What constitutes a “modest” lifestyle or “lavish” expenditure?
A debate on this issue emerged as the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte focused on expenditures of her husband amounting to a drop in the bucket compared to the amounts she is accused of having amassed in unexplained wealth.
“Modest” and “lavish” could be relative, depending on a person’s income status. For legal purposes related to public officials and employees, however, such definitions could be based on the legitimate source of income of a person.
Republic Act 6713, the 1989 Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, states in its declaration of policies that those working in government “shall at all times be accountable to the people and shall discharge their duties with utmost responsibility, integrity, competence, and loyalty, act with patriotism and justice, lead modest lives, and uphold public interest over personal interest.”
RA 6713 offers a working definition of a “modest” life.
Section 4 (h), on “simple living,” provides: “Public officials and employees and their families shall lead modest lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form.”
If the spending is inappropriate to the public official’s income, it should not only raise questions about appropriate conduct, but also alert anti-graft watchdogs about the possibility that wealth is being amassed illegally.
The corruption scandal should encourage people to be more curious about the sources of generosity of public officials.
For example, Henry Alcantara, a former Bulacan district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways, was initially praised by his community for his generosity. The engineer, whose monthly salary was no more than P125,000, donated a fire truck and an ambulance to his barangay, and a Nissan Navara pickup truck to the San Pascual Baylon Parish in Obando.
The parish returned the pickup after the flood control scandal erupted, with Alcantara among the key players. Probes showed that Alcantara and fellow former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez were regular casino high rollers.
No one will question the importance of supporting worthy causes such as the environment, fire prevention or youth sports development. What should be subjected to scrutiny is the legitimacy of the source of the support, whether in cash or kind.
If the funds were stolen from public coffers, the end cannot justify the means.