BACOLOD City – The identities of high-ranking officials in Negros Occidental who were subjects of a proposed lifestyle check must be “out in the open,” according to Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.
The governor stressed that the public deserves to know who these officials are.
This was Marañon’s reaction when he was asked about the proposed lifestyle check on three department heads in the province.
A lifestyle check is an “investigation strategy developed by anticorruption agencies to determine the existence of ill-gotten and unexplained wealth” of government officials and employees, according to the Office of the Ombudsman.
The identities of the department heads remain a mystery until now.
Last week, Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson said he has no idea who the officials are.
“If you are not hiding anything, you should not be afraid,” said Lacson, who supports the proposed lifestyle check.
Marañon, on the other hand, said allegations concerning the lavish lifestyles of his capitol officials are from people who have “malicious intent.”
He added that some of capitol’s department heads have wives who “earn more” than them while others have their businesses.
Task Force Kasanag national commander John Chiong requested the Ombudsman to conduct the lifestyle check on the department heads.
Chiong said it was “ministerial” for him to file the request “being the government’s partner in fighting corruption and in helping ensure transparency.”
Provincial Administrator Dr. Lucille Gelvolea, for her part, said the Ombudsman “should not only conduct [the lifestyle check] on a few department heads but all of us.”
Local reports said the proposed lifestyle check is geared toward officials allegedly involved in the construction of the controversial Negros First Animal Hub project.
The P4-million project was built “almost 80-percent complete” at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan without having necessary documents, said Marañon./PN
