Ombudsman orders lifestyle checks on 26 House members tagged as ‘congtractors’

MANILA — The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered lifestyle checks on 26 members of the House of Representatives who are allegedly involved in government contracting, in what officials described as part of an expanding probe into possible conflicts of interest and corruption in public works projects.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said Thursday that the individuals, referred to as “congtractors,” are among lawmakers whose Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) have already been obtained by the agency and turned over to investigative teams.

“The first 26, we have already assigned them to the investigative teams to do lifestyle checks as well as further investigation,” Clavano said in a press briefing. He added that intelligence reports indicated some lawmakers may also be linked to contracting firms, which is prohibited under the law.

Clavano said public officials are barred from owning or having financial interests in private firms that directly transact with government projects.

He also noted that the Ombudsman is still waiting for the SALN of former House Deputy Secretary General Sofonias Gabonada, adding that additional requests for SALNs from other lawmakers are being prepared. The House of Representatives serves as the repository of SALN records for its members.

Under Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, government officials are required to lead modest lives and are prohibited from displaying unexplained or excessive wealth.

Clavano said the Ombudsman remains focused on strengthening corruption cases, including ongoing investigations related to alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

He cited three batches of cases already filed since the probe began in September 2025, including graft and malversation complaints against former and current officials and contractors in connection with alleged substandard or ghost flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, Davao Occidental, and Bulacan.

According to Clavano, SALN reviews are crucial in identifying possible conflicts of interest and inconsistencies in declared assets.

“We’ll look at their SALNs and see if they have declared interests in companies that we believe are contracting firms with government deals,” he said. “That would show a possible conflict of interest.”

He added that discrepancies between declared assets and actual wealth could lead to further legal action, including civil forfeiture cases under Republic Act 1379.

Clavano explained that civil forfeiture cases may allow the government to recover unexplained wealth, noting that the burden of proof differs from other anti-corruption proceedings.

He also said undeclared assets may be subject to forfeiture if proven to be unlawfully acquired.

In the same briefing, Clavano said the Ombudsman is exploring legal options to dispose of two luxury vehicles turned over by former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Bulacan assistant district engineer Brice Hernandez. The vehicles, valued at ₱35 million and ₱18 million, were surrendered to the government through the Independent Commission on Infrastructure, whose mandate ended on March 31.

Clavano said the agency aims to preserve the value of the assets and return proceeds to public funds, but is still determining the appropriate legal process for their sale.

He noted that unlike other previously auctioned vehicles linked to separate contractors, the Hernandez vehicles are not under customs dispute and were voluntarily surrendered.

Hernandez is among those charged in connection with alleged malversation and graft cases involving a ₱92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

The Ombudsman said further developments in the investigation are expected as SALN reviews and lifestyle checks continue.