August 29, 2025 – Manila
Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take the lead in undergoing a lifestyle check, following controversies surrounding alleged irregularities in government flood control projects.
In a press briefing, Hontiveros emphasized that if the President has directed lifestyle checks on government officials, he should also set an example by making his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) public.
She further noted that while Marcos’ order mainly covers the Executive branch, Congress and the Judiciary could voluntarily participate in the same process. According to her, Senate President, the House Speaker, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court all have the authority to encourage lawmakers and justices to disclose their SALNs and open their lifestyles to scrutiny.
Hontiveros added that the Senate minority bloc—which includes herself, Senate Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and Senators Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, and Juan Miguel Zubiri—could also take the initiative in joining the lifestyle check.
Should the plan move forward, she said the Office of the Ombudsman could oversee the implementation, consistent with previous practices.
Earlier, Senator Imee Marcos also echoed the call, saying lawmakers should be the first to submit to the lifestyle check. She stressed that as leaders of the nation, legislators must be at the forefront in responding to the President’s directive to ensure transparency and accountability in government service.
