that they pay to the LGUs, as well as to the BIR,” she added.
Naming names?
According to Castro, the President has personally visited 11 flood control projects in Marikina, Iloilo, Bulacan, and Benguet since the launch of the sumbongsapangulo website.
Since Marcos’s revelation, he has yet to identify the officials behind the anomalous projects.
Castro said Marcos will name the officials in due time but for now is focused on the investigation.
“Yes, definitely. The President said he will not stop [solving] this and will finish it before his term ends,” she said.
Once those involved are identified, charges will be filed, Castro stressed.
“We will definitely sue, we will file cases against those who deserve to be charged. No one will be spared, no one close to our hearts, no one with an ally — whoever is involved in this, cases will be filed,” she said.
As of Wednesday, the sumbongsapangulo website had received 9,020 reports on flood control projects since it went online on 11 August.