Duterte Agrees with “Lifestyle Check” Order of Marcos Jr. But OVP Issues Clarification on SALN Disclosure
OVP – The Office of the Vice President stressed that there is a “procedure” in requesting for the SALN of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
The absence of several flood control structures funded by the government although they were already marked completed on records as well as the structures made with substandard materials have greatly disappointed Pres. Bongbong Marcos. He stressed that the PH government has already spent over P500-billion on the flood control projects across the nation from July 2022 to May 2025.
In Bulacan, 10 officials of the DPWH were placed under a “floating status” amid the flood control issues after Marcos Jr. found an over P55-million ‘ghost’ Riverwall project. In the same province, he also found a flood control structure that was made with “substandard” materials.
Marcos Jr. called out the St. Timothy Construction to explain the said project. It is one of the 15 contractors flagged by the President to have received 20% of the P545-billion worth flood control projects of the government under his term.
- Legacy Construction Corporation
- Alpha & Omega Gen. Contractor & Development Corp.
- St. Timothy Construction Corporation
- QM Builders
- EGB Construction Corporation
- Topnotch Catalyst Builders Inc.
- Centerways Construction and Development Inc.
- Sunwest, Inc.
- Hi-Tone Construction & Development Corp.
- Triple 8 Construction & Supply, Inc.
- Royal Crown Monarch Construction & Supplies Corp.
- Wawao Builders
- MG Samidan Construction
- L.R. Tiqui Builders, Inc.
- Road Edge Trading & Development Services
While the contractors are being probed by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee as well as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Pres. Bongbong Marcos issued a “lifestyle check” order among all the government officials. His order earned the support of several fellow public officials including Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
However, according to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte who confirmed her support on Marcos Jr.’s order for a “lifestyle check” among the government officials, the Vice President expressed her hope that it will be a “deep dive” investigation. According to her, the assessment should not settle with just the presentation of the SALN of the public officials.
Duterte also suggested that the ‘lifestyle check’ order will include not only the elected government officials but as well as those who were appointed public officials. However, the OVP has a say on the SALN of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.
Vice Pres. Sara Duterte is currently in The Hague, Netherlands based on a report on Abante. She is set to visit Japan this month. Amid the flood control issues in the Philippines and the order of Pres. Bongbong Marcos for a “lifestyle check” among the government officials, the OVP stressed the “procedure” in the request for the SALN of the Vice President.
“On the SALN, if asked to produce the Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Networth, meron naman pong procedure para diyan,” OVP spokesperson Atty. Ruth Castelo said.
The OVP Spox further stressed that as “civil servants”, they are required to submit the SALN of the Vice President to the appropriate office — referring to the Office of the Ombudsman. According to her, it is where the request for the SALN of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte may be made.
“We, civil servants, are just asked to submit it to the appropriate office. Doon po sila magre-request if they want,” the OVP Spox said.
Previously, amid the challenge of Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Malacañang announced that Pres. Bongbong Marcos is ready for a “lifestyle check” and is willing to disclose his SALN if needed. The SALN of the president, the vice president, the chairmen, and the commissioners of the constitutional commissions are required to submit their SALN to the Ombudsman.