Asking the right questions

CHEERS TO Rappler for raising possible issues of conflict of interest and the possible violation of the public official’s code of conduct when Sen. Chiz Escudero married celebrity Heart Evangelista in a “lavish” ceremony followed by a posh reception.

Filed under Inside Track which provides analyses and raises questions related to current events, Rappler asked “How can a 2nd ‘poorest’ senator afford a Balesin wedding?”

Escudero and Evangelista got married on Feb. 15 at Balesin Island Club and had a separate Manila reception on Feb. 18 at Blue Leaf Filipinas in Paranaque City. Balesin is a “members-only, private leisure getaway” located 21 kilometers southeast of Polillo, Quezon Province. Members are flown to and from the island onboard Balesin’s private planes.

Escudero, based on the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Networth (SALN) senators file annually, ranked second “poorest” in the Senate, with an alleged net worth of only Php 8.243 million according to his 2013 SALN.

The Rappler piece cited Rule VI Section 8 of Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethics Standards for Public Officials and Employees that says: “Officials and employees and their families shall lead modest and simple lives appropriate to their positions and income. They shall not indulge in extravagant or ostentatious display of wealth in any form…”

As a member of the Senate blue ribbon committee, Escudero, said Rappler, also “participates in Senate hearings and probes that range from public fund misuse to bad corporate practices of companies engaged in government contracts.”

The couple had as sponsors high profile media personalities, media moguls, politicians, and business tycoons including Roberto Ongpin of Balesin’s developer Alphaland “who was summoned (to the Senate) to explain the alleged anomalous joint venture agreement involving a property of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.”

The piece, however, could have been better if it provided an idea of the possible cost of the wedding based on the amount for the flight and wedding packages available at Balesin’s site although no “official” wedding cost has been disclosed to the public. Rappler has written about Balesin in previous articles and probably knows how much one has to spend to enjoy the amenities of the private leisure island resort.

In the April 4, 2013 article “Alphaland’s Balesin grows to meet demand”, Marriana Yulo, Alphaland director and CFO, told Rappler that “there are currently 700 member who are able to use the island’s facilities at a membership cost of P3.2 million…the membership price increases by P100,000 every month.” They also featured the island resort in a July 19, 2012 article, “Breathtaking Balesin.”

According to a brochure in Balesin’s website, food menu packages for weddings can cost from Php 57,500 to more than Php 360,000 while a round trip flight aboard one of its own planes costs Php 7,000 per person.

Apparently Rappler was asking the right questions.