Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Ombudsman Samuel Martires made the right decision to stop lifestyle checks on government officials as this is ineffective against those who are able to keep their illegally acquired wealth under wraps.
(Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Roque made the statement after Martires revealed during his office's budget hearing that he put a stop to lifestyle checks because he has had questions and doubts about the provisions of the anti-graft and corrupt practices law.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Roque said that Martires made the right decision.
"As a lawyer, mukhang tama po si Ombudsman kasi napakadali pong magtago ng ill-gotten wealth (I think the Ombudsman was right because it's very easy to hide ill-gotten wealth)," he said.
According to Roque, times have changed and that corrupt officials have also changed their ways.
"Ngayon they could live modest lives, they could use dummies for their bank deposits and can pretend to have modest lives even if they have trillions and billions of ill-gotten wealth," he said.
"At the same time, may mga pagkakataon din, may mga kurakot na walang kahihiyan (there are also instances where corrupt officials have no shame). That's where the lifestyle check would become effective," he added.
Roque likewise said that Malacañang respects the decision of the Ombudsman. He added that it was more important for Ombudsman to enforce anti-money laundering laws
"He is (the head of) a constitutional body and I think what he considers as more important is the enforcement of the anti-money laundering law because that's really the best way to determine if one's income as a government employee can justify his assets," he said.
Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, prohibits officials from receiving gifts, engaging in transactions which have conflict of interest, and even requiring that they live simple lives.
According to Martires, the Ombudsman cannot meddle in the lives of government officials if they have the ability to manage their finances well or even shield their wealth accumulation from public view.
"What is simple living to me may not be simple living to anyone of you. Probably he must have distorted values, but why do we care, who are we to judge the person?" he said.
Lifestyle checks are prompted when there are indications that an official's lifestyle appears to be beyond his income.