Bill seeks faster return of politicians’ loot

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez. Photo from congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines–A lawmaker has filed a bill that would add more muscle to the Office of the Ombudsman to swiftly seize the assets of public officials and employees that were obtained through dishonest means.

House Bill No. 4732, filed by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, seeks to consider as prima facie evidence of ill-gotten wealth assets that government officials and employees had obtained that were out of proportion to their incomes.

Rodriguez’s bill aims to amend the 59-year old Republic Act No. 1379, or An Act declaring forfeiture in favor of the State any property found to have been unlawfully acquired by any public officer or employee and providing for the proceedings therefore.

“There is certainly a need to amend certain provisions of the law for the state to be fully effective in recovering stolen assets by arming its chief enforcer—the Office of the Ombudsman—with the necessary powers to run after violators,” said Rodriguez.

He said there was a need to “update” the state’s forfeiture powers considering the “modern methods and sophisticated means being employed by corrupt public officials and employees to spirit away unlawfully acquired properties within an increasingly short period of time, and out of the state’s reach.”

HB 4732 provides two instances when assets of a state official or employee would be considered prima facie evidence of unlawfully acquired wealth—assets acquired during his term “manifestly out of proportion to his salary” and failure to file a statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.–Gil Cabacungan