Failure to present persuasive documentation and explanation that his wealth was not ill-gotten may result in a public employee being subjected to a lifestyle check.
With this, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye defended a renewed lifestyle check campaign President Arroyo ordered on her appointees to re-energize her war against graft and corruption in the government.
In an interview with Radio Mindanao Network yesterday, Bunye said public employees agree that a lifestyle check is an effective tool for implementing good governance.
Bunye said one of the measures in conducting the lifestyle check is the annual submission of the statement of assets and liabilities (SAL) by public employees.
"What is important is to have a credible explanation in their statements of assets and liabilities," he said. "There is nothing bad if one is rich. The important thing is this can be explained."
A public employee is suspected of graft and corruption if he cannot properly explain the source of his wealth or assets, notably those not declared in his SAL, he said.
"Unless, for example, if he or she has legitimate business or as some others would claim as inheritance they really got from their parents and these are documented," he said.
According to the their SALs, the President and 37 members of the Cabinet belong to the "millionaires club."
With a reported net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) of P72 million, President Arroyo ranked sixth. The President and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo filed a joint SAL.
Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. landed in the top spot, with a net worth of P519.6 million as of Dec. 30, 2002. Lorenzo dislodged Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho, who now ranks second, with a net worth of P328.9 million.
Bunye, who is a lawyer and former mayor of Muntinlupa City for three terms and a former congressman, ranked 14th with a reported net worth of P14.8 million. He has no liabilities.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. placed last in the list, with a reported net worth of P1.3 million, P2 million assets and P650,000 in liabilities.
In her weekly radio address over the state-run Radyo ng Bayan, President Arroyo expressed deep concern that corruption has been the major source of revenue leakage.
"Billions of pesos were lost from public coffers every year because of corruption. So the grafter should not only be punished but we must get back their stolen wealth," the President said.
The President cited the filing of graft charges and forfeiture cases against high-ranking officials of he Department of Public Works and Highways and Bureau of Customs for their alleged "unexplained wealth." Earlier, graft charges were filed against officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
For his part, Bunye conceded that the issues raised by Customs officials, led by Commissioner Bernardo Antonio, in the conduct of the lifestyle check by the newly created panel Transparency Group under Presidential Chief of Staff Rigoberto Tiglao.
Three Customs officials, including Deputy Commissioner Gil Valera, were among five public officials implicated in graft charges following their failure to pass the lifestyle checks by the Transparency Group.
They denounced the manner by which the Transparency Group allegedly "leaked to the media" cases against them even before formal charges were filed at the Ombudsman.
The officials tendered courtesy resignations on Friday in protest of the move by the Transparency Group. The President rejected their resignations.
"The Palace agrees that due process should really be observed. Perhaps from now on, we would be more careful about such news reports," Bunye said. He urged media to cooperate by only reporting on graft cases once they have been filed in courts.