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MANILA - The Department of the Interior and Local Government is eyeing a lifestyle check on barangay officials, some of whom might have enriched themselves using public money, an official said Monday.

Martin Diño, undersecretary for barangay affairs, said the DILG has compiled a list of barangays that failed to submit their inventories of money disbursements as required by the agency. He said the DILG will file charges against the officials.

"Ngayon, makikipag-tie up ako sa BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) para ngayon meron kaming memorandum of agreement para mapa-lifestyle check namin lahat ng barangay officials na talagang in a matter of years naging mayaman," he told ANC's Headstart.

(I will tie up with BIR so that we will have a memorandum of agreement for a lifestyle check on barangay officials who became rich in a matter of years.)

"Alam naman sa barangay kung may negosyo yan. Walang taong nakakaalam kung hindi ang kaniyang constituents," he said.

(The people in the barangays know if their leaders have businesses. No one else but the constituents would know that.)

Diño, a former barangay captain, said the Commission on Audit should revive its strict rules when releasing money to barangay officials.

He said during his tenure, a rigorous evaluation by fiscal control and accounting departments and a barangay council resolution are needed before money is disbursed through their depository bank.

"Now, pwede kang ang kapitan at treasurer ay gagawa lang ng certification, mailalabas ang milyon-milyong pera ng barangay easily...Ngayon, wala pang project, nasa bulsa na ni Kapitan at Treasurer yung pera," he said.

(Now, the barangay chairman and treasurer only need to produce certification and the millions worth of funds can be released. There is not even a project in place yet and the money is in the chairman's pocket.)

"Nagre-request kami sa COA na ibalik nila sa dati dahil prone to corruption ito. Marami nang nagka-kaso na ang treasurer ay tinakbo ang pera," he added.

(We are requesting COA to bring back their old procedure because this is prone to corruption. There have been several complaints against a treasurer who ran off with the money.)