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Helen Flores - The Philippine Star
December 3, 2025 | 12:00am
Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Sandro Marcos
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — The First Family is open to undergoing a lifestyle check, Malacañang said yesterday, following an investigative report saying that Marcos’ bailiwick, Ilocos Norte, ranked among the biggest recipients of “allocable” funds over the past three years.
A report published by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) found that the largest share of almost P1.2 trillion in allocable funds – which critics label as a new form of pork barrel – went to Ilocos Norte First District Rep. Sandro Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez between 2023 and 2025.
When sought for comment during a press briefing at Malacañang, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the President has read the PCIJ report.
“The President knows Cong. Sandro Marcos understands the process and knows how to answer this,” Castro said.
Asked if the administration would allow a lifestyle check on the presidential son and other members of the First Family amid corruption allegations, Castro replied that they are “open, even before.”
“That option has always been there. No one is excluded from undergoing a lifestyle check,” she added.
Castro emphasized that Rep. Marcos had earlier volunteered to appear before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to respond to claims that he benefited from budget insertions.
“Whatever issues are raised against him, he will personally go to the ICI to be investigated. He just needs to be given a date so the proper schedule can be set,” Castro said.
Based on the PCIJ report, the younger Marcos received P15.8 billion in allocable funds, while Romualdez received P14.4 billion.
It also noted that Ilocos Norte’s First District, with a population of less than 320,000, got almost twice the P7.8-billion allocable of Rizal’s First District, the country’s most populous legislative constituency with 1.2 million residents.
Former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co had also accused the younger Marcos of securing budget insertions over the past three years.
In response, Rep. Marcos had formally written the ICI to confirm his willingness to testify.
“Regardless of position and who you are, no one is above the law. Given that I have nothing to hide, I hereby submit myself for investigation by the ICI at their earliest convenience,” he said.
