The Office of the Ombudsman is conducting lifestyle checks on over 100 government officials.
Amid the flood control issues, the Office of the Ombudsman will conduct lifestyle checks on more than 100 officials of “income-generating” government agencies.
On Tuesday, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed that the Office of the Ombudsman is conducting lifestyle checks on more than 100 officials from “income-generating” government agencies. He made the announcement during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on the office’s proposed budget of over ₱7 billion.
This is amid the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities involving flood control projects.
According to the Ombudsman, a total of 107 lifestyle checks are underway following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for government agencies to examine the wealth and assets of public officials. Last year, the president ordered the resumption of lifestyle checks, starting with officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), amid growing scrutiny of the government’s flood-control projects.
The lifestyle checks form part of the government’s broader efforts to investigate possible corruption and determine whether the assets and lifestyles of officials are consistent with their declared sources of income and wealth.
To recall, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires discontinued the practice of lifestyle checks in 2020, arguing that the requirement for government officials and employees to maintain a “modest” lifestyle was subjective.
“We have 107 lifestyle checks being conducted as we speak, and we are adding more to the list because we have been actively pursuing information on the people in [Bureau of] Customs, in LTO, and other income-generating agencies of the government because this is where most of the lifestyle sins happen,” Remulla said.
This move stresses the government’s intensified focus on accountability among public officials, particularly those involved in agencies and projects handling significant amounts of public funds.
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