Other agencies, not the Palace, should probe Singson – Bunye

Malacañang tossed yesterday the responsibility of looking into the alleged unexplained wealth and administrative violations of Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson to other government agencies having jurisdiction over him.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said he was not aware of the article that came out in the Newsbreak magazine detailing the properties and businesses of Singson, his alleged failure to file his statements of assets and liabilities, use of dummies in his projects and influence in getting juicy contracts.

"I have to admit I was not able to read the article, but the other officials concerned might have and the article could provide them leads on what to do," Bunye said.

"If it has something to do with (Singson’s) lifestyle, the agency in charge should get the lead from the article," he added.

Singson, being an elective official, may be investigated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Ombudsman.

Bunye said the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) only has jurisdiction over officials appointed by President Arroyo and not the elective ones.

"Perhaps another body will have the authority to look into his affairs, but not the PAGC," he said.

According to Newsbreak, Singson lives in an extremely huge and luxurious place with a mini-zoo, a chapel, and a shooting range for family and friends.

He is said to be converting parts of the place for business, thus the ongoing construction of a school for caregivers, a huge swimming pool, and a 10-story, 200-room hotel.

The hotel is envisioned to be the biggest and the first of its kind in Vigan City, a popular tourist destination.

When asked if he was planning to put up a resort in Vigan, Singson told Newsbreak that he, along with a Japanese business partner, was merely building a school for caregivers.

For many years and based on his own admission, he had earned from jueteng. In October 2000, Singson linked his friend, then President Joseph Estrada, to the illegal numbers game, triggering the latter’s downfall three months later.

Singson now heads the LCS (Luis Chavit Singson) Group of Companies, which is into transportation, construction, media, banking, tourism, and even security services.

According to Newsbreak, Singson served a full nine-year term as governor from 1992 to 2001. He chose not to run in the May 2001 local elections, which were held three months after Estrada’s ouster. Last year, however, he ran again for governor and won.

Newsbreak said the only available copies of his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), according to the office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon, were for the years 1994 to 1997, 1999, and 2000.

The Ombudsman has yet to receive Singson’s 2003 SALN, which he should have filed after his election in 2004, as well as his 2004 SALN, which he should have filed last April.

Newsbreak noted that Singson’s SALNs were not proportional to his lifestyle and his obvious possessions.

In his last available SALN, in 2000, Newsbreak said Singson’s net worth was pegged at P1.2 million.

Singson’s declared sources of income that year, aside from his P25,000 monthly salary as governor, were a family-owned agricultural business in Vigan and the LCS Mart in Metro Manila, which is being leased. The LCS Mart has been in operation since 1991.

Aside from his houses, buildings and cars, Singson also owns a P60-million luxury yacht and a 20-seater private plane, Newsbreak said.

Newsbreak said Singson has several other businesses and was allegedly using dummies to hide his wealth.

Because of the network he has developed after Estrada’s ouster, Newsbreak said Singson’s companies managed to bag big infrastructure and other government projects in Ilocos Sur.

Newsbreak said Singson also had unliquidated cash advances.