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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Dapat lahat': Zubiri says lifestyle checks should cover appointed, elected officials

'Dapat lahat': Zubiri says lifestyle checks should cover appointed, elected officials

Published Aug 29, 2025 01:34 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri called for lifestyle checks on all elected and appointed officials amid the flood control project probe, advocated for a third-party investigation, and cautioned on the release of SALNs
Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said on Friday, Aug. 29, that lifestyle checks should cover both appointed and elected officials in the government amid investigations into anomalous flood control projects.
Senator Juan Miguel
Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (Senate PRIB photo)
"Dapat ang lifestyle check siguro ay dapat lahat (Lifestyle checks should probably cover everyone), both appointed and elected," he said, stressing that as politicians, they are not exempt from these lifestyle checks.
"May mga politiko na wala naman silang income other than their income from being a politician, at makikita mo naka-Rolls Royce, naka-Ferrari (There are politicians who have no income other than their earnings from being a public official, yet you’ll see them driving a Rolls Royce or a Ferrari)," he added, stating that these should coincide with their tax payments to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
Zubiri made the statement after President Marcos had ordered lifestyle checks on government officials as part of an ongoing investigation into anomalous flood control projects.
When it comes to investigating the lavish lifestyle of government officials, the senator expressed his belief that there should be a third party that will look into this. He feels that it's not right that either the Senate or the House of Representatives area leading the probe into the matter.
"Parang di tama na itong Kongreso at Senado ang lead agency to investigate this (It doesn’t seem right that the Congress and the Senate are the lead agencies to investigate this). I think there should be a third-party agency that should be led by government investigators and civil society," he explained, considering that members of both Houses may have colleagues who may be affected by the investigation.
What's important, he said, is that the executive will follow through with the filing of cases, such as in violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act, falsification of public documents, and even economic sabotage.
Meanwhile, when asked if President Marcos should release his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), Zubiri said that while it's a public document, he warned of it being used against a politician.
"We can release our SALN, especially if you have nothing to hide, but we should be wary of people who want to use this as a weapon," he added.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, Zubiri's fellow member in the minority bloc, said that Marcos can set an example of transparency by publicly releasing his SALN, following his directive for a lifestyle check in the executive branch.
Hontiveros stated that she's willing to undergo a lifestyle check just so everyone can see her "middle-class lifestyle."

Related Tags

Migz Zubiri lifestyle check SALN Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) flood control project
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