Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday defended his agency’s proposed P51.4-million confidential funds for 2027, saying the office is now ‘more aggressive’ in its investigations.
‘I think we’re more aggressive in pursuing investigations, Your Honor, and purchasing information and other things needed that requires confidential funds to be utilized,’ Remulla responded when asked by Senate finance committee chair JV Ejercito why the need for such an amount.
Ejercito led the budget deliberation for the Office of the Ombudsman, which has a proposed budget of P7.23 billion for next year.
The lawmaker noted that the OMB, during the time of Remulla’s predecessor, former Ombudsman Samuel Martires, had only P1 million in confidential funds.
The Office of the Ombudsman was originally seeking around P148 million for its confidential expenses under its budget for 2027. But the Department of Budget and Management only recommended P51.4 million for its confidential expenses.
Senators expressed support for the proposed P51.4-million being requested by the OMB, with Senate Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III saying the amount is ‘a drop in the bucket,’ given the agency’s mandate.
‘That should be a drop in the bucket, if you think about it, for what the work the Ombudsman is doing. As a matter of fact, there was one office, one office of government that had P125 million – five times – for confidential funds,’ said Sotto.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian agreed that the [P51 million] is ‘minuscule compared to the gravity of the corruption cases that we are embroiled in, and the Ombudsman is tasked to resolve all of those corruption issues.’
‘Admittedly, legitimate purchase of information is needed to establish the evidence, make the cases stronger, and be able to file cases and win the cases,’ he said.
‘We can’t just file cases. We must win the cases. So I think the P51 million is well justified so that we can strengthen the cases that we will file,’ he pointed out.
Ejercito said they will ensure that confidential funds will be confined only to law enforcement agencies, investigative agencies, and offices connected with national security.
‘And, of course, the Office of the Ombudsman, in its drive against corruption, will be one of them,’ the senator noted. ‘And I think [P51] million will be very much justified. That’s actually low compared to P1 million before. That’s why I said, I don’t know if [the agency] was working. With only P1 million, what can you purchase with that?’ he wondered.