Solon wants lifestyle checks on all gov't officials

MANILA, Philippines — Lifestyle checks should be done on all government officials and not just on lawmakers, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said Tuesday.

"Bakit iyong mga mayor hindi mo isama diyan, mga gobernador. Hindi naman puwede na dahil galit lang sa amin ay kami lang. I hope that the government has enough people to do it," Gonzales said in a press conference aired over radio.

According to the Office of the Ombudsman, a lifestyle check is "an investigation developed by anti-corruption agencies in the Philippines to determine the existence of ill-gotten and unexplained wealth of officials and employees of the government."

Officials and employees' declared statements of assets, liabilities and net worth, or SALN, are among the the first documents inspected in lifestyle checks.

Allegation of corruption recently bolstered calls to initiate lifestyle checks on Vice President Jejomar Binay and Philippine National Police Director General Alan Purisima.

The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission formed in 2001 under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been tasked to conduct lifestyle checks on officials and employees in the executive department.

President Aquino abolished the PAGC in 2010 and transferred its functions to the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Legal Affairs under the Office of the President.