A provincial governor in Mindanao has shown support for lifestyle audits of all government officials amidst an investigation into irregular flood control projects nationwide.
Governor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu, 27, of Sultan Kudarat province, stated on his social media page, “I fully support lifestyle checks and I’m willing to be checked first.”
He added, “However, I believe the focus should be on mayors of the poorest towns, as it is concerning when their municipalities remain impoverished while they themselves become the wealthiest in the province.” Mangudadatu, who served as mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki town in Maguindanao del Sur from 2019 to 2022, emphasized this point.
As a former mayor in Maguindanao del Sur, he mentioned that some town mayors of poor municipalities are among the richest in the province and even the region.
Mangudadatu highlighted a specific case of an unnamed town mayor with a gambling habit, often found in casinos in Metro Manila.
“When the mayor loses significantly, he resorts to loans from loan sharks,” Mangudadatu noted. “Loan firms are now pursuing him.”