Revilla: Aquino, Cabinet men should also face lifestyle checks

By: Maila Ager - 11 years ago

Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – “For the sake of transparency and accountability,” President Benigno Aquino III and all Cabinet members and senators should undergo a lifestyle check, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. said on Tuesday.

“… Kung talagang kailangan pang mag-conduct ng mga lifestyle check outside of the SALNs (statement of assets, liabilities and net worth) and the Ombudsman, dapat tignan din sina Pangulong Aquino, Secretary Butch Abad, Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, at ang buong Gabinete,” Revilla said in a statement.

(… If there’s a need to conduct a lifestyle check outside of the SALN, we should also look at President Aquino, Secretary Butch Abad, Secretary Mar Roxas and the entire Cabinet)

“There are estimates that almost two trillion pesos in DAP and Malampaya funds that have yet to be accounted for. Kailangan makita kung may nakinabang sa mga pondong ito (We have to find out if there are people who have benefitted from these funds),” he said.

DAP is Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), which Revilla said, is under the full control of the President, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Cabinet. And he noted that trillions of pesos from DAP have yet to be accounted for.

The senator issued the statement in response Technology and Livelihood Resource Center (TRC) Director General on-leave Dennis Cunanan’s challenge for him and Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile and Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada to undergo a lifestyle check.

The three senators as well as Cunanan are all facing charges at the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the P10-billion “pork barrel” funds scam.

“What lifestyle check is he talking about? My life is an open book. Being public officers, we are always under the scrutiny of the public eye,” Revilla said of Cunanan’s challenge.

“I have been filing my Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), and that includes an authority for the Ombudsman to look into my material possessions. Anong lifestyle check pa pinagsasabi niya? Tsaka, sa dami ng mga akusasyon at kasinungalingang ibinabato ngayon sa akin, I would find it hard to believe na wala pang lifestyle check na ginagawa sa akin,” he pointed out.

(I have been filing my Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and that includes an authority for the Ombudsman to look into my material possessions. What lifestyle check is he talking about? Besides, with all the accusations and lies being thrown at me, I would find it hard to believe that he has not conducted any lifestyle check yet on me).

Revilla also agreed with Estrada’s proposal that the life style check should also cover all other senators.