ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (PPAB)

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro has questioned the Office of the Ombudsman’s sough  P115 million confidential funds for 2025, which is a massive increased from this year’s budget of P1 million.

Castro raised this concern on Tuesday, Sept. 17, during the plenary deliberations on the Ombudsman’s P5.824-billion budget under the 2025 General Appropriation  Bill (GAB).

“Dito sa report ng Ombudsman in 2023, ‘yung confidential fund ay P31 million pero ‘yung actual na nagamit po for 2023 ay P16,600,000. And then in GAA (General Appropriations Act) 2024, P1 million ang naging budget,” the congresswoman noted.

(Based on the report of the Ombudsman in 2023, the confidential fund is P31 million but the actual amount used for 2023 is P16,600,000. And then in GAA 2024, the budget was P1 million.)

“Sa 2025, may proposal ang Ombudsman na P115,665,000 pero ang nirekomenda ng DBM (Department of Budget and Management) ay P51,468,000,” she said.

(In 2025, the Ombudsman had a proposal of P115,665,000 but the DBM recommended P51,468,000.)

Castro says there are “good signs” that the Ombudsman are able to achieve its programs, projects, and activities based on its output and performances.

However, she stressed that the proposed P115 million in confidential funds presented a concern since it was a huge bump that was seemingly out of the blue.

“So bakit kaya ganito kalaki ang proposal? (So why is the proposal so huge?),” wondered Castro.

Manila 6th district Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr., the budget sponsor of the Office of the Ombudsman, explained that the amount was requested since the DBM historically gives agencies less than the original proposal.

“Alam naman po natin na pag ‘yan ay nilagay sa DBM ay babawasan po nila ‘yan imbes na dagdagan nila ‘yan. So, kung ito po ay matupad ay maaaring ilagay po ito sa MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) upang makatulong din naman sa mga pangangailan ng Ombudsman,” said Abante.

(We know that when that is placed to the DBM, they will reduce it instead of increasing it. So, if this is fulfilled, it can be put in the MOOE to help with the needs of the Ombudsman.)

Castro, however, pointed out that a 2015 inter-agency joint circular does not allow the utilization of confidential funds for MOOE.

“Kung gano’n dapat nag-request na lang ng additional sa MOOE, baka pwedeng ma-approve ‘yung buong P115 million,” the Makabayan bloc member argued.

(In that case, an additional request should have been made to MOOE, maybe the entire P115 million would be approved.)

“Ano ‘yung justification dito ng Ombudsman? Kasi hindi pwedeng ilagay ito sa MOOE dahil hindi ito kasama sa expenses,” she asked.

(What is the Ombudsman's justification here? Because it cannot be placed in MOOE because it is not included in the expenses.)

Abante agreed with Castro, although he said this should no longer be an issue as the DBM already decided to give the Ombudsman only P51.4 million from its request of P115 million.

“Well anyway, mayro’n naman tayong kapangyarihan na i-realign ‘to…pwede naman ‘yung P51 million, ‘yung P1 million ilagay sa confidential funds, at ‘yung P50 million ilagay sa MOOE. Iyan po ang kapangyarihan ng Kongreso,” the veteran lawmaker added.

(Well anyway, we have the power to realign it. From the P51 million, the P1 million can be put in the confidential funds, and the P50 million can be put in the MOOE. That is the power of Congress.)

During the committee deliberations last month, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said he  was open to the possibility of scrapping the confidential funds from his office’s proposed budget. He said the secret funds only raise people’s eyebrows.