Team formed for PNP lifestyle checks

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of the Interior and Local Government will form a task group that will conduct lifestyle checks on police officials involved in corruption and other illegal activities, DILG Secretary Manuel Roxas II said yesterday.

Roxas said he has been coordinating with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the campaign to weed out corrupt members of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“We will be having a Technical Working Group to craft policies in doing the lifestyle check. I have consulted BIR Commissioner Kim Henares on the matter,” he said.

Roxas said the task group will be using the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) filed by the police officials with the BIR.

Malacañang earlier expressed support for the DILG’s plan to conduct lifestyle checks on PNP officials amid the spate of criminal incidents involving law enforcers, including a robbery along EDSA in Mandaluyong perpetrated by 12 policemen early this month.

Roxas said he also sought the help of the Office of the Ombudsman in going after corrupt PNP members.

The DILG chief said he would be personally supervising the lifestyle checks, which would be done on a regular basis.

Roxas said he is determined to unmask policemen who are having lavish lifestyles and have amassed wealth beyond their means.

“We want to find out how they were able to reach their status in life,” he said.

“If they acquired their wealth through business and other legal means, there is nothing wrong with that. But if their wealth came from illegal activities, then that would be the start of their problem because we will run after them,” Roxas added.

He said the lifestyle check would start with police generals and go down to policemen with the lowest rank.

Roxas ordered the lifestyle check amid allegations that some PNP officials have amassed wealth due to their involvement in illegal activities such as kidnapping, robbery, illegal drugs and protection rackets.

He said the DILG is also planning to put up a hotline where the public can report policemen with lavish lifestyles and suspected ill-gotten wealth.