INVESTIGATIVE PRACTICE IN IMMIGRATION CORRUPTION CASES
IN THE PHILIPPINESASP Niven R. Canlapan*

I.

IMMIGRATION CORRUPTION IN THE PHILIPPINES

There are several immigration laws in the Philippines, like the Citizenship Retention andRe-acquisition Act of 2003 or Republic Act No. 9225, the Administrative Naturalization Law of2000 or Republic Act No. 9139, and it is the Bureau of Immigration (BI) that has the power byvirtue of the Administrative Code of 1987 to effect the enforcement of these laws.
There are two kinds of activities at the Bureau of Immigration: the supervision of
immigration into and emigration from the Philippines and the granting of visas to aliens.
Through the years there have been reports of corruption being done by certain personnel fromthe BI. This paper will focus on the investigation practices involving the illicit departure of
criminals as well as undocumented Filipino workers and the entry of criminals into thePhilippines. According to the National Bureau of Investigation, Anti Graft Division (AGD),
someone wanting to enter the Philippines can pay immigration personnel a price ranging from
Php. 50,000.00 to Php. 1 million depending on the nature of the case and the personality
involved while a person wanting to leave the Philippines will pay a price ranging from Php.
10, 000.00 to Php. 300,000.00.
A.

Government Response
Our government enacted approaches to combat this corruption, which are divided into
three, namely:x

Preventive Approach: these are schemes that give public officers no room or opportunity
to commit graft and corruption (i.e., internal agency policies designed to safeguard
government funds, property, wealth, assets, and resources.)xPunitive Approach: Designed to punish corrupt officials to serve as examples.

x

Public censure through the use of media1.

Several laws also were enacted by Congress to minimize if not stop corruption in the BI,
like the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 or R.A. No. 9208 and Republic Act No. 9160,
otherwise known as The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, which gives authorities additional
tools in detecting corruption at the BI.

*
1

Assistant State Prosecutor, Department of Justice, Philippines.
Source: National Bureau of Investigation, Anti Graft Division (AGD)- 107 -

1.

Methods Used
The methods used in preventing corruption are either lifestyle checks or intelligencegathering. The methods used in investigating an immigration corruption case are usually done by
the use of:xInterview of complainants and taking of sworn complainantsx

Review of physical evidence, like, CCTV footage, airline tickets, etc.

x

Paper trail investigationx

Lifestyle check, andxInterview of witnesses to the crime.

(i)Lifestyle Check Investigation
Lifestyle Check Investigation has been defined as a discreet/covert investigation todetermine whether the lifestyle of a government official or employee is within his/her lawfulmeans. Its objective is to discover the location and kinds of properties of the person who is the
subject of investigation, including the places frequented and his hobbies in order to knowwhether or not he is living within the standards allowable by law. It may not be confined to theperson himself/herself but also to the members of his family and his friends.2
Its purpose is to determine whether the income, property, assets, and the standard ofliving of the government official or employee are within the allowable lawful means or areproportionate to his lawful income, and the result of the lifestyle check may be used as evidencein filing criminal charges against the public official/employee.3
The steps in conducting lifestyle checks are4:
1.

Know your Subject:
Personal Circumstances (name, age, sex, marital status, residential address, namesof parents, names of brothers and sisters, names of children, other addresses, his position, item,
rank or designation in the agency, and his salary grade)2.
Determine the unlawful acts that he could possibly be involved with (i.e.,
accepting bribes or kickbacks, malversation (i.e., conversion) of public funds)
3.

Locate his/her property, assets, and liabilities;

2

Ibid.
Ibid.
4
Ibid.
3

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4.

Try to assess the value of his/her property;

5.

Determine whether his source of income is lawful or unlawful;

6.
Know his/her hobbies or pastime activities (fond of jewelry collections, going tocasinos, club memberships, known womanizer);
7.
Compare the increase in his/her yearly income as shown by his/her Statement of
Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth;8.

Know his/her immediate family relatives and friends;

9.
Discover if he/she has titled his/her real estate or other property in the names ofhis/her friends or immediate family members;
10.

Conduct surveillance and take photographs and videos if practicable;

11.
Make a comparative analysis of the official/employee’s assets, liabilities, net
worth, and income starting from the time that he/she started committing the unlawful acts.
(ii)
Acquisition of Witnesses
Witnesses are very important for a case build up and prosecution in the Philippines. In
my experience, we rely so heavily on witnesses that there is about a 90% probability of a casebeing dismissed without them. They form part of the testimonial evidence subject to the usual
rules on qualification5 and disqualification of witnesses.6
In order to convince ordinary witnesses to come out and make a strong case, we have a
Witness Protection Program (WPP) designed to provide protection, housing, and eventual
relocation of the said witnesses. More often than not, a co-accused becomes a state witness but
Philippine laws require that he must be discharged as an accused to become a state witness.
The Rules for the effective discharge of an accused are:Sec. 17. Discharge of accused to be state witness. – When two or more persons
are jointly charged with the commission of any offense, upon motion of theprosecution before resting its case, the court may direct one or more of theaccused to be discharged with their consent so that they may be witnesses for thestate when, after requiring the prosecution to present evidence and the sworn
statement of each proposed state witness at a hearing in support of the discharge,
the court is satisfied that:(a) There is absolute necessity for the testimony of the accused whose discharge isrequested;(b) There is no other direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of theoffense committed, except the testimony of said accused;
5
6

Source: Sec. 20 of the Rules of Court of the Philippines.
Source: Sec .21, 22 and 24 of the Rules of Court of the Philippines.

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(c) The testimony of said accused can be substantially corroborated in its material
points;(d) Said accused does not appear to be the most guilty; and(e) Said accused has not at any time been convicted of any offense involving
moral turpitude.
Evidence adduced in support of the discharge shall automatically form part of
the trial. If the court denies the motion for discharge of the accused as state
witness, his sworn statement shall be inadmissible in evidence.7
The certification of admission into the WPP shall be given full faith and credit by theProvincial or City Prosecutor concerned. Admission into the WPP shall entitle such Statewitness to immunity from criminal prosecution for the offense or offenses in which his
testimony will be given or used and all the rights and benefits.8
2.

The Role of the Prosecution
After all the pieces of evidence are gathered by the investigative arm of the government,
which is either the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the National Bureau of Investigation(NBI), the investigative agency concerned forwards their findings to the Office of theProsecutor General (OPG) or the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), where all the evidence
gathered are evaluated and the corresponding case is filed in court.

Case Study9
On February 8, 2012, the Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) of the Bureau of Immigration (BI)received a letter from the Korean Embassy requesting assistance relative to the “arrest anddeportation” of LEE SOJU, a Korean national wanted for fraud by the Busan District Court. The
FSU was further informed that LEE’s Passport was cancelled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade and he was the subject of the Interpol Red Notice.
B.

The BI’s Centralized Query Support System (CQSS) revealed that on January 13, 2012,
LEE arrived as a tourist in the Philippines and was authorized to stay for twenty-one (21) days.
On January 20, 2012, he applied for a Special Study Permit (SSP) and was issued an ACR I-Cardvalid until January 30, 2013. The Visa Extension Office and CQSS-Visa Issuance Made Simple(CQSS-VIMS) disclosed that on April 12, 2012, he also applied for extension as a temporary
visitor and was allowed to stay until May 12, 2012. There was no record of his departure fromthe country.
In view of the letter from the Korean Embassy, the FSU recommended to theCommissioner the cancellation of LEE’s SSP and ACR I-Card, inclusion of his name on theBlacklist and initiation of deportation proceedings against him. On the same date, Atty. Jose
endorsed to Atty. Reyes, Chief, Law and Investigation Division (LID), the case folder of LEE,
with the following recommendations: (a) cancellation of the SSP and ACR I-Card, and (b)7Section 17 of Rule 119 of the Revised Rules of Court of the Philippines.
Source: Sec. 12, Republic Act No. 6981.
9
Taken from an actual case, with the names and certain details changes so as to respect the rights of the accused, iS
No. XVI-INV-13G- 00217.
8- 110 -

initiation of deportation proceedings against him, pursuant to applicable immigration rules andprocedures, and eventual issuance of a Warrant of Deportation.
On May 31, 2012, Atty. Reyes received said endorsement, with LEE’s summary of
information, clearances, and letter from the Korean Embassy informing BI of the cancellation of
his Korean passport. On said date, Atty. Reyes assigned the case to Atty. Jose, who prepared thecharge sheet and watchlist. On June 6, 2012, Atty. Jose prepared the Summary Deportation
Order (SDO) and forwarded it to the Board of Commissioners.
On June 29, 2012, LEE’s application for Section 9(g) visa (employment visa) was
electronically raffled to Atty. Jose. On July 3, 2012, he received LEE’s application andconducted the hearing the following day. On July 9, 2012, Atty. Jose recommended the approvalof the Section 9(g) visa to Atty. Reyes.
On July 12, 2012, the Board of Commissioners (BOC) ordered the issuance of a Warrantof Deportation against LEE and his inclusion on the BI’s Blacklist; and at the same time granted
the conversion of LEE’s admission status from a Temporary Visitor’s Visa to a Pre-Arranged
Employment Visa under Section 9(g) of the Philippine Immigration Act of 1940.
On February 13, 2013, the Board of Commissioners issued an Order cancelling theSection 9(g) visa of LEE on the ground that he was a fugitive from justice.
On March 22, 2013, the BI received information from the Korean Embassy that on March
19, 2013, LEE was arrested in South Korea. The closed circuit television (CCTV) footage
recorded by the BI and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) revealed that Ms.
Fernando, Immigration Officer, was in the same counter where LEE passed through. Further, theBI departure stamp on his boarding pass confirmed that Ms. Fernando processed his travel
documents. John Cruz, personnel of the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) also appeared
to be escorting LEE.
An investigative body was organized by the Department of Justice (DOJ) which
submitted a report that found respondents Atty. Reyes, Atty. Jose, Ms. Fernando, and John Cruz
guilty of graft and corruption.
1.

Findings at the Investigative Hearing
All were found liable for graft and corruption. The evidence showed that there was aconspiracy on the part of the accused to commit the crime. The testimony of Ms. Fernando, who
testified as a state witness, was vital. She was able to explain who, what, how and when thecrime was planned and consummated.

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TRACING CORRUPTION PROCEEDS IN THE PHILIPPINES
THROUGH LIFESTYLE CHECKS
Atty. Maria Melinda S. Mananghaya-Henson*

I. INTRODUCTION
In the words of a former Ombudsman, “fighting corruption in the Philippines is liketrying to kill an elephant with a flyswatter.”1 Particularly with the recent reports of rampant
legislative and judicial corruption in the country, a difficult challenge of combating corruption
lies ahead of us.
The reasons are quite obvious. First, corruption investigation means going after powerful
and influential officials of the national and local government. There is a risk that evidence may
be suppressed. There is, likewise, an inherent hazard in the safety and security of those mandated
to do the job. Second, corruption is generally a victimless crime. Corrupt officials steal from thegovernment coffers. Oftentimes, the general public to whom the officials should have beenaccountable are unaware that corrupt activities transpire. Finally, the only people who may befully aware and knowledgeable of corruption are the same people who have committed the sameand are, somehow, involved in its commission. This makes corruption difficult to trace anddiscover.
In the Philippines, one of the modes of proving whether a public official has been
involved in corruption and of tracing its proceeds is through the conduct of “lifestyle checks” or“lifestyle investigations”. Lifestyle checks are an investigation strategy developed by anticorruption agencies in the Philippines to determine the existence of ill-gotten and unexplained
wealth of officials and employees of the government.
Generally, a public official commits corruption-related crimes and offences for the
purpose of personal gain. Such gain is converted into assets or manifested by a change inlifestyle. Hence, in order to trace where the proceeds of corruption are directed to, there is a needto check the change in the lifestyle of a public official and his accumulation of assets during his
incumbency.
Considering that the accumulation of unexplained wealth is usually the end goal of
corruption and that conducting lifestyle checks entails the employment of all investigativetechniques and practices in the Philippines, it, therefore, mirrors corruption investigation in thePhilippines as a whole.

*

Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer II, Acting Head, Field Investigation Unit, Office of the Deputy
Ombudsman for Luzon, Office of the Ombudsman, Philippines.
1
Former Ombudsman Simeon V. Marcelo, as cited by Emil P. Bolongaita. A Crisis that Should Not Go to Waste.
<http://www.rappler.com> (accessed 10/31/2013).

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II. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Lifestyle checks, as a tool in tracing corruption proceeds, began in 2003. On March 20,
2003, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed creating the “Lifestyle Check Coalition.”
The coalition pools the expertise, resources and manpower of its members in identifying leads,
gathering information and prosecuting accused public officials. The public provides theinformation, while the intelligence-gathering units of the coalition (e.g., National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) and Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines) investigate
suspected officials. The findings are forwarded to other member units for evaluation andconfirmation. Along this line, lifestyle checks and anti-graft units were formed in six agencies(i.e., the Department of Finance, Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Health,
Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural
Resources and Department of Education (DepEd))2.
The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), the Civil Service Commission (CSC), and thePresidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC), and the heads of agencies as the primary
disciplining authority, cooperate in handling the administrative aspect of the lifestyle checkprocess, specifically in determining the administrative culpability, if any, of the officials
involved, and imposing the appropriate administrative sanctions. On the other hand, the OMB
handles the criminal aspect of the lifestyle-check process, specifically in filing the appropriate
cases in court and prosecuting officials who failed the lifestyle check.3
However, the number of personnel mandated to do the task is insufficient. Studies showthat during the period when the lifestyle check was launched as a tool in tracing corruption
proceeds, the OMB had only 37 field investigators for a bureaucracy of approximately 1,500,000
public officials and employees, making a ratio of one (1) investigator for every 17,241 membersof the bureaucracy.4
Considering this limitation in manpower resources, the lifestyle investigations of the
OMB were focused only on the following agencies: the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), theBureau of Customs (BOC), and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
In 2004, the OMB reorganized and rationalized its fact-finding and intelligence
operations by constituting the Field Investigation Office (FIO), which was designated as theinvestigative arm of the office and the implementing unit of the lifestyle check project. Using asa pattern Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption, the OMB recruited freshcollege graduates from diverse academic backgrounds as field investigators. Towards the end of
2004, the OMB had already increased the number of its field investigators to 93.52<http://www.neda.gov.ph/ads/mtpdp/MTPDP2004-2010>.
Ibid.
4
Simeon V. Marcelo, Investigating Corruption in the Philippines: A Former Tanodbayan’s Experience. Delivered
during the 12th Regional Seminar of the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative for Asia and the Pacific held in Dili,
Timor-Leste on 24-25 July, 2013.
5
Ibid.
3

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The field investigators were given extensive training courses by local and foreign expertson evidence-gathering and field investigation, including intelligence operations.
By the time the field investigators had completed their advanced field investigation
courses in 2006, they had already uncovered and recommended the forfeiture of suspected illgotten assets with a total estimated value of One Billion Two Hundred Million Pesos(Php1,200,000,000.00).
III. LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Lifestyle checks are anchored on the constitutional principle that public office is a publictrust and that public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people, andmost of all, lead modest lives.6
Likewise, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials andEmployees 7 mandates that simple living should be a norm of conduct. Accordingly, public
officials and employees should lead lives appropriate to their positions and income and not
indulge in extravagant and ostentatious display of wealth in any form.8
There is also a law governing the forfeiture of unlawfully acquired assets – Republic Act.
No. 1379.9 Under Section 2 of the statute,
Whenever any public officer or employee has acquired during his incumbency anamount of property which is manifestly out of proportion to his salary as such
public officer or employee and to his other lawful income and the income fromlegitimately acquired property, said property shall be presumed prima facie tohave been unlawfully acquired.
The same law provides the required information for a petition for forfeiture of unlawfullyacquired assets, to wit:
1. the name and address of the respondent;
2. the public officer or employment he holds and such other public offices or
employment which he has previously held;
3. the approximate amount of property he has acquired during his incumbency in his
past and present offices and employments;
4. a description of said property, or such thereof as has been identified by the Solicitor
General.
6

Article XI, 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Republic Act No. 6713.
8
Section 4(A)(h), Republic Act No. 6713.
9
An Act Declaring Forfeiture in Favor of the State Any Property Found to Have Been Unlawfully Acquired by Any
Public Officer or Employee and Providing the Proceedings Therefor.
7- 114 -

5. the total amount of his government salary and other proper earnings and incomesfrom legitimately acquired property; and6. such other information as may enable the court to determine whether or not the
respondent has unlawfully acquired property during his incumbency.
This required information also becomes the groundwork for conducting lifestyle checks.
IV. PROCESS FLOWA.

Case Initiation
Lifestyle investigations proceed from complaints, in any form, intelligence information,and reports from the media. At present, the agency which primarily conducts lifestyle checks is
the OMB.
The OMB derives its power to conduct lifestyle checks from its mandate to “investigate
on its own, or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public official employee,
office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper, orinefficient.”10
As a mechanism for reporting possible accumulation of unexplained wealth, the OMB
launched the Ombudsman Lifestyle Check Hotline (OMB LSC Hotline) in 2006. The OMB LSC
Hotline opens the line of communication to encourage the public to report incidents of corruption,
especially of ill-gotten or unexplained wealth of government officials and employees.
B.

Case Evaluation
As in other corruption cases, the first task of the investigator is to evaluate theinformation or complaint. Case evaluation involves a two-step process: 1) determining whether
the investigation should proceed; and 2) if so, determining how to proceed with it.11
Field investigators use two tools for case evaluation and planning — the Evaluation
Action Slip and the Investigative Plan of Action.
The Evaluation Action Slip takes into account the following information, among others:
1. whether the public officer involved is low ranking or high ranking, since the law
mandates the OMB to give priority to cases involving high-ranking officers;122. whether the allegations constitute violations of other existing laws;
3. whether the allegations include verifiable leads; and10

Section 13(1), Article XI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Ombudsman Desk Reference.
12
Republic Act 6770, Section 15 provides: “The Ombudsman shall give priority to complaints filed against highranking government officials ….”
11- 115 -

4. whether there is already a pending case involving the same public official.13
After evaluation of the complaint, field investigators prepare an Investigative Plan of
Action, which indicates what evidence is needed, and where, when, how, and from whom can theevidence be secured.
C.

Proper Investigation
In lifestyle investigations, the evidence may either be documentary or testimonial.
Documentary evidence is usually secured through the issuance of legal processes – Subpoena
Duces Tecum and letter requests.
The power of the OMB to issue Subpoena Duces Tecum is anchored on the provisions ofSection 15(8) of the Ombudsman Act of 198914, which states:
Section 15. Powers, Functions and Duties. — The Office of the Ombudsman
shall have the following powers, functions and duties:...
(8) Administer oaths, issue subpoena and subpoena duces tecum, and taketestimony in any investigation or inquiry, including the power to examine andhave access to bank accounts and records;
The same statue empowers the OMB to seek assistance from other government agencies
in the conduct of its investigations, thus:5) Request any government agency for assistance and information necessary inthe discharge of its responsibilities, and to examine, if necessary, pertinent records
and documents;
Further, OMB utilizes Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) in securing documentsfrom other countries.
With respect to testimonial evidence or investigative leads from human sources,
investigators may either conduct interviews or elicitation. Sworn statements may also be taken
following the issuance of Subpoena Ad Testificandum.
When conducting interviews, investigators currently employ two approaches: 1) thetraditional approach; and 2) non-confrontational approach.
The traditional approach, otherwise known as the “good-cop-bad-cop approach”, is doneby capitalizing on the stress of the human source or interviewee in order to obtain the needed
information. On the other hand, the non-confrontational approach is done by taking the role of amediator-negotiator thereby minimizing the stress or fear of the interviewee.15 While the good13

This is determined to avoid duplicity of action.
Republic Act No. 6770.
15
Lectures on Investigative Interviewing, Specialized Training Enhancement Program, sponsored by the British
Embassy.
14- 116 -

cop-bad-cop approach is traditional and out-of-date, investigators still find the same useful inextracting information from human sources.
Aside from the techniques for securing documents and testimony, investigators also
conduct ocular inspection and surveillance. In conducting inspection, the goal of the investigator
is, usually, to take photos of property, particularly real property and motor vehicles of the public
officials. Surveillance, on the other hand, is conducted to observe the lifestyle of public officials.
D.

ReportingAfter conducting the investigation, investigators prepare an Investigation Report
recommending either: 1) closure and termination of the investigation or 2) filing of formal
criminal and administrative charges against the public official.
V. SOURCES OF INFORMATION
In conducting lifestyle checks or validating whether a public official has accumulated
unexplained wealth, Ombudsman investigators explore the following aspects: 1) personnel
information or records; 2) property records; 3) business and income records; 4) expenditurerecords; 5) records of liabilities.
A.

Personnel Records
The personnel records of a public official are called “201 Files”. These include the
Personal Data Sheet, Service Record, Appointment Paper, Oath of Office, and Position
Description Form. These documents are sources of information for the public official’s address,
his or her family members, and other information on his or her possible personal connections.
Likewise, the 201 Files provide the record of employment of the public official, particularly theperiod he has spent in government service.
Investigators secure personnel records from the following sources:
1. The human resources department of the concerned agency;
2. Civil Service Commission, for appointive officials;
3. Commission on Elections, for elective officials; and4. Local Government Operations Offices, for local elective officials.
B.

Property Records
The primary source of information on the property and other assets of public officials is
the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). Public officials and employees aremandated under the law to file their SALN within 30 days after assumption of office, on or
before April 30 of every year thereafter, and within 30 days after separation from the service.

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Sections 7 and 9 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act16 state:“Section 7. Statement of Assets and Liabilities. – Every public officer, within
thirty days after assuming office and, thereafter, . . . as well as upon the expirationof his term or office, or upon his resignation or separation from office, shallprepare and file . . . a true detailed and sworn statement of assets and liabilities,
including a statement of the amounts and sources of his income, the amounts of
his personal and family expenses and the amount of income taxes paid for the
next preceding calendar year . . .
...
Section 9. Penalties for violations. – . . .
(b) Any public officer violating any of the provisions of Section 7 of this act shallbe punished by a fine of not less than one thousand pesos nor more than five
thousand pesos or by imprisonment not exceeding one year and six months, or byboth such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the Court. . . .”Further, Sections 8 and 11 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public
Officials and Employees provide:“Section 8. Statements and Disclosure. – Public officials and employees have an
obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has
the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and businessinterests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children undereighteen (18) years of age living in their households. . . .
...
“Section 11. Penalties. – (a). . . violations of Sections 7, 8, or 9 of this Act shallbe punishable with imprisonment not exceeding five (5) years, or a fine notexceeding five thousand pesos (P5,000), or both, and in the discretion of the courtof competent jurisdiction, disqualification to hold public office.
(b) Any violation hereof proven in a proper administrative proceeding shall be
sufficient cause for removal or dismissal of a public official or employee, even if
no criminal prosecution is instituted against him. . . .”The SALN contains information about a public official or employee, his spouse andunmarried children under 18 living in their household, as to the following:

16

Republic Act No. 3019.

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1. real property, including improvements, date and cost of acquisition, assessed value,and current fair market value;
2. personal property, date and cost of acquisition;
3. investments, cash-on-hand, cash-in-bank, and other assets;
5.
liabilities;
4. liabilities;
6.
5. businesses and financial connections.17
After extracting information from the SALN as to the possible locations of real propertyof the public official and his or her other property and investments, investigators proceed toverify the information from other sources. Validation from other sources is a means not only tocheck the truth and accuracy of the declaration in the SALN; it is likewise a way to discoverwhether the public official fails to declare other property and investments.
As to the real property, investigators obtain information from the following sources:
1. Local Assessors Offices (Provincial, City, or Municipal), which provide the Tax
Declaration, Location, and Vicinity Map of the real property declared under the nameof the public official and his or her family members;
2. Land Registration Authority or the Local Register of Deeds, which provide theOriginal or Transfer Certificates of Title and the documents evidencing the transfer ofownership or mode of acquisition of the real property;
3. Local Building Officials, which provide the cost estimates of any building or
improvements constructed on the real property.
With respect to the motor vehicles of public officials, records of the same are obtained
from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), which provide the make, model, and plate numbersof the motor vehicles registered under the names of particular persons. In addition, the LTO
District Offices provide the registration documents and the documents evidencing the mode andcost of acquisition of the motor vehicles.
C.

Business and Income Records
The primary source of information on the income of public officials is the Certificate ofYearly Compensation, Allowances, and other Benefits which may be provided by the
Accounting Office of the public official’s agency.
In addition, records from the Bureau of Internal Revenue are secured particularly todetermine whether the public official and his or her family members have other legitimate
sources of income.
17

Ombudsman Desk Reference.

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As to the information on the business interests of the public official, the same may beobtained from the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Trade and Industry,
and the Local Business Permits and Licensing Offices. Information derived from these agencies
enable the investigators to determine whether the public official has other sources of legitimate
income and whether he has spent funds for starting and operating businesses.
After determination of the business interests and financial connections of the public
official, income statements of the same may be secured in order to determine whether he or she
could possibly derive income from the same or whether they are merely being used as dummybusinesses to conceal the true source of the public official’s funds.
D.

Expenditure Records
In lifestyle checks, it is equally important to determine other expenses of the public
official aside from the assets which he or she has acquired. Hence, investigators also secure
documents pertaining to the public official’s travels, expenses for schooling of his or her children,and other costs of living.
E.

Records of Liabilities
To check the truthfulness and accuracy of the liabilities declared in a public official’s
SALN, records of loans are secured from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS),
Social Security System (SSS), and Home Mutual Development Fund or PAG-IBIG.
It should be noted that once the loan is verified, the amount of the same is treated as anadditional source of income for the public official. However, the amount spent by the public
official in the payment of such loans is treated as expenditure.
VI. METHODS OF PROOF
A finding of unexplained wealth forms the basis for the recommendation to pursue
forfeiture proceedings under the Forfeiture Law 18 . Two methods of proof are available todetermine the existence of unexplained wealth — the Net Worth Method and the Expenditure
Method.
The Net Worth Method is used by computing the official’s total assets less his total
liabilities (assets–liabilities = net worth). That method is used to compare changes in a person’s
net worth at the beginning of a period and at the end of that period. This is based on the theory
that any increase in the net worth beyond the lawful income of the public official constitutes
unexplained wealth.

18

Republic Act No. 1379.

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Thus:
Total Assets
Less: Total Liabilities_____________________
Equals: Net Worth at the End of the Period
Less: Net Worth at the Beginning of the Period________________________________________
Equals: Increase (Decrease) in Net WorthAdd: Total Expenditures for the Period
Less: Total Income for the Period________________________________________
Equals: UNEXPLAINED WEALTH19
The second method, the Expenditure Method is employed by comparing the public
official’s expenditures to his legitimate sources of income for a particular period. The theory is
wealth.
The formula is:
Total Expenditures for the Period
Less: Total Income for the Period________________________________________
Equals: UNEXPLAINED WEALTH20
By using the foregoing methods of proof, investigators can determine whether a public
official has, during his incumbency, accumulated wealth or spent funds which are manifestly outof proportion to his legitimate sources of income.
VII. CONCLUSION
Corruption investigation is one of the greatest challenges in each nation. And the mostdifficult aspect of this challenge is tracing the funds and recovering the ill-gotten assets. While
the agencies tasked to conduct corruption investigation continuously exert effort in learning andemploying advanced techniques in “following the money”, corrupt public officials have also
developed new modes of concealing ill-gotten assets.
With this great challenge ahead, the cooperation among nations encountering similardifficulties becomes essential. Understanding best practices employed by other anti-corruption
agencies is necessary to be able to develop and improve mechanisms to trace corruption proceeds

19

Ombudsman Desk Reference Volume I, page 54.
Ibid.

20

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and recover ill-gotten assets. How the Philippines learned from Hong Kong’s ICAC is amanifestation that this strategy should and can be done.
And while, indeed, the Philippines is like a soldier trying to kill an elephant with aflyswatter, it can nevertheless pick up techniques from other anti-corruption agencies on how tosucceed with this task. Armed with such techniques and best practices, coupled with courage anddetermination, the task of fighting corruption might turn out to be not so gargantuan after all.

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