House eyes bigger budget for Ombudsman’s ‘huge role’
The House of Representatives is considering a bigger budget for the Office of the Ombudsman next year in view of the critical role it is expected to assume in an independent probe into anomalous flood control projects.
The rare move to increase an agency’s funding happened during Tuesday’s deliberations. Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing noted that the Ombudsman’s proposed P6.39-billion budget did not yet take into account the cases possibly arising from the investigation to be conducted by an independent body being put together by Malacañang.
“Essentially, you would play a huge role in making that panel successful. And I know that would entail additional work, additional responsibility on the part of the Office of the Ombudsman,” said Suansing, who heads the House committee on appropriations.
Expanding OACs
“So we want to make sure to factor that in. There is still time to make such adjustments but we need your help, please guide us so we know what you need,” she added.
The panel gave the Ombudsman until this Friday to submit the additional needs to be incorporated in its 2026 budget.
Apart from additional funding to assist the independent commission, Suansing also asked Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo, who represented the agency in the hearing, to consider funding for the expansion of Ombudsman Assistance Centers (OACs).
Specifically, Suansing wanted to expand the centers’ functions so that citizens could directly file reports on flood control projects, not just clearances and statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs).
“We hope that the OACs can also serve as avenues for our people to report what they see, especially regarding flood control developments,” Suansing said.
For their part, Balmeo noted that the centers already accept complaints, which are forwarded to other offices, but said they plan to assign a lawyer to each center to give advice—a measure not yet covered in the proposed 2026 budget.
P36M for new jobs
FPJ Panday Bayanihan Rep. Brian Poe previously asked the agency how much it would need to stage an inquiry into the Marcos administration’s flood control projects.
While it was not able to provide exact figures for the independent probe, the Ombudsman said it needed an additional P36 million to hire more casual employees to digitize records from previous years to preserve documents.
The Ombudsman’s proposed budget is already 8.83 percent higher than this year’s P5.8 billion. Majority, or P4.36 billion, is earmarked for general administration and support.
The rest is shared among its watchdog functions including the Anti-Corruption Investigation Program, P899.7 million; Anti-Corruption Enforcement Program, P752.15 million; Ombudsman Assistance Program, P151.9 million; and Corruption Prevention Program, P105.2 million.
Not formed yet
Over the weekend, a coalition of church, civil society, business, academic and scientist groups called for an independent probe that would result in the prosecution of those behind the anomalies.
The independent commission that will lead the probe, as proposed by President Marcos, however, has yet to be formed.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin remained tightlipped on Wednesday when asked if Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong has already accepted an invitation to be part of the commission.
“I am not sure about that,” Bersamin said.
Pressed further if the composition of the proposed three-man body has been finalized, he replied: “Not yet. We have to be quiet about that because the President has to give us the updates.”
Magalong himself said in a forum in Manila that there was no invite yet for him to join the commission.
Deadline extended
Once constituted, the body is expected to immediately start its investigation since “the President sees the urgency of doing many, many things all at once,” Bersamin said.
Also on Wednesday, the House appropriations body approved Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon’s request to move the deadline to clean up the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) proposed P881.3-billion budget for 2026 to Sept. 15.
Suansing also approved a motion moving the DPWH budget deliberations to Sept. 18, or two days later than their initial target of Sept. 16.
Dizon wrote to the committee asking for the extension, citing the “volume of items and documents requiring review, together with other matters that must likewise be addressed.”
“This extension will allow us to exercise greater diligence and prudence in reviewing the National Expenditure Program,” he added. —WITH A REPORT FROM MAILA AGER
