Church-based group to come up with module on lifestyle check

Barug! Pilipino together with the Manila-based Transparency and Accountability Network is coming up with a module on the lifestyle check program intended to monitor local government officials and employees with lifestyles that reportedly don't match with their salaries.

This is in preparation for the actual implementation of the program in Cebu by Barug in coordination with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

Reylynne dela Paz, education advocacy coordinator of TAN, said part of the activities for the formulation of the module was the one-day consultation with young professionals, representatives of youth organizations and students of six colleges and universities in Cebu last Saturday.

The consultation, held at the Seminario Mayor de San Carlos compound, was under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development under its three-year Anti-Corruption Role of Law Effectiveness Program.

Dela Paz said inputs of the seminar would be included in the final edition of the module, which will be released in October in time for the actual lifestyle check.

Barug is a corruption intolerant church-based movement for a transformed Filipino nation.

Barug and the Office of the Ombudsman signed a memorandum of agreement in which Barug will gather data and detailed information on government officials and employees as basis for any legal action by the Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman, being undermanned, has acknowledged the contribution of Barug and other civil society organizations in the implementation of its anti-corruption projects, especially the lifestyle check.

Jethro Alpuerto, advocacy coordinator of Barug, said that they are emboldened to apply the program over reports that there are local government officials and employees whose lifestyles reportedly don't jibe with their income.

According to Alpuerto, they have tapped the youth sector being the largest part and the most dynamic and idealistic of society. He added that the youth are not just the future, but also part of the present.

Fr. Carmelo Diola, vice chairman of Barug, said the project aims "to ignite spaces of hope for ordinary people by doing concrete action against corruption."

Lifestyle check has proven to be effective in the fight against corruption.

In 2004, the government's lifestyle-check program started to show results. Several high-ranking government officials were already dismissed for their unexplained wealth. - Jasmin R. Uy