THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is continuing its lifestyle checks on government officials, more than a month after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered the audit in response to alleged anomalies in flood control spending.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, that the bureau has begun implementing the President’s directive.
“The BIR has been tasked to conduct the audit, and the lifestyle checks are now ongoing,” Castro said in Tagalog.
During a Palace press briefing, she said Malacañang could not provide a timeline for when initial findings would be released.
Malacañang first announced the lifestyle audit order on Aug. 27, weeks after the President revealed in his State of the Nation Address irregularities in flood control projects, including the splitting of contracts, bloated costing, contractor collusion, and ghost projects.
The move coincided with the creation of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate public works spending and the activation of the Sumbong sa Pangulo complaints platform.
Castro said reports received through the website, now numbering more than 19,000 entries, are being validated and forwarded to the ICI.
The Palace has yet to disclose how many officials are under financial scrutiny or whether contractors will also be covered by the audit. / PNA