TURNING the tables on President Benigno Aquino III, a retired Catholic prelate yesterday said Aquino should explain the sudden increase of his wealth, from P15 million in 2009 to nearly P55 million in 2012.

Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz said the Chief Executive should divulge the source of his abrupt growth in wealth contained in a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Cruz stressed that while Aquino has compelled other government officials to be transparent with their assets, he avoided doing the same.

“Dapat lang na ipaliwanag niya... Gusto niya na maging very transparent ang iba pero siya ayaw niya,” Cruz told Church-run Radyo Veritas Tuesday.

“At isa pa, ang Freedom of Information bill ay ayaw niya. Di niya priority. Kung talaga siya ay pro-transparency eh bakit di niya 'to ipasa. Hindi masyadong malinaw ang kanyang katayuan,” he said.

The PCIJ report said Aquino’s wealth had grown nearly three times or recorded a P40 million increase within a year after the May 2010 elections.

But the prelate said the public must not be surprised with the growth of Aquino’s wealth which might be derived from his share of the income of Hacienda Luisita, a 4,915-hectare sugar plantation owned by the president’s family.