Palace on 'biggest pork' report: Sandro Marcos open to lifestyle check
MANILA, Philippines — Following an investigative report labeling House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos as the top pork barrel beneficiary, Malacañang said the presidential family is open to a lifestyle check.
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) published a report pointing to Sandro and his uncle, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as top recipients of “pork barrel” funds in the budget.
Asked for a reaction to the report, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Tuesday, December 2, that she cannot speak for the young lawmaker, but reiterated that the presidential son has already stated he was open to a check by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) — the anti-corruption body his own father created.
“Wala namang pinagbabawal sa lifestyle check, kahit sino po,” Castro said. (Nothing is forbidden under a lifestyle check, it could be anyone.)
In an exclusive report from the PCIJ, Sandro allegedly received upwards of P15.79 billion in allocable funds from 2023 to 2025. Sandro’s district of Ilocos Norte 1st District, with a population of less than 320,000, received twice the budget of the first district of Rizal — the country’s most populated legislative district with 1.2 million people.
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